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During the 1916–17 English football season, Brentford competed in the London Combination, due to the cessation of competitive football for the duration of the First World War. Restricted by league rules mandating that all players must be members of the armed forces or munitions workers, Brentford finished third-from-bottom, having been forced to field over 50 guest players.

Season summary

Straddling the middle period the First World War, the London Combination introduced a new rule that for the 1916–17 season, stating all players must be members of the armed forces or munitions workers, which meant Brentford secretary-manager Fred Halliday (himself a worker at the Ministry of Munitions) had trouble securing players to play. Full back Dusty Rhodes, half back Alf Amos and forwards Patsy Hendren and Henry White would be the only pre-war Bees players to appear in more than half of the matches during the season. Albert Chester joined the club from Millwall in December 1916 and also appeared in over half the matches. Due to a wrist injury suffered by Ted Price, Bradford Park Avenue's Frank Drabble was the main goalkeeper during the season, while Croydon Common's William Bushell was also a regular in the half back line.

Brentford had a torrid season, winning just 9 of the 40 matches. Defeats by three, four, five and six goal margins were a regular occurrence, contributing to a total of 99 goals conceded during the campaign. 16 goals were conceded in four matches versus Luton Town. The highlights were a 7–0 victory over Portsmouth at Griffin Park on 30 December 1916 and Henry White's performances, who top-scored for the third-consecutive season with 20 goals from 35 matches.

The Battle of the Somme, which began on 1 July 1916, represented the lowest period so far for the British Army during the war and a number of former Brentford players were killed in the battle:

• Lieutenant Thomas Hamer, killed during the Battle of Mametz on 7 July 1916, while serving with the Royal Welch Fusiliers.
• Sergeant Patrick Hagan, killed during the Battle of Bazentin Ridge on 14 July 1916, while serving with the Royal Scots.
• Private John Hendren, killed during the Battle of Delville Wood on 27 July 1916, while serving with the Royal Fusiliers.
• Privates Louis D'Abadie and Henry Purver, killed during the Battle of Delville Wood on 31 July 1916, while serving with the Royal Fusiliers.
• Private Harry Robotham, killed during the Battle of Flers–Courcelette on 12 September 1916, while serving with the Middlesex Regiment.
• Private Percy Matthews, missing, presumed killed, during the Battle of Le Transloy on 12 October 1916, while serving with the Essex Regiment.
• Sergeant Joshua Hardisty MM, killed during the Battle of the Ancre on 18 November 1916, while serving with the Border Regiment.

Two other players died during the season:

• Lieutenant Alex Glen, who played at inside left during the 1908–09 season, was serving into the Royal Army Medical Corps when he committed suicide while in camp in Ripon, Yorkshire on 21 September 1916.
• Sergeant Henry Cook, died of wounds suffered near Maurepas, France, on 9 January 1917, while serving with the Yorkshire Regiment. He had appeared as a guest during the 1915–16 season.

League table

London Combination

Results

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Legend

London Combination

• Source: 100 Years Of Brentford

Playing squad

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1916–17 season.

