Ron Fenton

[longdistancebee]

Ollie Mansley joined at the same time as Ron Fenton. Nicky Fenton has scored against us (when he played for Notts County, i think) - is he Ronnie's son? Either way, Ollie Mansley made his debut for us, i think against Bradford City?

 

[Baby Boomer Bee]

My memories of Ron Fenton are wholly negative. These days he would have found himself suspended for much of the season. What he lacked in ability he made up for in leg crunching over the top late tackles. Dreadful.

 

[Wise old Bee]

Too true BBB, this came up on another thread recently. When Fenton and Mansley signed it was Fenton who made the most impact to start with as Mansley didn't look fit at all. However Fenton sat back in midfield allowing the likes of Bobby Ross to get forward and we were a better side with him and his mastery of the black arts. We had a few players who could look after themselves in those days but then so did every side.

 

[North London Bee]

Too true BBB, this came up on another thread recently. When Fenton and Mansley signed it was Fenton who made the most impact to start with as Mansley didn't look fit at all. However Fenton sat back in midfield allowing the likes of Bobby Ross to get forward and we were a better side with him and his mastery of the black arts. We had a few players who could look after themselves in those days but then so did every side.

So we did :

Renwick, Fenton, Higgy, Terry to name but 4 and Gelson and Spider were no shrinking violets either!

 

[Baby Boomer Bee]

You guys certainly tickle the old memory buds. For me Pat Terry is the only one named who I would bracket alongside Ron as just plain 'dirty'. Peter Gelson's long clearances with his head were legendary but he was slow chasing back especially later in his career, Alan Nelmes was an enigma, I can remember one game, may have been his last when the crowd jeered every time he touched the ball and he was taken off, may have been his last apperance. Tommy Higginson was an absolute stalwart. As for Dick Renwick, who I think joined us from Aldershot; you got past him once but he would 'have you' if you did it a second time? Is my memory holding up?

 

[North London Bee]

You guys certainly tickle the old memory buds. For me Pat Terry is the only one named who I would bracket alongside Ron as just plain 'dirty'. Peter Gelson's long clearances with his head were legendary but he was slow chasing back especially later in his career, Alan Nelmes was an enigma, I can remember one game, may have been his last when the crowd jeered every time he touched the ball and he was taken off, may have been his last apperance. Tommy Higginson was an absolute stalwart. As for Dick Renwick, who I think joined us from Aldershot; you got past him once but he would 'have you' if you did it a second time? Is my memory holding up?

Yes!!

 

[GEOFFBEE]

You guys certainly tickle the old memory buds. For me Pat Terry is the only one named who I would bracket alongside Ron as just plain 'dirty'. Peter Gelson's long clearances with his head were legendary but he was slow chasing back especially later in his career, Alan Nelmes was an enigma, I can remember one game, may have been his last when the crowd jeered every time he touched the ball and he was taken off, may have been his last apperance. Tommy Higginson was an absolute stalwart. As for Dick Renwick, who I think joined us from Aldershot; you got past him once but he would 'have you' if you did it a second time? Is my memory holding up?

I agree your memory has held up well! Do you remember the 'rugby tackle' made by Tom Higginson when Harlepools threatened to break clear and score against us at Griffin Park in October 1962?
Re Ron Fenton, when his playing and coaching days in UK were over, he went to Malta to coach Floriana FC, who were captained by another former Bee, John Buttigieg.

 

[Baby Boomer Bee]

Hells bells yes, Tommy was an absolute diamond, 100 per center every game. Goes down alongside Chick Brodie and the dog incident. I recall the name John Buttigeg but I can't picture him in a Bees Shirt. Post October '62 much of the season was disrupted because of the terrible weather. I really can't imagine Ron Fenton in a coaching role anymore than I could say Ron Harris or the 'Angel' Gabriel.

 

[KGB]

Great memories - remember Higgy's 'tackle' - he would probably have seen red for that today!

Didn't much like Fenton at first - as NLB said I felt he was a player who went too far with his agression. But I saw him play away for the first time at Swansea & he was brilliant. Hard & agressive yes, but he virtually played Swansea on his own, & my opinion of him changed somewhat after that. However he would have had to change his game to survive today. I believe he was Brian Clough's assistant at Forest for years after Taylor left so he must have had something about him!

