During the 2005–06 English football season, Brentford competed in Football League One. For the second season in succession, the club reached the FA Cup fifth round and the play-off semi-finals.
Season summary
After defeat to Sheffield Wednesday in the 2005 League One play-off semi-finals, Brentford manager Martin Allen strengthened the squad with a number of acquisitions on free transfers, including a raid on Reading (Ricky Newman, Paul Brooker and former Bees favourite Lloyd Owusu), youngsters Ólafur Ingi Skúlason and Sam Tillen and non-league striker DJ Campbell.[1] Still heavily in debt to former chairman Ron Noades' company Altonwood,[2] there were ongoing budgetary concerns, with the departure of London Broncos as tenants of Griffin Park losing the club £100,000, but by mid-August 2005, Supporters' Trust Bees United (which took operational control of the club in 2003) had raised £700,000 of the £1,000,000 needed to acquire a majority shareholding.[4] Former BBC Director-General Greg Dyke, a lifelong supporter, loaned the club money in the autumn.[2]
Brentford began the season as one of the top teams in League One, winning five of the first eight league matches of the season and topping the table.[6] A pre-season injury to captain Ricky Newman and a cruciate knee ligament injury to newcomer Ólafur Ingi Skúlason in the second match of the season necessitated the return of Darren Pratley,[7] who had spent the latter period of the 2004–05 season on loan from Fulham.[9] A 3–2 defeat to Huddersfield Town on 17 September led to a dip in form, with the Bees winning just two of the following 9 matches in all competitions to drop to 4th place.[6][10] After first round exits of the League Cup and Football League Trophy, victory in the FA Cup first round over Rochdale on 5 November began a resurgence in form, with Brentford losing just twice in 20 matches and returning to the top of the table for the first time in over three months after victory over previous leaders Swansea City at Griffin Park on Boxing Day.[6] Brentford also advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the second consecutive season, defeating Oldham Athletic and Stockport County in the second and third rounds before completing a giant-killing of Premier League strugglers Sunderland in the fourth round at Griffin Park.[10] Brentford's form owed much to the goalscoring of Lloyd Owusu and DJ Campbell, with Campbell scoring eight goals six matches in January 2006, including both the Bees' goals in the victory over Sunderland.[11] Campbell's performance versus the Black Cats won national attention and three days later, on transfer deadline day, he was sold to Premier League club Birmingham City for £500,000.[12] Despite the sale of then-top scorer Campbell, January was a good month for the Bees, with Bees United acquiring the majority shareholding of the club and the appointment of Greg Dyke as non-executive chairman.[2]
Two defeats and two draws in a four-match spell at the turn of the year had dropped Brentford to 5th place, but three consecutive wins at the beginning of February put the club in 3rd in advance of the visit to Charlton Athletic for the FA Cup fifth round match.[6] A 3–1 defeat ended a memorable cup run and the Bees' form began to suffer, losing four of the next seven league matches, but two consecutive wins in early March elevated the club into 2nd place.[6] DJ Campbell's replacement Calum Willock failed to materialise as a goal threat, a lean spell from Lloyd Owusu and injury to set-piece taker Kevin O'Connor led to the team's goals drying up.[10][13] Beginning with a win over Milton Keynes Dons on 28 March, Brentford remained unbeaten for the rest of the season, but six draws from the eight matches dropped the club out of the automatic promotion places.[6] The Bees' goalscoring problems were further compounded after Lloyd Owusu suffered a torn groin muscle while on international duty with Ghana on 26 April, ruling him out for the rest of the season and contention for a place in Ghana's 2006 World Cup squad.[14]
3rd-place Brentford met 6th-place Swansea City in the play-off semi-finals and despite taking the lead at the Liberty Stadium and largely controlling the first leg, the Bees were pegged back after goalkeeper Stuart Nelson was sent off and Sam Ricketts salvaged a 1–1 draw with a deflected shot in the dying minutes.[15] Two quick-fire goals from Leon Knight in the first 15 minutes of the second leg at Griffin Park killed the tie and Brentford exited the play-offs 3–1 on aggregate.[16]
League table
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- Pld = Matches ; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
- NB: In the Football League goals scored (F) takes precedence over goal difference (GD).