Pos.	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Signed from	Signed in	Notes
Goalkeepers
GK	Ted Price		(1883-06-13)13 June 1883 (aged 33)	Croydon Common	1912
Defenders
DF	George Curtis		(1888-10-22)22 October 1888 (aged 27)	Kingston upon Thames	1914
DF	Jack Peart		(1884-10-13)13 October 1884 (aged 31)	Croydon Common	1916
DF	Dusty Rhodes (c)		(1882-08-16)16 August 1882 (aged 34)	Sunderland	1908	Trainer
Midfielders
HB	Charles Allwright		(1888-06-11)11 June 1888 (aged 28)	Kingston upon Thames	1914
HB	Alf Amos		(1893-02-09)9 February 1893 (aged 23)	Old Kingstonians	1913
HB	Alec Barclay		(1885-11-01)1 November 1885 (aged 30)	Ilford	1910	Amateur
HB	Bertie Rosier		(1893-03-21)21 March 1893 (aged 23)	Southall	1913
Forwards
FW	Herbert Allwright		(1892-03-04)4 March 1892 (aged 24)	Unattached	1915
FW	Walter Chalk		(1885-07-10)10 July 1885 (aged 31)	Old Kingstonians	1915	Amateur
FW	Albert Chester		(1886-03-17)17 March 1886 (aged 30)	Millwall	1916
FW	Patsy Hendren		(1889-02-05)5 February 1889 (aged 27)	Queens Park Rangers	1911	Played when his cricket commitments allowed
FW	Richard Sloley		(1891-08-20)20 August 1891 (aged 25)	Cambridge University	1914	Amateur
FW	Henry White		(1895-08-08)8 August 1895 (aged 21)	Whamcliffe Athletic	1913	Amateur
Guest players
GK	Frank Drabble		(1888-07-08)8 July 1888 (aged 28)	Bradford Park Avenue	1916	Guest from Bradford Park Avenue
GK	A. Harvey	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
GK	Jimmy Morris		n/a	Clapton Orient	1917	Guest from Clapton Orient
GK	Bernard Neville		(1882-07-09)9 July 1882 (aged 34)	Unattached	1916	Guest, referee
DF	Fred Bullock		(1886-07-01)1 July 1886 (aged 30)	Huddersfield Town	1916	Guest from Huddersfield Town
DF	Walker Hampson		(1889-07-24)24 July 1889 (aged 27)	Burnley	1916	Guest from Burnley
DF	Ted Hanney		(1889-01-19)19 January 1889 (aged 27)	Manchester City	1917	Guest from Manchester City
DF	Kennedy	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
DF	J. Mason	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
DF	H. W. Skinner		n/a	Nunhead	1916	Amateur, guest from Nunhead
HB	Birtwhistle	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
HB	William Bushell		(1880-06-30)30 June 1880 (aged 36)	Croydon Common	1916	Guest from Croydon Common
HB	J. Carter	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
HB	Henry Caves		(1891-11-28)28 November 1891 (aged 24)	Hampstead Town	1916	Amateur, guest from Hampstead Town
HB	A. Davis	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
HB	Charles Hollidge		(1881-10-14)14 October 1881 (aged 34)	Croydon Common	1916	Guest from Croydon Common
HB	George Hunter		(1885-06-01)1 June 1885 (aged 31)	Manchester United	1916	Guest from Manchester United
HB	Fred Keenor		(1894-07-31)31 July 1894 (aged 22)	Cardiff City	1916	Guest from Cardiff City
HB	John Lamb		(1889-07-25)25 July 1889 (aged 27)	The Wednesday	1916	Guest from The Wednesday
HB	James Lockwood		(1887-02-20)20 February 1887 (aged 29)	Queens Park Rangers	1916	Guest from Queens Park Rangers
HB	C. Morris	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
HB	Robert Nash		n/a	Unattached	1917	Guest
HB	S. Nunn	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
HB	Frank Roberts		(1894-04-03)3 April 1894 (aged 22)	Bolton Wanderers	1916	Guest from Bolton Wanderers
HB	J. Smith	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
HB	Billy Thompson		August 1886 (aged 30)	Queens Park Rangers	1916	Guest from Queens Park Rangers
HB	B. Toms	n/a	n/a	Luton Town	1917	Guest from Luton Town
FW	Tommy Barber		(1886-07-22)22 July 1886 (aged 30)	Aston Villa	1917	Guest from Aston Villa
FW	W. Blackmore	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
FW	Billy Brawn		(1878-08-01)1 August 1878 (aged 38)	Unattached	1916	Guest
FW	David Chalmers		(1891-07-22)22 July 1891 (aged 25)	Grimsby Town	1917	Guest from Grimsby Town
FW	Billy Clarkson		(1891-09-22)22 September 1891 (aged 24)	Burnley	1916	Guest from Burnley
FW	J. Cooper	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
FW	Harold Crockford		(1893-09-25)25 September 1893 (aged 22)	Chatham Town	1916	Guest from Chatham Town
FW	Bertie Denyer		(1893-04-09)9 April 1893 (aged 23)	Swindon Town	1917	Guest from Swindon Town
FW	Ernie Dilley		(1896-06-05)5 June 1896 (aged 20)	Millwall	1917	Guest from Millwall
FW	James Dillimore		(1894-12-19)19 December 1894 (aged 21)	Unattached	1917	Guest
FW	Fawcett	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
FW	Thomas Graham		(1887-07-20)20 July 1887 (aged 29)	Castleford Town	1916	Guest from Castleford Town
FW	Alf Gregson		(1889-03-02)2 March 1889 (aged 27)	Grimsby Town	1916	Guest from Grimsby Town
FW	Frederick Groves		(1891-01-13)13 January 1891 (aged 25)	Woolwich Arsenal	1916	Guest from Woolwich Arsenal
FW	Henry Hogarth		(1888-04-14)14 April 1888 (aged 28)	Unattached	1917	Guest
FW	Bill Hooper		(1884-02-20)20 February 1884 (aged 32)	Southport Central	1917	Guest from Southport Central
FW	E. A. Hunt	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
FW	William Kirby		(1883-06-21)21 June 1883 (aged 33)	Croydon Common	1916	Guest from Croydon Common
FW	J. Macey	n/a	n/a	n/a	1917	Guest
FW	H. Palmer	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
FW	W. Shaw	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
FW	Alfred Spencer		n/a	Clapton Orient	1916	Guest from Clapton Orient
FW	Dan Tuckfield	n/a	n/a	Millwall	1917	Guest from Millwall
FW	F. Walker	n/a	n/a	n/a	1916	Guest
FW	Oliver Whittemore		(1894-08-24)24 August 1894 (aged 22)	Luton Town	1917	Guest from Luton Town
FW	J. Wood	n/a	n/a	Luton Town	1917	Guest from Luton Town

