1948–49 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1948–49 season
Chairman Mr H. Booth
Manager Bob McGrory
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 11th (41 Points)
FA Cup Fifth Round
Top goalscorer League: Frank Bowyer (21)
All: Frank Bowyer (21)
Highest home attendance 45,803 vs Manchester United (16 October 1948)
Lowest home attendance 15,949 vs Huddersfield Town (5 March 1949)
Average home league attendance 29,943
Home colours

The 1948–49 season was Stoke City's 42nd season in the Football League and the 28th in the First Division.

It was again a disappointing season for Stoke as a number of players started voicing their displeasure at manager Bob McGrory's strict discipline. A number of players handed in transfer requests as discomfort began to affect the club. Results on the pitch were inconsistent and a mid table finish of 11th was the final outcome.[1]

Season review

League

A strange feeling of disharmony set in at the Victoria Ground prior to the start of the 1948–49 season and Stoke received a number of transfer requests from players on the slightest whim.[1] The previous season's main signings Jimmy McAlinden and Tommy Kiernan both departed after just a year with the club losing around £2,000 on the pair.[1] The only other player whose wish to leave was accepted was Bert Mitchell.[1] The 4 December 1948 was Stoke's red letter day as they fielded a team against Blackpool that cost a mere £10 and with all of them from the Stoke-on-Trent area.[1] The only blotch on the claim however is that Frank Mountford was born in Doncaster but he moved to Stoke when he was about three years old.[1]

A mid table position of 11th was all that Stoke could have expected from an inconsistent season with 16 wins and 17 defeats.[1] One key point during the season was manager Bob McGrory's decision to employ Frank Bowyer as an out-and-out centre forward and he scored 21 goals.[1] Surprisingly, when the campaign ended Bowyer asked for a transfer which was accepted but he soon had a change of heart and would remain at the club until 1960.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke beat Swindon Town 3–1 in the third round before being drawn against Stanley Matthews' Blackpool.[1] Stoke overcame the "Tangerines" 1–0 in a replay. Around 46,738 fans assembled to watch Stoke take on Third Division Hull City but much to the shock of the Stoke supporters, Hull won 2–0 on an awful Victoria Ground pitch.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Portsmouth42258984422.00058
2Manchester United4221111077441.75053
3Derby County422291174551.34553
4Newcastle United4220121070561.25052
5Arsenal4218131174441.68249
6Wolverhampton Wanderers4217121379661.19746
7Manchester City4215151247510.92245
8Sunderland4213171249580.84543
9Charlton Athletic4215121563670.94042
10Aston Villa4216101660760.78942
11Stoke City421691766680.97141
12Liverpool4213141553431.23340
13Chelsea4212141669681.01538
14Bolton Wanderers4214101859680.86838
15Burnley4212141643500.86038
16Blackpool4211161554670.80638
17Birmingham City4211151636380.94737
18Everton4213111841630.65137
19Middlesbrough4211121946570.80734
20Huddersfield Town4212102040690.58034
21Preston North End4211112062750.82733
22Sheffield United4211112057780.73133

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 21 August 1948 Charlton AthleticH2–229,975Kiernan, F Mountford
2 25 August 1948 ArsenalA0–347,000
3 28 August 1948 Manchester CityA0–047,450
4 30 August 1948 ArsenalH1–039,595Steele
5 4 September 1948 PortsmouthH0–130,036
6 8 September 1948 EvertonA1–242,818Bowyer
7 11 September 1948 Newcastle UnitedA2–259,262Bowyer, Steele
8 13 September 1948 EvertonH1–025,404Steele
9 18 September 1948 MiddlesbroughH3–028,854Steele, Bowyer (2)
10 25 September 1948 Birmingham CityA1–249,800Bowyer
11 2 October 1948 ChelseaH4–330,934Bowyer, Steele (2), Baker
12 9 October 1948 Huddersfield TownA3–119,381Bowyer, Baker, G Mountford
13 16 October 1948 Manchester UnitedH2–145,830G Mountford, Steele
14 23 October 1948 Sheffield UnitedA2–229,374G Mountford, Bowyer
15 30 October 1948 Aston VillaH4–237,200G Mountford, Bowyer, Peppitt, Ashton (o.g.)
16 6 November 1948 SunderlandA1–141,871Bowyer
17 13 November 1948 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–137,111Bowyer (2)
18 20 November 1948 Bolton WanderersA1–240,000Steele
19 27 November 1948 LiverpoolH3–029,607Steele, F Mountford, Bowyer
20 4 December 1948 BlackpoolA1–230,000Steele
21 11 December 1948 Derby CountyH4–238,802Steele (2), F Mountford (pen), Ormston
22 18 December 1948 Charlton AthleticA1–432,000Bowyer
23 25 December 1948 BurnleyA3–139,000Bowyer (3)
24 27 December 1948 BurnleyH2–139,533Steele (2)
25 1 January 1949 Manchester CityH2–327,379Steele, Bowyer
26 15 January 1949 PortsmouthA0–134,000
27 22 January 1949 Newcastle UnitedH1–139,377Bowyer
28 19 February 1949 Birmingham CityH2–125,892Steele, Sellars
29 26 February 1949 ChelseaA2–239,652Caton, G Mountford
30 5 March 1949 Huddersfield TownH1–315,595Bowyer
31 12 March 1949 Manchester UnitedA0–355,949
32 19 March 1949 Bolton WanderersH4–024,269G Mountford (2), F Mountford, Hamlett (o.g.)
33 26 March 1949 LiverpoolA0–430,797
34 2 April 1949 SunderlandH0–021,989
35 9 April 1949 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–335,000Steele
36 15 April 1949 Preston North EndA1–237,000Bowyer
37 16 April 1949 Sheffield UnitedH0–122,556
38 18 April 1949 Preston North EndH2–022,185Steele, Peppitt
39 23 April 1949 Aston VillaA1–240,000Ormston
40 27 April 1949 MiddlesbroughA1–140,226Peppitt
41 30 April 1949 BlackpoolH3–218,705Peppitt, G Mountford, F Mountford (pen)
42 7 May 1949 Derby CountyA1–428,616Peppitt

FA Cup

Main article: 1948–49 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R38 January 1949 Swindon TownA3–126,335Steele, G Mountford (2)
R429 January 1948 BlackpoolH1–145,000F Mountford
R4 Replay5 February 1949 BlackpoolA1–030,000G Mountford
R512 February 1949 Hull CityH0–246,738

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Dennis Herod 41040450
GKEngland Norman Wilkinson 100010
DFEngland Neil Franklin 36040400
DFEngland Eric Hampson 100010
DFEngland Roy Jones 500050
DFUnited States John Kirkby 100010
DFEngland John McCue 39010400
DFEngland Harry Meakin 203050
DFEngland Billy Mould 25000250
DFEngland Cyril Watkin 16030190
MFEngland Roy Brown 200020
MFScotland Jock Kirton 101020
MFEngland Frank Mountford 40541446
MFEngland John Sellars 42140461
MFEngland Edward Wordley 100010
FWEngland Frank Baker 17200172
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 3121403521
FWEngland Bill Caton 10100101
FWScotland Tommy Kiernan 410041
FW Jimmy McAlinden 200020
FWEngland John Malkin 600060
FWEngland George Mountford 398434311
FWEngland Alexander Ormston 42240462
FWEngland Syd Peppitt 20540245
FWEngland Freddie Steele 3818414219
Own goals 202

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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