The 1960s and 1970s represented two decades of frustration for Brentford as the club tried to restore some memory of the heady top-flight days it enjoyed back in the 1930s. Mostly now mired in English League Division 4, the occasional promotions to the third tier earned during this era brought little more than struggle and usually a rapid return to the basement.

Promoted in 1972 and immediately relegated the following season, manager Michael Everitt's team kicked off the 1974 - 75 season looking to improve dramatically on the lowly 19th placed finish from the previous year.

Despite the best efforts of the skillful Scottish inside-left Jackie Graham and powerful defensive lynchpin Alan Nelmes, Brentford managed only an eighth-place finish - an improvement on 12 months earlier but not enough to bring a genuine promotion challenge. Manager Everitt left at the end of the season as did long-serving cult hero Peter Gelson, his 15-year-career with the club coming to an end after more than 500 appearances.