1950–51 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1950–51 season
Chairman Mr H. Booth
Manager Bob McGrory
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 13th (40 Points)
FA Cup Fifth Round
Top goalscorer League: Frank Bowyer (16)
All: Frank Bowyer (19)
Highest home attendance 40,012 vs Arsenal (26 December 1950)
Lowest home attendance 19,004 vs Middlesbrough (26 March 1951)
Average home league attendance 25,791
Home colours

The 1950–51 season was Stoke City's 44th season in the Football League and the 30th in the First Division.

Stoke were rocked before the start of the season by the news that Neil Franklin and George Mountford had agreed to play for Independiente Santa Fe in Colombia. The transfer caused uproar amongst the FA and the pair were later punished.[1] Stoke were again unimpressive as they finished in a mid table position of 13th.[1]

Season review

League

Stoke were rocked before the start of the season by the news that Neil Franklin and George Mountford had agreed to play for Independiente Santa Fe in Colombia.[1] The South American country at this time was not under the jurisdiction of FIFA and the two players came under heavy criticism, and Franklin was stripped from England international duties.[1] However, despite the pair making a big impression on Colombian football the country was at a state of civil unrest and two months later Franklin returned to England.[1] He never played for Stoke again and ended up with Hull City whilst George Mountford finished the season with Santa Fe and returned to Stoke.[1]

The summer activities were still the gossip as the 1950–51 season opened with only one new signing at the Victoria Ground, goalkeeper Don Clegg who had an unsuccessful career.[1] Jock Kirton was made captain and most fans lacked confidence in the squad now minus to key players.[1] McGrory stated that his team was good enough for First Division football but admitted that he would have liked to bring in more players to the club.[1] With the season five days old McGrory paid £8,000 on Crewe Alexandra forward Albert Mullard however in his first game for Stoke he injured his knee and suffered a lengthy lay-off.[1]

Stoke had a season of mixed fortunes and whilst they were certainly good enough to stay out of relegation trouble they lacked the quality to claim a top half finished and ended up in 13th position which was not as bad as some of the supporters made out.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke drew local rivals Port Vale in the third round and the two sides served up a thrilling cup tie.[1] The initial clash with Vale took place on a heavy Victoria Ground pitch was seen by over 48,000 fans.[1] In an entertaining first half Alan Bennett put Vale into the lead after six minutes and although Stoke pushed hard for an equaliser they couldn't beat Ray King.[1] Then the Vale fans were celebrating again as their side went 2–0 up, Cliff Pinchbeck scoring after 45 seconds into the second half.[1] Stoke were rattled and soon after Albert Mullard pulled one back with a crisp shot from the edge of the area and he then scored again to set up a frantic finale.[1] However, with both teams battling it out in the mud the match finished in a fair draw.[1] With Vale Park waterlogged it was back to the Victoria Ground and was again a tense encounter.[1] Vale were the better team creating the most chances but with just seconds remaining Frank Bowyer who had been kept quite by the "Valiants" defence suddenly found space and headed in a Harry Oscroft cross to end the tie.[1]

Stoke then beat West Ham United before losing 4–2 against Newcastle United in front of 48,500 at the Vic.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Tottenham Hotspur422510782441.86460
2Manchester United422481074401.85056
3Blackpool4220101279531.49150
4Newcastle United4218131162531.17049
5Arsenal421991473561.30447
6Middlesbrough4218111376651.16947
7Portsmouth4216151171681.04447
8Bolton Wanderers421971664611.04945
9Liverpool4216111553590.89843
10Burnley4214141448431.11642
11Derby County421681881751.08040
12Sunderland4212161463730.86340
13Stoke City4213141550590.84740
14Wolverhampton Wanderers421581974611.21338
15Aston Villa4212131766680.97137
16West Bromwich Albion4213111853610.86937
17Charlton Athletic421491963800.78737
18Fulham4213111852680.76537
19Huddersfield Town421562164920.69636
20Chelsea421282253650.81532
21Sheffield Wednesday421282264830.77132
22Everton421282248860.55832

