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1946–47 Stoke City F.C. season

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Stoke City
1946–47 season
ChairmanMr H. Booth
ManagerBob McGrory
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League First Division4th (55 Points)
FA CupFifth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Freddie Steele
(29)

All: Freddie Steele
(31)
Highest home attendance45,000 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
(26 October 1946)
Lowest home attendance23,450 vs Bolton Wanderers
(2 September 1946)
Average home league attendance30,863

The 1946–47 season was Stoke City's 40th season in the Football League and the 26th in the First Division.

After a seven year absence due to World War II, the Football League made a welcome return for the 1946–47 season. Stoke were boosted by their time in the war leagues where they used many younger players to speed up their development. So Stoke now with a squad full of talent went on to achieve the finest league season in the club's history as they were involved in their first real attempt at winning the English title. The season was expanded until June due to a poor winter weather wise and on the final day of the season Stoke needed to beat Sheffield United to claim their first league title, but with the unhappy Stanley Matthews now moved on to Blackpool, Stoke lost 2–1 and ended up in 4th position.[1] The 1946–47 season finish of 4th is only matched by the performance by the Stoke team of the 1935–36 season.[1]

Season review

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League

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After a seven-year break the Football League returned for the 1946–47 season.[1] Stoke, relying on many of their wartime discoveries along with quite a few who had served the club before the war commenced, were confident of doing well, and manager Bob McGrory announced that his squad consisted of 45 players (19 of them were amateurs) of which 22 were eventually used.[1] As the season took its course a number of players were sold for a profit and the only signing McGrory made was that of 31 years old goalkeeper Arthur Jepson.[1] McGrory indicated that with full-time training, his side would thrive and given the right coaching and facilities in which to train and reach peak fitness.[1] And he was proved right, despite the team picking up one point in their first four matches, the side started to play as a unit and thanks to two unbeaten runs, a challenge was made for top spot.[1]

By October the saga involving Stanley Matthews and McGrory reared its ugly head again this time after the manager had asked the England winger to 'prove his fitness' in the reserves.[1] Matthews now living in Blackpool refused and he drifted in and out of the squad following the fall out.[1] One of the worst winters of the 20th century gripped Britain in 1947 and consequently the football season was extended into June and indeed it was late in the season when Stanley Matthews again asked to leave. He was 32, and running his own hotel with his wife in Blackpool, and he named the club he wanted to join unsurprisingly it was the Bloomfield Road club Blackpool.[1] Matthews was worried that his career had only four years left and wanted to end it near his business.[1] Matthews' career would however continue for another 20 years.[1]

The 1946–47 season came to a climax in mid June when Stoke visited Sheffield United. A victory at Bramall Lane would give Stoke the league title, anything less would hand the honour to Liverpool.[1] Stoke took around 10,000 of their fans to Sheffield but it was the "Blades" who proved to be too sharp for Stoke as they scored twice and despite Alexander Ormston replying for Stoke the title bid was over.[1] Stoke were awarded £110 'talent money' for their performance during the season.[1]

FA Cup

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Stoke beat Tottenham Hotspur and Chester both after replays before meeting Sheffield United who again proved be their bogey side winning 1–0 in front of 39,683 at the Victoria Ground.[1]

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
2 Manchester United 42 22 12 8 95 54 1.759 56
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 25 6 11 98 56 1.750 56
4 Stoke City 42 24 7 11 90 53 1.698 55
5 Blackpool 42 22 6 14 71 70 1.014 50
6 Sheffield United 42 21 7 14 89 75 1.187 49
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results

