Stoke
1907–08 season
ChairmanMr W Cowlishaw
ManagerHorace Austerberry
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League Second Division10th (37 Points)
FA CupFourth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Tom Holford
(12)

All: Tom Holford
(15)
Highest home attendance12,000 vs Oldham Athletic
(7 September 1907)
Lowest home attendance1,500 vs Leicester Fosse
(27 April 1908)
Average home league attendance5,825

The 1907–08 season was Stoke's 19th season in the Football League and first in the Second Division.

Stoke now playing in the Second Division failed to mount a promotion challenge and finished in 10th place. However that was the least of Stoke's worries as financial problems dominated the season and ended with the club being put into liquidation and thus had to resign from the Football League. At long last local feeling was roused and attempts were made to raise £2,000 to take over the club, its buildings and remaining assets. Twelve local burghers stepped forward guided by Alfred Barker a former league referee and supporter of the club.[1]

A new board of seven directors was formed and in June 1908 re-branded the club as Stoke Football Club (1908). Barker's impressive efforts led to Stoke being included for re-election but lost out to Tottenham Hotspur and their exit from the Football League was sealed. Barker placed Stoke in the Birmingham & District League for the 1908–09 season.[1]

Season review

League

The 1907–08 season saw Stoke playing in the Second Division for the first time and they started their fixture programme disastrously, collecting just one point from their opening four games.[1] They quickly dropped into the bottom two and although they picked up and eventually finished 10th, their highest spot throughout the campaign but generally it was not a good season.[1] The Victoria Ground faithful witnessed only a few worthwhile performances, the best being a couple of 5–0 victories over Gainsborough Trinity and Grimsby Town and a 6–1 beating of Fulham.[1] Newspaper reports described that win over Fulham as one of the best attacking displays by a Stoke side so far.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke had a good run in the cup soundly beating Lincoln City 5–0, Gainsborough Trinity after three attempts and Portsmouth before losing to eventual winners Wolverhampton Wanderers in front of 31,800.[1]

Football League exit

Finance was now a major problem within the club and following that cup exit to Wolves in February 1908 the fans deserted the team and crowds plummeted alarmingly. Only 2,000 bothered to turn up to see Barnsley beaten 4–0 and the takings at the gate amounted to just £40.[1] It was now common knowledge that the books would not balance as wages repeatedly exceeded the poor gates receipts. Before the end of the season Tom Holford was sold to Manchester City as the directors turned to players to generate income.[1] Only a few players with any real ability stayed with the club as Stoke's squad was sold off.[1] Chairman Cowlishaw's last-ditch efforts to rally support failed and he immediately pulled Stoke out of the league, putting the company into liquidation.[1] Cowlishaw left by stating: "The Potteries public do not deserve a football club if this is the way they show their support".

At long last local feeling was roused and attempts were made to raise £2,000 to take over the club, its buildings and remaining assets. Twelve local burghers stepped forward guided by Alfred Barker a former league referee and supporter of the club.[1] A new board of seven directors was formed and in June 1908 re-branded the club as Stoke Football Club (1908). Barker's impressive efforts led to Stoke being included for re-election but lost out Tottenham Hotspur and their exit from the Football League was confirmed. Barker placed Stoke in the Birmingham & District League for the 1908–09 season.[1]

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Promotion or relegation
8 Hull City 38 21 4 13 73 62 1.177 46
9 Wolverhampton Wanderers 38 15 7 16 50 45 1.111 37 FA Cup Winners
10 Stoke[lower-alpha 1] 38 16 5 17 57 52 1.096 37 Resigned
11 Gainsborough Trinity 38 14 7 17 47 71 0.662 35
12 Leeds City 38 12 8 18 53 65 0.815 32
Source:
Notes:
  1. Stoke resigned from the Football League due to financial difficulties. Bradford Park Avenue and Tottenham Hotspur took the available places in the league the following season.

