1905–06 New Brompton F.C. season

Add links
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

New Brompton
1905–06 season
ChairmanJames Barnes[1]
SecretaryWilliam Ironside Groombridge
Southern League Division One17th
FA CupSecond round
Top goalscorerLeague: Bill Marriott (4)
All: Bill Marriott (5)
Highest home attendance5,500 vs Portsmouth (27 January 1906)
Lowest home attendance1,500 vs Millwall (10 February 1906)
← 
1904–05
1906–07
 →

During the

league table
. The team's form improved in the new year, with three wins in the first seven Southern League games of 1906, but they ended the season in similar fashion to how they had started it, failing to score in eight of the final nine league games. New Brompton finished the season in 17th place out of 18 teams in the division.

New Brompton also competed in the FA Cup, reaching the second round. The team played a total of 37 league and cup matches, winning 8, drawing 9 and losing 20. Bill Marriott was the club's top goalscorer, with four goals in the Southern League and one in the FA Cup; this figure was the lowest to date with which a player had finished a season as New Brompton's top scorer. Joe Walton made the most appearances, playing in 36 of the team's 37 competitive games. The highest attendance recorded at the club's home ground, Priestfield Road, was 5,500 for a game against Portsmouth on 27 January 1906.

Background and pre-season

Football League, with most of the south's leading teams playing in the Southern League.[5]

The club did not employ a

Clapton Orient,[10][11] newly elected to the Football League Second Division.[12]

Southern League Division One

September–December

Football match between Queens Park Rangers and New Brompton
New Brompton lost to Queens Park Rangers in the first game of the Southern League season.

The club's first match of the season, on 2 September, was away to

Priestfield Road, a week later against Bristol Rovers, resulted in a 3–0 win for the away team.[13][15] Phillips scored New Brompton's first Southern League goal of the season on 16 September and the team achieved their first victory, beating Northampton Town 2–0,[13][16] before losing again in their next game, a 4–0 defeat away to Portsmouth.[17] After a goalless draw with Swindon Town, New Brompton were 15th out of 18 teams in the Division One table at the end of September.[18]

On 7 October, New Brompton lost 5–0 away to

Scottish international forward newly signed from Hibernian,[23][24] made his debut against Reading.[13]

New Brompton began December with a game away to Watford; they twice took the lead only for Watford to equalise and the game ended in a draw.[25] The team lost their next two games, away to West Ham United and at home to Fulham.[13] On Christmas Day, New Brompton beat Brighton & Hove Albion 1–0; Campbell scored the winner from a penalty kick, his first goal for the club.[13] New Brompton ended 1905 with a 2–0 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers; John Martin, normally a full-back, played as goalkeeper in place of Fred Griffiths. The Athletic News referred to this as a trial arrangement, but Martin retained the position for most of the remainder of the season.[13][26] The reporter for the Athletic News wrote that on the whole New Brompton played as well as their opponents but that their forwards "proved quite incapable of turning to account the many openings which fell their way".[26]

January–April

Priestfield Road football stadium in 1906
New Brompton won two out of eight league games played at their home ground, Priestfield Road, in the second half of the season.

New Brompton's first Southern League game of 1906 was away to Bristol Rovers, who were reduced to ten men before half-time when their goalkeeper went off injured. For the second time in three games, Campbell scored the winning goal with a penalty kick.[13][27] The team next beat Northampton Town, the only time during the season that they won two consecutive Southern League games.[13] New Brompton's next game drew an attendance reported at 5,500, the largest of the season at Priestfield Road; the Athletic News attributed the large turnout to "the recent smart performances of the local eleven".[28] The match, however, ended in the first of two consecutive 1–0 defeats for New Brompton.[13]

The team's winless Southern League run extended to four games with defeats away to Luton Town on 17 February and Brentford on 3 March.[13] New Brompton then defeated Tottenham Hotspur, who were second in the league table ahead of the game,[29] at Priestfield Road. Paddy Travers scored the only goal to give his team what the Daily Telegraph's reporter described as their best result of the season; the writer praised the New Brompton defence as "very sound".[30] After this victory, the team played five more games in March and failed to score in any of them.[31] After a goalless draw at home to Norwich City, they lost 5–0 away to Plymouth Argyle. According to the Athletic News, New Brompton were "quite outclassed" by Plymouth and "had [Plymouth] doubled the number of their goals they would have occasioned little surprise".[32] Three further defeats left New Brompton bottom of the table at the end of March.[31][33] Goalkeeper Harry Metherell, who had played one Southern League game two years earlier but not been included in the team since, was included in the line-up against Reading and retained his place for the rest of the season.[19]

