1929–30 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1929–30 season was Stoke City's 30th season in the Football League and the tenth in the Second Division.

Stoke City
1929–30 season
ChairmanMr A.McSherwin
ManagerTom Mather
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League Second Division11th (40 Points)
FA CupThird Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Charlie Wilson (20)
All: Charlie Wilson (20)
Highest home attendance19,013 vs Cardiff City (14 September 1929)
Lowest home attendance5,369 vs Nottingham Forest (15 March 1930)
Average home league attendance11,523

With the 1920s, which had seen Stoke hit the highs of the First Division and lows of the Third Division, coming to an end there was hope around the city that the club could regain its top-flight status. The Victoria Ground was improved again and could now hold 50,000. Despite a good start to the season with 15 points collected from the first 12 matches Stoke could not maintain a promotion challenge and finished in mid-table.[1]

Season review

League

With the 1920s now drawing to a close there were high hopes that, after three seasons of reasonable success on the pitch, a return to the First Division could be imminent.[1] Tom Mather was proving to be a fine manager, who with little or no resources, had built a team good enough to compete with the best in the country.[1] The bad feeling surrounding the sale of Harry Davies was slowly receding and two new forwards emerged, Wilf Kirkham from Port Vale and Wilf Chadwick from Wolverhampton Wanderers.[1]

The 1929–30 season was launched with a ceremony at the Victoria Ground which saw the Football League vice-president Mr C. Sutcliffe, officially declare open the new covered accommodation on the Butler Street stand for 12,000 spectators, bringing the overall number of fans under cover up to 20,000.[1] At this time it was considered that the Victoria Ground was only second in the country to Liverpool's Anfield with the total capacity now at 50,000.[1]

With Dick Williams still in goal and Bob McGrory and Billy Spencer at full back, Stoke started the season well and after twelve matches they lay second in the table.[1] However Stoke could not maintain their challenge as they were robbed of key players through injury mainly McGrory whose leadership was sorely missed and in the end Stoke settled for a position in mid table.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke suffered great misfortune in the FA Cup as in the third round Stoke were leading Doncaster Rovers 3–2 up until 76 minutes when the match was called off due to heavy snow fall. In the 'replay' Doncaster won 1–0.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Blackpool422741198671.46358
2Chelsea422211974461.60955
3Oldham Athletic4221111090511.76553
4Bradford Park Avenue4219121191701.30050
5Bury422251578671.16449
6West Bromwich Albion4221516105731.43847
7Southampton4217111477761.01345
8Cardiff City421881661591.03444
9Wolverhampton Wanderers421691777790.97541
10Nottingham Forest4213151455690.79741
11Stoke City421681874721.02840
12Tottenham Hotspur421591859610.96739
13Charlton Athletic4214111759630.93739
14Millwall4212151557730.78139
15Swansea Town421491957610.93437
16Preston North End4213111865800.81337
17Barnsley421482056710.78936
18Bradford City4212121860770.77936
19Reading4212111954670.80635
20Bristol City421392061830.73535
21Hull City421472151780.65435
22Notts County429151854700.77133

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 Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
131 August 1929Bradford CityH2–016,568Wilson, Archibald
22 September 1929Charlton AthleticH2–110,000Wilson, Chadwick
37 September 1929Swansea TownA2–212,136Wilson, Bussey
49 September 1929Charlton AthleticA4–420,000Wilson, Bussey (2), Cull
514 September 1929Cardiff CityH1–119,013Wilson
621 September 1929Preston North EndA1–58,000Kirkham
728 September 1929Bristol CityH6–213,492Kirkham, Wilson (3), Cull, Mawson
830 September 1929Wolverhampton WanderersH3–06,648Kirkham, Mawson, Archibald
95 October 1929Notts CountyA3–37,000Wilson, Liddle (2)
109 October 1929Tottenham HotspurA1–312,000Wilson
1112 October 1929ReadingH2–215,853Wilson, Kirkham
1219 October 1929SouthamptonH4–014,666Kirkham, Sellars, Mawson, Williamson
1326 October 1929MillwallA1–28,000Mawson
142 November 1929Oldham AthleticH0–215,840
159 November 1929Nottingham ForestA1–26,000Chadwick
1616 November 1929ChelseaH1–18,000Robertson
1723 November 1929BuryA0–25,000
1830 November 1929BlackpoolH0–111,546
197 December 1929BarnsleyA1–39,058Liddle
2014 December 1929Bradford Park AvenueH2–18,881Shirley (2)
2121 December 1929West Bromwich AlbionA3–211,809Shirley, Wilson (2)
2225 December 1929Hull CityA0–36,000
2326 December 1929Hull CityH3–111,553Shirley, Williamson, Mawson
2428 December 1929Bradford CityA0–312,000
254 January 1930Swansea TownH0–16,640
2618 January 1930Cardiff CityA2–110,124Wilson, Bussey
2725 January 1930Preston North EndH2–310,325Wilson, Archibald
281 February 1930Bristol CityA6–210,022Wilson (4) (1 Pen), Bussey, Kirkham
298 February 1930Notts CountyH1–18,583Kirkham
3015 February 1930ReadingA0–05,175
3122 February 1930SouthamptonA1–210,000Armitage (pen)
321 March 1930MillwallH1–08,987Wilson
338 March 1930Oldham AthleticA0–517,749
3415 March 1930Nottingham ForestH6–05,369Kirkham (3), Williamson, Sellars, Bussey
3522 March 1930ChelseaA2–335,000Kirkham (2)
3629 March 1930BuryH1–010,019Liddle
375 April 1930BlackpoolA2–09,959Kirkham, Sellars
3812 April 1930BarnsleyH3–07,431Kirkham, Armitage (pen), Liddle
3919 April 1930Bradford Park AvenueA2–36,700Liddle, Archibald
4021 April 1930Wolverhampton WanderersA1–218,092Kirkham
4126 April 1930West Bromwich AlbionH0–38,012
423 May 1930Tottenham HotspurH1–06,570Cull

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R311 January 1930Doncaster RoversA3–213,224Abandoned after 76 minutes
R316 January 1930Doncaster RoversA0–17,748

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Dave Beswick 100010
GK Norman Lewis 17010180
GK Dick Williams 24000240
DF Arthur Beachill 20010210
DF Tommy Dawson 300030
DF Bob McGrory 21000210
DF Charlie Scrimshaw 200020
DF Billy Spencer 40010410
DF Harry Watson 200020
MF Len Armitage 30210312
MF Thomas Godfrey 100010
MF Peter Jackson 600060
MF William Robertson 910091
MF Harry Sellars 40310413
MF Paddy Turley 100010
MF Tom Williamson 37310383
FW Bobby Archibald 40410414
FW Walter Bussey 31610326
FW Wilf Chadwick 721082
FW John Cull 22310233
FW Wilf Kirkham 2715002715
FW Bobby Liddle 25600256
FW Joe Mawson 11500115
FW John Shirley 14400144
FW Harold Taylor 400040
FW Charlie Wilson 2720102820

References

  1. Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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