During the 1933–34 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Second Division for the first time in the club's history. A strong run in the middle of the season saw the Bees hold the second promotion place throughout March 1934, before a slight drop in form led the club to a still-impressive 4th-place finish.
In preparation for Brentford's first-ever Second Division season and after a loss of £932 on the previous season (equivalent to £83,600 in 2024),[1] manager Harry Curtis brought in a number of younger players to replace ageing full backsTom Adamson, Alexander Stevenson and half backcaptainJimmy Bain.[2] Curtis stuck with the same free-scoring strikeforce of the previous season, electing to add only outside leftCharlie Fletcher from Clapton Orient.[3] Despite winning just 6 of the opening 16 matches of the season, Brentford found themselves in 8th place, before a run of 8 wins in 11 matches put the club into the second promotion place on 3 February 1934.[4] Manager Curtis had made an astute purchase in the transfer market in January, recruiting Southend United's full back Arthur Bateman as a replacement for Tom Adamson.[5]
2nd place was held until a defeat to Bradford City on 24 March dropped Brentford back to 3rd and results in the following four matches dropped the club to 4th.[4] A 2–0 win over Swansea Town on 14 April saw the Bees rise back to the one remaining promotion place, with just three matches to play.[4] Defeat to Millwall in the first of those matches dropped Brentford back to 4th,[4] but a resounding 5–0 victory over Lincoln City in the penultimate match of the season left the Bees knowing that a draw and favourable results for 2nd-place Preston North End and 3rd-place Bolton Wanderers on the final day would be enough to secure promotion to the First Division.[6] Despite Brentford's 2–1 victory over Bury at Gigg Lane on the final day, victory for Preston North End saw the Lilywhites pip Bolton Wanderers into the second promotion place.[7] Brentford finished 4th in the club's first season in the second tier of English football.[8]
Just one of Brentford's 85 goals during the season came from a player who was not a forward, centre halfJoe James and the tally of 8 goalscorers for the season was at that time the lowest in club history.[9][10]Jack Holliday top-scored with an impressive 27 goals and Idris Hopkins flourished at the higher level, scoring 21 times.[9]Ernest Muttitt, Billy Scott and Charlie Fletcher ably supported Holliday and Hopkins by also scoring in double-figures.[9]
