During the 1939–40 English football season,

Brentford Brentford is a suburban town in West (London sub region), West London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It lies at the confluence of the River Brent and the River Thames, Thames, west of Charing Cross. Its economy has dive ...

competed in the

Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional association football, football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, it is the oldest football league in Association football around the world, the w ...

, playing three matches before competitive football was suspended due to the outbreak of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. The club played in three unofficial wartime competitions for the remainder of the season – groups B and C of the

Football League South The Football League North and Football League South divisions of the Football League were created temporarily for the League to continue through the Second World War while limiting the amount of movement that was required by teams. The leagues sta ...

and the

Football League War Cup The Football League War Cup was an association football tournament held between 1939 and 1945. It aimed to fill the gap left in English football by the suspension of the FA Cup during the Second World War. Though it was often referred to in conte ...

Season summary

After narrowly avoiding relegation towards the end of the 1938–39 season,

manager Harry Curtis allowed full back

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and half backs Sam Briddon and Tally Sneddon to transfer away from the club. Curtis signed young

Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...

inside forward In the sport of association football, a forward (attacker or striker) is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position which primarily plays further up the pitch than Midfielder, midfielders and Defender (association football), d ...

Percy Saunders and brought in former

Manchester United Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...

wing half In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

Tom Mansley as his new

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. The season opened with a heavy 5–1

Jubilee Fund defeat to

neighbours ''Neighbours'' is an Australian television soap opera that has aired since 18 March 1985. It was created by television executive Reg Watson. The Seven Network commissioned the show following the success of Watson's earlier soap '' Sons and ...

Chelsea on 19 August 1939. Brentford began the regular season with a win, a draw and a defeat, before competitive football was suspended following Britain's declaration of war on Germany on 3 September 1939. Percy Saunders, who had scored on his debut on the opening day, would be the only pre-war Brentford player to die on active service during the war, when his ship was

torpedo A modern torpedo is an underwater ranged weapon launched above or below the water surface, self-propelled towards a target, with an explosive warhead designed to detonate either on contact with or in proximity to the target. Historically, such ...

ed in the

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in March 1942. The cessation of competitive football was worrying for Brentford, with £12,000 having been spent on new players during the off-season (equivalent to £ in ) and there was little prospect of recouping it through the

turnstile A turnstile (also called a gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce One-way traffic#One-way traffic of people, one-way ...

s. 23 of Brentford's 30-man squad were called to arms, into the War Police Reserve or into the munitions industry. Within two weeks of the declaration of war, the Football League agreed that football could continue, in order to keep clubs in business and to raise funds. Brentford entered Group B of the new

in October 1939. The squad was augmented by three guest players who had previously played for the club – Scottish half backs Duncan McKenzie and

Archie Scott Archibald Teasdale Scott (22 July 1905 – 1990) was a Scottish professional footballer who played in the Football League for Derby County and Brentford as a centre half In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of a ...

and inside forward Bert Stephens. 30-year old centre forward Jack Holliday (a prolific goalscorer in the

Third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...

and Second Divisions between 1932 and 1935) experienced a renaissance, with 14 goals in 16 appearances. Brentford finished the Group B campaign in mid-table. A further 18-match campaign followed in Group C in the first six months of 1940, with 13 players guesting, including two former international Brentford players – Scotland's

David McCulloch David McCulloch (5 October 1912 – 21 June 1979) was a Scottish footballer who played for several Scottish and English clubs in the 1930s, most notably Heart of Midlothian, Brentford and Derby County. He also represented Scotland at full inter ...

and the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...

. The Bees finished 4th in the 10-team group and exited the

in the first round.

League tables

Football League First Division

Football League South Group B

Football League South Group C

Results

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

Legend

Football League First Division

Football League South Group B

Football League South Group C

Football League War Cup

* Sources: A-Z Of Bees, Rothmans Book of Football League Records 1888–89 to 1978–79, 100 Years Of Brentford

Playing squad

:: ''Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1939–40 season.'' * Sources: Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939, 100 Years Of Brentford

Coaching staff

Statistics

Appearances and goals

*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

Wartime international caps

Management

Summary

Transfers & loans

:''Guest players' arrival and departure dates correspond to their first and last appearances of the season.''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:1939-40 Brentford F.C. season Brentford F.C. seasons