1961–62 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1961–62 season
Chairman Albert Henshall
Manager Tony Waddington
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Second Division 8th (42 Points)
FA Cup Fourth Round
League Cup Second Round
Top goalscorer League: Tommy Thompson (16)
All: Tommy Thompson (17)
Highest home attendance 35,974 vs Huddersfield Town (28 October 1961)
Lowest home attendance 7,506 vs Luton Town (7 April 1962)
Average home league attendance 15,751
Home colours

The 1961–62 season was Stoke City's 55th season in the Football League and the 22nd in the Second Division.

Attendances were now at a worrying all-time low and so the Stoke board and manager Tony Waddington decided something needed to be done to bring the supporters back to the Victoria Ground. And Waddington pulled off a master stroke after paying £3,000 to Blackpool for the returning 46-year-old Stanley Matthews. Crowds instantly arrived in large numbers with Matthews first match back against Huddersfield Town more than 35,000 turned up a good 15,000 more than the last home match. Stoke could not sustain a push for promotion, but the feeling around the club had changed dramatically.[1]

Season review

League

Attendances remained stubbornly poor as the 1961–62 season commenced, Stoke losing 2–1 at home to Rotherham United in front of 11,000 fans.[1] The club's finances were seriously in question with the worrying decline in support.[1] To regress the slide Stoke brought back Stanley Matthews at the age of 46 some 14 years after he left for Blackpool.[1] It certainly had the desired effect as the crowds quickly returned and traffic jams stretched for miles on the day he made his second debut for Stoke City at the Victoria Ground against Huddersfield Town when 35,974 fans assembled to welcome back their hero and see him inspire Stoke to a 3–0 win, the attendance in Stoke's previous home match was just 8,409.[1]

The resurgence was on as Stoke slowly but surely picked up some good results and climbed the table as they went on a seven match unbeaten run in December.[1] Dennis Viollet a fine centre forward joined from Manchester United for a fee of £22,000.[1] By March Stoke's form fell away and they ended the season in eighth spot but the feeling was that Stoke had renewed confidence for the future.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke were drawn away at last season's winners Leicester City in the FA Cup. The match ended in a 1–1 draw but in the replay Stoke knocked out the "Foxes" 5–2 to set up a fourth round meeting with Blackburn Rovers. A crowd of 49,486 saw Rovers win 1–0 thanks to a controversial penalty, the referees decision enraged one Stoke supporter so much he started legal action against him.[1]

League Cup

Stoke recorded their first victory in the League Cup at Roots Hall beating Southend United 1–0.[1] In the next round they were easily beaten 4–1 at Charlton Athletic.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Liverpool42278799432.30262
2Leyton Orient4222101069401.72554
3Sunderland422291185501.70053
4Scunthorpe United422171486711.21149
5Plymouth Argyle421981575751.00046
6Southampton421891577621.24245
7Huddersfield Town4216121467591.13644
8Stoke City421781755570.96542
9Rotherham United421691770760.92141
10Preston North End4215101755570.96540
11Newcastle United421591864581.10339
12Middlesbrough421671976721.05639
13Luton Town421752069710.97239
14Walsall4214111770750.93339
15Charlton Athletic421591869750.92039
16Derby County4214111768750.90739
17Norwich City4214111761700.87139
18Bury421752052760.68439
19Leeds United4212121850610.82036
20Swansea Town4212121861830.73536
21Bristol Rovers421372253810.65433
22Brighton & Hove Albion4210112142860.48831

