During the 1935–36 English football season, Brentford competed in the Football League First Division for the first time in the club's history. A torrid run in the opening half of the season left Brentford in the relegation places, but after a number of key signings were made, just two defeats from Christmas Day 1935 through to the end of the season elevated the Bees to an impressive 5th-place finish, the club's highest-ever in the league pyramid. Brentford also reached the final of the London Challenge Cup for the second consecutive season, but were beaten by league rivals Arsenal. In 2013, the Brentford supporters voted 1935–36 as the club's third-best season.