Brentford's players were due to report back for
pre-season training during the week beginning 3 August 1914, but those preparations were disrupted by
Britain's declaration of war on
Germany on 4 August.[2] Just two players had been signed,
forwardsJack Curtis and
Stephen Stonley.[2] As the season got underway, Brentford lost just two of the first 10
Southern League Second Division matches,[3] but by that point it had become obvious that
the war would not be over by
Christmas as predicted.[2] Beginning in mid-October 1914, the squad was decimated by departures to serve in the
army (Kent,
Sloley,
Hendren,
Amos), work in munitions at the
Royal Arsenal (
McGovern,
Johnson, Stonley) or on transfers (J. Curtis,
Spratt).[2][4]Reserves, guest players,
free transfers and local amateurs were brought in to plug gaps in the squad, with
full back Fred Price,
half backsMick O'Brien,
Charles Allwright and forwards Michael Donaghy, Walter Chalk, F. Arnold and Charles Hibbert making up for the departures of the professionals in the second half of the season.[3] Amateur Walter Chalk would become something of a minor success, scoring six goals in 9 appearances.[3]
Notably, a 10–0 win over
Abertillery on 28 November 1914 set a new club record, but the result was declared void two days later when Abertillery resigned from the Southern League.[2] Earlier wins over
Leyton and
Mardy were also chalked off when those clubs also left the league.[3] Brentford won just three of the final 15 matches of the season, with the one bright spot being the emergence of
inside rightHenry White.[3] Low attendances meant the Bees finished a mid-table season £7,000 in debt (equivalent to £596,800 in 2024) and 1914–15 would become the
final season of competitive football until
1919–20, after the
war ended in November 1918.[2]
Three former Brentford players died during the season:
Private William Mehew, an occasional player at the turn of the century, was serving in the
Northamptonshire Regiment when he was killed during the
Battle of Aubers on 9 May 1915.[6]
Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: The system of using
goal average to separate two teams tied on points was used up until the 1976–77 season. The points system: 2 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for losing.