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 19 August 1950 Newcastle UnitedH1–228,000Bowyer
2 23 August 1950 Huddersfield TownA1–314,075Johnston
3 26 August 1950 West Bromwich AlbionA1–134,000Johnston
4 28 August 1950 Huddersfield TownH0–121,776
5 2 September 1950 Derby CountyH4–128,000Bowyer, Brown, Johnston (2)
6 4 September 1950 Sheffield WednesdayA1–135,700Johnston
7 9 September 1950 EvertonH2–028,000Johnston (2)
8 11 September 1950 Sheffield WednesdayH1–123,272Brown
9 16 September 1950 PortsmouthA1–530,000Bowyer
10 23 September 1950 ChelseaH2–126,000Johnston, Oscroft
11 30 September 1950 BurnleyA1–123,776Bowyer
12 7 October 1950 LiverpoolA0–040,239
13 14 October 1950 FulhamH1–127,000Ormston
14 21 October 1950 Tottenham HotspurA1–654,124Ormston
15 28 October 1950 Charlton AthleticH2–025,000Bowyer (2)
16 4 November 1950 Bolton WanderersA1–133,000Ball (o.g.)
17 11 November 1950 BlackpoolH1–039,994Mountford (pen)
18 18 November 1950 Manchester UnitedA0–030,031
19 25 November 1950 Wolverhampton WanderersH0–135,000
20 2 December 1950 SunderlandA1–136,137Bowyer
21 9 December 1950 Aston VillaH1–029,998Oscroft
22 16 December 1950 Newcastle UnitedA1–325,067Brown
23 23 December 1950 West Bromwich AlbionH1–119,811Bowyer
24 25 December 1950 ArsenalA3–038,224Bowyer, Johnston, Brown
25 26 December 1950 ArsenalH1–040,012Bowyer
26 30 December 1950 Derby CountyA1–125,034Bowyer
27 13 January 1951 EvertonA3–035,542Bowyer, Johnston, Beckett
28 20 January 1951 PortsmouthH1–223,455Johnston
29 3 February 1951 ChelseaA1–125,224Bowyer
30 17 February 1951 BurnleyH0–020,823
31 24 February 1951 LiverpoolH2–322,216Johnston (2)
32 3 March 1951 FulhamA0–234,768
33 10 March 1951 Tottenham HotspurH0–024,236
34 17 March 1951 Charlton AthleticA0–215,091
35 23 March 1951 MiddlesbroughA0–136,239
36 24 March 1951 Bolton WanderersH2–120,027Bowyer (2)
37 26 March 1951 MiddlesbroughH2–019,004Oscroft (2)
38 31 March 1951 BlackpoolA0–327,122
39 7 April 1951 Manchester UnitedH2–025,690Oscroft, Mullard
40 14 April 1951 Wolverhampton WanderersA3–230,040Oscroft, Clowes (2)
41 21 April 1951 SunderlandH2–420,190Mountford (pen), Hedley (o.g.)
42 5 May 1951 Aston VillaA2–624,986Mullard, Bowyer

FA Cup

Main article: 1950–51 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R36 January 1951 Port ValeH2–248,000Mullard (2)
R3 Replay8 January 1951 Port ValeA1–040,903Bowyer
R429 January 1951 West Ham UnitedH1–047,929Bowyer
R510 February 1951 Newcastle UnitedH2–448,500Bowyer, Mountford

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Don Clegg 200020
GKEngland Dennis Herod 35030380
GKEngland Norman Wilkinson 501060
DFEngland Roy Beckett 311041
DFEngland Eric Hampson 100010
DFEngland John McCue 39040430
DFEngland Billy Mould 20040240
DFScotland George Mulholland 300030
DFEngland Cyril Watkin 22000220
MFEngland John Brooks 200020
MFScotland Jock Kirton 39040430
MFEngland Frank Mountford 42231453
MFEngland John Sellars 41040450
FWEngland Stanley Bevans 200020
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 3916434319
FWEngland Roy Brown 26430294
FWEngland John Clowes 220022
FWEngland Dennis Hughes 100010
FWScotland Leslie Johnston 3813304113
FWEngland John Malkin 800080
FWEngland Albert Mullard 14222164
FWEngland Harry Oscroft 35640396
FWEngland Alexander Ormston 35240392
FWEngland Brian Siddall 800080
Own goals 202

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.