1947–48 Stoke City F.C. season

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

Stoke City
1947–48 season
ChairmanMr H. Booth
ManagerBob McGrory
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League First Division15th (38 Points)
FA CupFourth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Freddie Steele (10)
All: Freddie Steele (12)
Highest home attendance47,609 vs Blackpool (27 December 1947)
Lowest home attendance19,478 vs Derby County (1 May 1948)
Average home league attendance31,590

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

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
13 Charlton Athletic 42 17 6 19 57 66 0.864 40
14 Everton 42 17 6 19 52 66 0.788 40
15 Stoke City 42 14 10 18 41 55 0.745 38
16 Middlesbrough 42 14 9 19 71 73 0.973 37
17 Bolton Wanderers 42 16 5 21 46 58 0.793 37
Source:

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
123 August 1947Bolton WanderersA1–025,000Steele
225 August 1947PortsmouthH2–130,106Steele, Ormston
330 August 1947LiverpoolH0–237,408
43 September 1947PortsmouthA0–330,053
56 September 1947MiddlesbroughA1–238,000Ormston
68 September 1947Preston North EndH0–126,764
713 September 1947Charlton AthleticH0–130,027
817 September 1947Preston North EndA1–225,114Ormston
920 September 1947ArsenalA0–362,000
1027 September 1947Sheffield UnitedH1–139,965Peppitt
114 October 1947Manchester UnitedA1–145,745Kiernan
1211 October 1947Blackburn RoversH2–133,912G Mountford, F Mountford
1318 October 1947Manchester CityA0–342,401
1425 October 1947Grimsby TownH2–129,944Sellars, Kiernan
151 November 1947SunderlandA0–136,734
168 November 1947EvertonH1–132,246G Mountford
1715 November 1947ChelseaA1–441,618Caton
1822 November 1947Aston VillaH1–231,891McAlinden
1929 November 1947Wolverhampton WanderersA2–132,000G Mountford, Ormston
206 December 1947Huddersfield TownH1–124,451McAlinden
2113 December 1947Derby CountyA1–124,812Kiernan
2220 December 1947Bolton WanderersH2–023,404Steele, Sellars
2325 December 1947BlackpoolA2–126,613Steele (2)
2427 December 1947BlackpoolH1–147,609Kiernan
253 January 1948LiverpoolA0–048,665
2617 January 1948MiddlesbroughH2–424,990Steele (2)
2731 January 1948Charlton AthleticA1–032,102Ormston
287 February 1948ArsenalH0–045,000
2914 February 1948Sheffield UnitedA0–330,178
3021 February 1948Manchester UnitedH0–236,794
3128 February 1948Blackburn RoversA0–224,000
326 March 1948Manchester CityH3–030,243Steele (2), Baker
3313 March 1948Grimsby TownA0–09,000
3420 March 1948SunderlandH3–126,750Steele, Kiernan, Peppitt
3526 March 1948BurnleyA0–427,000
3627 March 1948EvertonA1–044,241G Mountford
3729 March 1948BurnleyH3–032,459Peppitt (3)
382 April 1948ChelseaH2–028,040G Mountford, Malkin
3910 April 1948Aston VillaA0–130,000
4017 April 1948Wolverhampton WanderersH2–324,512Baker (2)
4124 April 1948Huddersfield TownA0–015,000
421 May 1948Derby CountyH1–019,478F Mountford (pen)

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R310 January 1948Mansfield TownA4–210,500Sellars, Kiernan, Steele (2)
R424 January 1948Queens Park RangersA0–324,100

Squad statistics

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

References

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