Stoke City
1946–47 season
ChairmanMr H. Booth
ManagerBob McGrory
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League First Division4th (55 Points)
FA CupFifth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Freddie Steele
(29)

All: Freddie Steele
(31)
Highest home attendance45,000 vs Wolverhampton Wanderers
(26 October 1946)
Lowest home attendance23,450 vs Bolton Wanderers
(2 September 1946)
Average home league attendance30,863

The 1946–47 season was Stoke City's 40th season in the Football League and the 26th in the First Division.

After a seven year absence due to World War II, the Football League made a welcome return for the 1946–47 season. Stoke were boosted by their time in the war leagues where they used many younger players to speed up their development. So Stoke now with a squad full of talent went on to achieve the finest league season in the club's history as they were involved in their first real attempt at winning the English title. The season was expanded until June due to a poor winter weather wise and on the final day of the season Stoke needed to beat Sheffield United to claim their first league title, but with the unhappy Stanley Matthews now moved on to Blackpool, Stoke lost 2–1 and ended up in 4th position.[1] The 1946–47 season finish of 4th is only matched by the performance by the Stoke team of the 1935–36 season.[1]

Season review

League

After a seven-year break the Football League returned for the 1946–47 season.[1] Stoke, relying on many of their wartime discoveries along with quite a few who had served the club before the war commenced, were confident of doing well, and manager Bob McGrory announced that his squad consisted of 45 players (19 of them were amateurs) of which 22 were eventually used.[1] As the season took its course a number of players were sold for a profit and the only signing McGrory made was that of 31 years old goalkeeper Arthur Jepson.[1] McGrory indicated that with full-time training, his side would thrive and given the right coaching and facilities in which to train and reach peak fitness.[1] And he was proved right, despite the team picking up one point in their first four matches, the side started to play as a unit and thanks to two unbeaten runs, a challenge was made for top spot.[1]

By October the saga involving Stanley Matthews and McGrory reared its ugly head again this time after the manager had asked the England winger to 'prove his fitness' in the reserves.[1] Matthews now living in Blackpool refused and he drifted in and out of the squad following the fall out.[1] One of the worst winters of the 20th century gripped Britain in 1947 and consequently the football season was extended into June and indeed it was late in the season when Stanley Matthews again asked to leave. He was 32, and running his own hotel with his wife in Blackpool, and he named the club he wanted to join unsurprisingly it was the Bloomfield Road club Blackpool.[1] Matthews was worried that his career had only four years left and wanted to end it near his business.[1] Matthews' career would however continue for another 20 years.[1]

The 1946–47 season came to a climax in mid June when Stoke visited Sheffield United. A victory at Bramall Lane would give Stoke the league title, anything less would hand the honour to Liverpool.[1] Stoke took around 10,000 of their fans to Sheffield but it was the "Blades" who proved to be too sharp for Stoke as they scored twice and despite Alexander Ormston replying for Stoke the title bid was over.[1] Stoke were awarded £110 'talent money' for their performance during the season.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke beat Tottenham Hotspur and Chester both after replays before meeting Sheffield United who again proved be their bogey side winning 1–0 in front of 39,683 at the Victoria Ground.[1]