• Sources: 100 Years of Brentford, Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939

Coaching staff

Name	Role
Fred Halliday	Secretary-Manager
Dusty Rhodes	Trainer

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Pos	Nat	Name	Total
			Apps	Goals
GK		Ted Price	9	0
DF		George Curtis	6	0
DF		Jack Peart	9	0
DF		Dusty Rhodes	32	0
HB		Bertie Rosier	8	0
HB		Charles Allwright	6	0
HB		Alf Amos	22	0
HB		Alec Barclay	5	0
FW		Herbert Allwright	2	0
FW		Walter Chalk	2	0
FW		Albert Chester	23	2
FW		Patsy Hendren	39	10
FW		Richard Sloley	9	5
FW		Henry White	35	20
Players guested during the season
GK		Frank Drabble	24	0
GK	n/a	A. Harvey	1	0
GK		Jimmy Morris	5	0
GK		Bernard Neville	1	0
DF		Fred Bullock	11	0
DF		Walker Hampson	3	0
DF		Ted Hanney	3	0
DF	n/a	Kennedy	1	0
DF	n/a	J. Mason	1	0
DF	n/a	H. W. Skinner	5	0
HB	n/a	Birtwhistle	1	0
HB		William Bushell	22	1
HB	n/a	J. Carter	1	0
HB		Henry Caves	1	0
HB	n/a	A. Davis	4	0
HB		Charles Hollidge	2	0
HB		George Hunter	1	0
HB		Fred Keenor	13	1
HB		John Lamb	3	0
HB	n/a	James Lockwood	10	0
HB	n/a	C. Morris	3	0
HB		Robert Nash	1	0
HB	n/a	S. Nunn	1	0
HB		Frank Roberts	10	0
FW	n/a	J. Smith	2	0
HB		Billy Thompson	1	0
HB	n/a	B. Toms	1	0
FW		Tommy Barber	2	0
FW	n/a	W. Blackmore	1	0
FW		Billy Brawn	2	0
FW		David Chalmers	1	0
FW		Billy Clarkson	16	3
FW	n/a	J. Cooper	1	0
FW		Harold Crockford	3	0
FW		Bertie Denyer	1	0
FW		Ernie Dilley	2	0
FW		James Dillimore	12	5
FW	n/a	Fawcett	1	0
FW		Thomas Graham	3	0
FW		Alf Gregson	11	6
FW		Frederick Groves	1	0
FW		Henry Hogarth	2	0
FW		Bill Hooper	4	0
FW	n/a	E. A. Hunt	1	0
FW		William Kirby	18	2
FW	n/a	J. Macey	2	0
FW	n/a	H. Palmer	1	0
FW	n/a	W. Shaw	1	0
FW		Alfred Spencer	1	1
FW	n/a	Dan Tuckfield	1	0
FW	n/a	F. Walker	11	0
FW		Oliver Whittemore	1	0
FW	n/a	J. Wood	1	0