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Stoke's score comes first

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

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Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 31 August 1946 Charlton Athletic H 2–2 31,846 Steele, Ormston
2 2 September 1946 Bolton Wanderers H 1–2 23,450 Steele
3 7 September 1946 Middlesbrough A 4–5 45,000 Steele (3), Mountford
4 11 September 1946 Bolton Wanderers A 2–3 25,300 Ormston, Mountford
5 14 September 1946 Derby County H 3–2 35,000 Ormston, Mountford, Steele
6 16 September 1946 Leeds United H 5–2 25,000 Ormston, Antonio (2), Steele (2)
7 21 September 1946 Manchester United H 3–2 40,000 Antonio, Steele (2)
8 28 September 1946 Preston North End A 3–1 25,000 Antonio, Steele, Ormston
9 5 October 1946 Sheffield United H 3–0 29,146 Steele (3)
10 12 October 1946 Chelsea A 5–2 68,189 Steele, Ormston (3), Kirton
11 19 October 1946 Arsenal A 0–1 62,000
12 26 October 1946 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–3 45,000
13 2 November 1946 Sunderland A 1–0 53,000 Baker
14 9 November 1946 Aston Villa H 0–0 35,000
15 16 November 1946 Portsmouth A 3–1 38,000 Steele, Ormston, Peppitt
16 23 November 1946 Everton H 2–1 27,798 Matthews, Antonio
17 30 November 1946 Huddersfield Town A 0–1 26,767
18 7 December 1946 Blackpool H 4–1 30,000 Steele, Peppitt, Baker, Matthews
19 14 December 1946 Brentford A 4–1 29,172 Peppitt (3), Ormston
20 21 December 1946 Blackburn Rovers H 0–0 23,518
21 25 December 1946 Liverpool H 2–1 30,518 Steele (2)
22 26 December 1946 Liverpool A 0–2 49,494
23 28 December 1946 Charlton Athletic A 0–1 36,388
24 4 January 1947 Middlesbrough H 3–1 33,986 Peppitt, Mitchell (2)
25 18 January 1947 Derby County A 0–3 31,156
26 1 February 1947 Preston North End H 5–0 30,000 Peppitt (2), Steele (2), Ormston
27 5 February 1947 Manchester United A 1–1 8,456 Ormston (pen)
28 15 February 1947 Chelsea H 6–1 30,469 Ormston (2), Peppitt (2), Baker, Sellars
29 22 February 1947 Arsenal H 3–1 31,642 Baker, Sellars, Jackson
30 1 March 1947 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–3 45,000
31 22 March 1947 Portsmouth H 1–1 27,708 Steele
32 29 March 1947 Everton A 2–2 40,092 Peppitt, Baker
33 4 April 1947 Grimsby Town A 5–2 20,000 Peppitt, Steele (3), Ormston (pen)
34 5 April 1947 Huddersfield Town H 3–0 28,966 Steele, Ormston, Baker
35 7 April 1947 Grimsby Town H 3–0 34,269 Ormston, Jackson (2)
36 12 April 1947 Blackpool A 2–0 30,000 Ormston (pen), Mountford
37 19 April 1947 Brentford H 3–1 25,000 Steele, Mountford, Matthews
38 26 April 1947 Blackburn Rovers A 2–0 26,300 Matthews, Ormston
39 3 May 1947 Leeds United A 2–1 20,000 Steele (2)
40 17 May 1947 Sunderland H 0–0 32,000
41 26 May 1947 Aston Villa A 1–0 42,000 Mountford
42 12 June 1947 Sheffield United A 1–2 30,000 Ormston

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R3 11 January 1947 Tottenham Hotspur A 2–2 65,681 F Mountford, Ludford (o.g.)
R3 Replay 15 January 1947 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–0 38,830 Matthews
R4 25 January 1947 Chester A 0–0 18,500
R4 Replay 29 January 1947 Chester H 3–2 22,863 Steele (2), Ormston
R5 8 February 1947 Sheffield United H 0–1 39,683

Squad statistics

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Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Emmanuel Foster 1 0 0 0 1 0
GK England Dennis Herod 14 0 1 0 15 0
GK England Arthur Jepson 27 0 4 0 31 0
DF England Harry Brigham 12 0 0 0 12 0
DF England Neil Franklin 37 0 5 0 42 0
DF England John McCue 36 0 5 0 41 0
DF England Harry Meakin 6 0 0 0 6 0
DF England Billy Mould 30 0 5 0 35 0
MF England Roy Brown 4 0 0 0 4 0
MF Scotland Jock Kirton 37 1 5 0 42 1
MF England Frank Mountford 26 0 4 1 30 1
MF England John Sellars 17 2 1 0 18 2
MF England Edward Wordley 5 0 0 0 5 0
FW England George Antonio 16 5 0 0 16 5
FW England Frank Baker 39 6 5 0 44 6
FW England John Jackson 3 3 0 0 3 3
FW England Stanley Matthews 23 4 5 1 28 5
FW England Bert Mitchell 4 2 0 0 4 2
FW England George Mountford 23 6 0 0 23 6
FW England Alexander Ormston 40 20 5 1 45 21
FW England Syd Peppitt 24 12 5 0 29 12
FW England Freddie Steele 38 29 5 2 43 31
Own goals 0 1 1

References

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