Brentford F.C. Reserves and Academy
| Full name | Brentford Reserves |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Bees |
| Founded | 1889 |
| Ground | Griffin Park, Brentford, Middlesex; Jersey Road, Osterley, Middlesex |
| Manager | Kevin O'Connor (B) |
| 2015–16 | Professional Development League 2 South (8th) |
| Website | Club home page |
Brentford F.C. Reserves was the reserve team of Brentford. The reserve team played at varying times from 1900 until 2011. In the Summer of 2012, the English reserve football pyramid and youth system was overhauled under the Elite Player Performance Plan and replaced with a new Academy system and development leagues. Brentford's reserve team was relaunched as the Brentford Development Squad in 2011 and in 2012 began competing in Professional Development League 2 South. The club withdrew from the Elite Player Performance Plan and Professional Development League after closing the academy in May 2016 and launched a new Brentford B team.
Brentford Reserves was formed to give young players and first team players returning from injury game time in a competitive environment. The ever-changing structure of the game in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the Brentford reserve team included in leagues competing against the first teams of amateur clubs. On occasion, the reserve team would compete in two leagues simultaneously. The reserve team was dissolved in 2011, upon the Football League's acceptance of the Premier League's Elite Player Performance Plan, which replaced reserve teams with U21 Development Squads.Winger Micky Ball made the most appearances for the reserve team, making 159 appearances, without having ever made a first team appearance. Two other players made more than 150 reserve team appearances – Fred Ryecraft and Johnny Hales.
The reserve team entered the London League Division One in the 1900–01 season, finishing 8th out of 11. Following a demotion, the reserves were London League Division Two champions in 1902–03, earning promotion to Division One. They finished third in Division One in the 1903–04 season and were promoted to the Premier Division for 1904–05, finishing in 8th place. Bottom and second-from-bottom finishes saw the team back in Division One for the 1908–09 season, which saw the reserves promoted back to the Premier Division as champions. They achieved their highest Premier Division placing in 1909–10, finishing fifth. Mid-table finishes followed in the Premier Division until 1913–14 when, competing for the first time in an all-professional reserve league, Brentford Reserves finished bottom in their final season in the league before the outbreak of the First World War.
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