Stoke
1908–09 season
ChairmanMr Rev. A Hurst
ManagerAlfred Barker
StadiumVictoria Ground
Birmingham & District League8th (31 Points)
FA CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: William Davies
(14)

All: William Davies
(14)
Highest home attendance12,000 vs Crewe Alexandra
(23 January 1909)
Lowest home attendance2,500 vs Halesowen
(20 March 1909)
Average home league attendance5,117

The 1908–09 season was Stoke's first season in the Birmingham & District League.

With Stoke now out of the Football League they entered the Birmingham & District League for the 1908–09 season. With a new board, chairman, manager and squad Stoke used the season as a rebuilding one and the crowds began to return to the Victoria Ground. Stoke finished in eight place with 31 Points.[1]

Season review

League

Stoke now playing in the Birmingham & District League, which included the reserve teams of Aston Villa, Birmingham, West Brom and Wolves plus some other useful opposition.[1] With Alfred Barker now the manager the team itself was made up of an mixture of ex-professionals and amateurs.[1] Of those which remained with the club were William Davies, Ernest Mullineux, Fred Rathbone and Sam Baddeley.[1] Barker used 32 players during the season and eighth place was secured in the final league table.[1]

Crowds were often good and there were turnouts of 7,000+ for a few league matches which confirmed that the club still had its local support.[1] Wins of 7–0 over Wellington Town 5–0 over Walsall and 5–3 over Villa's second string were among the best performances while the nadir was an 8–1 defeat to West Brom reserves.[1] Stoke's goalkeeper against Albion was Harry Cotton who after the match was sacked by Barker.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke made a poor exit in the first round being well beaten 5–0 at Sheffield Wednesday.[1]

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
1 Aston Villa Reserves 34 24 6 4 118 36 3.278 54
2 Crewe Alexandra 34 24 4 6 99 42 2.357 52
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers Reserves 34 21 6 7 71 46 1.543 48
4 West Bromwich Albion Reserves 34 18 6 10 85 43 1.977 42
5 Brierley Hill Alliance 34 14 8 12 57 54 1.056 36
6 Shrewsbury Town 34 11 13 10 51 48 1.063 35
7 Kidderminster Harriers 34 13 6 15 58 85 0.682 32
8 Stoke 34 13 5 16 71 64 1.109 31
9 Worcester City 34 14 3 17 71 70 1.014 31
10 Stafford Rangers 34 11 9 14 51 63 0.810 31
11 Wrexham 34 14 3 17 60 76 0.789 31
12 Birmingham Reserves 34 11 7 16 53 73 0.726 29
13 Burton United 34 13 3 18 48 75 0.640 29
14 Stourbridge 34 9 10 15 49 57 0.860 28
15 Walsall 34 10 8 16 47 56 0.839 28
16 Wellington Town 34 11 5 18 60 86 0.698 27
17 Halesowen 34 11 4 19 42 83 0.506 26
18 Dudley Town 34 10 2 22 55 89 0.618 22
Source:

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Birmingham & District League

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
15 September 1908Aston Villa ReservesH5–312,000Myatt (2), Owen (2), Davies
212 September 1908WalsallA0–34,200
314 September 1908StourbridgeA2–22,000Howshall (2)
419 September 1908Crewe AlexandraA2–34,000Davies, Pitt
519 September 1908Burton UnitedH0–14,000
626 September 1908Kidderminster HarriersH3–14,500Greaves (2), Davies
73 October 1908Brierley Hill AllianceA4–33,000Greaves (2), Davies, Pitt
810 October 1908Wellington TownH7–05,000Millward (3), Horrocks (2), Pitt, Davies
917 October 1908Worcester CityA1–52,500Davies
1024 October 1908Dudley TownH4–05,000Davies, Greaves, Horrocks, Pitt
1131 October 1908West Bromwich Albion ReservesA1–85,000Davies
127 November 1908Birmingham ReservesH0–15,000
1314 November 1908HalesowenA0–2200
1428 November 1908Shrewsbury TownA1–32,000Gorman
155 December 1908StourbridgeH2–05,000McAllister, Cook
1612 December 1908Stafford RangersA1–13,000Davies (pen)
1719 December 1908Wolverhampton Wanderers ReservesH3–14,000McAllister, Millward (2)
1826 December 1908Burton UnitedA1–23,000Davies
1928 December 1908WrexhamH4–26,000Davies (2), Hargraves (2)
202 January 1909Aston Villa ReservesA1–45,000Hargraves
219 January 1909WalsallH5–03,000Hargraves, Davies (2), Horrocks, Millward
2223 January 1909Crewe AlexandraH3–412,000Millward, Gorman (2)
2330 January 1909Kidderminster HarriersA2–32,500Hargraves, Horrocks
246 February 1909Brierley Hill AllianceH2–03,000Millward, McAllister
2513 February 1909Wellington TownA1–12,000Baddeley
2620 February 1909Worcester CityH3–05,000Millward, Hargraves, Gorman
2727 February 1909Dudley TownA2–21,500Hargraves, Gorman
2813 March 1909Birmingham ReservesA1–03,000Hargraves
2920 March 1909HalesowenH0–12,500
3027 March 1909WrexhamA1–23,000Eardley
313 April 1909Shrewsbury TownH1–23,000Bullock
3217 April 1909Stafford RangersH3–34,000Eardley, Hargraves, Gorman
3319 April 1909West Bromwich Albion ReservesH5–04,000Hargraves (2), Gorman, Millward, Kelly
3426 April 1909Wolverhampton Wanderers ReservesA0–13,000

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R116 January 1909The WednesdayA0–58,000

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Jack Benton 101020
GKEngland Harry Cotton 200020
GKEngland Bert Miller 11000110
GKEngland Fred Rathbone 18000180
GKEngland Fred Wain 200020
FBEngland Harry Hutsby 31010320
FBEngland Charles James 500050
FBEngland Ernest Mullineux 29010300
FBEngland George Turner 15000150
FBEngland Jimmy Williams 200020
HBEngland Sam Baddeley 32110331
HBEngland Albert Cook 11100111
HBEngland William Harding 500050
HBEngland Dick Hawe 100010
HBEngland Chris Kelly 19110201
HBEngland Albert Pitt 31410324
HBEngland Josuah Turner 100010
FWEngland Albert Bullock 410041
FWEngland William Davies 2014102114
FWEngland Francis Eardley 320032
FWEngland Arthur Fielding 300030
FWEngland Thomas Greaves 10500105
FWEngland Edwin Griffiths 700070
FWEngland James Gorman 17700177
FWEngland Ade Hamnett 900090
FWEngland Fred Hargraves 1411101511
FWEngland Vic Horrocks 18610196
FWEngland Sam Howshall 120012
FWScotland Sam McAllister 15310163
FWEngland Ernie Millward 29910309
FWEngland Herbert Myatt 420042
FWEngland Syd Owen 420042

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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