1939–40 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1939–40 season
Chairman Mr H. Booth
Manager Bob McGrory
Stadium Victoria Ground
War League West Regional Championship 1st
Football League War Cup Third Round
Top goalscorer League:
All: Tommy Sale (24)
Highest home attendance 16,268 vs Charlton Athletic (26 August 1939)
Lowest home attendance 714 vs Tranmere Rovers (6 January 1940)
Home colours

The 1939–40 season was Stoke City's fifth season in the non-competitive War League.[1] It would have been their 26th season in the Football League First Division but after just three matches the League was cancelled due to World War II.

In 1939 World War II was declared and the Football League was cancelled. In its place were formed War Leagues and cups, based on geographical lines rather than based on previous league placement. However, none of these were considered to be competitive football, and thus their records are not recognised by the Football League and thus not included in official records.

Season review

Stoke started the 1939–40 season with a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Football League Jubilee Fund losing 4–2, interestingly the Stoke players wore squad numbers for the first time in this match.[1] After just three First Division matches had been played the Football League was cancelled and although a regional war-league was set up attendances suffered alarmingly.[1] Stoke had looked a useful side with a lot of young, talented players before the hostilities came along and ruined the careers of many and from October 1939 to May 1946 the club missed out on what could have been a successful seven-year period.[1]

With the cancellation of the league action, the re-organised competitions started on 21 October 1939, with 82 of the 88 clubs participating.[1] Stoke drew their first match 4–4 with Everton with Tommy Sale scoring a fine hat-trick.[1] With players being called up for military duty and with travelling very difficult plus the fact that Stanley Matthews was in heavy demand for guest matches team selection was never easy for Bob McGrory.[1] Stoke brought in their own guest players to the Victoria Ground and they proved to be very successful as Stoke won the 1939–40 Western League finishing two points ahead of Liverpool.[1]

Final league table

West Regional Championship

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Stoke City22135457411.39031
2Liverpool22125566401.65029
3Everton22124664331.93928
4Manchester United22140874411.80428
5Manchester City22124673411.78028
6Wrexham22105745500.90025
7New Brighton22103955521.50723
8Port Vale221021052560.92822
9Chester22751040510.78419
10Crewe Alexandra22611544790.55613
11Stockport County22431545790.56911
12Tranmere Rovers22231741930.4407

First Division

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Blackpool3300522.5006
2Sheffield United3210313.0005
3Arsenal3210842.0005
4Liverpool3201632.0004
5Everton3120541.2504
6Bolton Wanderers3201651.2004
7Derby County3201331.0004
8Charlton Athletic3201340.7504
9Stoke City3111741.7503
10Manchester United3111531.6673
11Chelsea3111441.0003
12Brentford3111331.0003
13Grimsby Town3111240.5003
14Aston Villa3102331.0002
15Sunderland3102670.8572
16Wolverhampton Wanderers3021340.7502
17Huddersfield Town3102230.6672
18Portsmouth3102350.6002
19Preston North End3021020.0002
20Blackburn Rovers3012350.6001
21Middlesbrough3012380.3751
22Leeds United3012020.0001

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Jubilee Fund

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
19 August 1939 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–46,440Sale (2)

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 26 August 1939 Charlton AthleticH4–016,268Soo, Sale, Smith (2)
2 28 August 1939 Bolton WanderersH1–213,067Gallacher
3 2 September 1939 MiddlesbroughA2–212,088Sale (2)