This thread however is about Ollie & he was such an exciting player. He will always be remembered by Brentford fans who saw him play. One of those players who raised anticipation levels every time he got the ball.

 

[blunstone]

So we did :

Renwick, Fenton, Higgy, Terry to name but 4 and Gelson and Spider were no shrinking violets either!

much of this is a re-run of the 'brian tawse' thread from a month or so ago!

 

[Baby Boomer Bee]

Absolutely agree with you about Ollie Mansley, he had skill and charisma, someone you simply can't forget. There are not many Brentford players even, over almost six decades in my case, who stick in your head, either because you immediately realised they were a class above the others or because of they were real characters. For example I remember watching Stewart Houston's first game for us. So much time on the ball, great distribution and a polite ripple of applause from the crowd every time he made an immaculate clearance, he could even play ok up front if asked, if my memory serves me correctly. magic. Note what you say about Ron Fenton without a Brentford shirt on but for me one of footballs hard men but without the skills.

 

[KGB]

Baby Boomer,

Just a point about Fenton, he was playing for us at Swansea & he was really class that day in every way - aggression, workrate & genuine inside forward skills. But in general I have to agree that he never impressed that much at home & could be over-aggressive. He was reaching the end of his career when he came to us & had probably pased his 'sell by' date. A bit like Ricki Newman really - who contrary, to established legend, did have some good games for us.

Pat Terry was a real hard man & I hated watching him play for Reading & Swindon against us. That said, he put in a good shift for us for the season he was at GP - particularly as he must have been 36/37 years old? One of the best headers of a ball that I have ever seen but hard, oh yes, he was hard & like Fenton would have to have changed his game to play today. I remember seeing him headbutt one of the Brady brothers while playing for Reading at QPR. A foul occurred on the halfway line involving Terry & Ray Brady. Players started to square up & Pat Brady came racing up from about 30 yards away. Terry saw him coming & as Brady arrived turned slightly, inclined his head & Brady ran into it & was poleaxed. Terry didn't hang around for a card iirc, he just turned & walked off the field

 

[Wise old Bee]

Sendings off were as rare as rocking horse manure in those days. In the first ten years or so that I went to GP I hardly saw any. Ian Lawther's sending off on his return to GP was mentioned in another thread but I can't remember any others apart from Ashcroft for Wrexham for roughing up Peter Gelson, imagine that!, in the 72-3 season and I'm not sure who the first Brentford player I saw sent off was. Kettleborough stayed on the pitch for his assault on Mansley which says it all really.

 

[Sandhurstbee]

Sendings off were as rare as rocking horse manure in those days. In the first ten years or so that I went to GP I hardly saw any. Ian Lawther's sending off on his return to GP was mentioned in another thread but I can't remember any others apart from Ashcroft for Wrexham for roughing up Peter Gelson, imagine that!, in the 72-3 season and I'm not sure who the first Brentford player I saw sent off was. Kettleborough stayed on the pitch for his assault on Mansley which says it all really.

lol I remember that Ashcroft was just a Kid and Gelson wound him up all the game, Ashcroft lunged at Gelson as he took a Free Kick, I don`t think the ball was actually in play, Done like a Kipper

 

[Wise old Bee]

Ashcroft was a gorilla, just before his sending off he had Gelson on the ground and his arm around his neck! The crowd were after him all game though and probably contributed to his dismissal. How long would the likes of Aldershot's Jack Howarth and York's Barry Jackson last today?

 

[North London Bee]

Ashcroft was a gorilla, just before his sending off he had Gelson on the ground and his arm around his neck! The crowd were after him all game though and probably contributed to his dismissal. How long would the likes of Aldershot's Jack Howarth and York's Barry Jackson last today?

Remember Jackson - think he was a man mountain centre half. I remember Tommy Forgan was in goal and Eamon Dunphy scored their winner at GP back in 1965.

I was a massive fan of Howarth who was fantastic in the air and partnered by a very skillful ex-Chelsea striker, Denis Brown. Howarth generally gave Gelson the run around and scored at hat trick of headers in a 3-2 win here.

 

[GEOFFBEE]

Remember Jackson - think he was a man mountain centre half. I remember Tommy Forgan was in goal and Eamon Dunphy scored their winner at GP back in 1965.

