1949–50 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1949–50 season
Chairman Mr H. Booth
Manager Bob McGrory
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 19th (34 Points)
FA Cup Third Round
Top goalscorer League: Frank Bowyer (15)
All: Frank Bowyer (15)
Highest home attendance 41,635 vs Sunderland (27 December 1949)
Lowest home attendance 17,297 vs Middlesbrough (3 December 1949)
Average home league attendance 27,215
Home colours

The 1949–50 season was Stoke City's 43rd season in the Football League and the 29th in the First Division.

In June 1949 Stoke legend Freddie Steele left the club after spending 17 years with the club scoring 159 goals. And Stoke failed to find a suitable replacement and struggled throughout the season and ended up in a relegation battle. There was no end of season improvement in results and Stoke only stayed up due to the poor form of the relegated bottom two Birmingham City and Manchester City.[1]

Season review

League

With the great Freddie Steele now moved on to Mansfield Town, the simmering unrest continued with Neil Franklin eager to move his family away from the Stoke-on-Trent area for health reasons.[1] The local air at this time was far from clean due to the pottery industry at its peak and with kilns belching out smoke and fumes.[1] With Steele gone manager Bob McGrory searched for a replacement and went out and spent £3,000 on Verdi Godwin from Manchester City, hoping that he would help the club find their goalscoring touch.[1]

Franklin re-signed for the club in time for the 1949–50 season and his presence bolstered the defence whilst the forward line was struggling.[1] By the end of October Stoke had just two wins to their name and were in deep relegation trouble so McGrory smashed the clubs transfer record by paying £9,000 to Celtic for Leslie Johnston.[1] However whilst Johnston was a fine footballer in Scotland he was not really up to the standard in English football and although he scored 22 goals in 92 games he was not the right player for the number 9 shirt.[1] On 15 October Frank Baker broke his leg for the fifth time in two years and he decided to retire.[1]

By January there had been a modest improvement in performances out on the pitch and McGrory made his best signing for some time, persuading Freddie Steele who was now player-manager at Mansfield to part with young up and coming forward Harry Oscroft, Stoke handing over £8,000 plus Verdi Godwin who scored just twice in 23 matches.[1] Soon after Oscroft's arrival, Stoke's defence started to leak goals and FA Cup finalists Arsenal put six past them at Highbury without a Stoke reply.[1] Stoke managed just three points from their remaining eight matches this season and narrowly avoided relegation.[1]

FA Cup

47,000 fans saw Stoke's cup run end at the third round losing 1–0 at home to Second Division Tottenham Hotspur.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Portsmouth422291174381.94753
2Wolverhampton Wanderers422013976491.55153
3Sunderland4221101183621.33952
4Manchester United4218141069441.56850
5Newcastle United4219121177551.40050
6Arsenal4219111279551.43649
7Blackpool4217151046351.31449
8Liverpool4217141164541.18548
9Middlesbrough422071559481.22947
10Burnley4216131340401.00045
11Derby County4217101569611.13144
12Aston Villa4215121561611.00042
13Chelsea4212161458650.89240
14West Bromwich Albion4214121647530.88740
15Huddersfield Town421491952730.71237
16Bolton Wanderers4210141845590.76334
17Fulham4210141841540.75934
18Everton4210141842660.63634
19Stoke City4211121945750.60034
20Charlton Athletic421362353650.81532
21Manchester City428132136680.52929
22Birmingham City427142131670.46328

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 First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 20 August 1949 Bolton WanderersA0–429,333
2 22 August 1949 LiverpoolH0–027,205
3 27 August 1949 Birmingham CityH3–128,069Bowyer (2), Godwin
4 31 August 1949 LiverpoolA1–138,097Bowyer
5 3 September 1949 Derby CountyA3–229,305Bowyer, Sellars, Kirton
6 5 September 1949 BurnleyA1–225,062Bowyer
7 10 September 1949 West Bromwich AlbionH1–336,815G Mountford
8 12 September 1949 BurnleyH1–125,077Bowyer
9 17 September 1949 Manchester UnitedA2–242,614F Mountford (pen), Godwin
10 24 September 1949 ChelseaH2–328,650G Mountford, F Mountford (pen)
11 1 October 1949 Newcastle UnitedA1–449,903Bowyer
12 8 October 1949 FulhamH0–224,904
13 15 October 1949 Manchester CityA1–131,151F Mountford (pen)
14 22 October 1949 Charlton AthleticH0–320,740
15 29 October 1949 Aston VillaA1–130,000Sellars
16 5 November 1949 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–140,111Sellars, F Mountford (pen)
17 12 November 1949 PortsmouthA0–033,257
18 19 November 1949 Huddersfield TownH0–020,038
19 26 November 1949 EvertonA1–230,000Peppitt
20 3 December 1949 MiddlesbroughH1–017,297Bowyer
21 10 December 1949 BlackpoolA2–417,000Peppitt, Johnston
22 17 December 1949 Bolton WanderersH3–219,023Johnston, Bowyer (2)
23 24 December 1949 Birmingham CityA0–120,000
24 26 December 1949 SunderlandA0–350,246
25 27 December 1949 SunderlandH2–141,635Bowyer, F Mountford (pen)
26 31 December 1949 Derby CountyH1–325,989Whiston
27 14 January 1950 West Bromwich AlbionA0–034,840
28 21 January 1950 Manchester UnitedH3–138,901G Mountford (2), Bowyer
29 4 February 1950 ChelseaA2–245,097Johnston (2)
30 18 February 1950 Newcastle UnitedH1–031,399Oscroft
31 25 February 1950 FulhamA2–230,000G Mountford, Bowyer
32 4 March 1950 Manchester CityH2–029,986G Mountford, Bowyer
33 11 March 1950 Huddersfield TownA0–418,702
34 18 March 1950 EvertonH1–022,125Bowyer
35 25 March 1950 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–238,388Whiston
36 1 April 1950 PortsmouthH0–126,456
37 8 April 1950 Charlton AthleticA0–228,000
38 10 April 1950 ArsenalA0–630,064
39 15 April 1950 Aston VillaH1–020,590Meakin
40 22 April 1950 MiddlesbroughA0–232,000
41 29 April 1950 BlackpoolH1–117,797Johnston
42 6 May 1950 ArsenalH2–522,225Oscroft (2)

FA Cup

Main article: 1949–50 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R37 January 1950 Tottenham HotspurH0–147,000

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Dennis Herod 20010210
GKEngland Norman Wilkinson 22000220
DFEngland Neil Franklin 34010350
DFEngland Eric Hampson 100010
DFEngland Roy Jones 100010
DFEngland John McCue 35000350
DFEngland Harry Meakin 501060
DFEngland Billy Mould 700070
DFEngland Cyril Watkin 37010380
MFEngland Roy Brown 001010
MFScotland Jock Kirton 15100151
MFEngland Frank Mountford 37500375
MFEngland John Sellars 40310413
MFEngland Edward Wordley 100010
MFEngland Donald Whiston 421052
FWEngland Frank Baker 11000110
FWEngland Bill Barker 100010
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 4215104315
FWEngland Bill Caton 900090
FWEngland Verdi Godwin 22210232
FWScotland Leslie Johnston 27510285
FWEngland John Malkin 28110291
FWEngland George Mountford 32600326
FWEngland Alexander Ormston 500050
FWEngland Harry Oscroft 16300163
FWEngland Syd Peppitt 920092
FWEngland Reginald Pickup 100010

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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