1974–75 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1974–75 season
Chairman Albert Henshall
Manager Tony Waddington
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 5th (49 Points)
FA Cup Third Round
League Cup Fourth Round
UEFA Cup First Round
Top goalscorer League: Jimmy Greenhoff (14)
All: Jimmy Greenhoff (15)
Highest home attendance 45,954 vs Liverpool (31 March 1975)
Lowest home attendance 20,646 vs Luton Town (16 November 1974)
Average home league attendance 27,011
Home colours

The 1974–75 season was Stoke City's 68th season in the Football League and the 44th in the First Division.

Stoke back in European competition were handed a tough tie against Dutch giants Ajax. After a 1–1 draw at home Stoke dominated the second leg in Amsterdam but failed to find the back of the net and were knocked out on the away goals rule. In the league Stoke continued from where they left off last season in good form and for the first time since the 1946–47 season they were in the race for the First Division title. Unfortunately for Stoke so were a number of other clubs and with three matches left Stoke were third and on course for their best ever finish but they took just a point and finished in 5th position. There was a double blow for Stoke as they missed out on a UEFA Cup place after West Ham United won the FA Cup.[1]

Season review

League

Before the start of the 1974–75 season Stoke signed Sheffield United forward Geoff Salmons and lined up for the opening match a 3–0 win over Leeds United.[1] Despite exiting Europe Stoke's form in the First Division remained good, but Tony Waddington was worried to a certain extent about his last line of defence and in November he surprisingly decided to break the club transfer record with the signing of Peter Shilton for £325,000 which at the time was also a world record transfer for a goalkeeper.[1] Within ten days of Shilton's arrival Stoke sat at the top of the table after beating his old club Leicester City 1–0.[1]

Stoke's progress in 1974–75, however was severely handicapped by a remarkable injury crisis, Already without Alan Bloor and John Ritchie, Jimmy Greenhoff broke his nose against Birmingham City and then Jimmy Robertson broke his leg against Coventry City on Boxing Day.[1] Despite this Stoke kept on performing well and by February were again were on top spot.[1] A 2–2 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers cost the team another broken leg, Mike Pejic which was followed by Denis Smith in the next home match against Ipswich Town.[1] Yet Stoke still fought on with a reduced number of players, and after some fine results they lay in third with three games remaining If they won all three they would be champions of England for the first time.[1] As it happened they failed to win any drawing twice and losing at Sheffield United and had to settle for fifth, four points behind champions Derby County.[1] There was further disappointment for City as they lost out on a UEFA Cup place to West Ham.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke went down 2–0 against Liverpool in the third round.[1]

League Cup

Stoke beat Third Division Halifax Town 3–0 before being paired with Chelsea. After two draws the tie went to a 2nd replay and thanks to two own goals Stoke recorded their biggest League Cup win, 6–2.[1] But they were knocked out by Ipswich Town in the next round.[1]

UEFA Cup

Stoke were also involved in the UEFA Cup and were paired with Dutch giants Ajax, in the first leg at the Victoria Ground Ajax dominated the match and went in front through star winger Ruud Krol and Stoke despite being out played managed to find an equaliser through Denis Smith.[1] In the second leg it was a case of role reversed as this time it was Stoke who dominated the match and couldn't find a way past Piet Schrijvers and Stoke went out on the away goal rule.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Derby County4221111067491.36753
2Liverpool4220111160391.53851
3Ipswich Town422351466441.50051
4Everton421618856421.33350
5Stoke City4217151064481.33349
6Sheffield United4218131158511.13749
7Middlesbrough4218121254401.35048
8Manchester City4218101454541.00046
9Leeds United4216131357491.16345
10Burnley4217111468671.01545
11Queens Park Rangers4216101654541.00042
12Wolverhampton Wanderers4214111757541.05639
13West Ham United4213131658590.98339
14Coventry City4212151551620.82339
15Newcastle United421591859720.81939
16Arsenal4213111847490.95937
17Birmingham City421491953610.86937
18Leicester City4212121846600.76736
19Tottenham Hotspur421382152630.82534
20Luton Town4211112047650.72333
21Chelsea429151842720.58333
22Carlisle United421252543590.72929