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 Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 19 August 1961 Rotherham UnitedH1–211,071Thompson (pen)
2 22 August 1961 Charlton AthleticA2–27,861G Matthews, Mudie
3 26 August 1961 SunderlandA1–234,183Adam
4 28 August 1961 Charlton AthleticH4–011,005G Matthews, Thompson (2), Bullock
5 2 September 1961 Derby CountyH1–113,834Mudie
6 5 September 1961 Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–212,515Skeels
7 9 September 1961 Bristol RoversH2–19,075Thompson (2) (1 pen)
8 16 September 1961 Leeds UnitedA1–39,578Thompson
9 18 September 1961 Brighton & Hove AlbionH0–19,135
10 23 September 1961 Norwich CityH3–18,646Thompson, Adam (2)
11 29 September 1961 Scunthorpe UnitedA2–210,347Thompson, Asprey
12 7 October 1961 Leyton OrientA0–310,621
13 14 October 1961 Preston North EndH1–18,409Adam
14 21 October 1961 Plymouth ArgyleA1–310,283Adam
15 28 October 1961 Huddersfield TownH3–035,974Adam, Thompson (2) (1 pen)
16 4 November 1961 Swansea TownA0–119,906
17 11 November 1961 WalsallH2–124,869Thompson, Bullock
18 18 November 1961 Luton TownA0–015,163
19 25 November 1961 Newcastle UnitedH3–122,009Thompson, Mudie, S Matthews
20 2 December 1961 MiddlesbroughA2–220,809Thompson, Asprey
21 9 December 1961 SouthamptonH3–218,353Thompson (2) (1 pen), Ratcliffe
22 16 December 1961 Rotherham UnitedA2–115,537Andrew, S Matthews
23 23 December 1961 SunderlandH1–024,682Asprey
24 26 December 1961 BuryA2–015,699Mudie, Ratcliffe
25 13 January 1962 Derby CountyA0–218,937
26 20 January 1962 Bristol RoversA2–08,852Pyle (o.g.), Sykes (o.g.)
27 3 February 1962 Leeds UnitedH2–121,921Mudie, Allen
28 10 February 1962 Norwich CityA0–131,304
29 17 February 1962 Scunthorpe UnitedH1–016,569Nibloe
30 24 February 1962 Leyton OrientH0–121,846
31 3 March 1962 Preston North EndA2–119,091Viollet, Mudie
32 10 March 1962 Plymouth ArgyleH2–018,033Thompson, Asprey
33 17 March 1962 Huddersfield TownA0–320,261
34 24 March 1962 Swansea TownH0–014,752
35 30 March 1962 WalsallA1–316,570Nibloe
36 7 April 1962 Luton TownH2–17,506Nibloe, Adam
37 11 April 1962 BuryH1–38,324Nibloe
38 14 April 1962 Newcastle UnitedA0–220,580
39 21 April 1962 MiddlesbroughH2–08,369Viollet (2)
40 23 April 1962 LiverpoolA1–241,005Viollet
41 24 April 1962 LiverpoolH0–015,472
42 28 April 1962 SouthamptonA1–59,558Viollet

FA Cup

Main article: 1961–62 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R310 January 1962 Leicester CityA1–135,545Mudie
R3 Replay15 January 1962 Leicester CityH5–238,515S Matthews, Allen, Bullock, Thompson, Nibloe
R427 January 1962 Blackburn RoversH0–149,486

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R113 September 1961 Southend UnitedA1–07,389Bullock
R210 October 1961 Charlton AthleticA1–46,119Bullock

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1John McCue's XIH6–2
2GVAVA3–1
3FenerbahçeA0–1
4FenerbahçeA1–0
5GalatasarayA0–2
6İzmirsporA1–1
7MKE AnkaragücüA1–0

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKRepublic of Ireland Jimmy O'Neill 4103020460
GKEngland Brian Sherratt 10000010
DFEngland Tony Allen 4213120472
DFEngland Ron Andrew 3513010391
DFEngland Alan Bloor 60001070
DFEngland Eric Skeels 4213020471
DFEngland Terry Ward 40000040
MFEngland Bill Asprey 4243020474
MFEngland Gerry Bridgwood 50000050
MFScotland Bobby Howitt 4003020450
MFEngland Alan Philpott 20000020
FWScotland Jimmy Adam 2270020247
FWEngland Peter Bullock 1122122155
FWEngland Jack Nibloe 1843100215
FWEngland Graham Matthews 1020020122
FWEngland Stanley Matthews 1823100213
FWScotland Jackie Mudie 3261120357
FWEngland Tommy Randles 20000020
FWEngland Don Ratcliffe 3923010432
FWEngland Tommy Thompson 371631104117
FWEngland Dennis Viollet 1350000135
Own goals 2002

References

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