1943–44 Stoke City F.C. season

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

Stoke City
1943–44 season
ChairmanMr H. Booth
ManagerBob McGrory
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League North 1st Phase34th
Football League North 2nd Phase13th
Football League War CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerTommy Sale
(30)
Highest home attendance20,000 vs Birmingham
(29 January 1944)
Lowest home attendance2,106 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
(29 April 1944)

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

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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

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Stoke's score comes first

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League North 1st Phase

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Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 23 August 1943 Aston Villa H 0–2 6,000
2 4 September 1943 Aston Villa A 1–2 15,000 Sale
3 11 September 1943 Crewe Alexandra A 1–2 4,905 F Mountford
4 18 September 1943 Crewe Alexandra H 4–2 3,950 Sale, Bowyer (2), G Mountford
5 25 September 1943 Derby County H 5–1 4,000 Leuty (o.g.), Peppitt (2), G Mountford, Franklin
6 2 October 1943 Derby County A 2–2 8,000 Bowyer, Liddle
7 9 October 1943 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 5–0 5,119 Bowyer, G Mountford (2), Basnett (2)
8 16 October 1943 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 2–1 7,242 Basnett (2)
9 23 October 1943 Birmingham H 1–1 5,000 G Mountford
10 30 October 1943 Birmingham A 0–2 3,900
11 6 November 1943 West Bromwich Albion H 3–3 3,520 Sale (2), Liddle
12 13 November 1943 West Bromwich Albion A 0–3 6,912
13 20 November 1943 Wrexham A 1–4 3,850 Sale
14 27 November 1943 Wrexham H 7–3 3,000 Sale (2), Basnett (2), Steele (2), Liddle
15 4 December 1943 Crewe Alexandra H 5–0 3,500 Sale (2), Peppitt (2), Basnett
16 11 December 1943 Crewe Alexandra A 1–2 3,000 Franklin
17 18 December 1943 Walsall A 2–4 1,147 Clewlow, Rist (o.g.)
18 28 December 1943 Walsall H 0–1 6,022

Football League North 2nd Phase

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Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 18 March 1944 Leicester City H 2–5 3,279 F Mountford, Sellars
2 25 March 1944 Leicester City A 2–2 7,000 Ormston, Bowyer
3 10 April 1944 Crewe Alexandra A 6–1 4,350 Bowyer (2), Sale (2), F Mountford, Pointon
4 29 April 1944 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 2–2 2,156 Sale, Jackson
5 6 May 1944 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–2 1,997 Watkin
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
QR 30 December 1943 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 1–1 19,951 Sale
QR 1 January 1944 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 9–3 6,798 Steele (6), Sale (2), Liddle
QR 8 January 1944 Aston Villa H 6–3 16,492 Steele (3), Peppitt (3)
QR 15 January 1944 Aston Villa A 2–0 32,000 Kirton, Ormston
QR 22 January 1944 Birmingham A 1–4 1,750 Basnett
QR 29 January 1944 Birmingham H 4–1 20,000 Steele (3), Sale
QR 5 February 1944 Walsall H 5–1 4,000 Sale (2), Ormston, Peppitt, Shelton (o.g.)
QR 12 February 1944 Walsall A 2–0 1,986 Sale, F Mountford
QR 19 February 1944 West Bromwich Albion A 8–2 5,000 Sale (3), Steele (4), Bowyer
QR 26 February 1944 West Bromwich Albion H 5–4 8,000 Sale (2), Steele (2), G Mountford
R1 1st leg 4 March 1944 Aston Villa H 4–5 11,508 Sale (2), Steele (2)
R1 2nd leg 11 March 1944 Aston Villa A 0–3 22,000

Midland Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R1 1st leg 1 April 1944 Derby County A 3–1 9,000 Peppitt, Steele, Bowyer
R1 2nd leg 8 April 1944 Derby County H 1–1 7,000 Basnett
R2 1st leg 15 April 1944 West Bromwich Albion H 1–1 3,434 Sale
R2 2nd leg 22 April 1944 West Bromwich Albion A 1–3 7,202 Southern (o.g.)

Squad statistics

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Pos. Name Matches
Apps Goals
GK   Emmanuel Foster 17 0
GK   Dennis Herod 1 0
GK   Edgar Podmore 1 0
GK   Norman Wilkinson 8 0
DF   Harry Brigham 16 0
DF   Sid Clewlow 2 1
DF   Stuart Cowden 3 0
DF   Doug Dunn 1 0
DF   Neil Franklin 34 2
DF   Jack Griffiths 4 0
DF   Lol Hamlett 10 0
DF   Eric Hayward 6 0
DF   Bill Kinson 18 0
DF   John McCue 34 0
DF   John Sellars 3 1
DF   Roy Shufflebottom 1 0
DF   Cyril Watkin 1 1
MF   Jack Edwards 3 0
MF   Stanley Glover 1 0
MF   Jock Kirton 8 1
MF   Bobby Liddle 25 4
MF   George Mountford 19 6
MF   Jim Simpson 2 0
MF   Frank Soo 2 0
MF   Bobby Windsor 2 0
MF   Edward Wordley 1 0
MF   Bert Wright 1 0
FW   Fred Basnett 22 9
FW   Edwin Blunt 1 0
FW   Frank Bowyer 32 9
FW   Bill Caton 2 0
FW   Roy Crossley 3 0
FW   Stanley Harrison 2 0
FW   John Jackson 3 1
FW   Stanley Matthews 3 0
FW   Alfred Massey 2 0
FW   Frank Mountford 29 4
FW   Alexander Ormston 12 3
FW   Syd Peppitt 11 9
FW   Bill Pointon 2 1
FW   Tommy Sale 39 30
FW   Freddie Steele 9 20
FW   Thomas Vallance 1 0
FW   Ken West 1 0

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0952415100.