1938–39 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1938–39 season was Stoke City's 39th season in the Football League and the 25th in the First Division. It was the final full season of league football until 1946 due to World War II.

Stoke City

1938–39 season
Chairman	Mr H. Booth
Manager	Bob McGrory
Stadium	Victoria Ground
Football League First Division	7th (46 Points)
FA Cup	Third Round
Top goalscorer	League: Freddie Steele (26) All: Freddie Steele (27)
Highest home attendance	33,000 vs Derby County (28 January 1939)
Lowest home attendance	15,201 vs Leicester City (24 December 1938)
Average home league attendance	22,535
Home colours

Stoke again made no major signings despite a very disappointing campaign last season. After a poor start Stoke began to play well during the season and finished in a respectable 7th place having collected 46 points almost equalling their best points tally of 47.

Season review

League

Despite the scare of relegation last season, there were no significant new faces at the Victoria Ground for the 1938–39 season but Frank Soo took over captaincy from Arthur Turner. The fans did not share the club's confidence and their judgement appeared to be justified as the team spent the first three months of the season in the bottom four. Manager Bob McGrory's patience was wearing thin and he started to trim his squad, selling Charlie Scrimshaw to Middlesbrough for £3,000 and veteran Arthur Turner to Birmingham. To strengthen the attack, he recruited Arthur Griffiths and Patrick Gallacher but both players were struck down by injury after a handful of appearances.

New players or not, an amazing transformation took place and had Stoke beaten Leeds on the final day of the season and not drawn, they would have equalled their best points tally of 47. At home in particular they became a potent force and lost just twice at the Victoria Ground during the season.

FA Cup

No progress was made in the Cup as Stoke lost in a third round replay to Leicester City.

Final league table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts
5	Arsenal	42	19	9	14	55	41	1.341	47
6	Derby County	42	19	8	15	66	55	1.200	46
7	Stoke City	42	17	12	13	71	68	1.044	46
8	Bolton Wanderers	42	15	15	12	67	58	1.155	45
9	Preston North End	42	16	12	14	63	59	1.068	44

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win

Draw

Loss

Football League First Division

Main article: 1938–39 Football League

Match	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
1	27 August 1938	Leicester City	A	2–2	25,000	Steele (2)
2	29 August 1938	Charlton Athletic	A	2–4	27,000	Steele, Baker
3	3 September 1938	Middlesbrough	H	1–3	22,376	Steele
4	5 September 1938	Leeds United	H	1–1	15,950	Steele
5	10 September 1938	Birmingham	A	2–1	22,000	Smith, Baker
6	17 September 1938	Manchester United	H	1–1	21,370	Soo
7	24 September 1938	Derby County	A	0–5	20,000
8	1 October 1938	Chelsea	A	1–1	28,000	Westland
9	8 October 1938	Preston North End	H	3–1	20,070	Matthews, Sale, Soo
10	15 October 1938	Brentford	H	3–2	23,436	Smith, Sale, Baker
11	22 October 1938	Blackpool	A	1–1	25,000	Baker
12	29 October 1938	Grimsby Town	H	1–2	19,833	Matthews
13	5 November 1938	Sunderland	A	0–3	25,000
14	12 November 1938	Aston Villa	H	3–1	29,464	Antonio, Sale, Baker
15	19 November 1938	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	0–3	30,104
16	26 November 1938	Everton	H	0–0	26,566
17	3 December 1938	Huddersfield Town	A	4–1	12,000	Sale (3), Steele
18	10 December 1938	Portsmouth	H	1–1	21,882	Steele
19	17 December 1938	Arsenal	A	1–4	45,000	Steele
20	24 December 1938	Leicester City	H	1–0	15,201	Steele
21	26 December 1938	Liverpool	H	3–1	18,027	Sale (2), Baker
22	27 December 1938	Liverpool	A	0–1	48,000
23	31 December 1938	Middlesbrough	A	1–5	12,000	Peppitt
24	2 January 1939	Bolton Wanderers	A	3–1	15,000	Peppitt, Baker, Antonio
25	14 January 1939	Birmingham	H	6–3	20,000	Steele (4), Smith, Sale
26	21 January 1939	Manchester United	A	1–0	25,000	Steele
27	28 January 1939	Derby County	H	3–0	33,000	Steele, Smith, Sale
28	4 February 1939	Chelsea	H	6–1	25,047	Steele (3), Smith, Sale, Baker
29	15 February 1939	Preston North End	A	1–1	15,000	Smith
30	18 February 1939	Brentford	A	0–1	22,000
31	25 February 1939	Blackpool	H	1–1	22,720	Steele
32	7 March 1939	Grimsby Town	A	1–3	5,000	Baker
33	11 March 1939	Sunderland	H	3–1	24,000	Steele (2), Sale
34	18 March 1939	Aston Villa	A	0–3	35,000
35	29 March 1939	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	5–3	35,000	Sale (3), Steele, Antonio
36	1 April 1939	Everton	A	1–1	30,000	Sale
37	8 April 1939	Huddersfield Town	H	2–2	26,014	Sale, Steele
38	10 April 1939	Bolton Wanderers	H	4–1	28,879	Sale, Steele (2), Baker
39	15 April 1939	Portsmouth	A	0–2	13,000
40	22 April 1939	Arsenal	H	1–0	13,000	Antonio
41	29 April 1939	Charlton Athletic	H	1–0	24,000	Steele
42	6 May 1939	Leeds United	A	0–0	18,000

FA Cup

Main article: 1938–39 FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
R3	7 January 1939	Leicester City	A	1–1	19,750	Soo
R3 Replay	11 January 1939	Leicester City	H	1–2	18,488	Steele

Squad statistics

Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	David Jones	1	0	0	0	1	0
GK	Douglas Westland	3	0	0	0	3	0
GK	Norman Wilkinson	38	0	2	0	40	0
DF	John Bamber	13	0	0	0	13	0
DF	Harry Brigham	39	0	2	0	41	0
DF	Jack Challinor	12	0	0	0	12	0
DF	Ernest Hall	0	0	0	0	0	0
DF	George Oldham	2	0	0	0	2	0
DF	Charlie Scrimshaw	4	0	0	0	4	0
DF	Jack Tennant	26	0	2	0	28	0
DF	Bill Winstanley	1	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Arthur Griffiths	4	0	0	0	4	0
MF	Jock Kirton	36	0	2	0	38	0
MF	Alfred Massey	2	0	0	0	2	0
MF	Billy Mould	22	0	2	0	24	0
MF	Clement Smith	20	6	0	0	20	6
MF	Frank Soo	42	2	2	1	44	3
MF	Arthur Turner	11	0	0	0	11	0
MF	Arthur Tutin	3	0	0	0	3	0
FW	George Antonio	23	4	2	0	25	4
FW	Frank Baker	36	10	2	0	38	10
FW	Syd Fursland	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	Patrick Gallacher	3	0	1	0	4	0
FW	Eric Jones	0	0	0	0	0	0
FW	Bobby Liddle	2	0	0	0	2	0
FW	Stanley Matthews	36	2	2	0	38	2
FW	Alexander Ormston	9	0	1	0	10	0
FW	Syd Peppitt	6	2	0	0	6	2
FW	Tommy Sale	34	18	0	0	34	18
FW	Freddie Steele	31	26	2	1	33	27
FW	James Westland	2	1	0	0	2	1