THE BIG BRENTFORD BOOK OF THE SEVENTIES 70 THE BIG BRENTFORD BOOK OF THE 70S One other name to conjure with – John Bain – bar Stan Bowles, has there been another midfielder as cultured and skilled at the club since his short stay came to such a premature end? Introduction There was a real sense of togetherness between the players and the supporters with many memorable trips to distant away games at such far-flung and uncharted territories as Workington, South- port and Darlington. As the years go by your memory seems to fade, and incidents Bringing matters back to football, who can forget Brazil and The seem to merge into each other or get lost completely into the mists Beautiful Game in the 1970 World Cup? Most poignantly, who can forget the packed Royal Oak, the two of time. While faces seem to blur, appointments and names are 18,000+ crowds in 1971-2, a triumphant promotion season where forgotten and my glasses and mobile phone remain permanently The Gordon Banks save from Pele, Mavericks such as Peter we attracted crowds of over 10,000 to 15 Football League games lost, there is still one decade that remains sharply in focus to me Osgood, Stan Bowles, Tony Currie, Alan Hudson and Frank Wor- and wonder where they have all disappeared to now? – namely the Seventies. thington, the Chelsea versus Leeds FA Cup Final replay kicking match at Old Trafford, and for me, most evocative of all: Barry I still bemoan the lost opportunity, maybe the last one for some Why should that be when so many other years have gone totally Davies’s iconic commentary: “Lee…. interesting….very interesting. considerable time, when lack of vision, ambition and investment blank? Maybe because it was my formative years, the time of my Look at his face, just look at his face” as Francis Lee’s fulminating saw the club crash straight back into the bottom division in 1973, teens, “O” and “A” levels, learning to drive, going to University (or in 20-yarder screamed into the roof of the Manchester City net. a calamitous fall which saw us hit the bottom of the entire Football my case, three of them!), leaving home, my first job – even my first As for Brentford, the Seventies saw two promotions, a relegation, League in the very next season. girlfriends, and the Seventies have forged some indelible memo- and an FA Cup run to the Fifth Round – a bit tame perhaps for a ries into my psyche that I can still remember as if they occurred normal Brentford decade given the excitement and non-stop action Any goal by John O’Mara, Roger Cross, Gordon Sweetzer, Andy Let’s not hark back on sad memories, instead we should concen- yesterday. of subsequent years! McCulloch or Steve Phillips, beating Cardiff in the mud bath at trate on the things that gave us all so much joy. Ninian Park, Alex Dawson’s last gasp winner against Gillingham in It was the era of Progressive Rock – all those bands with ridiculous, I can still vividly picture great talents such as Roger Cross, John the FA Cup, Paul Priddy’s Superman impression at Vicarage Road, The Big Brentford Book of the 70s contains, in lavish and glorious pretentious names like Focus, Hatfield and the North, Caravan and O’Mara, Pat Kruse and Andy McCulloch, the brooding genius of saving those two Watford penalties, poor Stan Webb attempting detail, a cornucopia of riches and delights: match reports, pen Gong that you are now forced, on pain of death, to listen to alone Steve Phillips, the loyalty of characters such as Peter Gelson, Paul the impossible by replacing the legend that was John O’Mara – a pictures, statistics, interviews, photographs and press clippings in the car with the windows wound tightly shut. Bence, Alan Hawley, Gordon Phillips and Alan Nelmes and the real Dean Holdsworth - Murray Jones scenario. covering everything that made the Seventies such an unforget- steely determination, skill and commitment of the man who, for me, table decade for the club and supporters alike. It was the time of Abba, M*A*S*H, Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, best symbolised what being a Brentford player is all about – the How about Bob Booker’s legendary hat-trick against Hull, Lee the first colour televisions, decimal currency, the Three Day Week, immortal Jackie Graham. Holmes riding pillion on the motorbike on the way to his wedding, Despite my vivid recollections of the decade I have remembered flared trousers, loon pants, sideburns, the baking hot Summer of Bill Glazier literally throwing away the chance of an historic League so much more after leafing through these