1919–20 Stoke F.C. season

Stoke
1919–20 season
Chairman Mr E.Reynish
Manager Arthur Shallcross
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Second Division 10th (42 Points)
FA Cup First Round
Top goalscorer League: David Brown (13)
All: David Brown (13)
Highest home attendance 30,000 vs Birmingham (6 December 1919)
Lowest home attendance 5,000 vs South Shields (24 April 1920)
Average home league attendance 12,145
Home colours

The 1919–20 season was Stoke's 20th season in the Football League and the second in the Second Division.

With the country back to normal after the hostilities in Europe, a full league programme was restored for the 1919–20 season and Stoke were able to take their place back in the Football League since 1908. Stoke had an up and down season as they went on runs of victories and then runs of defeats and unsurprisingly finished in a mid table position of 10th. The 1919–20 season also saw the Potteries derby become a league fixture as local club Port Vale were elected into the football league due to the demise of Leeds City. Stoke won the first league meeting between the two clubs 3–0 at Vale's Old Recreation Ground.[1]

Season review

League

During the war Stoke had some success as they impressed in the Lancashire section of the war league.[1] There was of course sadness as seven players died fighting in the war.[1] These were goalkeeper Richard Herron, half-backs Henry Hargreaves and Stan Ripley and reserve team players George Limer, Jack Shorthouse, Tom Kinson and Bill Nixon.[1] Stoke's exploits in the War-League not only brought prestige and standing, but also swelled the coffers to the extent of financial stability.[1] It was hoped that the club was set from a bright future and, with virtually everyone retained who had acquitted themselves so well in the war period, promotion was the target.[1] Two Scottish players George Jarvis (from Celtic) and Jock Stirling (from Bradford Park Avenue) joined the forward ranks, whilst goalkeeper Tom Kay became first choice keeper and would go on to make 70 successive appearances.[1]

The 1919–20 season opened well with good sized crowds being entertained by a winning team.[1] Stoke collected maximum points in eleven of the first 15 matches and they only failed to score in one.[1] Bob Whittingham, who had been such a stalwart during the war, rejoined the club on a permanent transfer from Chelsea and at the same time (October) David Brown arrived from Dundee to give Stoke's forward line an impressive look.[1] But amazingly and completely out of context, Stoke's fortunes took a dramatic turn as they lost the next five matches.[1] The team did manage to recover and in the end finished in 10th spot. A mid-table position was acceptable since the club had sought, initially, to consolidate its position in the Second Division. But the supporters were disappointed with the end result after such a good start to the season.[1]

FA Cup

Fellow Second Division side Bury defeated Stoke in the first round 2–0.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Tottenham Hotspur423264102323.18870
2Huddersfield Town42288697382.55364
3Birmingham422481085342.50056
4Blackpool4221101165471.38352
5Bury422081460441.36448
6Fulham421991461501.22047
7West Ham United421991447401.17547
8Bristol City4213171246431.07043
9South Shields4215121558481.20842
10Stoke421861860541.11142
11Hull City421861878721.08342
12Barnsley4215101761551.10940
13Port Vale*421681859620.95240
14Leicester City4215101741610.67240
15Clapton Orient421662051590.86438
16Stockport County421491952610.85237
17Rotherham County421382151830.61434
18Nottingham Forest421192243730.58931
19Wolverhampton Wanderers4210102255800.68830
20Coventry City429112235730.47929
21Lincoln City429924441010.43627
22Grimsby Town421052734750.45325

* Leeds City were expelled from the league after 8 games; Port Vale, formerly Burslem Port Vale, took their place and inherited their record.

