1954–55 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1954–55 season
Chairman Mr T. Duddell
Manager Frank Taylor
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Second Division 5th (52 Points)
FA Cup Fourth Round
Top goalscorer League: Harry Oscroft (21)
All: Harry Oscroft (21)
Highest home attendance 47,000 vs Port Vale (4 September 1954)
Lowest home attendance 7,050 vs Fulham (26 March 1955)
Average home league attendance 21,131
Home colours

The 1954–55 season was Stoke City's 48th season in the Football League and the 15th in the Second Division.

Taylor continued to add new players to the squad as the aim for 1954–55 was to gain promotion back to the First Division. Stoke made a great start to the season winning five out of their first six matches. Taylor was able to field a settled team for the majority of the season alas Stoke couldn't keep up their form and promotion was missed with Stoke finishing in 5th position. In the FA Cup Stoke were involved in one of the longest cup ties as their third round encounter with Bury went on to a fourth replay with Stoke finally winning 3–2 after 9 hours and 22 minutes of football.[1]

Season review

League

Stoke manager Frank Taylor continued to purchase players as he attempted to guide Stoke back into the First Division.[1] He added the Wolverhampton Wanderers left back Jack Short to his squad in the summer of 1954.[1] Things looked to be improving when Stoke started the 1954–55 season in fine form winning five out of six.[1] Taylor was fortunate to be able to field a settled side but the form rate wasn't maintained and promotion was missed, albeit by a narrow margin, Stoke taking fifth spot just two behind promoted Birmingham City and Luton Town.[1] During the season Stoke beat Liverpool away 4–2 their first victory at Anfield for 60 years.[1]

FA Cup

In the FA Cup Stoke were drawn with Bury in the third round and after four draws the tie went to a fourth replay with Stoke finally beating Bury 3–2 in extra time.[1] In total the tie took 9 hours and 22 minutes of football and had an aggregated scoreline of 10–9.[1] Unfortunately for Stoke it was all in vain as in the next round they were defeated by Swansea Town.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Birmingham City4222101092471.95754
2Luton Town422381188531.66054
3Rotherham United422541394641.46954
4Leeds United422371270531.32153
5Stoke City4221101169461.50052
6Blackburn Rovers4222614114791.44350
7Notts County422161574711.04248
8West Ham United4218101474701.05746
9Bristol Rovers421971675701.07145
10Swansea Town421791686831.03643
11Liverpool4216101692960.95842
12Middlesbrough421861873820.89042
13Bury4215111677721.06941
14Fulham4214111776790.96239
15Nottingham Forest421671958620.93539
16Lincoln City4213101968790.86136
17Port Vale4212111948710.67635
18Doncaster Rovers421472158950.61135
19Hull City4212102044690.63834
20Plymouth Argyle421272357820.69531
21Ipswich Town421162557920.62028
22Derby County42792653820.64623

Key: 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 21 August 1954 Birmingham CityH2–127,984Oscroft, Hutton
2 25 August 1954 Nottingham ForestA3–020,515King (3) (2 Pens)
3 28 August 1954 MiddlesbroughA2–117,820King, Oscroft
4 30 August 1954 Nottingham ForestH2–022,925Hutton, Oscroft
5 4 September 1954 Port ValeH0–047,000
6 8 September 1954 Leeds UnitedA1–020,000King
7 11 September 1954 Rotherham UnitedH1–227,271Oscroft
8 13 September 1954 Leeds UnitedH0–118,737
9 18 September 1954 Luton TownA1–317,352Bevans
10 22 September 1954 Ipswich TownA1–015,536Oscroft
11 25 September 1954 Hull CityH0–010,185
12 2 October 1954 Lincoln CityA4–113,728Oscroft (3), Hutton
13 9 October 1954 Notts CountyA0–123,000
14 16 October 1954 LiverpoolH2–023,569Oscroft, Hutton
15 23 October 1954 West Ham UnitedA0–327,200
16 30 October 1954 Blackburn RoversH1–127,540Bowyer
17 6 November 1954 FulhamA2–232,000Bowyer, Oscroft
18 13 November 1954 Swansea TownH4–119,993Hutton, Malkin, Short (2)
19 27 November 1954 Derby CountyH3–118,055Bowyer (2), Oscroft
20 4 December 1954 Bristol RoversA1–121,240McCue
21 11 December 1954 Plymouth ArgyleH3–117,397Bowyer, King (2)
22 18 December 1954 Birmingham CityA0–222,100
23 25 December 1954 BuryH3–218,312King (3)
24 27 December 1954 BuryA1–124,091King
25 1 January 1955 MiddlesbroughH1–219,272Harris (o.g.)
26 5 February 1955 Luton TownH0–021,156
27 12 February 1955 Hull CityA1–110,165Oscroft
28 19 February 1955 Lincoln CityH4–212,363Bowyer (3), King
29 5 March 1955 LiverpoolA4–235,635King (2), Oscroft, Malkin
30 12 March 1955 West Ham UnitedH0–220,496
31 19 March 1955 Blackburn RoversA0–227,200
32 26 March 1955 FulhamH1–17,050Oscroft
33 28 March 1955 Notts CountyH3–08,171Oscroft (2), Finney
34 2 April 1955 Swansea TownA5–312,534Oscroft (2), Finney, Bowyer, King
35 9 April 1955 Doncaster RoversH3–020,259Oscroft, Bowyer, King
36 11 April 1955 Ipswich TownH3–020,551Oscroft, Bowyer, Malkin
37 16 April 1955 Derby CountyA2–112,584Finney, King
38 18 April 1955 Rotherham UnitedA1–219,888Bowyer
39 20 April 1955 Doncaster RoversA1–19,857Malkin
40 23 April 1955 Bristol RoversH2–018,139Oscroft, Finney
41 25 April 1955 Port ValeA1–040,066Bowyer
42 30 April 1955 Plymouth ArgyleA0–223,844

FA Cup

Main article: 1954–55 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R38 January 1955 BuryA1–120,227King
R3 Replay12 January 1955 BuryH1–1 (aet)13,352Ratcliffe
R3 Second Replay17 January 1955 BuryN3–3 (aet)2,469Bowyer (2), King
R3 Third Replay19 January 1955 BuryA2–2 (aet)9,881Ratcliffe, King
R3 Fourth Replay24 January 1955 BuryN3–2 (aet)22,549Thomson, Coleman (2)
R428 January 1955 Swansea TownA1–327,892Malkin

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Wilf Hall 105060
GKEngland Bill Robertson 41010420
DFEngland George Bourne 28060340
DFEngland John McCue 41100411
DFEngland Jack Short 25260312
DFScotland Ken Thomson 41061471
MFScotland Bobby Cairns 18060240
MFEngland Frank Mountford 40030430
MFEngland Alan Martin 303060
MFEngland John Sellars 38000380
FWEngland Stanley Bevans 11100111
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 2913623515
FWEngland Neville Coleman 202242
FWEngland Bill Finney 11440154
FWEngland Colin Hutchinson 600060
FWScotland Joe Hutton 19500195
FWEngland Johnny King 3617634220
FWEngland John Malkin 26451315
FWEngland Harry Oscroft 3721103821
FWEngland Don Ratcliffe 6052112
FWEngland Derrick Ward 301040
Own goals 101

References

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

See also

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