 In March 1952 , Lawton joined Second Division side Brentford for a club record £ 16 @,@ 000 fee . Manager Jackie Gibbons left the club at the start of the 1952 – 53 season and was succeeded by his assistant Jimmy Bain , who proved ill @-@ suited to management , and so in January 1953 Lawton was appointed as player @-@ manager , with Bain as his assistant . However he lost the dressing room due to his excessive demands of the players , and the strains of management were having a negative impact on his form . Brentford also lost their best players having sold both Ron Greenwood and Jimmy Hill . He signed two veterans in former Notts County teammate Frank Broome and Ian McPherson to play on the wings , who , with Lawton , formed an attacking trio with a combined age of 104 . They got off to a poor start to the 1953 – 54 season , and Lawton resigned as manager after the Griffin Park crowd began to mock the forward line by singing Dear Old Pals . 
