Brentford’s 1937/38 campaign ranks among the finest seasons in the club’s history. Under manager Harry Curtis, the Bees established themselves as a leading First Division side, spending more than four months at the top of the table before eventually finishing sixth.
A strong run during the autumn carried Brentford to first place, with victories over clubs including Wolverhampton Wanderers and Sunderland. The team’s attacking threat was led by Scottish centre-forward David McCulloch, who scored 26 league goals and 29 in all competitions. Bobby Reid and Billy Scott also made important contributions throughout an exciting campaign at Griffin Park.
Brentford additionally enjoyed their best FA Cup run to that point. Victories over Fulham, Portsmouth and Manchester United took the Bees into the sixth round for the first time. Their journey ended with a 3–0 defeat to eventual winners Preston North End, watched by a then-record crowd of 37,586 at Griffin Park.
The surviving Brentford programmes from 1937/38 provide an evocative record of this celebrated season. Issues covering fixtures against Leeds United, Everton, Arsenal and Stoke City feature the team details, club news and local advertising that shaped the pre-war matchday experience. The Arsenal programme is especially interesting when accompanied by its original season-ticket insert.
For collectors and supporters, these programmes capture Brentford competing confidently among English football’s elite. Now increasingly scarce, they preserve the story of an ambitious side, a memorable cup run and a period when Griffin Park regularly welcomed the country’s leading clubs.
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Brentford v Leeds 11.12.1937
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Brentford v Everton 26.01.1938
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Brentford v Arsenal 15.04.1938 (with season ticket insert)
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Brentford v Stoke 16.04.1938
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Brentford v Arsenal 18.04.1938
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Brentford v Blackpool 16.09.1937 | v Charlton 16.10.1937 | v Portsmouth 30.10.1937 | v Middlesbrough 13.11.1937 | v West Brom 27.11.1937
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Brentford v Bolton 01.01.1938 | v Chelsea 03.03.1938 | v Liverpool 19.03.1938 | v Grimsby 02.04.1938 | v Birmingham 30.04.1938
