After a 1999–2000 season of consolidation back in the Second Division, Brentford chairman-manager Ron Noades spent conservatively in the off-season, acquiring only forwardMark McCammon, midfielderEddie Hutchinson and defenderJay Lovett for monetary fees. Long-term injuries to full backsIjah Anderson and Danny Boxall led Noades to sign Paul Gibbs on a free transfer from Plymouth Argyle and a number of loanees to provide cover in defence. There was also change in the goalkeeping department, with Ólafur Gottskálksson and youngster Paul Smith coming in to replace out-of-favour Andy Woodman and the soon-to-retire Jason Pearcey. Continuing injuries as the season began prevented a solid starting lineup from being established, with Brentford winning only two of the first 12 matches in all competitions and languishing in lower-mid table. After being knocked out of the League Cup by Premier League clubTottenham Hotspur, the Bees' league form turned around, with Andy Scott moving from the wing back to his natural forward position and scoring seven goals in the following 9 league matches, though a failure to convert draws into wins led the club to tread water in the league placings. An FA Cup first round home defeat to Conference club Kingstonian in mid-November led Noades to relinquish his position as manager and hand the reins to his assistant, Ray Lewington, on a caretaker basis. Lewington would later become the permanent manager in March 2001. Despite the beginnings of a run in the Football League Trophy under Lewington, chairman Noades angered supporters in January 2001 by selling top-scorer Andy Scott and utility manRob Quinn to divisional rivals Oxford United for a combined £150,000 fee, in a bid to balance the club's books. Despite the sales, Brentford's league position improved and despite just three wins from a 9-match spell in January and February, the club rose to 10th-place in the table. With the Bees seemingly safe from relegation from the Second Division, the attention turned to the Football League Trophy and four wins in a row led to a matchup with Port Vale in the final at the Millennium Stadium on 22 April. Despite taking an early lead through youth prospect Michael Dobson, Brentford were pegged back and defeated 2–1. The fixture pileup caused by postponements and international call-ups took its toll on the team and just one of the final eight league matches of the season yielded a victory, which included a spell of four matches in eight days to close out the campaign. The Bees finished in 14th-place in the Second Division.
