1928–29 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1928–29 season was Stoke City's 29th season in the Football League and the ninth in the Second Division.

Stoke City
1928–29 season
ChairmanMr A.McSherwin
ManagerTom Mather
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League Second Division6th (46 Points)
FA CupThird Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Charlie Wilson
(22)

All: Charlie Wilson
(22)
Highest home attendance36,182 vs Port Vale
(15 September 1928)
Lowest home attendance7,158 vs Oldham Athletic
(24 November 1928)
Average home league attendance13,666

There were no major signings in 1928–29 as the club decided to change a number of policies regarding players' contracts in order to avoid a repeat of the scenes at the end of the 1923–24 season. Mather also brought in a number of players from the club's reserve and youth teams as the squad held a solid defence and with only 51 goals conceded Stoke had the best defensive record in the top two divisions. Stoke finished the season in sixth place which the fans thought they could have done better considering their defensive qualities.[1]

Season review

edit

League

edit

The Stoke board acquired the freehold of the Victoria Ground in the summer of 1928, but decided against any major signings for the 1928–29 campaign, as young players were slowly being introduced into the first team and reserve side.[1] After some of the players' actions of 1924, chairman Sherwin along with the board and manager decided to sort out the respective salaries of their professional players in order to avoid any further problems.[1]

Stoke had a solid look to their squad and they started the season in perfect fashion beating Nottingham Forest 5–1 on the opening day of the season at a stunned City Ground.[1] Stoke's good form continued and by the end of October the team was in a good position to mount a promotion challenge.[1] However they won just one match in November and December and although they did pick up in the new year Stoke were unable to challenge for a promotion spot and finished the season in sixth place.[1] Some supporters felt the team should have done better, especially as they had the best defensive record outside the First Division.[1] Fans were also disappointed at the sale of favourite Harry Davies to Huddersfield Town, he would later return to the club in 1931.[1]

FA Cup

edit

Arsenal knocked Stoke out of the FA Cup for the second season running this time in the third round.[1]

Final league table

edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
4 Southampton 42 17 14 11 74 60 1.233 48
5 Notts County 42 19 9 14 78 65 1.200 47
6 Stoke City 42 17 12 13 74 51 1.451 46
7 West Bromwich Albion 42 19 8 15 80 79 1.013 46
8 Blackpool 42 19 7 16 92 76 1.211 45
Source: [citation needed]

Results

edit

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

edit
Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

edit
Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 25 August 1928 Nottingham Forest A 5–1 14,548 Wilson (2), Davies, Bussey, Liddle
2 27 August 1928 Bristol City H 2–0 14,067 Davies, Armitage (pen)
3 1 September 1928 West Bromwich Albion H 4–1 22,769 Davies, Armitage (pen), Wilson, Archibald
4 5 September 1928 Bristol City A 1–1 10,000 Davies
5 8 September 1928 Clapton Orient A 0–1 6,000
6 15 September 1928 Port Vale H 2–1 36,182 Davies, Bussey
7 22 September 1928 Grimsby Town H 1–2 15,512 Wilson
8 29 September 1928 Bradford Park Avenue A 1–2 12,000 Davies
9 6 October 1928 Swansea Town H 5–0 12,671 Johnson (2), Williams, Bussey, Armitage
10 13 October 1928 Blackpool A 0–2 8,000
11 20 October 1928 Hull City A 3–1 7,760 Davies, Archibald, Bussey
12 27 October 1928 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–0 15,307 Archibald, Williams
13 3 November 1928 Reading A 1–1 6,800 Williams
14 10 November 1928 Millwall H 0–0 9,185
15 17 November 1928 Middlesbrough A 0–1 10,000
16 24 November 1928 Oldham Athletic H 1–1 7,185 Davies
17 1 December 1928 Southampton A 0–0 8,000
18 8 December 1928 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 4–3 9,012 Wilson (2), Williams, Archibald
19 15 December 1928 Notts County A 0–1 8,000
20 22 December 1928 Preston North End H 1–1 10,263 Wilson
21 25 December 1928 Chelsea H 0–1 12,031
22 26 December 1928 Chelsea A 1–3 40,126 Wilson
23 29 December 1928 Nottingham Forest H 1–1 8,120 Wilson
24 5 January 1929 West Bromwich Albion A 3–2 20,067 Shirley, Archibald, Bussey
25 19 January 1929 Clapton Orient H 3–1 10,166 Cull, Wilson, Williamson
26 26 January 1929 Port Vale A 2–1 18,304 Shirley (2)
27 2 February 1929 Grimsby Town A 1–2 8,000 Bussey
28 9 February 1929 Bradford Park Avenue H 2–0 11,865 Archibald, Davies
29 16 February 1929 Swansea Town A 3–3 7,000 Davies, Bussey, Mawson
30 23 February 1929 Blackpool H 1–1 12,538 Ramsay (o.g.)
31 2 March 1929 Hull City H 1–1 10,925 Shirley
32 9 March 1929 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–1 26,760
33 16 March 1929 Reading H 5–0 9,491 Shirley, Williams (2), Wilson (2)
34 23 March 1929 Millwall A 3–1 5,500 Wilson, Archibald, Williamson
35 29 March 1929 Barnsley A 2–4 6,000 Wilson, Bussey
36 30 March 1929 Middlesbrough H 3–2 19,717 Wilson (2), Bussey
37 1 April 1929 Barnsley H 0–0 13,126
38 6 April 1929 Oldham Athletic A 0–1 5,500
39 13 April 1929 Southampton H 3–0 8,556 Wilson (3)
40 20 April 1929 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–4 12,235
41 27 April 1929 Notts County H 5–0 8,165 Wilson (3), Bussey, Williams
42 4 May 1929 Preston North End A 2–2 6,000 Bussey, Williamson

FA Cup

edit
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R3 12 January 1929 Arsenal A 1–2 30,762 Bussey

Squad statistics

edit
Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   Bob Dixon 7 0 0 0 7 0
GK   Ormond Jones 0 0 0 0 0 0
GK   Dick Williams 35 0 1 0 36 0
DF   Arthur Beachill 4 0 0 0 4 0
DF   Tommy Dawson 2 0 0 0 2 0
DF   Bob McGrory 38 0 1 0 39 0
DF   Billy Spencer 40 0 1 0 41 0
MF   Len Armitage 39 3 1 0 40 3
MF   Thomas Godfrey 2 0 0 0 2 0
MF   Peter Jackson 10 0 0 0 10 0
MF   Paddy Turley 1 0 0 0 1 0
MF   Harry Sellars 40 0 1 0 41 0
MF   Tom Williamson 33 3 1 0 34 3
FW   Bobby Archibald 41 7 1 0 42 7
FW   Walter Bussey 37 11 1 1 38 12
FW   John Cull 8 1 0 0 8 1
FW   Harry Davies 35 10 1 0 36 10
FW   Jack Eyres 1 0 0 0 1 0
FW   Tommy Flannigan 4 0 0 0 4 0
FW   Dick Johnson 5 2 0 0 5 2
FW   Bobby Liddle 12 1 0 0 12 1
FW   Joe Mawson 2 1 0 0 2 1
FW   John Shirley 12 5 1 0 13 5
FW   Charlie Wilson 31 22 0 0 31 22
FW   Joey Williams 23 7 1 0 24 7
Own goals 1 0 1

References

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