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
12 September 1907Chesterfield TownH1–13,000Watkins
27 September 1907Oldham AthleticH1–312,000Watkins
39 September 1907BurnleyA1–37,000Gallimore
414 September 1907Clapton OrientA0–35,000
521 September 1907Leeds CityH2–110,000Chalmers, Sturgess
628 September 1907Wolverhampton WanderersA0–29,000
75 October 1907Gainsborough TrinityH5–05,000Fielding, Holford (2), Watkins, Gemmell
812 October 1907Stockport CountyA2–16,000Holford, Watkins
919 October 1907GlossopH4–07,000Holford, Fielding, Gemmell, Baddeley
1026 October 1907Leicester FosseA0–118,000
112 November 1907BlackpoolH3–17,000Holford, Baddeley (2)
129 November 1907Grimsby TownA0–14,000
1311 November 1907Clapton OrientH3–05,000Holford (2), Baddeley
1416 November 1907West Bromwich AlbionA0–110,000
1523 November 1907Bradford CityH3–08,000Baddeley, Holford, Gallimore
1630 November 1907Hull CityA1–27,000Holford
177 December 1907Derby CountyH0–36,000
1814 December 1907Lincoln CityA2–1500Brown, Arrowsmith
1921 December 1907FulhamH6–16,000Brown (3), Baddeley, Gallimore, Coxon
2026 December 1907BurnleyH0–010,000
2128 December 1907BarnsleyA1–02,000Gallimore
224 January 1908Oldham AthleticA1–310,000Brown
2318 January 1908Leeds CityA1–010,000Baddeley
2425 January 1908Wolverhampton WanderersH0–06,000
258 February 1908Stockport CountyH1–05,000Williams
2615 February 1908GlossopA0–21,000
2729 February 1908BlackpoolA0–14,000
2814 March 1908West Bromwich AlbionH1–15,000Gallimore
2919 March 1908Grimsby TownH5–03,000Gallimore, Holford (2), Davies (2)
3021 March 1908Bradford CityA0–615,000
3128 March 1908Hull CityH1–12,500Brown
324 April 1908Derby CountyA0–37,000
3311 April 1908Lincoln CityH3–02,000Holford, Baddeley, Owen
3417 April 1908Gainsborough TrinityA0–26,000
3518 April 1908FulhamA1–515,000Brown
3620 April 1908Chesterfield TownA4–23,000Brown, Baddeley, Chalmers (2)
3725 April 1908BarnsleyH4–01,800Baddeley, Owen (3)
3827 April 1908Leicester FosseH0–11,500

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R111 January 1908Lincoln CityH5–07,413Gallimore (2), Brown, Holford, Wilson (o.g.)
R21 February 1908Gainsborough TrinityH1–16,400Baddeley (pen)
R2 Replay5 February 1908Gainsborough TrinityA2–2 (aet)6,000Brown, Bentley
R2 Second Replay10 February 1908Gainsborough TrinityN3–15,000Brown, Holford, Watkins
R322 February 1908PortsmouthA1–020,000Holford
R47 March 1908Wolverhampton WanderersA0–131,800

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Arthur Box 33060390
GKEngland Fred Rathbone 200020
GKWales Leigh Richmond Roose 300030
FBEngland Charlie Burgess 37060430
FBEngland William Cope 25060310
FBEngland Ernest Mullineux 13000130
FBEngland Harry Smith 100010
HBEngland George Baddeley 37461435
HBEngland Sam Baddeley 100010
HBEngland Frank Bentley 104151
HBEngland Joe Brough 100010
HBWales Lloyd Davies 200020
HBEngland Walter Rogers 100010
HBEngland Albert Sturgess 37160431
HBEngland Louis Williams 33130361
FWEngland Arthur Arrowsmith 7140111
FWEngland Amos Baddeley 15600156
FWEngland Freddie Brown 198632511
FWScotland Jackie Chalmers 930093
FWEngland Tom Coxon 9130121
FWEngland William Davies 10200102
FWEngland Ross Fielding 27210282
FWEngland George Gallimore 24652298
FWScotland Jimmy Gemmell 11200112
FWEngland Arthur Griffiths 401050
FWEngland Tom Holford 2912633515
FWScotland James Morton 000000
FWEngland Syd Owen 540054
FWWales Mart Watkins 17431205
FWEngland Bill Williamson 500050
Own goals 011

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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