1943–44 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1943–44 season
Chairman Mr H. Booth
Manager Bob McGrory
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League North 1st Phase 34th
Football League North 2nd Phase 13th
Football League War Cup First Round
Top goalscorer Tommy Sale (30)
Highest home attendance 20,000 vs Birmingham (29 January 1944)
Lowest home attendance 2,106 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (29 April 1944)
Home colours

The 1943–44 season was Stoke City's ninth season in the non-competitive War League.[1]

In 1939 World War II was declared and the Football League was cancelled. In its place were formed War Leagues and cups, based on geographical lines rather than based on previous league placement. However, none of these were considered to be competitive football, and thus their records are not recognised by the Football League and thus not included in official records.[1]

Season review

With the war now at its most demanding clubs had to rely on even more guest players and Stoke used the most players this season more than any other time during the war.[1] With most senior players being called for military duty there was a largely youthful feel to Stoke squad for the 1943–44 season and it showed as they ended the first phase of the Football League North in an overall position of 34th (out of 50 teams) and in the second phase they finished in 13th.[1] Freddie Steele hit an impressive 20 goals from just 9 matches including a double hat trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[1]

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League North 1st Phase

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 23 August 1943 Aston VillaH0–26,000
2 4 September 1943 Aston VillaA1–215,000Sale
3 11 September 1943 Crewe AlexandraA1–24,905F Mountford
4 18 September 1943 Crewe AlexandraH4–23,950Sale, Bowyer (2), G Mountford
5 25 September 1943 Derby CountyH5–14,000Leuty (o.g.), Peppitt (2), G Mountford, Franklin
6 2 October 1943 Derby CountyA2–28,000Bowyer, Liddle
7 9 October 1943 Wolverhampton WanderersH5–05,119Bowyer, G Mountford (2), Basnett (2)
8 16 October 1943 Wolverhampton WanderersA2–17,242Basnett (2)
9 23 October 1943 BirminghamH1–15,000G Mountford
10 30 October 1943 BirminghamA0–23,900
11 6 November 1943 West Bromwich AlbionH3–33,520Sale (2), Liddle
12 13 November 1943 West Bromwich AlbionA0–36,912
13 20 November 1943 WrexhamA1–43,850Sale
14 27 November 1943 WrexhamH7–33,000Sale (2), Basnett (2), Steele (2), Liddle
15 4 December 1943 Crewe AlexandraH5–03,500Sale (2), Peppitt (2), Basnett
16 11 December 1943 Crewe AlexandraA1–23,000Franklin
17 18 December 1943 WalsallA2–41,147Clewlow, Rist (o.g.)
18 28 December 1943 WalsallH0–16,022

Football League North 2nd Phase

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 18 March 1944 Leicester CityH2–53,279F Mountford, Sellars
2 25 March 1944 Leicester CityA2–27,000Ormston, Bowyer
3 10 April 1944 Crewe AlexandraA6–14,350Bowyer (2), Sale (2), F Mountford, Pointon
4 29 April 1944 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–22,156Sale, Jackson
5 6 May 1944 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–21,997Watkin

Football League War Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
QR 30 December 1943Wolverhampton WanderersA1–119,951Sale
QR 1 January 1944Wolverhampton WanderersH9–36,798Steele (6), Sale (2), Liddle
QR 8 January 1944Aston VillaH6–316,492Steele (3), Peppitt (3)
QR 15 January 1944Aston VillaA2–032,000Kirton, Ormston
QR 22 January 1944BirminghamA1–41,750Basnett
QR 29 January 1944BirminghamH4–120,000Steele (3), Sale
QR 5 February 1944WalsallH5–14,000Sale (2), Ormston, Peppitt, Shelton (o.g.)
QR 12 February 1944WalsallA2–01,986Sale, F Mountford
QR 19 February 1944West Bromwich AlbionA8–25,000Sale (3), Steele (4), Bowyer
QR 26 February 1944West Bromwich AlbionH5–48,000Sale (2), Steele (2), G Mountford
R1 1st leg 4 March 1944Aston VillaH4–511,508Sale (2), Steele (2)
R1 2nd leg 11 March 1944Aston VillaA0–322,000

Midland Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R1 1st leg 1 April 1944Derby CountyA3–19,000Peppitt, Steele, Bowyer
R1 2nd leg 8 April 1944Derby CountyH1–17,000Basnett
R2 1st leg 15 April 1944West Bromwich AlbionH1–13,434Sale
R2 2nd leg 22 April 1944West Bromwich AlbionA1–37,202Southern (o.g.)

Squad statistics

Pos. Name Matches
Apps Goals
GKEngland Emmanuel Foster 170
GKEngland Dennis Herod 10
GKEngland Edgar Podmore 10
GKEngland Norman Wilkinson 80
DFEngland Harry Brigham 160
DFEngland Sid Clewlow 21
DFEngland Stuart Cowden 30
DFEngland Doug Dunn 10
DFEngland Neil Franklin 342
DFEngland Jack Griffiths 40
DFEngland Lol Hamlett 100
DFEngland Eric Hayward 60
DFEngland Bill Kinson 180
DFEngland John McCue 340
DFEngland John Sellars 31
DFEngland Roy Shufflebottom 10
DFEngland Cyril Watkin 11
MFEngland Jack Edwards 30
MFEngland Stanley Glover 10
MFScotland Jock Kirton 81
MFEngland Bobby Liddle 254
MFEngland George Mountford 196
MFEngland Jim Simpson 20
MFEngland Frank Soo 20
MFEngland Bobby Windsor 20
MFEngland Edward Wordley 10
MFEngland George Wright 10
FWEngland Fred Basnett 229
FWEngland Edwin Blunt 10
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 329
FWEngland Bill Caton 20
FWEngland Roy Crossley 30
FWEngland Stanley Harrison 20
FWEngland John Jackson 31
FWEngland Stanley Matthews 30
FWEngland Alfred Massey 20
FWEngland Frank Mountford 294
FWEngland Alexander Ormston 123
FWEngland Syd Peppitt 119
FWEngland Bill Pointon 21
FWEngland Tommy Sale 3930
FWEngland Freddie Steele 920
FWEngland Thomas Vallance 10
FWEngland Ken West 10

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0952415100.
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