During the 1928–29 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Third Division South. An unbeaten start to the season was cancelled out by a run of 11 defeats in 12 games which left the Bees bottom of the Football League, but the team recovered to finish in mid-table.
Season summary
Still in search of a winning formula after two mid-table finishes, Brentford manager Harry Curtis elected to add to rather than remodel of his squad during the 1928 off-season.[1] In came goalkeeperFreddie Fox, full backBaden Herod for a £1,500 club record fee, half backReginald Davies and a number of young forwards.[1] He also brought in his former Gillingham trainer Bob Kane.[2] Youngster Joe Wiggins broke Brentford's outgoing transfer record in May 1928, with Leicester City paying £1,400 for a centre forward who had made just four senior appearances and scored two goals.[3]
Good goalscoring form from Jack Lane and Jack Phillips at the start of the season saw Brentford go seven matches unbeaten and rise to the top of the table.[4] Phillips was then sold to Bristol Rovers and a run of 12 league matches without a win (including a club record-equalling 9 league defeats in a row) plummeted the club to the bottom of the Football League.[5][6][7] Manager Curtis was offered the manager's job of an unnamed Second Division club in mid-October, but elected to stay at Griffin Park.[8]
In November 1928, Manager Harry Curtis pulled off a crucial £500 signing of Jimmy Bain from Manchester Central and the centre half galvanised the team.[9] Just three defeats in 18 matches between Boxing Day 1928 and April Fools' Day 1929 averted any fears of having to campaign for re-election.[7] Manager Curtis decided to cash in on club record signing Baden Herod, who was sold for a then-club record outgoing fee of £4,000 to Tottenham Hotspur in February 1929.[1] Just one draw from the final five matches of the season dropped Brentford to a final placing of 13th.[7] A minor competition, the London Charity Fund, was won in November 1928 and gold medals were presented to the players involved.[10]