# 1932–33 Brentford F.C. season

During the 1932–33 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South. Brentford won the division championship and secured promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in the club's history. Jack Holliday set a new club goalscoring record of 39 goals in a season, which as of 2023 has yet to be broken. It is statistically Brentford's second-best season, after 1929–30.

## Season summary

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. The majority of the money was raised from the sale of record goalscorer Billy Lane to Watford earlier that month. The club entered the season with one of its youngest-ever squads.
Brentford had a dream start to the Third Division South season, going undefeated and winning 12 of the opening 14 matches. A new club record of 16 consecutive undefeated Football League matches was established, with the run stretching back to wins in the final two matches of the 1931–32 season. The record stood until it was overtaken during 2013–14. The Bees topped the table after the second match of the season. After briefly dropping back to 2nd on goal difference, they quickly rose back to the summit and remained 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. 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 the hat-tricks comprised five goals in the draw with Luton Town, which made Holliday the first player to score five goals for Brentford in a Football League match.
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. 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, with nearest rivals Exeter City five points behind with only two matches to play. 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.
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. 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. 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). Brentford's average Football League home attendance of 13,300 was the highest in the Third Division South. 1932–33 is statistically Brentford's second-best season, with the club having acquired 2.10 points per game under the current ruling of three points for a win.

### Reserve team

Brentford's reserve team finished as champions of the London Combination for the second successive season. The team won all their home matches during the season, which formed a large chunk of the reserve team club record of 43 consecutive home victories, a run which ran from November 1931 to November 1933. Ralph Allen captained the team, scored a large chunk of the goals and the final match of the season versus Aldershot Reserves was played in front of a crowd of 9,000, a club record for a reserve team fixture.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Brentford | 42 | 26 | 10 | 6 | 90 | 49 | 1.837 | 62 | Division Champions, promoted |
| 2 | Exeter City | 42 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 88 | 48 | 1.833 | 58 | |
| 3 | Norwich City | 42 | 22 | 13 | 7 | 88 | 55 | 1.600 | 57 | |
| 4 | Reading | 42 | 19 | 13 | 10 | 103 | 71 | 1.451 | 51 | |
| 5 | Crystal Palace | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 78 | 64 | 1.219 | 46 | |

## Results

    Brentford's goal tally listed first.

