1951–52 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1951–52 season
ChairmanMr T. Preece
ManagerBob McGrory
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League First Division20th (31 Points)
FA CupFourth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Sammy Smyth
(12)

All: Sammy Smyth
(14)
Highest home attendance43,205 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
(20 October 1951)
Lowest home attendance10,993 vs Middlesbrough
(3 May 1952)
Average home league attendance25,791

The 1951–52 season was Stoke City's 45th season in the Football League and the 31st in the First Division.

Stoke made a truly awful start to the 1951–52 season claiming just a single point from the first eleven matches. Results slowly started to improve and back-to-back home wins in the final two matches saw Stoke survive relegation.[1]

Season review

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League

[edit]

In the summer of 1951 there was a major change at boardroom level at Stoke as chairman Mr H. Booth stepped down after 15 years and Mr T. Preece took over in temporary charge.[1] Stoke suffered an opening day mauling at Newcastle United losing 6–0 and it set the tone for a woeful start to the season as they took just two points from the first 22 on offer, finding themselves firmly bedded at the foot of the division.[1] McGrory went out and spent £45,000 on three new players to arrest the decline, he exchanged Albert Mullard plus £10,000 for Alan Martin another £10,000 for Billy McIntosh and again smashed the club's transfer record with the purchase of Northern Irish striker Sammy Smyth for a fee of £25,000.[1] Smyth certainly had the desired impact scoring 12 goals becoming top scorer for the season.[1]

After these arrivals Stoke's form improved and with five straight wins Stoke caught up with the rest of the division however four defeats later they found themselves unable to pull away from a relegation fight.[1] A cruel 5–4 defeat at home to Newcastle did not help, but Stoke somehow managed to take the fight to the final two matches of the season.[1] Stoke had the worst goal average in the division but with both Fulham and Huddersfield Town in terrible form Stoke knew that two more wins would see them safe and that's what they managed leaving them three points clear of Huddersfield.[1]

One interesting scoreline this season came in the League match at Villa Park on 16 February 1952. Aston Villa were on the fringe of forcing themselves in the title race but they came unstuck against a determined Stoke side and lost 3–2.[1] On the scoresheet for the "Potters" was their goalkeeper Dennis Herod who had broken his arm earlier during the match and so swapped positions with left winger Sammy Smyth and went on to score the winning goal five minutes after half time.[1]

FA Cup

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After a good win over Sunderland in the third round Stoke were humbled by Third Division South side Swindon Town in a replay.[1]

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Relegation
18 Middlesbrough 42 15 6 21 64 88 0.727 36
19 Chelsea 42 14 8 20 52 72 0.722 36
20 Stoke City 42 12 7 23 49 88 0.557 31
21 Huddersfield Town (R) 42 10 8 24 49 82 0.598 28 Relegation to the Second Division
22 Fulham (R) 42 8 11 23 58 77 0.753 27
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(R) Relegated