Key |
|
|
Division Champions, promoted |
|
Promoted |
|
Participated in play-offs |
|
Promoted through play-offs |
|
Relegated |
Results
- Brentford's goal tally listed first.
Legend
No. |
Date |
Opponent |
Venue |
Result |
Attendance |
Scorer(s) |
1 |
6 August 2005 |
Scunthorpe United |
H |
2–0 |
5,952 |
Tabb, Campbell (pen) |
2 |
10 August 2005 |
Chesterfield |
A |
3–1 |
4,121 |
Sodje, Rankin (2) |
3 |
15 August 2005 |
Port Vale |
A |
0–1 |
4,275 |
|
4 |
20 August 2005 |
Tranmere Rovers |
H |
2–0 |
5,438 |
Tabb, Hutchinson |
5 |
27 August 2005 |
Barnsley |
A |
1–1 |
7,462 |
Owusu |
6 |
29 August 2005 |
Gillingham |
H |
1–1 |
6,969 |
Peters |
7 |
3 September 2005 |
Nottingham Forest |
A |
2–1 |
17,234 |
Frampton, Pratley |
8 |
10 September 2005 |
Milton Keynes Dons |
H |
1–0 |
5,862 |
O'Connor (pen) |
9 |
17 September 2005 |
Huddersfield Town |
A |
2–3 |
11,622 |
Rankin, Campbell |
10 |
24 September 2005 |
Bristol City |
H |
2–3 |
6,413 |
Brooker, Sodje |
11 |
27 September 2005 |
Walsall |
A |
0–0 |
4,873 |
|
12 |
1 October 2005 |
Rotherham United |
H |
2–1 |
5,901 |
O'Connor (pen), Rankin |
13 |
9 October 2005 |
Oldham Athletic |
A |
1–0 |
5,089 |
S.P. Fitzgerald |
14 |
15 October 2005 |
Swindon Town |
H |
0–0 |
6,969 |
|
15 |
22 October 2005 |
Blackpool |
A |
0–0 |
5,041 |
|
16 |
29 October 2005 |
Bournemouth |
H |
0–2 |
6,625 |
|
17 |
12 November 2005 |
Hartlepool United |
A |
2–1 |
4,811 |
Campbell, Owusu |
18 |
19 November 2005 |
Oldham Athletic |
H |
3–3 |
5,450 |
Pratley, Campbell, Owusu |
19 |
26 November 2005 |
Scunthorpe United |
A |
3–1 |
4,322 |
Pratley (2), Booker |
20 |
6 December 2005 |
Yeovil Town |
H |
3–2 |
5,131 |
Jones (og), Tabb, Turner |
21 |
10 December 2005 |
Chesterfield |
H |
1–1 |
5,828 |
O'Connor |
22 |
17 December 2005 |
Tranmere Rovers |
A |
4–1 |
6,210 |
Newman, Tabb, O'Connor (pen), Owusu |
23 |
26 December 2005 |
Swansea City |
H |
2–1 |
9,903 |
O'Connor, Hutchinson |
24 |
31 December 2005 |
Colchester United |
H |
0–2 |
6,397 |
|
25 |
2 January 2006 |
Bradford City |
A |
3–3 |
7,588 |
Campbell (2, 1 pen), Sodje |
26 |
14 January 2006 |
Southend United |
A |
1–4 |
10,046 |
Campbell |
27 |
17 January 2006 |
Nottingham Forest |
A |
1–1 |
7,859 |
Campbell |
28 |
21 January 2006 |
Huddersfield Town |
H |
2–0 |
7,636 |
Owusu, Campbell |
29 |
4 February 2006 |
Walsall |
H |
5–0 |
5,645 |
Rankin, Newman, Brooker, Sodje, O'Connor (pen) |
30 |
11 February 2006 |
Bristol City |
A |
1–0 |
10,854 |
Owusu |
31 |
14 February 2006 |
Southend United |
A |
2–0 |
7,022 |
Jupp (og), Gayle |
32 |
25 February 2006 |
Port Vale |
H |
0–1 |
7,542 |
|
33 |
28 February 2006 |
Doncaster Rovers |
A |
0–0 |
5,250 |
|
34 |
7 March 2006 |
Yeovil Town |
A |
2–1 |
5,137 |
Rankin, Rhodes |
35 |
11 March 2006 |
Barnsley |
H |
3–1 |
7,352 |
Newman, Owusu (2, 1 pen) |
36 |
17 March 2006 |
Swansea City |
A |
1–2 |
13,508 |
Frampton |
37 |
21 March 2006 |
Gillingham |
A |
2–3 |
5,745 |
Turner, Tabb |
38 |
25 March 2006 |
Doncaster Rovers |
A |
0–1 |
7,323 |
|
39 |
28 March 2006 |
Milton Keynes Dons |
H |
1–0 |
5,592 |
Owusu |
40 |
1 April 2006 |
Colchester United |
A |
1–1 |
5,635 |
Tabb |
41 |
8 April 2006 |
Bradford City |
H |
1–1 |
6,533 |
Owusu |
42 |
15 April 2006 |
Rotherham United |
A |
2–2 |
5,242 |
Owusu, Rankin |
43 |
17 April 2006 |
Blackpool |
H |
1–1 |
7,339 |
