1901–02 Stoke F.C. season

Stoke
1901–02 season
Chairman Mr W Cowlishaw
Manager Horace Austerberry
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 16th (31 Points)
FA Cup Third Round
Top goalscorer League: Mart Watkins (15)
All: Mart Watkins (16)
Highest home attendance 13,000 vs Bury (2 September 1901)
Lowest home attendance 4,000 vs Newcastle United (11 January 1902)
Average home league attendance 7,280
Home colours

The 1901–02 season was Stoke's 13th season in the Football League.

Stoke failed to improve from last season's narrow escape and again required a final day survival, Stoke stayed up after a 2–2 draw with Manchester City one point more than Small Heath who could only draw 0–0 with Notts County and were relegated.[1]

Season review

League

Stoke now without William Maxwell struggled again in 1901–02.[1] With winger Freddie Johnson now skippering the side, Stoke again took 16th position in the First Division avoiding relegation by a single point thanks mainly to a four match unbeaten run at the end of the season.[1] The relegation battle came to a crescendo in April with literally 14 of the 18 teams in the division in danger of the drop, with 3rd placed Newcastle United only avoiding relegation by seven points.[1]

At the start of April the bottom of the table was tight with Stoke having one of the poorest goal-averages, and away trips to Notts County and Manchester City were favourites to go down.[1] But again, Stoke escaped after switching 5 ft 5 inch half-back Tom Holford to centre forward for the last four games which ended in a 1–1 draw at Notts County, home wins 4–0 and 2–0 over Bolton and Grimsby respectively and a last gasp 2–2 draw with Manchester City where Holford scored his third goal in succession.[1] Stoke could have gone down right at the death if Small Heath had beaten Notts County in their last match but they drew 0–0 and both the Birmingham club and Manchester City were relegated.[1] One of Stoke's most bizarre events in their history occurred in January 1902 when the team fell ill with food poisoning just before a league match away at Liverpool. The players had eaten fish at the Adelphi Hotel and were violently sick in the dressing room at Anfield. Soon into the match goalkeeper Leigh Richmond Roose had to leave the pitch and Stoke went on to lose 7–0.[2]

FA Cup

Stoke fared better in the FA Cup this season beating Aston Villa and Bristol Rovers before losing to Nottingham Forest in the third round.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Sunderland34196950351.42944
2Everton341771053351.51441
3Newcastle United341491148341.41237
4Blackburn Rovers341561352481.08336
5Nottingham Forest341391243431.00035
6Derby County341391239410.95135
7Bury341381344381.15834
8Aston Villa341381342401.05034
9The Wednesday341381348520.92334
10Sheffield United341371453481.10433
11Liverpool3410121242381.10532
12Bolton Wanderers341281451560.91132
13Notts County341441651570.89532
14Wolverhampton Wanderers341361546570.80732
15Grimsby Town341361544600.73332
16Stoke341191445550.81831
17Small Heath341181547451.04430
18Manchester City341161742580.72428

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 2 September 1901 BuryH1–213,000Lockett
2 7 September 1901 LiverpoolH1–012,000Higginson
3 14 September 1901 Newcastle UnitedA1–520,000Lockett
4 21 September 1901 Aston VillaH1–010,000Watkins
5 28 September 1901 Sheffield UnitedA1–112,000Higginson
6 5 October 1901 Nottingham ForestH1–18,000Johnson
7 12 October 1901 BuryA2–48,000Watkins (2)
8 19 October 1901 Blackburn RoversH2–210,000Watkins, Lockett
9 26 October 1901 Grimsby TownA2–16,000Watkins, Whitehouse
10 2 November 1901 EvertonA0–116,000
11 9 November 1901 SunderlandH3–010,000Watkins (2), Doig (o.g.)
12 11 November 1901 Wolverhampton WanderersH3–08,000Watkins, Johnson, Hales
13 23 November 1901 Derby CountyH1–18,000Harris
14 30 November 1901 The WednesdayA1–37,500Johnson
15 7 December 1901 Notts CountyH3–07,000Watkins, Hales, Lockett
16 14 December 1901 Bolton WanderersA1–26,000Watkins
17 26 December 1901 Sheffield UnitedH3–212,000Watkins (2), MacDonald
18 28 December 1901 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–47,000Whitehouse
19 4 January 1902 LiverpoolA0–77,000
20 11 January 1902 Newcastle UnitedH0–04,000
21 13 January 1902 Manchester CityH3–05,000Higginson, Watkins, Whitehouse
22 18 January 1902 Aston VillaA0–025,000
23 1 February 1902 Nottingham ForestA0–26,000
24 15 February 1902 Blackburn RoversA1–67,000Watkins
25 17 February 1902 Small HeathA1–15,000MacDonald
26 1 March 1902 EvertonH1–210,000MacDonald
27 8 March 1902 SunderlandA0–28,000
28 15 March 1902 Small HeathH1–06,000Lockett
29 22 March 1902 Derby CountyA0–18,000
30 29 March 1902 The WednesdayH1–27,000Higginson
31 5 April 1902 Notts CountyA1–15,000Harris
32 12 April 1902 Bolton WanderersH4–05,000Harris, Holford, Higginson (2)
33 14 April 1902 Grimsby TownH2–04,000Watkins, Holford
34 19 April 1902 Manchester CityA2–27,000Holford, Hillman (o.g.)

FA Cup

Main article: 1901–02 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R125 January 1902 Aston VillaH2–220,000Watkins, Hales
R1 Replay29 January 1902 Aston VillaA2–1 (aet)22,000Higginson, Hales
R28 February 1902 Bristol RoversA1–015,000Dunn (o.g.)
R322 February 1902 Nottingham ForestA0–229,000

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland George Boote 100010
GKEngland George Lawton 100010
GKWales Leigh Richmond Roose 24040280
GKEngland Tom Wilkes 800080
FBEngland Harry Benson 100010
FBEngland Charlie Burgess 301040
FBEngland Bill Capewell 12000120
FBScotland Andy Clark 34030370
FBWales Sam Meredith 27040310
HBEngland Samuel Ashworth 25040290
HBEngland George Baddeley 700070
HBEngland James Bradley 23020250
HBEngland Tom Holford 29340333
HBEngland Billy Leech 13020150
FWEngland Ross Fielding 200020
FWEngland Len Hales 15242194
FWEngland George Harris 15300153
FWEngland Sam Higginson 30641347
FWEngland Freddie Johnson 29340333
FWEngland Arthur Lockett 27540315
FWScotland Billy MacDonald 930093
FWEngland Bertram Wallace 100010
FWWales Mart Watkins 3215413616
FWEngland Frank Whitehouse 630063
Own goals 213

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.
  2. "A fishy sickness bug? When Liverpool put Potters in their plaice". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 29 November 2014.
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