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Third Division South

| No. | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1 | 27 August 1932 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 3–2 | 24,381 | Holliday (2), Crompton |
| 2 | 29 August 1932 | Coventry City | A | 3–2 | 18,909 | Foster, Allen (2) |
| 3 | 3 September 1932 | Torquay United | H | 3–1 | 12,567 | Holliday, Foster, Scott |
| 4 | 8 September 1932 | Coventry City | H | 2–1 | 8,377 | Holliday (2) |
| 5 | 10 September 1932 | Exeter City | A | 2–1 | 8,184 | Holliday (2) |
| 6 | 17 September 1932 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | 15,409 | Robson |
| 7 | 24 September 1932 | Newport County | A | 6–1 | 7,343 | Holliday (3), Scott (2), Robson |
| 8 | 1 October 1932 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 1–1 | 12,963 | Crompton |
| 9 | 8 October 1932 | Swindon Town | A | 0–0 | 6,659 | |
| 10 | 15 October 1932 | Clapton Orient | H | 4–2 | 14,440 | Holliday (3), Robson |
| 11 | 22 October 1932 | Southend United | A | 1–0 | 9,453 | Crompton |
| 12 | 29 October 1932 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–0 | 17,827 | Robson, Holliday |
| 13 | 5 November 1932 | Gillingham | A | 3–1 | 12,880 | Holliday (3) |
| 14 | 12 November 1932 | Watford | H | 2–1 | 14,661 | Robson, Scott |
| 15 | 19 November 1932 | Cardiff City | A | 1–2 | 5,274 | Scott |
| 16 | 3 December 1932 | Norwich City | A | 0–3 | 14,180 | |
| 17 | 17 December 1932 | Bristol Rovers | A | 4–2 | 15,355 | Burns, Scott (2), Allen |
| 18 | 24 December 1932 | Aldershot | H | 2–0 | 11,972 | Crompton (2) |
| 19 | 26 December 1932 | Northampton Town | A | 0–1 | 14,210 | |
| 20 | 27 December 1932 | Northampton Town | H | 1–0 | 18,747 | Scott |
| 21 | 31 December 1932 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–1 | 14,981 | Beecham (og), Crompton |
| 22 | 7 January 1933 | Torquay United | A | 1–1 | 4,882 | Holliday |
| 23 | 21 January 1933 | Exeter City | H | 0–2 | 10,769 | |
| 24 | 1 February 1933 | Luton Town | A | 5–5 | 3,044 | Holliday (5, 1 pen) |
| 25 | 4 February 1933 | Newport County | H | 6–0 | 10,060 | Hopkins (2), Holliday (2), Walsh, Scott |
| 26 | 11 February 1933 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 1–1 | 6,853 | Crompton |
| 27 | 18 February 1933 | Swindon Town | H | 1–0 | 11,559 | Walsh |
| 28 | 25 February 1933 | Clapton Orient | A | 5–1 | 7,814 | Scott, Crompton, Holliday (2), Hopkins |
| 29 | 4 March 1933 | Southend United | H | 3–1 | 14,288 | Holliday (2), Scott |
| 30 | 11 March 1933 | Crystal Palace | A | 1–2 | 20,261 | Scott |
| 31 | 18 March 1933 | Gillingham | H | 1–2 | 11,445 | Robson |
| 32 | 25 March 1933 | Watford | A | 1–1 | 10,057 | Holliday |
| 33 | 1 April 1933 | Cardiff City | H | 7–3 | 10,831 | Muttitt, Holliday (4, 1 pen), Crompton (2) |
| 34 | 8 April 1933 | Reading | A | 3–1 | 16,089 | Muttitt, Holliday, Crompton |
| 35 | 14 April 1933 | Bristol City | A | 2–1 | 19,326 | Muttitt, Scott |
| 36 | 14 April 1933 | Norwich City | H | 2–2 | 20,693 | Stephens, Hopkins |
| 37 | 17 April 1933 | Bristol City | H | 2–1 | 15,212 | Hopkins, Scott |
| 38 | 22 April 1933 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 2–1 | 8,659 | Holliday, Hopkins |
| 39 | 26 April 1933 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–1 | 12,638 | Muttitt, Holliday |
| 40 | 29 April 1933 | Bristol Rovers | H | 0–0 | 10,355 | |
| 41 | 3 May 1933 | Reading | H | 1–1 | 9,511 | Walsh |
| 42 | 6 May 1933 | Aldershot | A | 1–1 | 5,145 | Holliday |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorer(s) |
| 1R | 26 November 1932 | Reading | A | 2–3 | 18,000 | Scott, Holliday |
* Sources: Statto, 11v11, 100 Years of Brentford

## Playing squad

    Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1932–33 season.
| Pos. | Name | 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, Timeless Bees, Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939

## Coaching staff

| Name | Role |
| Harry Curtis | Manager |
| Bob Kane | Trainer |
| Jack Cartmell | Assistant trainer |
| Fred Keatch | Secretary |

## Statistics
### Appearances and goals

| Pos | Nat | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos | Nat | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | | Tom Baker | 42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| DF | | Tom Adamson | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| DF | | Jack French | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | | William Hodge | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| DF | | Alexander Stevenson | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| HB | | Jimmy Bain | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| HB | | Jackie Burns | 37 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| HB | | Joe James | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| HB | | Duncan McKenzie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| HB | | Teddy Ware | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| HB | | Herbert Watson | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| FW | | Ralph Allen | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| FW | | Bill Berry | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 |
| FW | | Arthur Crompton | 31 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 11 |
| FW | | Jackie Foster | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 2 |
| FW | | Jack Holliday | 34 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 35 | 39 |
| FW | | Idris Hopkins | 21 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 6 |
| FW | | Ernest Muttitt | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| FW | | George Robson | 24 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 6 |
| FW | | Billy Scott | 41 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 15 |
| FW | | Bert Stephens | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | | Charlie Walsh | 10 | 3 | — | — | 10 | 3 |
| FW | | Alf Wheeler | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years of Brentford

