1919–20 Stoke F.C. season

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

Stoke
1919–20 season
ChairmanMr E.Reynish
ManagerArthur Shallcross
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League Second Division10th (42 Points)
FA CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: David Brown
(13)

All: David Brown
(13)
Highest home attendance30,000 vs Birmingham
(6 December 1919)
Lowest home attendance5,000 vs South Shields
(24 April 1920)
Average home league attendance12,145

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 expulsion of Leeds City. Stoke won the first league meeting between the two clubs 3–0 at Vale's Old Recreation Ground.[1]

Season review

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League

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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

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

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
8 Bristol City 42 13 17 12 46 43 1.070 43
9 South Shields[a] 42 15 12 15 58 48 1.208 42
10 Stoke[b] 42 18 6 18 60 54 1.111 42
11 Hull City 42 18 6 18 78 72 1.083 42
12 Barnsley 42 15 10 17 61 55 1.109 40
Source: [citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ New club in the league; elected from North Eastern League
  2. ^ New club in the league; elected from Southern League

Results

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Stoke's score comes first

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

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Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 30 August 1919 Barnsley H 2–0 12,000 Jarvis (2)
2 1 September 1919 Hull City A 0–3 8,000
3 6 September 1919 Barnsley A 2–1 7,000 Jarvis, Tempest
4 8 September 1919 Hull City H 3–1 10,000 Jarvis (2), Maddock (pen)
5 13 September 1919 Blackpool H 2–0 9,000 Smith, Boxley
6 20 September 1919 Blackpool A 1–3 6,000 Herbert
7 27 September 1919 West Ham United H 2–1 10,000 Herbert (2)
8 4 October 1919 West Ham United A 1–1 20,000 Phillips
9 11 October 1919 Stockport County H 2–1 8,000 Clarke, Stirling
10 18 October 1919 Stockport County A 1–3 7,000 Boxley
11 25 October 1919 Rotherham County H 3–0 5,000 Jarvis (2), Jones
12 1 November 1919 Rotherham County A 3–1 12,000 Jarvis, Brown (2)
13 15 November 1919 Bristol City A 2–1 6,000 Parker, Whittingham
14 17 November 1919 Bristol City H 2–0 8,000 Whittingham, Twemlow (pen)
15 22 November 1919 Grimsby Town H 3–0 5,000 Jones (2), Jarvis
16 29 November 1919 Grimsby Town A 0–2 4,000
17 6 December 1919 Birmingham H 0–1 30,000
18 13 December 1919 Birmingham A 1–2 40,000 Page
19 20 December 1919 Leicester City A 1–3 19,641 Brown
20 25 December 1919 Coventry City A 2–3 15,000 Brown, Whittingham
21 26 December 1919 Coventry City H 6–1 20,000 Brown (2), Whittingham (2), Phillips (2)
22 27 December 1919 Leicester City H 3–0 15,000 Brown (2), Whittingham
23 3 January 1920 Fulham A 0–0 10,000
24 17 January 1920 Fulham H 1–0 7,000 Parker
25 24 January 1920 Nottingham Forest H 0–2 8,000
26 28 January 1920 Nottingham Forest A 2–0 6,000 Brown, Martin
27 7 February 1920 Lincoln City H 1–3 10,000 Whittingham
28 14 February 1920 Lincoln City A 1–2 8,000 Jarvis
29 21 February 1920 Bury H 1–1 12,000 Twemlow (pen)
30 28 February 1920 Bury A 0–1 12,000
31 6 March 1920 Port Vale A 3–0 22,697 Whittingham, Brown, Watkin
32 13 March 1920 Port Vale H 0–0 27,000
33 20 March 1920 Clapton Orient A 1–2 8,000 Brown
34 27 March 1920 Clapton Orient H 2–0 18,000 Brown, Maddock (pen)
35 3 April 1920 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–2 40,000
36 5 April 1920 Huddersfield Town H 0–1 20,000
37 6 April 1920 Huddersfield Town A 0–3 30,000
38 10 April 1920 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–3 10,000 Maddock (pen)
39 17 April 1920 South Shields A 2–2 16,000 Watkin (2)
40 24 April 1920 South Shields H 0–0 5,000
41 26 April 1920 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–4 12,000
42 1 May 1920 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 3–0 10,000 Brown, Boxley (2)

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R1 10 January 1920 Bury A 0–2 12,000

Squad statistics

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Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   Tom Kay 42 0 1 0 43 0
DF   Percy Brooke 4 0 0 0 4 0
DF   Jack Maddock 15 3 0 0 15 3
DF   Alec Milne 30 0 1 0 31 0
DF   George Smart 4 0 0 0 4 0
DF   Billy Twemlow 33 2 1 0 34 2
MF   George Clarke 30 1 1 0 31 1
MF   Joe Jones 15 3 0 0 15 3
MF   Charlie Parker 34 2 1 0 35 2
MF   Dickie Smith 33 1 0 0 33 1
MF   Harry Wootton 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW   Tommy Bowyer 0 0 0 0 0 0
FW   David Boxley 8 4 0 0 8 4
FW   David Brown 31 13 1 0 32 13
FW   Matthew Burton 3 0 0 0 3 0
FW   Bill Charnley 2 0 0 0 2 0
FW   Harry Crossthwaite 12 0 0 0 12 0
FW   Billy Herbert 11 3 0 0 11 3
FW   George Jarvis 30 10 1 0 31 10
FW   James Martin 13 1 0 0 13 1
FW   Louis Page 12 1 0 0 12 1
FW   Wilf Phillips 13 3 1 0 14 3
FW   Jock Stirling 20 1 1 0 21 1
FW   Billy Tempest 36 1 1 0 37 1
FW   Billy Tompkinson 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW   Arthur Watkin 11 3 1 0 12 3
FW   Bob Whittingham 18 8 0 0 18 8

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.