During the 1979–80 English football season,

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has diverse company headquarters buildings whi ...

competed in the Football League Third Division. Despite challenging for promotion in the first half of the season, a barren run between December 1979 and March 1980 meant that the Bees' Third Division status was only preserved on the final day of the season.

Season summary

manager

Bill Dodgin Jr. William Dodgin (4 November 1931 – 17 June 2000) was an English football player and manager. Club career Dodgin was born in Wardley, Gateshead, and was the son of footballer Bill Dodgin Sr. He began his career as an amateur, before signing f ...

oversaw one of the quietest off-seasons in recent years, with the only change being in the

striking Strike may refer to: People *Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

department – Andrew McCulloch departed for a club record £60,000 fee and in came

Lee Holmes Lee Daniel Holmes (born 2 April 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Mickelover. Holmes began his career with Derby County and became their youngest ever player and goalscorer, as well as the youngest foo ...

and Billy Holmes,White, p. 312-313. the latter for a £10,000 fee. In direct contrast to the previous two seasons, Brentford started strongly, winning six and drawing three of the first 11 league matches of the season to rise to 3rd position in the

Third Division In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below. Association football *Belgian Thir ...

on 10 October 1979. Continued good results and a boost from the loan signing of winger Keith Fear put the Bees in 2nd place behind leaders Sheffield United one month later, but after a 7–2 victory over Hull City on 8 December (the Bees' biggest win of the season), the team's form collapsed. Between 15 December 1979 and 29 March 1980, Brentford won just 7 of a possible 36 points and dropped from 3rd to 18th place. A 1–0 home defeat to Rotherham United at

Griffin Park Griffin Park was a football ground in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow, England. It was the home ground of Brentford F.C. from its opening in September 1904 to August 2020. The ground is in a predominantly residential area and was ...

on 29 March left the Bees just two points above the relegation zone and the result spelt the end for manager Bill Dodgin Jr, who was given a paid leave of absence until the end of the season by the Brentford board. Former

Woking Woking ( ) is a town and borough status in the United Kingdom, borough in northwest Surrey, England, around from central London. It appears in Domesday Book as ''Wochinges'' and its name probably derives from that of a Anglo-Saxon settlement o ...

manager

Fred Callaghan Frederick John Callaghan (19 December 1944 – 13 September 2022) was an English professional association football, footballer, who made over 290 appearances in the Football League for Fulham F.C., Fulham as a left back. After retiring as a pla ...

was appointed to the position and oversaw something of a revival, though Brentford went into the final match of the season versus Millwall needing at least a point to guarantee safety. A goal from one of Bill Dodgin Jr.'s final signings, Tony Funnell, was enough to preserve Brentford's Third Division status. One club record was equalled during the season: * Most consecutive away

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engla ...

clean sheets: 4 (8 September – 10 October 1979)

League table

Results

:''Brentford's goal tally listed first.''

Legend

Pre-season and friendlies

Football League Third Division

FA Cup

Football League Cup

* Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies
Statto
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Playing squad

:''Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1979–80 season.'' * Sources: The Big Brentford Book of the Seventies, Timeless Bees

Coaching staff

Bill Dodgin Jr. (15 August 1979 – 15 March 1980)

Fred Callaghan (15 March – 3 May 1980)

Statistics

Appearances and goals

:''Substitute appearances in brackets.'' *Players listed in ''italics'' left the club mid-season. *Source: 100 Years of Brentford

Goalscorers

*Players listed in ''italics'' left the club mid-season. *Source: 100 Years of Brentford

Management

Summary

Transfers & loans

Awards

* Supporters' Player of the Year:

Pat Kruse Patrick Karl Kruse (born 30 November 1953) is an English former professional footballer who is best remembered for his five-year spell in the Football League with Brentford, for whom he made over 200 appearances as a centre back. Kruse is kno ...

Croxford, Lane & Waterman, p. 295. * Players' Player of the Year: Pat Kruse

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1979-80 Brentford F.C. season Brentford F.C. seasons