1990–91 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1990–91 season
Chairman Peter Coates
Manager Alan Ball,
Graham Paddon
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Third Division 14th (60 Points)
FA Cup Second Round
League Cup Second Round
League Trophy Second Round
Top goalscorer League: Wayne Biggins (12)
All: Wayne Biggins (12)
Highest home attendance 16,009 vs Birmingham City (8 September 1990)
Lowest home attendance 6,946 vs Bradford City (27 April 1991)
Average home league attendance 11,565
Home colours

The 1990–91 season was Stoke City's 84th season in the Football League and 2nd in the Third Division.

Stoke City entered the 1990–91 season in the Third Division for only the second time in their history and the feeling from the supporters was that a club of Stoke's size should be able to easily gain an instant return to the second tier. However Stoke experienced their worst ever season in terms of league position as they could only muster a 14th place finish. Alan Ball was sacked in February and his assistant Graham Paddon took over for the remainder of the season.[1]

Season review

League

The 1990–91 season will long be remembered by Stoke supporters as the club finished in its lowest ever league position of 14th in the third tier.[1] Manager Alan Ball was dismissed in late February after a 4–0 defeat at Wigan Athletic with Graham Paddon filling the gap until the end of the season.[1] The overall team performances were of a low standard with some embarrassing defeats being suffered against the likes of Shrewsbury Town, Leyton Orient, Cambridge United and Bournemouth.[1]

It was all meant to be so different when the season started with Stoke beating Rotherham United 3–1 on the opening day which was followed by a commanding away victory at Tranmere Rovers.[1] The club were in the top three until the start of December, but as the first half of the season came to an end Stoke's form began to suffer and after exiting the FA Cup Stoke had two awful performances against Exeter City and Preston North End and their form completely dropped off. Results briefly improved after Paddon took over, and following a victory over Mansfield Town in late March, the club were in 9th place, just three points outside the play-offs. After that win however, Stoke earned just 4 points from their last 9 matches, ending both any remaining promotion hopes and Paddon's chance of becoming permanent manager; he resigned after the season ended and returned to former club Portsmouth as a coach.[1] Stoke had an abysmal disciplinary record this season and at times the attitude of the players on the pitch left lot to be desired.[1] And so, despite boasting the largest supporter base and wage budget, Stoke had a season to forget in the Third Division.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke overcame non-league Telford United in a replay but were knocked out 2–0 at Burnley in the second round.[1]

League Cup

A dull two legs against Swansea City was finally ended with minutes remaining thanks to a goal from Tony Kelly.[1] However Stoke were well beaten by West Ham United 5–1 on aggregate in the next round.[1]

League Trophy

Stoke's first Football League Trophy campaign saw them fail to get out of a group containing Mansfield Town and Northampton Town.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGDPts
1Cambridge United462511107545+2586
2Southend United46267136751+1685
3Grimsby Town462411116634+3283
4Bolton Wanderers462411116450+1483
5Tranmere Rovers46239146446+1878
6Brentford462113125947+1276
7Bury462013135947+1276
8Bradford City462010166254+870
9Bournemouth461913145858070
10Wigan Athletic46209176154+769
11Huddersfield Town461813155751+667
12Birmingham City461617134549–465
13Leyton Orient461810185558–364
14Stoke City461612185559–460
15Reading46178215366–1359
16Exeter City46169215852+657
17Preston North End461511205467–1356
18Shrewsbury Town461410226168–752
19Chester City46149234658–1451
20Swansea City46139244972–2348
21Fulham461016204156–1546
22Crewe Alexandra461111246280–1844
23Rotherham United461012245087–3742
24Mansfield Town46814244263–2138
Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Third Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 25 August 1990 Rotherham UnitedH3–112,748Blake 15', Kennedy 44' (pen), Thomas 49'
2 31 August 1990 Tranmere RoversA2–110,327Ellis 36', Kennedy 43' (pen)
3 8 September 1990 Birmingham CityH0–116,009
4 15 September 1990 BournemouthA1–16,374Statham 84'
5 18 September 1990 Chester CityA1–13,759Thomas 7'
6 22 September 1990 Southend UnitedH4–011,901Ware 38', Biggins (2) 41', 49', Cornwell 68' (o.g.)
7 29 September 1990 Shrewsbury TownH1–312,672Sandford 26'
8 2 October 1990 Crewe AlexandraA2–17,200Biggins 42', Ware 77'
9 6 October 1990 Bolton WanderersA1–08,521Evans 61'
10 13 October 1990 FulhamH2–112,394Ellis (2) 26', 68'
11 20 October 1990 Cambridge UnitedH1–112,673Biggins 54'
12 24 October 1990 Bradford CityA2–18,068Kelly 58', Thomas 88'
13 27 October 1990 Grimsby TownA0–210,799
14 3 November 1990 ReadingH0–112,245
15 10 November 1990 Wigan AthleticH2–012,756Biggins 20', Kennedy 68'
16 24 November 1990 BuryA1–15,118Thomas 47'
17 1 December 1990 Exeter CityA0–25,377
18 16 December 1990 BrentfordH2–210,995Hilaire 10', Sandford 65'
19 22 December 1990 Preston North EndA0–27,532
20 26 December 1990 Swansea CityH2–212,534Biggins 44', Thomas 70'
21 29 December 1990 Huddersfield TownH2–011,869Ellis (2) 15', 48'
22 1 January 1991 Leyton OrientA2–06,371Ellis 9', Thomas 59'
23 12 January 1991 Tranmere RoversH1–113,461Butler 77'
24 19 January 1991 Rotherham UnitedA0–06,236
25 2 February 1991 Chester CityH2–311,037Kelly 60', Hilaire 68'
26 5 February 1991 Southend UnitedA0–15,164
27 16 February 1991 BuryH2–29,885Biggins (2) 45', 65'
28 23 February 1991 Wigan AthleticA0–43,728
29 27 February 1991 BournemouthH1–37,797Biggins 50'
30 2 March 1991 Exeter CityH2–18,536Biggins (2) 27', 85'
31 5 March 1991 Mansfield TownA0–02,941
32 9 March 1991 BrentfordA4–07,249Thomas 64', Blake 69', Beeston 86', Clarke 90'
33 13 March 1991 Crewe AlexandraH1–015,455Devlin 90'
34 16 March 1991 Shrewsbury TownA0–26,210
35 19 March 1991 FulhamA1–03,131Biggins 61'
36 23 March 1991 Bolton WanderersH2–213,869Devlin 47', Kelly 55'
37 26 March 1991 Mansfield TownH3–19,113Clarke (2) 30', 60', Blake 53'
38 30 March 1991 Swansea CityA1–24,418Ellis 88'
39 1 April 1991 Preston North EndH0–111,524
40 6 April 1991 Huddersfield TownA0–36,520
41 13 April 1991 Leyton OrientH1–27,957Beeston 27'
42 16 April 1991 Birmingham CityA1–26,726Ellis 45'
43 20 April 1991 Cambridge UnitedA0–35,726
44 27 April 1991 Bradford CityH2–16,943Ellis 17', Butler 45'
45 4 May 1991 Grimsby TownH0–011,832
46 11 May 1991 ReadingA0–14,101

