1947–48 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1947–48 season
Chairman Mr H. Booth
Manager Bob McGrory
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 15th (38 Points)
FA Cup Fourth Round
Top goalscorer League: Freddie Steele (10)
All: Freddie Steele (12)
Highest home attendance 47,609 vs Blackpool (27 December 1947)
Lowest home attendance 19,478 vs Derby County (1 May 1948)
Average home league attendance 31,590
Home colours

The 1947–48 season was Stoke City's 41st season in the Football League and the 27th in the First Division.

After narrowly missing out on their first league title last season there was a huge weight of expectation for the Stoke squad of 1947–48. But great misfortune was the story of the season as six key players suffered long term injuries all in September. The side battled on with inexperienced youngsters having to fill the gaps and relegation was a distinct possibility but they managed to recover and finish in 15th position.[1]

Season review

League

Manager Bob McGrory, ambitious and anxious now to build on last season success, twice broke the club's record transfer in the Summer of 1947 when he brought in forwards Jimmy McAlinden from Portsmouth and Tommy Kiernan from Celtic for fees of £7,000 and £8,500 respectively.[1] These two new players on top of the best from last season looked good for Stoke in the 1947–48 season as not many teams in the country could boast such an exciting young squad as Stoke's.[1]

Unfortunately, an appalling catalogue of injuries soon made it obvious that the fans would see no repeat of the form showed from last season.[1] By mid-September six of Stoke's key players, Jock Kirton, Neil Franklin, Frank Baker, George Mountford, Frank Mountford and Freddie Steele, all suffered major injuries which ruled them out for most of the season.[1] The team battled on though, and in the end took 15th place in the table, having spent quite some time in the bottom three, relegation was a distinct possibility.[1] Only six teams conceded fewer goals than Stoke but it was in attack where the problems lay, Stoke's goal threat completely drying up with Stoke scoring 90 goals last season and just 41 this season.[1] Yet despite the frustrating anti-climax for the Stoke public the average home gate rose again this time to 31,590.[1]

FA Cup

There was no joy in the cup for Stoke fans as a 4–2 victory over Mansfield Town was followed by a 3–0 reverse against Second Division Queens Park Rangers.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Arsenal422313681322.53159
2Manchester United421914981481.68852
3Burnley4220121056431.30252
4Derby County4219121177571.35150
5Wolverhampton Wanderers421991483701.18647
6Aston Villa421991465571.14047
7Preston North End422071567680.98547
8Portsmouth421971668501.36045
9Blackpool4217101557411.39044
10Manchester City4215121552471.10642
11Liverpool4216101665611.06642
12Sheffield United4216101665700.92942
13Charlton Athletic421761957660.86440
14Everton421761952660.78840
15Stoke City4214101841550.74538
16Middlesbrough421491971730.97337
17Bolton Wanderers421652146580.79337
18Chelsea421491953710.74637
19Huddersfield Town4212121851600.85036
20Sunderland4213101956670.83636
21Blackburn Rovers4211102154720.75032
22Grimsby Town428628451110.40522

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 23 August 1947 Bolton WanderersA1–025,000Steele
2 25 August 1947 PortsmouthH2–130,106Steele, Ormston
3 30 August 1947 LiverpoolH0–237,408
4 3 September 1947 PortsmouthA0–330,053
5 6 September 1947 MiddlesbroughA1–238,000Ormston
6 8 September 1947 Preston North EndH0–126,764
7 13 September 1947 Charlton AthleticH0–130,027
8 17 September 1947 Preston North EndA1–225,114Ormston
9 20 September 1947 ArsenalA0–362,000
10 27 September 1947 Sheffield UnitedH1–139,965Peppitt
11 4 October 1947 Manchester UnitedA1–145,745Kiernan
12 11 October 1947 Blackburn RoversH2–133,912G Mountford, F Mountford
13 18 October 1947 Manchester CityA0–342,401
14 25 October 1947 Grimsby TownH2–129,944Sellars, Kiernan
15 1 November 1947 SunderlandA0–136,734
16 8 November 1947 EvertonH1–132,246G Mountford
17 15 November 1947 ChelseaA1–441,618Caton
18 22 November 1947 Aston VillaH1–231,891McAlinden
19 29 November 1947 Wolverhampton WanderersA2–132,000G Mountford, Ormston
20 6 December 1947 Huddersfield TownH1–124,451McAlinden
21 13 December 1947 Derby CountyA1–124,812Kiernan
22 20 December 1947 Bolton WanderersH2–023,404Steele, Sellars
23 25 December 1947 BlackpoolA2–126,613Steele (2)
24 27 December 1947 BlackpoolH1–147,609Kiernan
25 3 January 1948 LiverpoolA0–048,665
26 17 January 1948 MiddlesbroughH2–424,990Steele (2)
27 31 January 1948 Charlton AthleticA1–032,102Ormston
28 7 February 1948 ArsenalH0–045,000
29 14 February 1948 Sheffield UnitedA0–330,178
30 21 February 1948 Manchester UnitedH0–236,794
31 28 February 1948 Blackburn RoversA0–224,000
32 6 March 1948 Manchester CityH3–030,243Steele (2), Baker
33 13 March 1948 Grimsby TownA0–09,000
34 20 March 1948 SunderlandH3–126,750Steele, Kiernan, Peppitt
35 26 March 1948 BurnleyA0–427,000
36 27 March 1948 EvertonA1–044,241G Mountford
37 29 March 1948 BurnleyH3–032,459Peppitt (3)
38 2 April 1948 ChelseaH2–028,040G Mountford, Malkin
39 10 April 1948 Aston VillaA0–130,000
40 17 April 1948 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–324,512Baker (2)
41 24 April 1948 Huddersfield TownA0–015,000
42 1 May 1948 Derby CountyH1–019,478F Mountford (pen)

FA Cup

Main article: 1947–48 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R310 January 1948 Mansfield TownA4–210,500Sellars, Kiernan, Steele (2)
R424 January 1948 Queens Park RangersA0–324,100

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Dennis Herod 41020430
GKEngland Arthur Jepson 100010
DFEngland Neil Franklin 35020370
DFEngland Roy Jones 100010
DFEngland John McCue 23000230
DFEngland Harry Meakin 22020240
DFEngland Billy Mould 40020420
MFEngland Roy Brown 700070
MFEngland Edmund Giblin 100010
MFScotland Jock Kirton 26020280
MFEngland Frank Mountford 35220372
MFEngland John Sellars 31221333
MFEngland Edward Wordley 300030
FWEngland Frank Baker 14300143
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 100010
FWEngland Bill Caton 310031
FWEngland John Jackson 100010
FWScotland Tommy Kiernan 24521266
FWEngland John Malkin 510051
FW Jimmy McAlinden 31220332
FWEngland Bert Mitchell 600060
FWEngland George Mountford 29500295
FWEngland Alexander Ormston 33520355
FWEngland Syd Peppitt 28500285
FWEngland Freddie Steele 2110222312

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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