After five games without scoring, New Brompton defeated Watford 2–0 in the first match of April.[34] Their next two games resulted in goalless draws against Brighton & Hove Albion and West Ham United;[13] the Athletic News was again critical of New Brompton's forwards against West Ham, saying that the team's "lack of success was mainly due to the inability of their front line to accept the gifts which the fortune of the game offered".[35] New Brompton's final game of the season was away to Fulham, who had already clinched the championship of Division One,[36] and resulted in a 1–0 defeat.[13] New Brompton finished the season 17th out of 18 teams in the league table, above only Northampton Town.[37] The team had failed to score in eight of the last nine games of the Southern League season;[13] the final total of 20 league goals was half the figure recorded in the previous season and the lowest figure New Brompton had registered in 12 seasons of competitive football.[38]

Match details

Key
Results[13]
Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
2 September 1905 Queens Park Rangers (A) 0–4 10,000
9 September 1905 Bristol Rovers (H) 0–3 4,000
16 September 1905 Northampton Town (H) 2–0 Phillips, Elliott 4,000
23 September 1905 Portsmouth (A) 0–4 8,000
30 September 1905 Swindon Town (H) 0–0 4,000
7 October 1905 Millwall (A) 0–5 8,000
14 October 1905 Luton Town (H) 1–1 Marriott 5,000
21 October 1905 Tottenham Hotspur (A) 0–6 14,000
28 October 1905 Brentford (H) 2–1 Burns, Marriott 4,000
4 November 1905 Norwich City (A) 1–4 Burns 6,000
11 November 1905 Plymouth Argyle (H) 1–1 Marriott 3,000
18 November 1905 Southampton (A) 1–1 McKee 4,000
25 November 1905 Reading (H) 0–3 4,000
2 December 1905 Watford (A) 2–2 Marriott, Sheridan 3,000
16 December 1905 West Ham United (A) 0–1 6,000
23 December 1905 Fulham (H) 0–3 4,000
25 December 1905 Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 1–0 Campbell (pen.) 4,000
30 December 1905 Queens Park Rangers (H) 0–2 3,000
6 January 1906 Bristol Rovers (A) 2–1 Beadsworth, Campbell (pen.) 5,000
20 January 1906 Northampton Town (A) 1–0 Burns 3,000
27 January 1906 Portsmouth (H) 0–1 5,500
10 February 1906 Millwall (H) 0–1 1,500
17 February 1906 Luton Town (A) 1–2 White (o.g.) not recorded
3 March 1906 Brentford (A) 2–3 Beadsworth, Riley (o.g.) 4,000
5 March 1906 Tottenham Hotspur (H) 1–0 Travers 2,500
10 March 1906 Norwich City (H) 0–0 3,500
17 March 1906 Plymouth Argyle (A) 0–5 6,000
19 March 1906 Swindon Town (A) 0–2 not recorded
24 March 1906 Southampton (H) 0–4 2,000
31 March 1906 Reading (A) 0–1 not recorded
7 April 1906 Watford (H) 2–0 Campbell, Beadsworth 3,000
14 April 1906 Brighton & Hove Albion (A) 0–0 4,000
21 April 1906 West Ham United (H) 0–0 3,000
25 April 1906 Fulham (A) 0–1 3,000

Partial league table

Main article: 1905–06 Southern Football League § Division One
Southern League Division One final table, bottom positions[37]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
15 Swindon Town 34 8 9 17 31 52 0.596 25
16 Brighton & Hove Albion 34 9 7 18 30 55 0.545 25
17 New Brompton 34 7 8 19 20 62 0.323 22
18 Northampton Town 34 8 5 21 32 79 0.405 21

FA Cup

New Brompton entered the 1905–06 FA Cup at the first-round stage, where they played at home to fellow Southern League Division One club Northampton Town. New Brompton took the lead in the first half and, although their opponents equalised after the interval, Marriott scored a winning goal for the home team.[39] In the second round, New Brompton played at home to another Southern League Division One team, Southampton; the match finished 0–0, necessitating a replay at the Dell. Southampton scored the only goal of the second game in the final minute to eliminate New Brompton from the competition.[40]

Match details

Key
Results[13]
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
13 January 1906 First Northampton Town (H) 2–1 Beadsworth, Marriott 5,000
3 February 1906 Second Southampton (H) 0–0 4,287
7 February 1906 Second (replay) Southampton (A) 0–1 7,500

Players

Footballer Percy Barnfather
Percy Barnfather made 24 appearances during the season.
Football Fred Griffiths
Goalkeeper Fred Griffiths played 18 times. At the time, goalkeepers wore the same colours as their teammates.[41]

During the season, 23 players made at least one appearance for New Brompton. Joe Walton made the most; he played in 36 of the team's 37 competitive games, missing only one league game. Travers and Joe Elliott also made 30 or more appearances and four others played more than 25 times. Two players made only one appearance each: Albert Webb and a player recorded only as Page.[13] Marriott was the top goalscorer; he scored four times in the Southern League and once in the FA Cup.[13] His total of five goals was the lowest with which a player had finished a season as top scorer in the club's history.[42] Arthur Beadsworth scored four goals and two players scored three each; no other player scored more than once.[13]