Results

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Stoke's score comes first

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

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Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 18 August 1951 Newcastle United A 0–6 40,127
2 20 August 1951 West Bromwich Albion H 1–1 22,696 Oscroft
3 25 August 1951 Bolton Wanderers H 1–2 22,442 Malkin
4 29 August 1951 West Bromwich Albion A 0–1 18,903
5 1 September 1951 Derby County A 2–4 20,243 Oscroft, Mullard
6 3 September 1951 Fulham H 1–1 21,000 Malkin
7 8 September 1951 Manchester United A 0–4 43,660
8 12 September 1951 Fulham A 0–5 16,500
9 15 September 1951 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–6 27,000 Oscroft
10 17 September 1951 Charlton Athletic H 1–2 17,500 McIntosh
11 22 September 1951 Preston North End A 0–2 29,980
12 29 September 1951 Burnley H 2–1 28,577 Siddall, Martin
13 6 October 1951 Aston Villa H 4–1 32,455 Smyth, Oscroft (2), Moss (o.g.)
14 13 October 1951 Sunderland A 1–0 41,826 Smyth
15 20 October 1951 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 1–0 43,205 Oscroft
16 27 October 1951 Huddersfield Town A 2–0 19,495 Smyth (2)
17 3 November 1951 Chelsea H 1–2 30,000 Smyth
18 10 November 1951 Portsmouth A 1–4 30,223 Oscroft
19 17 November 1951 Liverpool H 1–2 24,000 Smyth
20 24 November 1951 Blackpool A 2–4 19,892 McIntosh (2)
21 1 December 1951 Arsenal H 2–1 30,000 Sellars (2) (1 Pen)
22 8 December 1951 Manchester City A 1–0 20,397 Smyth
23 15 December 1951 Newcastle United H 4–5 25,393 Smyth (2), Oscroft, Siddall
24 22 December 1951 Bolton Wanderers A 1–1 20,088 Smyth
25 26 December 1951 Middlesbrough A 0–3 27,055
26 29 December 1951 Derby County H 3–1 27,000 Malkin, Oscroft, Smyth
27 5 January 1952 Manchester United H 0–0 36,389
28 19 January 1952 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–2 45,176
29 26 January 1952 Preston North End H 0–0 25,000
30 9 February 1952 Burnley A 0–4 29,971
31 16 February 1952 Aston Villa A 3–2 40,000 Sellars, Oscroft, Herod
32 1 March 1952 Sunderland H 1–1 24,208 Sellars
33 8 March 1952 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–3 33,000
34 15 March 1952 Huddersfield Town H 0–0 19,000
35 22 March 1952 Chelsea A 0–1 30,000
36 29 March 1952 Portsmouth H 2–0 11,375 Martin, McIntosh
37 5 April 1952 Liverpool A 1–2 30,000 McIntosh
38 12 April 1952 Blackpool H 2–3 30,000 Martin, Siddall
39 14 April 1952 Charlton Athletic A 0–4 20,000
40 19 April 1952 Arsenal A 1–4 47,962 Mountford (pen)
41 26 April 1952 Manchester City H 3–1 25,000 Siddall, Smyth, Bowyer
42 3 May 1952 Middlesbrough H 3–2 10,993 Brown (2), McCue

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R3 12 January 1952 Sunderland A 0–0 45,099
R3 Replay 14 January 1952 Sunderland H 3–1 31,841 Smyth, McIntosh, Malkin
R4 2 February 1952 Swindon Town A 1–1 28,140 Smyth
R4 Replay 4 February 1952 Swindon Town H 0–1 29,332

Squad statistics

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Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Ray Evans 0 0 0 0 0 0
GK England Dennis Herod 29 1 4 0 33 1
GK England Norman Wilkinson 13 0 0 0 13 0
DF England Roy Beckett 3 0 0 0 3 0
DF England Eric Hampson 5 0 0 0 5 0
DF England John McCue 42 1 4 0 46 1
DF England Billy Mould 23 0 4 0 27 0
DF England Cyril Watkin 11 0 0 0 11 0
MF England Roy Brown 15 2 0 0 15 2
MF Scotland Jock Kirton 41 0 4 0 45 0
MF England Frank Mountford 28 1 3 0 31 1
MF England John Sellars 23 4 4 0 27 4
FW England Stan Bevans 2 0 0 0 2 0
FW England Frank Bowyer 15 1 4 0 19 1
FW Scotland Leslie Johnston 9 0 0 0 9 0
FW England John Malkin 28 4 4 1 32 5
FW England Alan Martin 34 2 4 0 38 2
FW Scotland Billy McIntosh 24 5 1 1 25 6
FW England George Mountford 21 0 0 0 21 0
FW England Albert Mullard 7 1 0 0 7 1
FW England Alexander Ormston 2 0 0 0 2 0
FW England Harry Oscroft 40 10 4 0 44 10
FW England Brian Siddall 20 4 0 0 20 4
FW Northern Ireland Sammy Smyth 26 12 4 2 30 14
FW England Donald Whiston 1 0 0 0 1 0
Own goals 1 0 1

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.