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

Goalscorers

Pos.	Nat	Player	Total
FW		Henry White	20
FW		Patsy Hendren	10
FW		Alf Gregson	6
FW		James Dillimore	5
FW		Richard Sloley	5
FW		Billy Clarkson	3
FW		Albert Chester	2
FW		William Kirby	2
HB		William Bushell	1
HB		Fred Keenor	1
FW		Alfred Spencer	1
Total			56

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

Management

Name	Nat	From	To	Record
				P	W	D	L	W %
Fred Halliday		2 September 1916	28 April 1917	40	9	7	24	022.50|

Summary

Transfers & loans

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

Players transferred in
Date	Pos.	Name	Previous Club	Fee	Ref.
2 September 1916	DF	Jack Peart	Croydon Common	Free
9 December 1916	FW	Albert Chester	Millwall	Free
Guest players in
Date from	Pos.	Name	Previous Club	Date to	Ref.
2 September 1916	HB	Henry Caves	Hampstead Town	2 September 1916
2 September 1916	FW	Billy Clarkson	Burnley	19 April 1917
2 September 1916	FW	Thomas Graham	Castleford Town	21 October 1916
2 September 1916	FW	William Kirby	Croydon Common	20 January 1917
9 September 1916	FW	Billy Brawn	Unattached	25 November 1916
9 September 1916	HB	William Bushell	Croydon Common	17 March 1917
9 September 1916	FW	F. Walker	n/a	20 January 1917
16 September 1916	FW	Harold Crockford	Chatham Town	30 September 1916
23 September 1916	GK	Frank Drabble	Bradford Park Avenue	26 April 1917
7 October 1916	DF	Fred Bullock	Huddersfield Town	End of season
7 October 1916	FW	Alf Gregson	Grimsby Town	26 April 1917
7 October 1916	HB	Fred Keenor	Cardiff City	26 April 1917
21 October 1916	FW	W. Shaw	n/a	21 October 1916
21 October 1916	HB	Billy Thompson	Queens Park Rangers	21 October 1916
18 November 1916	FW	Birtwhistle	n/a	18 November 1916
18 November 1916	FW	Frederick Groves	Woolwich Arsenal	18 November 1916
18 November 1916	DF	Kennedy	n/a	18 November 1916
18 November 1916	HB	John Lamb	The Wednesday	14 April 1917
2 December 1916	FW	W. Blackmore	n/a	2 December 1916
2 December 1916	FW	Fawcett	n/a	2 December 1916
2 December 1916	HB	George Hunter	Manchester United	2 December 1916
2 December 1916	HB	Frank Roberts	Bolton Wanderers	17 February 1917
9 December 1916	DF	H. W. Skinner	Nunhead	31 March 1917
23 December 1916	DF	Walker Hampson	Burnley	26 December 1916
23 December 1916	GK	A. Harvey	n/a	23 December 1916
23 December 1916	HB	Charles Hollidge	Croydon Common	25 December 1916
23 December 1916	FW	H. Palmer	n/a	23 December 1916
25 December 1916	HB	James Lockwood	Queens Park Rangers	24 March 1917
26 December 1916	FW	Albert Spencer	Clapton Orient	26 December 1916
13 January 1917	GK	Bernard Neville	Unattached	13 January 1917
27 January 1917	FW	James Dillimore	n/a	21 April 1917
3 February 1917	FW	Bertie Denyer	Swindon Town	3 February 1917
17 February 1917	HB	A. Davis	n/a	9 April 1917
17 February 1917	FW	J. Smith	Luton Town	End of season
17 February 1917	FW	Dan Tuckfield	Millwall	17 February 1917
17 March 1917	GK	Jimmy Morris	Clapton Orient	End of season
24 March 1917	FW	Ernie Dilley	Millwall	31 March 1917
24 March 1917	DF	J. Mason	n/a	24 March 1917
24 March 1917	HB	S. Nunn	n/a	24 March 1917
31 March 1917	HB	J. Carter	n/a	31 March 1917
31 March 1917	FW	Henry Hogarth	Unattached	14 April 1917
31 March 1917	FW	J. Macey	n/a	6 April 1917
9 April 1917	FW	J. Cooper	n/a	9 April 1917
14 April 1917	FW	Tommy Barber	Aston Villa	26 April 1917
14 April 1917	DF	Ted Hanney	Manchester City	End of season
14 April 1917	FW	E. A. Hunt	n/a	14 April 1917
19 April 1917	FW	David Chalmers	Grimsby Town	19 April 1917
19 April 1917	FW	Bill Hooper	Southport Central	End of season
21 April 1917	HB	C. Morris	n/a	End of season
26 April 1917	HB	Robert Nash	Unattached	26 April 1917
28 April 1917	HB	B. Toms	Luton Town	End of season
28 April 1917	FW	J. Wood	Luton Town	End of season
Guest players out
Date from	Pos.	Name	To	Date to	Ref.
1916	HB	Jimmy Kennedy	Airdrieonians	1917