I was a massive fan of Howarth who was fantastic in the air and partnered by a very skillful ex-Chelsea striker, Denis Brown. Howarth generally gave Gelson the run around and scored at hat trick of headers in a 3-2 win here.

Yes.Howarth was great in the air, and I too, remember that match, in 1970:sad:
Not many blokes got the better of Gelson and, in fairness to him( he still visits Griffin Park!) it should be noted that his other central defender that night was....Alan Nelmes:sad::sad:

 

[North London Bee]

Yes.Howarth was great in the air, and I too, remember that match, in 1970:sad:
Not many blokes got the better of Gelson and, in fairness to him( he still visits Griffin Park!) it should be noted that his other central defender that night was....Alan Nelmes:sad::sad:

most posters on the GPG are very hard on Nelmo. In my view he was a fantastic free transfer who gave us nearly a decade of great service.

He was a very decent lower division defender - no more, no less. Given our financial constraints at the time (has anything ever changed!) I really do not think we could have done any better.

We have picked up some real dross from Chelsea in the past

Maskell
Cocks (loan)
Frost
Johnson
Graham Wilkins
Kitekat (loan)
Keenan (loan)

I am sure I have missed a few, and Nelmes is by far the best bargain we ever got from them.

 

[Wise old Bee]

Not many blokes got the better of Gelson and, in fairness to him( he still visits Griffin Park!) it should be noted that his other central defender that night was....Alan Nelmes:sad::sad:

I'm staying in Memory Lane to take my mind off the run-in to promotion. Gelson was my favourite player in my early days at GP, still got a signed photo somewhere. Nelmes never looked up to much when he first came to GP and when I used to play football in the park (jumpers for goalposts etc.) anyone making a balls-up was said to have "done a Nelmes". He did eventually settle into a good partnership with Gelson and was a solid defender, albeit prone to the odd error like his OG in the 6-4 against York.

 

[62-63]

Great memories - remember Higgy's 'tackle' - he would probably have seen red for that today!

Didn't much like Fenton at first - as NLB said I felt he was a player who went too far with his agression. But I saw him play away for the first time at Swansea & he was brilliant. Hard & agressive yes, but he virtually played Swansea on his own, & my opinion of him changed somewhat after that. However he would have had to change his game to survive today. I believe he was Brian Clough's assistant at Forest for years after Taylor left so he must have had something about him!

This thread however is about Ollie & he was such an exciting player. He will always be remembered by Brentford fans who saw him play. One of those players who raised anticipation levels every time he got the ball.

I was at the Swansea game .We won 3-2 ,I think ,and Fenton scored two.
He was caretaker manager for a brief period as well ,as I remember.

 

[KGB]

Surprised see that RF scored 19 goals in 81 appearances for us - a very good return for a m/fielder at that time.

Agree totally with NLB about Spider & he looked dodgy when we signed him. But he was another whose appearance belied his ability & subsequently did an excellent job for us. Have got that video - Bees on TV - & see how competent he looks. A really good servant for the club imo & very good value for free.

 

[blunstone]

Nelmes never looked up to much when he first came to GP and when I used to play football in the park (jumpers for goalposts etc.) anyone making a balls-up was said to have "done a Nelmes". He did eventually settle into a good partnership with Gelson and was a solid defender, albeit prone to the odd error like his OG in the 6-4 against York.

Nelmes is alive and well and running a fish and chip shop. His sister works for my accountants!

 

[sonofabee]

Nelmes is alive and well and running a fish and chip shop. His sister works for my accountants!

I know Alan Hawley is but Nelmo as well?

 

[sonofabee]

Ashcroft was a gorilla, just before his sending off he had Gelson on the ground and his arm around his neck! The crowd were after him all game though and probably contributed to his dismissal. How long would the likes of Aldershot's Jack Howarth and York's Barry Jackson last today?

Ashcroft was like a ginger version of Jeff Lynne from ELO and he was subjected to a barrage of abuse from all sides of the ground from the off.

He went on to have a good career at Middlesboro before ending his days as centre half and I'll bet he'll never forget that game

 

[Wise old Bee]

I was at the Swansea game .We won 3-2 ,I think ,and Fenton scored two.
He was caretaker manager for a brief period as well ,as I remember.