West Regional Championship

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 21 October 1939 EvertonA4–43,998Sale (3), Liddle
2 28 October 1939 Stockport CountyH4–22,100Sale, Soo, Ormston, Matthews
3 4 November 1939 WrexhamA4–43,959Peppitt (2), Smith, Ormston
4 11 November 1939 New BrightonH4–12,401Ormston (2), Sale (2)
5 18 November 1939 Manchester CityA1–18,038Sale (pen)
6 25 November 1939 ChesterH2–01,425Sale, Peppitt
7 2 December 1939 Crewe AlexandraA2–43,403Sale (2)
8 9 December 1939 LiverpoolH3–11,269Sale, Liddle, Matthews
9 6 January 1940 Tranmere RoversH1–0714Peppitt
10 20 January 1940 Manchester UnitedA3–42,884Peppitt, Sale, Bowyer
11 10 February 1940 EvertonH1–08,910Sale
12 24 February 1940 Stockport CountyA5–12,037Peppitt (4), Soo
13 2 March 1940 WrexhamH3–12,974Ormston (2), Steele
14 9 March 1940 New BrightonA1–31,357Baker
15 16 March 1940 Manchester CityH2–13,520Sale, Smith
16 23 March 1940 ChesterA3–34,116Peppitt, Ormston
17 25 March 1940 Port ValeH5–19,450Ormston (2), Sale, Own Goal (2)
18 30 March 1940 Crewe AlexandraH1–12,460Sale
19 6 April 1940 LiverpoolA2–15,130Steele, Peppitt
20 6 May 1940 Port ValeA2–15,130Steele, Sale
21 13 May 1940 Tranmere RoversA1–52,434Mountford
22 25 May 1940 Manchester UnitedH3–23,227Peppitt (2), Ormston

Football League War Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R1 1st Leg 20 April 1940New BrightonA4–15,289Sale, Steele (3)
R1 2nd Leg 27 April 1940New BrightonH2–13,654Sale, Steele
R2 1st Leg 4 May 1940BarrowA2–011,870Steele (2)
R2 2nd Leg 11 May 1940BarrowH6–111,870Steele, Sale (2), Ormston, Peppitt, Liddle
R3 18 May 1940EvertonA0–13,557

Friendlies

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 16 September 1939 Coventry CityH3–14,647Baker, Sale, Peppitt
2 23 September 1939 Port ValeH3–24,512Baker, Sale, Ormston
3 30 September 1939 West Bromwich AlbionA0–61,515
4 7 October 1939 Manchester UnitedH2–23,418Antonio, Own Goal
5 14 October 1939 Birmingham CityH3–22,171Smith, Westland (2)
6 16 December 1939 Sheffield WednesdayA2–12,035Sale, Liddle
7 25 December 1939 Bolton WanderersA0–31,707
8 25 December 1939 Bolton WanderersA1–52,932Ormston
9 30 December 1939 BuryA6–7700Sale (3), Baker, Peppitt, Matthews
10 13 January 1940 Preston North EndA1–2956Sale (pen)
11 22 March 1940 ChesterfieldA1–34,525Peppitt
12 13 April 1940 Nottingham ForestA3–22,224Sale (3)

Squad statistics

Pos. Name Matches
Apps Goals
GKEngland Pat Bridges 10
GKWales Douglas Jones 190
GKScotland Pat McMahon 30
GKScotland Douglas Westland 30
GKEngland Norman Wilkinson 40
DFEngland Harry Brigham 300
DFEngland Neil Franklin 10
DFEngland Jack Griffiths 90
DFEngland John McCue 10
DFEngland Jimmy Oakes 40
DFEngland Charlie Scrimshaw 100
DFEngland Jack Tennant 50
MFEngland Bobby Liddle 223
MFScotland Jock Kirton 80
MFEngland Alfred Massey 130
MFEngland Billy Mould 290
MFEngland Arthur Tutin 50
FWEngland George Antonio 10
FWEngland Frank Baker 71
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 10
FWScotland Patrick Gallacher 31
FWEngland Stanley Matthews 192
FWEngland Frank Mountford 11
FWEngland Alexander Ormston 2611
FWEngland Syd Peppitt 2515
FWEngland Tommy Sale 2824
FWEngland Clement Smith 104
FWEngland Frank Soo 283
FWEngland Freddie Steele 910
FWScotland James Westland 10

References

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