1907–08 Stoke F.C. season

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

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

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

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League

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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

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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

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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

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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[a] 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: [citation needed]
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

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Stoke's score comes first

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

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Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 2 September 1907 Chesterfield Town H 1–1 3,000 Watkins
2 7 September 1907 Oldham Athletic H 1–3 12,000 Watkins
3 9 September 1907 Burnley A 1–3 7,000 Gallimore
4 14 September 1907 Clapton Orient A 0–3 5,000
5 21 September 1907 Leeds City H 2–1 10,000 Chalmers, Sturgess
6 28 September 1907 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–2 9,000
7 5 October 1907 Gainsborough Trinity H 5–0 5,000 Fielding, Holford (2), Watkins, Gemmell
8 12 October 1907 Stockport County A 2–1 6,000 Holford, Watkins
9 19 October 1907 Glossop H 4–0 7,000 Holford, Fielding, Gemmell, Baddeley
10 26 October 1907 Leicester Fosse A 0–1 18,000
11 2 November 1907 Blackpool H 3–1 7,000 Holford, Baddeley (2)
12 9 November 1907 Grimsby Town A 0–1 4,000
13 11 November 1907 Clapton Orient H 3–0 5,000 Holford (2), Baddeley
14 16 November 1907 West Bromwich Albion A 0–1 10,000
15 23 November 1907 Bradford City H 3–0 8,000 Baddeley, Holford, Gallimore
16 30 November 1907 Hull City A 1–2 7,000 Holford
17 7 December 1907 Derby County H 0–3 6,000
18 14 December 1907 Lincoln City A 2–1 500 Brown, Arrowsmith
19 21 December 1907 Fulham H 6–1 6,000 Brown (3), Baddeley, Gallimore, Coxon
20 26 December 1907 Burnley H 0–0 10,000
21 28 December 1907 Barnsley A 1–0 2,000 Gallimore
22 4 January 1908 Oldham Athletic A 1–3 10,000 Brown
23 18 January 1908 Leeds City A 1–0 10,000 Baddeley
24 25 January 1908 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–0 6,000
25 8 February 1908 Stockport County H 1–0 5,000 Williams
26 15 February 1908 Glossop A 0–2 1,000
27 29 February 1908 Blackpool A 0–1 4,000
28 14 March 1908 West Bromwich Albion H 1–1 5,000 Gallimore
29 19 March 1908 Grimsby Town H 5–0 3,000 Gallimore, Holford (2), Davies (2)
30 21 March 1908 Bradford City A 0–6 15,000
31 28 March 1908 Hull City H 1–1 2,500 Brown
32 4 April 1908 Derby County A 0–3 7,000
33 11 April 1908 Lincoln City H 3–0 2,000 Holford, Baddeley, Owen
34 17 April 1908 Gainsborough Trinity A 0–2 6,000
35 18 April 1908 Fulham A 1–5 15,000 Brown
36 20 April 1908 Chesterfield Town A 4–2 3,000 Brown, Baddeley, Chalmers (2)
37 25 April 1908 Barnsley H 4–0 1,800 Baddeley, Owen (3)
38 27 April 1908 Leicester Fosse H 0–1 1,500

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R1 11 January 1908 Lincoln City H 5–0 7,413 Gallimore (2), Brown, Holford, Wilson (o.g.)
R2 1 February 1908 Gainsborough Trinity H 1–1 6,400 Baddeley (pen)
R2 Replay 5 February 1908 Gainsborough Trinity A 2–2 (aet) 6,000 Brown, Bentley
R2 Second Replay 10 February 1908 Gainsborough Trinity N 3–1 5,000 Brown, Holford, Watkins
R3 22 February 1908 Portsmouth A 1–0 20,000 Holford
R4 7 March 1908 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–1 31,800

Squad statistics

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Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   Arthur Box 33 0 6 0 39 0
GK   Fred Rathbone 2 0 0 0 2 0
GK   Leigh Richmond Roose 3 0 0 0 3 0
FB   Charlie Burgess 37 0 6 0 43 0
FB   William Cope 25 0 6 0 31 0
FB   Ernest Mullineux 13 0 0 0 13 0
FB   Harry Smith 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB   George Baddeley 37 4 6 1 43 5
HB   Sam Baddeley 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB   Frank Bentley 1 0 4 1 5 1
HB   Joe Brough 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB   Lloyd Davies 2 0 0 0 2 0
HB   Walter Rogers 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB   Albert Sturgess 37 1 6 0 43 1
HB   Louis Williams 33 1 3 0 36 1
FW   Arthur Arrowsmith 7 1 4 0 11 1
FW   Amos Baddeley 15 6 0 0 15 6
FW   Freddie Brown 19 8 6 3 25 11
FW   Jackie Chalmers 9 3 0 0 9 3
FW   Tom Coxon 9 1 3 0 12 1
FW   William Davies 10 2 0 0 10 2
FW   Ross Fielding 27 2 1 0 28 2
FW   George Gallimore 24 6 5 2 29 8
FW   Jimmy Gemmell 11 2 0 0 11 2
FW   Arthur Griffiths 4 0 1 0 5 0
FW   Tom Holford 29 12 6 3 35 15
FW   James Morton 0 0 0 0 0 0
FW   Syd Owen 5 4 0 0 5 4
FW   Mart Watkins 17 4 3 1 20 5
FW   Bill Williamson 5 0 0 0 5 0
Own goals 0 1 1

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.