References

1. ^ White 1989, p. 107-108.
2. ^ White, Eric, ed. (1989). 100 Years Of Brentford. Brentford FC. p. 364. ISBN 0951526200.
3. "London Combination Table 1916/17". Football and the First World War. Retrieved 16 November 2016.
4. Bees Review: Brentford Official Matchday Programme vs Hull City. Milton Keynes: Regal Sports Press. 3 November 2015. pp. 61–67.
5. ^ "Brentford FC Remembrance List". Brentford FC. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
6. "The story of Private D'Abadie". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
7. "Casualty Details: Joshua Hardisty". Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
8. "Brentford Remembers three more players that made the ultimate sacrifice". www.brentfordfc.com. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
9. "Remembrance Day – Brentford Players Who Made The Ultimate Sacrifice". Beesotted. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
10. ^ "The Middlesbrough Roll of Honour of the Great War" (PDF). Retrieved 8 May 2018.
11. Haynes, Graham; Coumbe, Frank (2006). Timeless Bees: Brentford F.C. Who's Who 1920–2006. Yore Publications. ISBN 978-0955294914.
12. Joyce, Michael (2012). Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939. Nottingham: Tony Brown. ISBN 190589161X.
13. "Jack Peart" (PDF). Croydon Common FC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
14. "Albert Chester" (PDF). Croydon Common FC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
15. "William Kirby" (PDF). Croydon Common FC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
16. "William Bushell" (PDF). Croydon Common FC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
17. "Charles Hollidge" (PDF). Croydon Common FC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
18. Haynes, Graham (1998). A-Z Of Bees: Brentford Encyclopaedia. Yore Publications. p. 108. ISBN 1 874427 57 7.
19. "Robert Nash" (PDF). Croydon Common FC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
20. Litster, John. Record of Pre-War Scottish League Players. Norwich: PM Publications.

• Brentford F.C. seasons
• English football clubs 1916–17 season