Brentford Trophies & Titles

If you’re looking at teams that are based in London, Brentford wouldn’t be all that high on your list in terms of major trophies won. Given that the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea are also based in the capital, the Bees were never likely to be one of the ones that won over supporters thanks to their overwhelming success at winning silverware. Of course, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure and the fact that Brentford haven’t won the likes of the Premier League or the FA Cup doesn’t mean that there is nothing that their fans have been able to celebrate over the years.

In fact, the Bees have enjoyed more than a few wins in minor trophies over the years, as well as gaining promotion out of lower leagues several times as champions. The fact that the Arsenals and Chelseas of this world would no doubt turn their noses up at such trophies doesn’t mean that Brentford players or supporters would. The Bees have been more than happy to enjoy winning trophies at various points during their existence, which is something that should be celebrated by everyone associated with football. After all, if only the very biggest competitions are worthy of celebration, most teams would live a miserable existence.

League Titles

Although Brentford have spent several seasons in the top-flight under its modern guise as the Premier League, the Bees have never won that particular trophy. In fact, they have never even really threatened to do so. That being said, just because a side hasn’t won the biggest domestic competition doesn’t mean that they have nothing to show for their endeavours over the years. Sure, there might well be an argument as to whether they should even be considered a London-based club, but we think they should and plan to celebrate their successes just as much as we would for Arsenal, Chelsea or another London team.

Second Division / Championship

Long before the Second Division was rebranded to become the Championship, it was the second league in the English Football League pyramid and winning it was celebrated thanks to the fact that it allowed the victorious club to lift some silver and gave promotion into the First Division. They would go on to finish fifth in the top-flight the following season, but before that Brentford had to earn their place in it thanks to victory in the Second Division. Here is how they have got on in the second tier of the game, including information on the side that finished second and the points tallies of each club:

Season	Points	Second-Place	Second-Place Points
1934-1935	61	Bolton Wanderers	56

Third Division South / Third Division / League One

It is fair to say that Brentford’s success has come in the lower leagues, with the third tier of the English game proving fertile ground for the Bees. If you want to get up through the league system then you need to either win the likes of the Third Division or else finish second or win the play-offs. Brentford gained promotion at the end of the 2013-2014 season thanks to a second-place finish, but they had won the competition under previous names twice before that successful campaign. Here is a look at how they got on, alongside their points total, the second-place team and the second place team’s points total:

Season	Points	Second-Place	Second-Place Points
1932-1933*	62	Exeter City	58
1991-1992	82	Birmingham City	81

In the 1932-1933 season, the Third Division was split up into North and South. The winners of the two individual divisions were promoted into the Second Division

Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two

If you want to try to understand the English Football League pyramid then you are best to try to take out a degree in it. That is because the various divisions have had different names over the years, largely because of the lower leagues’ refusal to accept that the Premier League’s creation meant that the First Division had become the second tier and therefore had a stupid name. This can be seen in the fact that the fourth tier of the game in 1998-1999 was still being called the Third Division, even though there were three divisions above it. Ignoring the idiotic titles, however, the competition has been a successful one for Brentford over the years:

Season	Points	Second-Place	Second-Place Points
1962-1963	62	Oldham Athletic	59
1998-1999	85	Cambridge United	81
2008-2009	85	Exeter City	79

Three of Brentford’s successes in the fourth tier of English football came when the competition had different names. In the 1962-1963 campaign, for example, it was known as the Fourth Division, then it was the Third Division when they won it at the end of the 1998-1999 campaign. Meanwhile, their success at the end of the 2008-2009 season happened when it was known as League Two. In spite of these various names, it has been the fourth tier of the English Football League pyramid each time.

The United League

Between 1896 and 1902 and then again from 1905-1909, the United League was designed in order to give clubs that played in different leagues in Southern and Central England an additional midweek game. Clubs joined and left the league at various times over the years, with Brentford winning it in its penultimate season. Here is how things looked for them when the dust settled:

Season	Points	Second-Place	Second-Place Points
1907-1908	13	Southend United	8

Southern Football League Division Two

Long before Brentford were a top-flight club, the Bees found themselves playing non-league football. The battled the likes of Sheppey United, Chesham Town and Southall in order to try to join the Southern League Division One. Brentford were one such side, enjoying title success once. Here is how they got on as well as a look at the team that finished in second:

Season	Points	Second-Place	Second-Place Points
1900-1901	30	Grays United	26

West London Alliance

It is entirely fair to say that the country’s biggest clubs would not care a jot about the West London Alliance, whilst most supporters wouldn’t even know it existed. For a club like Brentford, though, such leagues are an important part of their history and the do not shy away from it. Information on how they got on in it points-wise and which team came second aren’t available, but we do know that they won it at the end of the 1892-1893 season.

Cups & Trophies

Brentford have not won a trophy like the FA Cup or the League Cup. Whilst that is obviously a disappointment for the Bees, it does not mean that the club’s supporters have never had anything to celebrate. Most of the competitions that they have been successful in are not ones that other teams would even remember winning, much less celebrate.

That doesn’t mean that Brentford’s success in them is to be sniffed at, however. Here is a look at the cup competitions and other trophies that they have won over the years. Where possible, we have also given you information about the opponents and the final score:

• *In the 1897-1898 Middlesex Senior Cup final, there needed to be a replay after protests from Brentford, who had lost the original final 3-2. They won the second cup final by the same scoreline.
• **In the 1966-1967 London Challenge Cup, which was actually a competition for reserve teams, the scoreline was such that a replay was needed in order to find the winners.