1995–96 Brentford F.C. season


During the 1995–96 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division. Despite spending over two months in the relegation places, the club achieved a mid-table finish in the league. A bright spot was a run to the fourth round of the FA Cup, falling to First Division high-flyers Charlton Athletic.

Season summary

Brentford began the 1995–96 season the majority of the squad that finished runners-up the previous season still intact, with Shane Westley, Simon Ratcliffe and Paul Stephenson the only players to depart. Manager David Webb's only addition to the squad during the off-season was Southend United youngster Ijah Anderson. Top scorer Nicky Forster looked set to depart for First Division Crystal Palace for a £2,000,000 fee, but the Eagles' interest cooled.
A win and a draw from the opening two games of the league season saw Brentford reach their highest league position of the season, but a run of only four wins from the following 21 games left the club second-from-bottom after the first league match of 1996. A memorable 2–1 victory over First Division club Norwich City at Carrow Road on in the FA Cup third round on 6 January provided the spark needed for a revival of the team's league form, with 19 of a possible 30 points being won between mid-January and mid-March to climb to 13th in the table. With Nicky Forster damaging knee ligaments in October 1995 and his subsequent goalscoring form faltering, Robert Taylor was burdened with leading the team's strikeforce, scoring 16 goals to finish top scorer. Four wins from the final seven matches of the season led Brentford to a 15th-place finish in the Second Division.

League table

Results

Legend

Pre-season

Football League Second Division

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer
R111 November 1995Farnborough TownH1–14,711Bent
R1 22 November 1995Farnborough TownA4–03,581Smith, Taylor, Bent
R22 December 1995BournemouthA1–04,451Taylor
R36 January 1996Norwich CityA2–110,082Newsome, Bent
R47 February 1996Charlton AthleticA2–315,000Ashby, Smith

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer
R1 15 August 1995WalsallA2–22,405Harvey, Forster
R1 22 August 1995WalsallH3–2 3,549Taylor, Anderson, McGhee
R2 19 September 1995Bolton WanderersA0–15,243
R2 3 October 1995Bolton WanderersH2–3 4,861Forster, Grainger

Football League Trophy

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorer
SR1 27 September 1995BournemouthA1–01,092Taylor
SR1 17 October 1995Exeter CityH1–11,431Forster

Statistics

Appearances and goals

Management

Summary

Transfers & loans

Kit

Awards