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 17 August 1974 Leeds UnitedH3–033,534Mahoney 50', Greenhoff 85', Ritchie 87'
2 20 August 1974 EvertonA1–235,817Salmons 17'
3 24 August 1974 Queens Park RangersA1–021,117Hurst 86'
4 28 August 1974 EvertonH1–127,594Mahoney 75'
5 31 August 1974 MiddlesbroughH1–123,484Ritchie 17' (pen)
6 7 September 1974 Carlisle UnitedA2–014,507Hudson 5', Ritchie 58'
7 14 September 1974 Coventry CityH2–022,482Mahoney 59', Ritchie 84'
8 21 September 1974 LiverpoolA0–351,423
9 24 September 1974 Ipswich TownA1–324,470Salmons 90'
10 28 September 1974 Derby CountyH1–123,589Hurst 28'
11 5 October 1974 Sheffield UnitedH3–221,796Hurst 15', Greenhoff 38', Smith 57'
12 12 October 1974 Newcastle UnitedA2–238,228Salmons 25', Mahoney 63'
13 19 October 1974 BurnleyH2–023,466Marsh 13', Hurst 30'
14 26 October 1974 ChelseaA3–324,718Greenhoff 13', Haslegrave 60', Robertson 85'
15 2 November 1974 Tottenham HotspurH2–224,668Salmons 8', Greenhoff 35'
16 9 November 1974 Manchester CityA0–136,966
17 16 November 1974 Luton TownH4–220,646Hudson 3', Robertson 60', Greenhoff (2) 62', 68'
18 23 November 1974 Wolverhampton WanderersA2–228,216Salmons 10', Robertson 58'
19 27 November 1974 Queens Park RangersH1–022,403Hurst 9'
20 30 November 1974 Leicester CityH1–029,793Smith 86'
21 7 December 1974 Birmingham CityA3–033,999Greenhoff (2) 14', 36', Moores 29'
22 14 December 1974 Leeds UnitedA1–334,685Moores 89'
23 21 December 1974 ArsenalH0–223,292
24 26 December 1974 Coventry CityA0–222,345
25 28 December 1974 West Ham UnitedH2–133,498Salmons 70' (pen), Hurst 76'
26 11 January 1975 Birmingham CityH0–026,157
27 18 January 1975 Leicester CityA1–121,734Hurst 57'
28 1 February 1975 Manchester CityH4–032,007Moores (2) 44', 84', Hudson 68', Hurst 87'
29 8 February 1975 Tottenham HotspurA2–022,941Greenhoff 23', Hudson 32'
30 15 February 1975 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–230,611Conroy 87', Skeels 88'
31 22 February 1975 Luton TownA0–019,894
32 1 March 1975 MiddlesbroughA0–225,766
33 15 March 1975 Derby CountyA2–129,985Greenhoff (2) 75', 89'
34 18 March 1975 Ipswich TownH1–228,589Greenhoff 67'
35 22 March 1975 Carlisle UnitedH5–220,525Conroy (3) 8', 65', 73', Greenhoff 66', Salmons 88'
36 28 March 1975 West Ham UnitedA2–229,811Conroy (2) 40', 49'
37 29 March 1975 ArsenalA1–126,852Salmons 33'
38 31 March 1975 LiverpoolH2–045,954Conroy (2) 20', 50' (1 pen)
39 5 April 1975 ChelseaH3–026,375Conroy (2) 28', 87', Greenhoff 63'
40 12 April 1975 Sheffield UnitedA0–233,255
41 19 April 1975 Newcastle UnitedH0–025,784
42 26 April 1975 BurnleyA0–019,191

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R34 January 1975 LiverpoolA0–248,723

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R211 September 1974 Halifax TownH3–017,805Conroy (3) 42', 67, 71'
R39 October 1974 ChelseaA2–219,953Robertson 6', Hurst 47'
R3 Replay16 October 1974 ChelseaH1–124,376Greenhoff 80'
R3 2nd Replay22 October 1974 ChelseaH6–226,271Hurst 2', 67', Smith 10', Droy 37' (o.g.), Harris 44' (o.g.), Salmons 62'
R412 November 1974 Ipswich TownA1–220,677Robertson 90'

UEFA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R1 1st leg18 September 1974 AjaxH1–137,398Smith 76'
R1 2nd leg2 October 1974 AjaxA0–029,000

Stoke eliminated on away goal rule

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1AS MonacoA2–0
2RhylA6–0
3Blackburn RoversA1–0
4KV TurnhoutA5–0
5KV MechelenA0–1
6Preston North EndA2–1
7Stafford RangersA3–2
8Bristol RoversA1–1
9Derby CountyA1–4
10Yeovil TownA2–2
11Aston VillaA1–3
12Morocco XIA3–1
13Israel XIA0–4
14Norway XIA2–0

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup UEFA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland John Farmer 170005020240
GKEngland Peter Shilton 250100000260
DFEngland Alan Bloor 2000000020
DFEngland Danny Bowers 100000000100
DFEngland Alan Dodd 390105020470
DFEngland Kevin Lewis 5000100060
DFEngland Jackie Marsh 37(1)110402044(1)1
DFEngland Mike Pejic 280105020360
DFEngland Eric Skeels 22(1)100000022(1)1
DFEngland Denis Smith 302105121384
MFRepublic of Ireland Terry Conroy 11(5)1010231(1)015(6)13
MFEngland Sean Haslegrave 18(1)1002(1)02022(2)1
MFEngland Alan Hudson 424104020494
MFWales John Mahoney 394105020474
MFScotland Jimmy Robertson 9(5)30(1)0320(2)012(8)5
FWEngland Jimmy Greenhoff 39141051204715
FWEngland Geoff Hurst 30(5)810331035(5)11
FWEngland Ian Moores 10(7)400100011(7)4
FWEngland John Ritchie 7400000074
FWEngland Geoff Salmons 428105120509
Own goals 00202

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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