Player statistics[13]
Player Position Southern League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Percy Barnfather FW 22 0 2 0 24 0
Arthur Beadsworth FW 21 3 3 1 24 4
Albert Bull HB 23 0 3 0 26 0
A. Burns FW 11 3 0 0 11 3
John Campbell FW 15 3 3 0 18 3
Joe Elliott HB 32 1 3 0 35 1
Charles Evans FW 2 0 0 0 2 0
Bill Floyd FB 24 0 3 0 27 0
Fred Griffiths GK 18 0 0 0 18 0
George Lloyd HB 17 0 0 0 17 0
Bill Marriott FW 27 4 1 1 28 5
John Martin FB/GK 18 0 3 0 21 0
Fred Maven
 		HB 24 0 3 0 27 0
James McKee FW 19 1 0 0 19 1
Harry Metherell GK 5 0 0 0 5 0
John Orr FB 8 0 0 0 8 0
Page FW 1 0 0 0 1 0
Harry Phillips FW 14 1 3 0 17 1
James Sheridan FW 8 1 0 0 8 1
George Snelgrove FW 4 0 0 0 4 0
Paddy Travers FW 27 1 3 0 30 1
Joe Walton FB 33 0 3 0 36 0
Albert Webb FB 1 0 0 0 1 0

FW = Forward, HB = Half-back, GK = Goalkeeper, FB = Full-back

Aftermath

At the annual meeting of the Southern League, the member clubs voted unanimously to increase the number of teams in Division One and New Brompton were re-elected to the division for the subsequent season.[37][43] The team's performance improved slightly in the following season, as New Brompton finished 16th in a 20-team division.[37] The club, which changed its name to Gillingham in 1912,[44] remained in the Southern League Division One until 1920 when the entire division was absorbed into the Football League to form its new Third Division.[45]

References

  1. ^ a b Bradley & Triggs 1994, p. 392.
  2. ^ Mitchell, Reeves & Tyler 2013, p. 140.
  3. ^ Blakeman & Robinson 2014, p. 4.
  4. ^ Blakeman & Robinson 2014, p. 6.
  5. ^ Soar & Tyler 1983, p. 177.
  6. ^ a b Triggs 1999, p. 21.
  7. ^ a b Bradley & Triggs 1994, p. 40.
  8. Newspapers.com
    .
  9. Newspapers.com
    .
  10. ^ Brown 2003, p. 22.
  11. Newspapers.com
    .
  12. ^ Mitchell, Reeves & Tyler 2013, p. 166.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Brown 2003, p. 23.
  14. ^ "Rangers' Rousing Victory". The Daily News. 4 September 1905. p. 11. Retrieved 28 September 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. Newspapers.com
    .
  16. ^ "Northampton Forwards Go to Pieces". The Daily News. 18 September 1905. p. 11. Retrieved 29 September 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. ^ "Portsmouth Score Four Times". Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper. 24 September 1905. p. 29. Retrieved 30 September 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. Newspapers.com
    .
  19. ^ a b Brown 2003, pp. 21–23.
  20. Newspapers.com
    .
  21. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 162.
  22. Newspapers.com
    .
  23. Newspapers.com
    .
  24. ^ Joyce 2004, p. 50.
  25. ^ "Watford and Brompton Score Twice". Athletic News. 4 December 1905. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ^ a b "Rangers Rout New Brompton". Athletic News. 1 January 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 3 October 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ^ "Bristol Rovers Disappoint". Athletic News. 8 January 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ^ "Portsmouth's Lucky Win". Athletic News. 29 January 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 4 October 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. Newspapers.com
    .
  30. Newspapers.com
    .
  31. ^ a b Brown 2003, p. 19.
  32. ^ "Argyle Win Readily at Home". Athletic News. 19 March 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 5 October 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  33. Newspapers.com
    .
  34. Newspapers.com
    .
  35. ^ "No Goals at Gillingham". Athletic News. 23 April 1906. p. 6. Retrieved 5 October 2022 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  36. Newspapers.com
    .
  37. ^ a b c d Blakeman & Robinson 2014, p. 7.
  38. ^ Blakeman & Robinson 2014, pp. 4–7.
  39. Newspapers.com
    .
  40. Newspapers.com
    .
  41. ^ Davies 2003, p. 51.
  42. ^ Brown 2003, pp. 12–23.
  43. Newspapers.com
    .
  44. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 102.
  45. ^ Elligate 2009, p. 97.

Works cited

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1905–06_New_Brompton_F.C._season&oldid=1199189723"