Didn't Gordon Neilson score with an overhead kick in that game? Talking of Nelmes and chip shops, I once got his autograph outside the chippy in Brook Road after a game one evening. Nelmes replaced John Richardson who was a classy centre back who also played in midfield, or was it the other way around?

 

[North London Bee]

The Man From Uncle - he was manager Billy Gray's nephew and until he broke his leg at Port Vale in 67 he looked class as a midfielder.

He fought his way back as a defender but never achieved as much as he should and went to Fulham and then Aldershot as a centre half.

Just checked and my record book says he died in 1984 - surely not as he would only have been 35. Does anyone know?

 

[jlove]

Just checked and my record book says he died in 1984 - surely not as he would only have been 35. Does anyone know?

Ron Fenton Born: South Shields d.o.b: 21 September 1940, that would make him 44 in 1984, still a 'young man', though.

 

[abee]

Ron Fenton Born: South Shields d.o.b: 21 September 1940, that would make him 44 in 1984, still a 'young man', though.

I think NLB is referring to John Richardson.

 

[jlove]

I think NLB is referring to John Richardson.

:blush:

I must learn to read more thoroughly
I must learn to read more thoroughly
I must learn to read more thoroughly
I must learn to read more thoroughly
I must learn to read more thoroughly
[continues to 100 times]

 

[Wise old Bee]

The Man From Uncle - he was manager Billy Gray's nephew and until he broke his leg at Port Vale in 67 he looked class as a midfielder.
Just checked and my record book says he died in 1984 - surely not as he would only have been 35. Does anyone know?

I hope it's a mistake but if that's correct it is sad indeed. He was young when he first played for us which must have been in 1966 as I saw him against Orient in the FA cup second round that year.

 

[Savannah Bee]

Gelson was always dependable. Saw him head the ball off the line a number of times. One a point blank rocket from someone. I recall his massive booted clearances upfield, and the time he scored from the half way line with an up and under.

Fenton was a 100% but dirty player. Perhaps it was his size? Spider Nelmes always seemed the respectable man of the team and didn't look the part of a fourth division defender where all out wars were conducted on mud heaps. However, one game he opoened his mouth and gave such an effing and blinding to Docherty (I think) it would have made a docker wince. He went up in my estimation that day.

Renwick was just a chopper. Push the ball past him and you weren't going anywhere. A perfectly timed hack at the forwards legs would occur.

Somebody mentioned John Richardson passing on? is that correct. I remember when he broke both ankles. Whatever happened to him after the Bees??

 

[rebus]

Just checked and my record book says he died in 1984 - surely not as he would only have been 35. Does anyone know?

Still alive as far as I know.

 

[abee]

Still alive as far as I know.

I'm pretty sure that he died.

 

[North London Bee]

Still alive as far as I know.

I really hope that you are correct.

 

[rebus]

I'm pretty sure that he died.

I really hope that you are correct.

I am hoping to be proved right, if you know what I mean, as otherwise it means an untimely death. I have checked www.ancestry.co.uk and nothing shows up unless he passed away outside of England and Wales.

Graham Haynes's book has him playing for Southall in the 1986 FA Vase final although that could be a different player with the same name.

 

[oldgreenfordian]

I first saw Ronnie Fenton play for WBA at Fulham in the 63/64 season.
We had free tickets because he lived in a club house next door to my girlfriends uncle.
What a disappointment he was!
He was famously Jimmy McIlroy's understudy at Burnley, so I was expecting a strolling midfield genius, but instead I saw a scuffling midfield competitor - OK in itself - but not the player I was expecting.
Sadly, he copped for Cloughie's excesses at Forest - most unfair.

 

[North London Bee]

I am hoping to be proved right, if you know what I mean, as otherwise it means an untimely death. I have checked www.ancestry.co.uk and nothing shows up unless he passed away outside of England and Wales.

Graham Haynes's book has him playing for Southall in the 1986 FA Vase final although that could be a different player with the same name.

I use Barry Hugman's Football League Player Records 1946-2005 and he is marked as having died in 1984.

 

[Wise old Bee]

Don't doubt the source NLB but at GP we are usually pretty good at remembering our former players and I'm sure it would have been mentioned at the time. I still used to buy programmes in the 80s and something as tragic as this would surely have registered more widely? If it didn't then it is indeed sad to find out after all these years.

