WITH the threat of QPR's takeover bid still hanging over their heads, Brentford took on Bradford City in a Fourth Division fixture at Griffin Park in February 1967. George Sands was, as ever, present to cover proceedings, and this is how he reported it in the Middlesex Chronicle of February 17, 1967. If Brentford's display at Griffin Park on Saturday warrants any criticism, it is that they should have had half a dozen goals instead of the two to which Bradford City failed to reply. From start to finish, the Yorkshiremen were outplayed, and they can thank the Ealing Road crossbar that the final score, in reverse, was no more than an exact replica of the game at Valley Parade on October 1st.
There were times when the Citizens indulged in some polised inter-passing in and around the centre-circle, but their attacks spluttered to a standstill almost before they had begun to develop. About twice in each half, Phillips had to pick the ball out of the air as it sailed across his six yard box - a duty he discharged ably and confidently. But he certainly wasn't overworked.
Gelson, fit again after missing the Tranmere match, resumed at N0.8; and Richardson, who had made quite a name for himself the previous week as Peter's deputy, wore the more familiar No.10 jersey, with Curley continuing on the left flank. Teams:-
Brentford: Phillips, Hawley, Jones, Higginson, Gelson, Thomson, Docherty, Lawther, Ross, Richardson, Lawther.
Bradford City: Knowles, Smith, Cooper, Stowell, York, Shergold, Hall, McAnearney, Bannister, Rackshaw, Gemmill.
The first 15 minutes, played almost in silence, provided no incidents of note. Then Ross put the ball right across the goalmouth, with nobody on the premises to send it into the gaping net. That gave the crowd their first semblance of a thrill, and as the off-field encouragement became more voluble, the Bees did their best to respond.
And it wasn't a bad best. There was a sparkling bit of football when Thomson and Ross schemed a chance for Lawther, who volleyed a 20-yard express just wide. Just afterwards, Ross and right-back Smith tangled on the halfway line, and the former managed to send a slowish grounder into the middle, to spin over the goal-line from almost a straight angle. It would have been one of the weirdest goals on record if Mr Wallace had not already blown for an infringement by Ross.
So the game went on, with the Bees almost monopolising the attacking. But the numerous centres wouldn't drop just right for the men in the middle. Ross nodded wide from Curley's free-kick, Lawther headed not-so-wide from Docherty's corner, and 25 minutes passed before a shot from Hall gave the demonstrative bunch of City supporters behind the Brentford goal their first real close-up of play.
Mounting frustration on the terraces was eased in the 36th minute. Curley took a right wing corner, Higginson headed the ball goalwards, and York did something which seemed like an attempt at a short back pass to his keeper. But Docherty intervened to crash the ball into the net off the underside of the bar.
For five minutes after the interval, Bradford had most of the ball without doing very much with it. McAnearney went nearest to changing the course of the game, his first shot being blocked and his drive from the rebound going over the bar. Then Brentford took over again, and in the 58th minute the possibility of Bradford stealing a point in an isolated breakaway virtually vanished. Docherty, taking a free-kick for a foul on himself just outside the penalty box, put over a swinger which Ross down-headed into the net.
The last half-hour amounted to a story of escapes for Bradford. The visiting forwards hardly ever retained possession long enough to give the men behind them any appreciable respite, and it was hardly surprising that the orange-shirted rearguard should crack under constant strain. Curley, racing towards goal when a rebound put him away clear, fired just over the top as Knowles dashed out to meet him.
Only the bar prevented Lawther from getting his name on the score-sheet in the Sunday papers, and the same obnoxious bit of wood negatived a stinging left-foot stinger from Docherty. On other occasions, Cooper and York did emergency goalkeeping when the ball had beaten the un-numbered Knowles.
Just two goals. There might have been six. Or even more. But when you think back to the many games during the past few seasons in which the Bees have had just as much of the play as they did on Saturday without getting as much as one goal (or even losing the match), then, very obviously, things could have been much worse. At any rate, it was all entertaining stuff.
As a team, the Bees had an in-form game. There cannot be much amiss with a defence which has conceded only one goal in the last six hours of league football, and the front-liners were a lively, go-ahead bunch.Docherty had a very good match – not that that makes news these days; and another to shine throughout the piece was skipper Ross.
Apart from McAnearney, the City had no forwards worth a mention. Best of their defenders were Howell, York and the bar. Referee E.D. Wallace, of Swindon, was a central figure in the Hull City match at Griffin Park last Easter, when a thrown penny just missed his eye. Nothing missed his eye in this game.
ALSO IN THE NEWS:
The seven-man syndicate aiming to take over chairman Jack Dunnett's shares in Brentford FC run into fresh difficulties when Dunnett announces he has received a letter from them, indicating that they were reluctant to relieve him completely of his commitments.
Southend United make a cash-plus-player offer for John Docherty, which is turned down by Brentford.
Brentford draw 2-2 with an England Amateur XI at Griffin Park, letting slip a two-goal lead through Ross and Lawther. Manager Billy Gray turns out for Brentford in the first-half, before being replaced by Dobson. The England Amateur goals are scored by Pritchard of Sutton United, and Andrews of Leytonstone.
Hounslow dominate their Athenian League game against Grays Athletic at Denbigh Road, but the Essex men escape with a 1-1 draw. John Grondona heads home a John Clark free-kick to give Hounslow the lead, but a Doug Jackson own-goal gives Grays a share of the spoils.