### Goalscorers

| Pos. | Nat | Player | FL3 | FAC | Total |
| FW | | Jack Holliday | 38 | 1 | 39 |
| FW | | Billy Scott | 14 | 1 | 15 |
| FW | | Arthur Crompton | 11 | 0 | 11 |
| FW | | Idris Hopkins | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| FW | | George Robson | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| FW | | Ernest Muttitt | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| FW | | Ralph Allen | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| FW | | Charlie Walsh | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| FW | | Jackie Foster | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| HB | | Jackie Burns | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| FW | | Bert Stephens | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Opponents | Opponents | Opponents | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | Total | Total | 90 | 2 | 92 |
* Players listed in italics left the club mid-season.
* Source: 100 Years of Brentford

### Amateur international caps

| Pos. | Nat | Player | Caps | Goals | Ref |
| FW | | Jackie Burns | 3 | 1 | |

### Management

| Name | Nat | From | To | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record All Comps | Record League | Record League | Record League | Record League | Record League |
| Name | Nat | From | To | P | W | D | L | W % | P | W | D | L | W % |
| Harry Curtis | | 27 August 1932 | 6 May 1933 | 43 | 26 | 10 | 7 | 060.47| | 42 | 26 | 10 | 6 | 061.90 |

### Summary

| Games played | 43 (42 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Games won | 26 (26 Third Division South, 0 FA Cup) |
| Games drawn | 10 (10 Third Division South, 0 FA Cup) |
| Games lost | 7 (6 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Goals scored | 92 (90 Third Division South, 2 FA Cup) |
| Goals conceded | 52 (49 Third Division South, 3 FA Cup) |
| Clean sheets | 9 (9 Third Division South, 0 FA Cup) |
| Biggest league win | 6–0 versus Newport County, 4 February 1933 |
| Worst league defeat | 3–0 versus Norwich City, 3 December 1932 |
| Most appearances | 43, Tom Baker (42 Third Division South, 1 FA Cup) |
| Top scorer (league) | 38, Jack Holliday |
| Top scorer (all competitions) | 39, Jack Holliday |

## Transfers & loans

    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 | |
| May 1932 | HB | Herbert Watson | Middlesbrough | n/a | |
| May 1932 | FW | Billy Scott | Middlesbrough | n/a | |
| 1 August 1932 | HB | Duncan McKenzie | Albion Rovers | £350 | |
| August 1932 | DF | Jack French | Southend United | Free | |
| October 1932 | FW | Ernest Muttitt | Middlesbrough | n/a | |
| November 1932 | FW | Idris Hopkins | Crystal Palace | £200 | |
| 1932 | GK | Tom Baker | Southport | Free | |
| 1932 | DF | Robert Fulton | Glasgow Perthshire | n/a | |
| 1932 | FW | Fred Pope | Partick Thistle | n/a | |
| 1932 | FW | Alf Wheeler | Mossley | Free | |
| January 1933 | FW | Charlie Walsh | Arsenal | n/a | |
| Players transferred out ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Fee | Ref. |
| 11 August 1932 | FW | Norman Thomson | Swindon Town | n/a | |
| May 1932 | FW | Billy Lane | Watford | £1,500 | |
| November 1932 | FW | Bill Berry | Crystal Palace | Part-exchange | |
| Players released ||||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| May 1933 | FW | Arthur Crompton | Crystal Palace | 1933 | |
| May 1933 | FW | Jackie Foster | Barrow | July 1933 | |
| May 1933 | FW | Herbert Lawson | Luton Town | 1933 | |
| May 1933 | HB | Robert Morris | Norwich City | 1933 | |
| May 1933 | FW | Alf Wheeler | Northampton Town | 1933 | |