 

[North London Bee]

Don't doubt the source NLB but at GP we are usually pretty good at remembering our former players and I'm sure it would have been mentioned at the time. I still used to buy programmes in the 80s and something as tragic as this would surely have registered more widely? If it didn't then it is indeed sad to find out after all these years.

It might be worth checking with Fulham or Aldershot fans on their message boards - not that you would be able to find many Fulham fans from the mid-80's !

All reference books are riddled with errors, I just hope that my one was wrong in this instance.

I think he broke his leg in a friendly at Bedford which was played solely to test George Dobson's (another one who died tragically young) fitness after HIS broken leg.

JR was never the same afterwards.

 

[Theobee]

Maybe I'am wrong but I remember John Richardson as a lanky centre forward, scored within 2mins of his first game at Lincoln

 

[North London Bee]

It might be worth checking with Fulham or Aldershot fans on their message boards - not that you would be able to find many Fulham fans from the mid-80's !

All reference books are riddled with errors, I just hope that my one was wrong in this instance.

I think he broke his leg in a friendly at Bedford which was played solely to test George Dobson's (another one who died tragically young) fitness after HIS broken leg.

JR was never the same afterwards.

I am completely wrong. It was Dobson who broke his leg at Bedford in a game put on to test JR - or at least I think I now have it the right way round!!

 

[GEOFFBEE]

I am hoping to be proved right, if you know what I mean, as otherwise it means an untimely death. I have checked www.ancestry.co.uk and nothing shows up unless he passed away outside of England and Wales.

Graham Haynes's book has him playing for Southall in the 1986 FA Vase final although that could be a different player with the same name.

Hi Mark.
The Southall player could possibly have been the John Richardson who used to play for Addlestone in the early to mid 1980's.
And yes, let us hope our former guy did not meet an untimely death.I believe he was related to our former Manager Billy Gray.Could this give us some clues or leads etc?

 

[North London Bee]

Hi Mark.
The Southall player could possibly have been the John Richardson who used to play for Addlestone in the early to mid 1980's.
And yes, let us hope our former guy did not meet an untimely death.I believe he was related to our former Manager Billy Gray.Could this give us some clues or leads etc?

He was his nephew and Billy Gray brought him with hm when he joined Brnetford from Millwall.

 

[rebus]

I use Barry Hugman's Football League Player Records 1946-2005 and he is marked as having died in 1984.

I think they've made a mistake but will check this out when I can.

 

[blunstone]

richardson was (i think!) a tall very lanky wing half .... or in today's terms a holding midfield player cum extra defender?

i remember he played in our marathon fa cup matches against southend - including a replay at millwall?

but what year was that ? er, um???

 

[sonofabee]

I am hoping to be proved right, if you know what I mean, as otherwise it means an untimely death. I have checked www.ancestry.co.uk and nothing shows up unless he passed away outside of England and Wales.

Graham Haynes's book has him playing for Southall in the 1986 FA Vase final although that could be a different player with the same name.

That is a different JR who ended up playing lower league football with various clubs around Surrey

 

[Wise old Bee]

i remember he played in our marathon fa cup matches against southend - including a replay at millwall?

but what year was that ? er, um???

I was at all three of these games but can't remember the year either. In the second replay Millwall supporters turned up and attacked both sets of supporters. Nothing new there then. 1969 or 70 I think.

 

[North London Bee]

I was at all three of these games but can't remember the year either. In the second replay Millwall supporters turned up and attacked both sets of supporters. Nothing new there then. 1969 or 70 I think.

It was 1969-70. Weren't we 2 up and lost 3-2?

 

[Wise old Bee]

2-0 up at Roots Hall before drawing I think. Their keeper played a blinder at GP then we lost at the Den. I don't think we were 2-0 up there, we might have been 2-1 up and I'm sure Gelson scored that night.

 

[blunstone]

no penalty shoot outs in those dim and distant days ----

another fa cup awayday was at guildford then of the old southern league - with jackie graham still with them i seem to remember before joining us? (or was he in our colours?) a very muddy midwinter pitch and a real old fashioned cup tie like the southend games. and again we were dumped out! can anyone remember our side - or even anyone who was with us then ????