During the 1977–78 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League Fourth Division. 58 goals from Steve Phillips and Andrew McCulloch helped the club to a 4th-place finish and promotion to the Third Division. Phillips' 36 goals was the most in English league football by any player during the season.

Having spent much of the previous season rebuilding the unbalanced squad left by his predecessor John Docherty, Brentford manager Bill Dodgin Jr. shrugged off the disappointment of failing to agree a fee with Bristol City for John Bain and Terry Johnson's refusal to sign a new contract by bringing in goalkeeper Len Bond for £8,000 and midfielders Barry Lloyd and Willie Graham. Expectations were high going into the 1977–78 Fourth Division season, with Dodgin's attractive brand of attacking football having led to 14 wins from the final 18 matches of the previous season.

After a what was then becoming traditional first round exit of the League Cup, Brentford had a strong start to the league season, going top on 22 August 1977 after a 4–1 victory over Fourth Division newcomers Wimbledon. The three-pronged attack of forwards Gordon Sweetzer, Andrew McCulloch and midfielder Steve Phillips proved fruitful after 10 league matches and Phillips and Sweetzer topped the Fourth Division goalscoring chart with eight apiece. Injuries to Gordon Sweetzer, Dave Carlton, John Fraser,captain Jackie Graham and a suspension suffered by Andrew McCulloch nullified Brentford's threat through the Christmas period and the club dropped back into the upper reaches of mid-table.

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