1932–33 Brentford F.C. season

Brentford's then-longest serving player Bill Berry was transferred to Crystal Palace in part-exchange for Idris Hopkins in November 1932.

Brentford manager Harry Curtis made a number of signings in the 1932 off-season, but none would prove more crucial to the club's future success than the acquisition of forwards Jack Holliday, Billy Scott and half back Herbert Watson from First Division Middlesbrough for a combined £1,500 fee in May 1932,[1] with the majority of the money having been raised by the sale of record goalscorer Billy Lane to Watford earlier that month.[2] The club entered the season with one of its youngest-ever squads.[3]

Brentford had a dream start to the Third Division South season, going undefeated and winning 12 of the opening 14 matches,[4] setting a new club record of 16 consecutive undefeated Football League matches, a run which began with wins in the final two matches of the 1931–32 season.[5] The record stood until it was overtaken during 2013–14.[6] The Bees hit top spot after the second match of the season and after briefly dropping back to 2nd on goal difference, they quickly rose back to the summit and would remain there until a 5–5 draw with Luton Town (which set a new club record for highest aggregate score in an away Football League match) on 1 February 1933 dropped the club back to 2nd.[4][7] Manager Curtis signed a new three-year contract in January 1933 and forward Jack Holliday was in prolific scoring form, hitting 26 goals in his first 20 appearances of the season, including four hat-tricks, one of which comprised five goals in the draw with Luton Town,[8] making him the first player to score five goals for Brentford in a Football League match.[9]

Brentford went back to the top of the table after a 6–0 victory over Newport County on 4 February, the team's biggest victory of the season.[4] Aside from a minor blip in mid-March through to early-April, the Bees held onto top spot and clinched the Third Division South championship after a 2–1 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on 26 April 1933,[4] with nearest rivals Exeter City five points behind with only two matches to play.[10] Brentford drew the remaining three matches of the season and were promoted to the Second Division for the first time in the club's history.[4][11]

Jack Holliday broke Billy Lane's three-year old club record for most goals in a season with four strikes in a 7–3 mauling of Cardiff City on 1 April and he finished the season with 39 goals in all competitions.[1][8] Despite his exploits, Holliday did not finish as the Third Division South's top scorer, due to Coventry City's Clarrie Bourton bettering Holliday's total of 38 by two goals.[12] A number of Football League club records were set during the season, including fewest away defeats (4), fewest defeats (6), most away goals scored (45) and most points (62 – two points for a win).[5] Brentford's average Football League home attendance of 13,300 was the highest in the Third Division South.[13] 1932–33 is statistically Brentford's second-best season, the club having acquired 2.10 points per game under the current ruling of three points awarded for a win.[6]

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1932–33 season.

Pos.	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Signed from	Signed in	Notes
Goalkeepers
GK	Tom Baker		(1905-08-17)17 August 1905 (aged 27)	Southport	1932
Defenders
DF	Tom Adamson		(1901-02-12)12 February 1901 (aged 31)	Bury	1929
DF	Jack French		1903 (aged 28–29)	Southend United	1932
DF	William Hodge		(1904-08-31)31 August 1904 (aged 27)	Rangers	1927
DF	Alexander Stevenson		(1903-10-24)24 October 1903 (aged 28)	Armadale	1927
Midfielders
HB	Jimmy Bain (c)		(1899-02-06)6 February 1899 (aged 33)	Manchester Central	1928
HB	Jackie Burns		(1906-11-27)27 November 1906 (aged 25)	Queens Park Rangers	1931	Amateur
HB	Joe James		(1910-01-13)13 January 1910 (aged 22)	Battersea Church	1929
HB	Duncan McKenzie		(1912-08-10)10 August 1912 (aged 20)	Albion Rovers	1932
HB	Teddy Ware		(1906-09-17)17 September 1906 (aged 25)	Chatham Town	1928
HB	Herbert Watson		(1908-11-20)20 November 1908 (aged 23)	Middlesbrough	1932
Forwards
FW	Ralph Allen		(1906-06-30)30 June 1906 (aged 26)	Fulham	1930
FW	Arthur Crompton		(1903-01-09)9 January 1903 (aged 29)	Southend United	1932
FW	Jackie Foster		(1903-03-21)21 March 1903 (aged 29)	Bristol City	1929
FW	Jack Holliday		(1908-12-19)19 December 1908 (aged 23)	Middlesbrough	1932
FW	Idris Hopkins		(1910-10-11)11 October 1910 (aged 21)	Crystal Palace	1932
FW	Ernest Muttitt		(1908-07-24)24 July 1908 (aged 24)	Middlesbrough	1932
FW	George Robson		(1908-06-17)17 June 1908 (aged 24)	West Ham United	1931
FW	Billy Scott		(1907-12-06)6 December 1907 (aged 24)	Middlesbrough	1932
FW	Bert Stephens		(1909-05-13)13 May 1909 (aged 23)	Ealing Association	1931
FW	Charlie Walsh		(1910-10-27)27 October 1910 (aged 21)	Arsenal	1933
FW	Alf Wheeler		(1910-04-04)4 April 1910 (aged 22)	Mossley	1932
Players who left the club mid-season
FW	Bill Berry		(1904-08-18)18 August 1904 (aged 28)	Gillingham	1926	Transferred to Crystal Palace

• Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[8] Timeless Bees,[17] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939[18]

Cricketers are not included in this list.

Players transferred in
Date	Pos.	Name	Previous Club	Fee	Ref.
May 1932	FW	Jack Holliday	Middlesbrough	n/a	[20]
May 1932	HB	Herbert Watson	Middlesbrough	n/a	[21]
May 1932	FW	Billy Scott	Middlesbrough	n/a	[22]
1 August 1932	HB	Duncan McKenzie	Albion Rovers	£350	[23]
August 1932	DF	Jack French	Southend United	Free	[3]
October 1932	FW	Ernest Muttitt	Middlesbrough	n/a	[24]
November 1932	FW	Idris Hopkins	Crystal Palace	£200	[25]
1932	GK	Tom Baker	Southport	Free	[26]
1932	DF	Robert Fulton	Glasgow Perthshire	n/a	[3]
1932	FW	Fred Pope	Partick Thistle	n/a	[3]
1932	FW	Alf Wheeler	Mossley	Free	[27]
January 1933	FW	Charlie Walsh	Arsenal	n/a	[28]
Players transferred out
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Fee	Ref.
May 1932	FW	Billy Lane	Watford	£1,500	[29]
November 1932	FW	Bill Berry	Crystal Palace	Part-exchange	[30]
January 1933	FW	Norman Thomson	Swindon Town	n/a	[31]
Players released
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Join date	Ref.
May 1933	FW	Arthur Crompton	Crystal Palace	1933	[32]
May 1933	FW	Jackie Foster	Barrow	July 1933	[33]
May 1933	FW	Herbert Lawson	Luton Town	1933	[34]
May 1933	HB	Robert Morris	Norwich City	1933	[35]
May 1933	FW	Alf Wheeler	Northampton Town	1933	[27]