Owusu (pen) |
44 |
22 April 2006 |
Swindon Town |
A |
3–1 |
6,845 |
Brooker, Gayle, Willock |
45 |
29 April 2006 |
Hartlepool United |
H |
1–1 |
8,725 |
O'Connor |
46 |
6 May 2006 |
Bournemouth |
A |
2–2 |
9,359 |
Sodje, Frampton |
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Round |
Date |
Opponent |
Venue |
Result |
Attendance |
Scorer(s) |
SF (1st leg) |
11 May 2006 |
Swansea City |
A |
1–1 |
19,060 |
Tabb |
SF (2nd leg) |
14 May 2006 |
Swansea City |
H |
0–2 (lost 3–1 on aggregate) |
10,652 |
|
FA Cup
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Round |
Date |
Opponent |
Venue |
Result |
Attendance |
R1 |
23 August 2005 |
Cheltenham Town |
A |
0–5 |
2,113 |
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Playing squad
- Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 2005–06 season.
Coaching staff
Statistics
Appearances and goals
- Substitute appearances in brackets.
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: Soccerbase
Goalscorers
- Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
- Source: Soccerbase
Management
Name |
Nat |
From |
To |
Record All Comps |
Record League |
P |
W |
D |
L |
W % |
P |
W |
D |
L |
W % |
Martin Allen |
![England](/w/images/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png) |
7 August 2004 |
16 May 2005 |
59 |
25 |
14 |
20 |
42.37 |
46 |
22 |
9 |
15 |
47.83 |
Summary
Games played |
56 (46 League One, 6 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy, 2 Football League play-offs) |
Games won |
24 (20 League One, 4 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 0 Football League play-offs) |
Games drawn |
18 (16 League One, 1 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy, 0 Football League play-offs) |
Games lost |
13 (10 League One, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 1 Football League play-offs) |
Goals scored |
82 (72 League One, 9 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 1 Football League play-offs) |
Goals conceded |
68 (52 League One, 7 FA Cup, 5 League Cup, 1 Football League Trophy, 3 Football League play-offs) |
Clean sheets |
15 (13 League One, 2 FA Cup, 0 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 0 Football League play-offs) |
Biggest league win |
5–0 versus Walsall, 4 February 2006 |
Worst league defeat |
4–1 versus Southend United, 14 January 2006 |
Most appearances |
54, Stuart Nelson (45 League One, 6 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 0 Football League Trophy, 2 Football League play-offs) |
Top scorer (league) |
12, Lloyd Owusu |
Top scorer (all competitions) |
14, Lloyd Owusu |
Transfers & loans
Awards
References
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- ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 36.3 36.4 36.5 36.6 36.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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General |
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Grounds |
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Affiliated clubs |
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Players |
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Rivalries |
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Matches |
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Related articles |
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