FA Cup

Main article: 1990–91 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R117 November 1990 Telford UnitedA0–03,709
R1 Replay21 November 1990 Telford UnitedH1–011,880Sandford 14'
R212 December 1990 BurnleyA0–212,949

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R1 1st Leg29 August 1990 Swansea CityH0–07,806
R1 2nd Leg4 September 1990 Swansea CityA1–04,464Kelly 86'
R2 1st Leg26 September 1990 West Ham UnitedA0–315,870
R2 2nd Leg10 October 1990 West Ham UnitedH1–28,411Evans 37'

League Trophy

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
PR116 November 1990 Northampton TownH1–14,339Barnes
PR28 January 1990 Mansfield TownA0–31,600

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1Port ValeH1–0
2Burton AlbionA5–1
3Fleetwood TownA2–0
4Congleton TownA2–1
5Worcester CityA4–0
6RocesterA2–0
7Newcastle TownA2–1
8West Bromwich AlbionH1–1

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup League Trophy Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Peter Fox 440304020530
GKEngland Dan Noble 2000000020
DFJamaica Noel Blake 443304010523
DFEngland John Butler 312104010372
DFEngland Cliff Carr 15(5)000101017(5)0
DFEngland Ian Cranson 7(2)030001011(2)0
DFEngland Lee Fowler 14(3)00(2)01(1)01016(6)0
DFEngland Tony Gallimore 4(3)00000004(3)0
DFEngland Paul Rennie 3010000040
DFEngland Derek Statham 221303000281
DFEngland Lee Sandford 322313020403
DFEngland Ian Wright 1000000010
MFEngland Carl Beeston 3722(1)0301043(1)2
MFScotland Mark Devlin 18(3)200000018(3)2
MFRepublic of Ireland Mick Kennedy 323303010393
MFScotland Dave Kevan 4(1)000101(1)06(2)0
MFEngland Chris Male 0000000(1)00(1)0
MFScotland Brian Rice 180000000180
MFEngland Ian Scott 1(1)00010103(1)0
MFWales Mickey Thomas 32(6)7302(1)01038(7)7
MFEngland Paul Ware 29(5)210302035(5)2
FWEngland Paul Baines 1(1)00000001(1)0
FWEngland Paul Barnes 3(3)00000114(3)1
FWEngland Wayne Biggins 36(2)1230401044(2)12
FWEngland Darren Boughey 00000(2)0101(2)0
FWEngland David Bright 0(1)00000000(1)0
FWEngland Wayne Clarke 9300000093
FWEngland Tony Ellis 33(5)91(2)0302039(7)9
FWEngland Gareth Evans 5100210072
FWEngland Vince Hilaire 102100010122
FWEngland Tony Kelly 16(13)3002(1)10(1)018(15)4
FWEngland Billy Whitehurst 3020000050
Own goals 10001

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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