1934–35 Brentford F.C. season

Brentford manager Harry Curtis made two big-money signings during the 1934 off-season – left back George Poyser from Port Vale for a club record £1,550 fee (equivalent to £117,100 in 2023) and centre half Archie Scott from Derby County for £1,000.[1][2] Jim Brown was signed from Manchester United as outside right cover for Idris Hopkins and new first-choice goalkeeper James Mathieson was signed on a free transfer from Middlesbrough.[3][4] After two years on the fringes, young right half Duncan McKenzie broke into the first team squad during the season and George Robson returned in attack,[5][6] after being frozen out during the previous season.[7] Former captain Jimmy Bain retired and became the club's assistant manager, a position he held until 1952.[6]

Despite 1933–34's leading scorers Jack Holliday and Idris Hopkins finding the net with regularity,[8] it was Ernest Muttitt who inspired the Bees to start the season with a seven-match unbeaten run.[9] The run took the club to the top of the table,[9] with Muttitt scoring seven goals in a five-match spell.[8]

Aside from two separate spells of three defeats in five matches, Brentford went on two long unbeaten runs during the season.[9] A 1–0 win over Notts County on 2 March 1934 returned the Bees to the top and they won promotion with three matches to spare.[6][9] Three points from the final three matches confirmed Brentford as champions, five points above nearest challengers Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United.[9] The promotion meant that Brentford would play in the First Division for the first time in the club's history and the championship shield was held aloft by captain Herbert Watson after the final match of the season at Griffin Park.[10][11] A unique double was achieved with Brentford's first-ever victory in the London Challenge Cup, in which Millwall were beaten 2–1 after extra time in the final at Craven Cottage.[12]

A number of Football League club records were set or equalled during the season, including:

• Least home defeats (0, equalling the 1929–30 team's unbeaten home record)

• Most consecutive home matches undefeated (24, a run which stretched back to April 1934)
• The club record for highest winning margin in a Football League match was broken twice during the season, firstly in a 8–1 victory over Barnsley in December 1934 and then in the 8–0 hammering of Port Vale in April 1935.[13] The eight-goal winning margin stood as the club record until October 1963.[13]

Billy Scott became the club's second Football League-era player to score five goals in a match,[14] with five goals in the 8–1 win over Barnsley.[15] He scored a hat-trick in the return match on 27 April 1935.[15] With his hat-trick versus Port Vale on 20 April 1935, Jack Holliday set a club record of 9 hat-tricks.[16]

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1934–35 season.

Pos.	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Signed from	Signed in	Notes
Goalkeepers
GK	James Mathieson		(1904-05-10)10 May 1904 (aged 30)	Middlesbrough	1934
Defenders
DF	Jack Astley		(1909-12-03)3 December 1909 (aged 24)	Southport	1933
DF	Arthur Bateman		(1908-04-01)1 April 1908 (aged 26)	Southend United	1934
DF	Walter Metcalf		(1910-12-15)15 December 1910 (aged 23)	Sunderland	1934
DF	George Poyser		(1910-02-06)6 February 1910 (aged 24)	Port Vale	1934
Midfielders
HB	Jackie Burns		(1906-11-27)27 November 1906 (aged 27)	Queens Park Rangers	1931	Amateur
HB	Joe James		(1910-01-13)13 January 1910 (aged 24)	Battersea Church	1929
HB	Duncan McKenzie		(1912-08-10)10 August 1912 (aged 22)	Albion Rovers	1932
HB	James Raven		(1908-03-29)29 March 1908 (aged 26)	Folkestone	1934	Amateur
HB	Archie Scott		(1905-07-22)22 July 1905 (aged 29)	Derby County	1934
HB	Herbert Watson (c)		(1908-11-20)20 November 1908 (aged 25)	Middlesbrough	1932
Forwards
FW	Charlie Fletcher		(1905-10-28)28 October 1905 (aged 28)	Clapton Orient	1933
FW	Jack Holliday		(1908-12-19)19 December 1908 (aged 25)	Middlesbrough	1932
FW	Idris Hopkins		(1910-10-11)11 October 1910 (aged 23)	Crystal Palace	1932
FW	Ernest Muttitt		(1908-07-24)24 July 1908 (aged 26)	Middlesbrough	1932
FW	George Robson		(1908-06-17)17 June 1908 (aged 26)	West Ham United	1931
FW	Billy Scott		(1907-12-06)6 December 1907 (aged 26)	Middlesbrough	1932

• 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 1934	FW	Jim Brown	Manchester United	£300	[3]
13 June 1934	FW	Gerry McAloon	St Francis	Free	[21]
June 1934	FW	Charlie Drinkwater	Golders Green	Amateur	[22]
June 1934	DF	George Poyser	Port Vale	£1,550	[1]
July 1934	HB	Archie Scott	Derby County	£1,000	[23]
August 1934	HB	H. Wallace	Jarrow	Amateur	[24]
1934	DF	George Dumbrell	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	n/a	[25]
1934	FW	Matt Johnson	Northwich Victoria	n/a	[26]
1934	GK	James Mathieson	Middlesbrough	Free	[4]
1934	GK	James Nicholls	Manchester City	Free	[27]
1934	FW	Les Smith	Petersham	Amateur	[28]
Players transferred out
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Fee	Ref.
December 1933	FW	Ralph Allen	Charlton Athletic	£650	[29]
Players loaned out
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Date to	Ref.
August 1934	FW	Les Smith	Wimbledon	1935	[28]
Players released
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Join date	Ref.
May 1935	FW	Charlie Drinkwater	Golders Green	1935	[22]
May 1935	HB	William Hodge	Retired		[30]
May 1935	FW	Bert Stephens	Brighton & Hove Albion	June 1935	[31]
May 1935	FW	Charlie Walsh	Retired		[32]