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
2 Manchester United 42 22 12 8 95 54 1.759 56
3 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 25 6 11 98 56 1.750 56
4 Stoke City 42 24 7 11 90 53 1.698 55
5 Blackpool 42 22 6 14 71 70 1.014 50
6 Sheffield United 42 21 7 14 89 75 1.187 49
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
131 August 1946Charlton AthleticH2–231,846Steele, Ormston
22 September 1946Bolton WanderersH1–223,450Steele
37 September 1946MiddlesbroughA4–545,000Steele (3), Mountford
411 September 1946Bolton WanderersA2–325,300Ormston, Mountford
514 September 1946Derby CountyH3–235,000Ormston, Mountford, Steele
616 September 1946Leeds UnitedH5–225,000Ormston, Antonio (2), Steele (2)
721 September 1946Manchester UnitedH3–240,000Antonio, Steele (2)
828 September 1946Preston North EndA3–125,000Antonio, Steele, Ormston
95 October 1946Sheffield UnitedH3–029,146Steele (3)
1012 October 1946ChelseaA5–268,189Steele, Ormston (3), Kirton
1119 October 1946ArsenalA0–162,000
1226 October 1946Wolverhampton WanderersH0–345,000
132 November 1946SunderlandA1–053,000Baker
149 November 1946Aston VillaH0–035,000
1516 November 1946PortsmouthA3–138,000Steele, Ormston, Peppitt
1623 November 1946EvertonH2–127,798Matthews, Antonio
1730 November 1946Huddersfield TownA0–126,767
187 December 1946BlackpoolH4–130,000Steele, Peppitt, Baker, Matthews
1914 December 1946BrentfordA4–129,172Peppitt (3), Ormston
2021 December 1946Blackburn RoversH0–023,518
2125 December 1946LiverpoolH2–130,518Steele (2)
2226 December 1946LiverpoolA0–249,494
2328 December 1946Charlton AthleticA0–136,388
244 January 1947MiddlesbroughH3–133,986Peppitt, Mitchell (2)
2518 January 1947Derby CountyA0–331,156
261 February 1947Preston North EndH5–030,000Peppitt (2), Steele (2), Ormston
275 February 1947Manchester UnitedA1–18,456Ormston (pen)
2815 February 1947ChelseaH6–130,469Ormston (2), Peppitt (2), Baker, Sellars
2922 February 1947ArsenalH3–131,642Baker, Sellars, Jackson
301 March 1947Wolverhampton WanderersA0–345,000
3122 March 1947PortsmouthH1–127,708Steele
3229 March 1947EvertonA2–240,092Peppitt, Baker
334 April 1947Grimsby TownA5–220,000Peppitt, Steele (3), Ormston (pen)
345 April 1947Huddersfield TownH3–028,966Steele, Ormston, Baker
357 April 1947Grimsby TownH3–034,269Ormston, Jackson (2)
3612 April 1947BlackpoolA2–030,000Ormston (pen), Mountford
3719 April 1947BrentfordH3–125,000Steele, Mountford, Matthews
3826 April 1947Blackburn RoversA2–026,300Matthews, Ormston
393 May 1947Leeds UnitedA2–120,000Steele (2)
4017 May 1947SunderlandH0–032,000
4126 May 1947Aston VillaA1–042,000Mountford
4212 June 1947Sheffield UnitedA1–230,000Ormston

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R311 January 1947Tottenham HotspurA2–265,681F Mountford, Ludford (o.g.)
R3 Replay15 January 1947Tottenham HotspurH1–038,830Matthews
R425 January 1947ChesterA0–018,500
R4 Replay29 January 1947ChesterH3–222,863Steele (2), Ormston
R58 February 1947Sheffield UnitedH0–139,683

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Emmanuel Foster 100010
GKEngland Dennis Herod 14010150
GKEngland Arthur Jepson 27040310
DFEngland Harry Brigham 12000120
DFEngland Neil Franklin 37050420
DFEngland John McCue 36050410
DFEngland Harry Meakin 600060
DFEngland Billy Mould 30050350
MFEngland Roy Brown 400040
MFScotland Jock Kirton 37150421
MFEngland Frank Mountford 26041301
MFEngland John Sellars 17210182
MFEngland Edward Wordley 500050
FWEngland George Antonio 16500165
FWEngland Frank Baker 39650446
FWEngland John Jackson 330033
FWEngland Stanley Matthews 23451285
FWEngland Bert Mitchell 420042
FWEngland George Mountford 23600236
FWEngland Alexander Ormston 4020514521
FWEngland Syd Peppitt 2412502912
FWEngland Freddie Steele 3829524331
Own goals 011

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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