1929–30 Brentford F.C. season

Right half Reginald Davies was named as captain for the 1929–30 season.

Brentford manager Harry Curtis tinkered with his squad in the 1929 off-season, releasing half backs Jack Beacham, Stephen Dearn and a number of young forwards who failed to make the grade during the previous season. In came full back Tom Adamson, half backs Reginald Davies (the new captain),[2] Harry Salt and forwards Cecil Blakemore, Jackie Foster, Billy Lane and John Payne.[3] Brentford went on to have their best season at that time in the Football League, ending 1929 in second place and ascending to the top of the Third Division South on 25 January 1930.[4] The good results were due to a consistently fit starting XI, which went unchanged for 21 consecutive matches in all competitions between 2 November 1929 and 15 March 1930, a club record.[5] Top spot was held onto until a 0–0 draw with Exeter City on 29 March saw Plymouth Argyle overtake the Bees and automatic promotion was effectively conceded after successive defeats in mid-April.[4] Brentford finished as runners-up and would remain in the Third Division South for 1930–31.[4] The Bees finished the season with four players scoring 15 goals or more – Billy Lane (33), Jack Lane (19), John Payne (16) and Cecil Blakemore (15).[6]

Brentford became the fifth club to win all their home league matches in a season and as of the end of the 2015–16 season, the club's achievement of 21 wins from 21 matches is still a national record.[7] Billy Lane's 33 goals smashed Brentford's record for goals scored in a season,[8] which stood until surpassed by Jack Holliday in 1933.[9] A club record was also set for most league victories in a season (28, which would not be equalled until the Bees' promotion from League One in 2013–14), most home league goals scored in a season (66) and owing to the 100% winning home record, fewest home league draws and defeats (0).[1][10] The 6–0 victory over Merthyr Town on 14 September 1929 set a new club record for highest winning margin in a Football League match,[11] while the 5–1 victory over West London rivals Fulham on 22 February 1930 attracted a 21,966 crowd to Griffin Park, then a club record for a home match.[12] Brentford also reached the final of the London Challenge Cup for the first time, but lost 2–1 to West Ham United.[13] In 2013, 1929–30 was voted by the Brentford supporters as the club's fourth-best season.[7]

In recognition of the club's unbeaten home record, at the club's annual meeting in July 1930, chairman Louis P. Simon presented a silver shield, on which were inscribed the names of the principle XI which achieved the feat – Fox, Stevenson, Adamson, Davies, Bain, Salt, Foster, J. Lane, W. Lane, Blackmore and Payne.[14]

Brentford's goal tally listed first.

Players' ages are as of the opening day of the 1929–30 season.

Pos.	Name	Nat.	Date of birth (age)	Signed from	Signed in	Notes
Goalkeepers
GK	Freddie Fox		(1898-11-22)22 November 1898 (aged 30)	Halifax Town	1928
Defenders
DF	Tom Adamson		(1901-02-12)12 February 1901 (aged 28)	Bury	1929
DF	George Dumbrell		(1906-09-23)23 September 1906 (aged 22)	Dartford	1928
DF	William Hodge		(1904-08-31)31 August 1904 (aged 25)	Rangers	1927
DF	Alexander Stevenson		(1903-10-24)24 October 1903 (aged 25)	Armadale	1927
Midfielders
HB	Jimmy Bain		(1899-02-06)6 February 1899 (aged 30)	Manchester Central	1928
HB	Bill Caesar		(1899-11-25)25 November 1899 (aged 29)	Dulwich Hamlet	1929	Amateur
HB	Reginald Davies (c)		(1897-09-30)30 September 1897 (aged 31)	Portsmouth	1928
HB	Harry Salt		(1899-01-20)20 January 1899 (aged 30)	Crystal Palace	1929
HB	Teddy Ware		(1906-09-17)17 September 1906 (aged 22)	Chatham Town	1928
Forwards
FW	Cecil Blakemore		(1897-12-08)8 December 1897 (aged 31)	Bristol City	1929
FW	Jackie Foster		(1903-03-21)21 March 1903 (aged 26)	Bristol City	1929
FW	Billy Lane		(1904-10-23)23 October 1904 (aged 24)	Reading	1929
FW	Jack Lane		(1898-05-29)29 May 1898 (aged 31)	Chesterfield	1925
FW	John Payne		(1906-01-03)3 January 1906 (aged 23)	West Ham United	1929
FW	David Sherlaw		(1901-09-17)17 September 1901 (aged 27)	Charlton Athletic	1928
FW	Percy Whipp		(1897-06-28)28 June 1897 (aged 32)	Airdrieonians	1929
Players who left the club mid-season
FW	Ernie Watkins		(1898-04-03)3 April 1898 (aged 31)	Southend United	1926	Transferred to Millwall

• Sources: 100 Years of Brentford,[6] Timeless Bees,[15] Football League Players' Records 1888 to 1939[16]

Cricketers are not included in this list.

Players transferred in
Date	Pos.	Name	Previous Club	Fee	Ref.
2 May 1929	FW	Cecil Blakemore	Bristol City	£250	[3]
2 May 1929	FW	Jackie Foster	Bristol City	£250	[3]
May 1929	FW	Billy Lane	Reading	Exchange	[8]
May 1929	FW	John Payne	West Ham United	Free	[17]
May 1929	HB	Harry Salt	Crystal Palace	Free	[18]
May 1929	DF	George Weeks	Southall	Free	[19]
May 1929	FW	Percy Whipp	Airdrieonians	Free	[20]
July 1929	DF	Tom Adamson	Bury	Free	[21]
1929	HB	Joe James	Battersea Church	Free	[22]
1929	FW	G. Preston	Unattached	n/a	[23]
March 1930	FW	George Barnes	Chesham United	Amateur	[24]
April 1930	GK	Frank McDonough	Annfield Plain	Free	[25]
Players transferred out
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Fee	Ref.
May 1929	FW	Alfred Douglas	Reading	Exchange	[26]
October 1929	FW	Andy Durnion	Gillingham	n/a	[26]
February 1930	FW	Ernie Watkins	Milwall	n/a	[27]
Players released
Date	Pos.	Name	Subsequent club	Join date	Ref.
19 October 1929	DF	Ted Winship	Died of yellow jaundice		[28]
May 1930	FW	George Barnes	Chesham United	1930	[24]
May 1930	FW	G. Preston	Unattached	n/a	[29]
May 1930	HB	Charlie Reddock	Thames	1930	[30]
May 1930	FW	Percy Whipp	Swindon Town	14 May 1930	[31]