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 30 August 1919 BarnsleyH2–012,000Jarvis (2)
2 1 September 1919 Hull CityA0–38,000
3 6 September 1919 BarnsleyA2–17,000Jarvis, Tempest
4 8 September 1919 Hull CityH3–110,000Jarvis (2), Maddock (pen)
5 13 September 1919 BlackpoolH2–09,000Smith, Boxley
6 20 September 1919 BlackpoolA1–36,000Herbert
7 27 September 1919 West Ham UnitedH2–110,000Herbert (2)
8 4 October 1919 West Ham UnitedA1–120,000Phillips
9 11 October 1919 Stockport CountyH2–18,000Clarke, Stirling
10 18 October 1919 Stockport CountyA1–37,000Boxley
11 25 October 1919 Rotherham CountyH3–05,000Jarvis (2), Jones
12 1 November 1919 Rotherham CountyA3–112,000Jarvis, Brown (2)
13 15 November 1919 Bristol CityA2–16,000Parker, Whittingham
14 17 November 1919 Bristol CityH2–08,000Whittingham, Twemlow (pen)
15 22 November 1919 Grimsby TownH3–05,000Jones (2), Jarvis
16 29 November 1919 Grimsby TownA0–24,000
17 6 December 1919 BirminghamH0–130,000
18 13 December 1919 BirminghamA1–240,000Page
19 20 December 1919 Leicester CityA1–319,641Brown
20 25 December 1919 Coventry CityA2–315,000Brown, Whittingham
21 26 December 1919 Coventry CityH6–120,000Brown (2), Whittingham (2), Phillips (2)
22 27 December 1919 Leicester CityH3–015,000Brown (2), Whittingham
23 3 January 1920 FulhamA0–010,000
24 17 January 1920 FulhamH1–07,000Parker
25 24 January 1920 Nottingham ForestH0–28,000
26 28 January 1920 Nottingham ForestA2–06,000Brown, Martin
27 7 February 1920 Lincoln CityH1–310,000Whittingham
28 14 February 1920 Lincoln CityA1–28,000Jarvis
29 21 February 1920 BuryH1–112,000Twemlow (pen)
30 28 February 1920 BuryA0–112,000
31 6 March 1920 Port ValeA3–022,697Whittingham, Brown, Watkin
32 13 March 1920 Port ValeH0–027,000
33 20 March 1920 Clapton OrientA1–28,000Brown
34 27 March 1920 Clapton OrientH2–018,000Brown, Maddock (pen)
35 3 April 1920 Tottenham HotspurA0–240,000
36 5 April 1920 Huddersfield TownH0–120,000
37 6 April 1920 Huddersfield TownA0–330,000
38 10 April 1920 Tottenham HotspurH1–310,000Maddock (pen)
39 17 April 1920 South ShieldsA2–216,000Watkin (2)
40 24 April 1920 South ShieldsH0–05,000
41 26 April 1920 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–412,000
42 1 May 1920 Wolverhampton WanderersH3–010,000Brown, Boxley (2)

FA Cup

Main article: 1919–20 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R110 January 1920 BuryA0–212,000

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Tom Kay 42010430
DFEngland Percy Brooke 400040
DFEngland Jack Maddock 15300153
DFEngland Alec Milne 30010310
DFEngland George Smart 400040
DFEngland Billy Twemlow 33210342
MFEngland George Clarke 30110311
MFWales Joe Jones 15300153
MFEngland Charlie Parker 34210352
MFEngland Dickie Smith 33100331
MFEngland Harry Wootton 100010
FWEngland David Boxley 840084
FWScotland David Brown 3113103213
FWEngland Matthew Burton 300030
FWEngland Bill Charnley 200020
FWEngland Harry Crossthwaite 12000120
FWEngland Billy Herbert 11300113
FWScotland George Jarvis 3010103110
FWEngland James Martin 13100131
FWEngland Louis Page 12100121
FWEngland Wilf Phillips 13310143
FWScotland Jock Stirling 20110211
FWEngland Billy Tempest 36110371
FWEngland Billy Tompkinson 100010
FWEngland Arthur Watkin 11310123
FWEngland Bob Whittingham 18800188

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.

See also

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