pages, with a permanent 1976, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, Punk Music, The Winter of Dis- As for individual moments that encapsulated the decade, what Cup win at Old Trafford, the exciting smooth-as-silk attacking foot- smile glued to my face and I hope that you all do too. content and the election of Margaret Thatcher – and you can all better than Bobby Ross’s coolness personified penalty against ball of the Bill Dodgin promotion team and winning the first set add your own favourites. Exeter that clinched promotion? against Crewe by 6-4? Greville Waterman 4 5 THE BIG BRENTFORD BOOK OF THE 70S was denied when a shot from Brian Turner came back off the inside [Right] John Docherty challenges the Crewe goalie of a post. An 81st minute equaliser was conceded before Gordon with Roger Cross, a bloodied Peter Gelson and Bobby Ross Phillips dropped the ball under pressure of a dubious challenge three in close attendance minutes later, which ended the dreams of 3,000 travelling fans. centre. But the lead lasted just 3 minutes as Chic Brodie fumbled a Sat 20th February: York City (A) short back-pass from Alan Hawley. The advantage was restored in Drew 0-0 Attendance: 3,366 the 49th minute from a Bobby Ross penalty and, with 60 minutes An outstanding goalkeeping performance from Chic Brodie secured gone, Paul Bence neatly stepped over the ball and Roger Cross a point from a match played in murky and wet conditions – the fired home a first-time shot. In the 70th minute Bobby Ross scored home side producing wave after wave of attacks, without achieving his second spot-kick after a John Docherty effort had been han- the breakthrough. dled on the line, before the visitors grabbed a last minute goal. Wed 24th February: Hartlepool (H) Mon 8th March: Crewe Alexandra (H) Won 1-0 Attendance: 9,246 Won 3-1 Attendance: 7,631 A game between the teams in 20th and 22nd places in the table A free-flowing game produced the first goal after 34 minutes when resulted in the best attendance of the season – the crowd were Bobby Ross headed on a cross from John Docherty, and Paul treated to a pulsating affair of richly-entertaining football, with the Bence scored. The second goal arrived in the 67th minute as only goal of the evening arriving in the 28th minute, when John Gordon Neilson converted a left-wing centre from Roger Cross. The Docherty and Roger Cross combined to set up Jackie Graham for impressive visitors halved the arrears following a mix-up between a darting run into the penalty box, which ended with a low drive into Alan Hawley and Gordon Phillips, but the points were secured the net. when Paul Bence centred from the right bye-line, and Roger Cross headed the ball on for Bobby Ross to apply the finishing touch. Sat 27th February: Exeter City (A) Lost 0-1 Attendance: 3,892 Sat 13th March: Grimsby Town (A) In a disappointing performance, the home side had the better of Won 5-1 Attendance: 3,336 the first-half and, despite an improved display after the break, the The scoreline was fully merited following a superb performance points were lost after an error from Peter Gelson gifted the only goal and, in the 18th minute, Roger Cross nodded in a Jackie Graham of the game, which was notable for John Docherty receiving the corner that had been flicked on by both Dick Renwick and Bobby first booking of his 14-year career for kicking the ball away. Ross. Paul Bence hit a stunning second with a shot from the edge of the penalty area, after picking up a pass from Bobby Ross. The Sat 6th March: Southend United (H) third goal arrived when John Docherty crossed for Bobby Ross Won 4-2 Attendance: 6,348 to flick a backward header into the net – it was 4-0 after just 39 On a rock-hard pitch and, with an icy wind howling, Roger Cross minutes when Alan Hawley provided the centre for Roger Cross to opened the scoring in the 6th minute when he turned and hooked add his second of the afternoon. In the 80th minute John Docherty the ball into the net after Bobby Ross had flicked on a John Docherty wriggled past two defenders and set up Paul Bence, whose shot 24 25 THE BIG BRENTFORD BOOK OF THE 70S [Above] The three non-playing members of the squad – Steve Tom, Paul Bence and Brian Turner – celebrate with Eddie Lyons and Frank Blunstone after the Exeter game April 1972 • Promotion to Division Three was clinched after the home win over Exeter. March 1972 • Ken Wallace returned to West Ham United at the end of his loan • Brian Turner was fined £20 and suspended for one week by the May 1972 period.