1954–55 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1954–55 season was Stoke City's 48th season in the Football League and the 15th in the Second Division.

Stoke City
1954–55 season
ChairmanMr T. Duddell
ManagerFrank Taylor
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League Second Division5th (52 Points)
FA CupFourth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Harry Oscroft (21)
All: Harry Oscroft (21)
Highest home attendance47,000 vs Port Vale (4 September 1954)
Lowest home attendance7,050 vs Fulham (26 March 1955)
Average home league attendance21,131

Taylor continued to add new players to the squad as the aim for 1954–55 was to gain promotion back to the First Division. Stoke made a great start to the season winning five out of their first six matches. Taylor was able to field a settled team for the majority of the season alas Stoke could not keep up their form and promotion was missed with Stoke finishing in 5th position. In the FA Cup Stoke were involved in one of the longest cup ties as their third round encounter with Bury went on to a fourth replay with Stoke finally winning 3–2 after 9 hours and 22 minutes of football.[1]

Season review

League

Stoke manager Frank Taylor continued to purchase players as he attempted to guide Stoke back into the First Division.[1] He added the Wolverhampton Wanderers left back Jack Short to his squad in the summer of 1954.[1] Things looked to be improving when Stoke started the 1954–55 season in fine form winning five out of six.[1] Taylor was fortunate to be able to field a settled side but the form rate was not maintained and promotion was missed, albeit by a narrow margin, Stoke taking fifth spot just two behind promoted Birmingham City and Luton Town.[1] During the season Stoke beat Liverpool away 4–2 their first victory at Anfield for 60 years.[1]

FA Cup

In the FA Cup Stoke were drawn with Bury in the third round and after four draws the tie went to a fourth replay with Stoke finally beating Bury 3–2 in extra time.[1] In total the tie took 9 hours and 22 minutes of football and had an aggregated scoreline of 10–9.[1] Unfortunately for Stoke it was all in vain as in the next round they were defeated by Swansea Town.[1]

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
3 Rotherham United 42 25 4 13 94 64 1.469 54
4 Leeds United 42 23 7 12 70 53 1.321 53
5 Stoke City 42 21 10 11 69 46 1.500 52
6 Blackburn Rovers 42 22 6 14 114 79 1.443 50
7 Notts County 42 21 6 15 74 71 1.042 48
Source:

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
121 August 1954Birmingham CityH2–127,984Oscroft, Hutton
225 August 1954Nottingham ForestA3–020,515King (3) (2 Pens)
328 August 1954MiddlesbroughA2–117,820King, Oscroft
430 August 1954Nottingham ForestH2–022,925Hutton, Oscroft
54 September 1954Port ValeH0–047,000
68 September 1954Leeds UnitedA1–020,000King
711 September 1954Rotherham UnitedH1–227,271Oscroft
813 September 1954Leeds UnitedH0–118,737
918 September 1954Luton TownA1–317,352Bevans
1022 September 1954Ipswich TownA1–015,536Oscroft
1125 September 1954Hull CityH0–010,185
122 October 1954Lincoln CityA4–113,728Oscroft (3), Hutton
139 October 1954Notts CountyA0–123,000
1416 October 1954LiverpoolH2–023,569Oscroft, Hutton
1523 October 1954West Ham UnitedA0–327,200
1630 October 1954Blackburn RoversH1–127,540Bowyer
176 November 1954FulhamA2–232,000Bowyer, Oscroft
1813 November 1954Swansea TownH4–119,993Hutton, Malkin, Short (2)
1927 November 1954Derby CountyH3–118,055Bowyer (2), Oscroft
204 December 1954Bristol RoversA1–121,240McCue
2111 December 1954Plymouth ArgyleH3–117,397Bowyer, King (2)
2218 December 1954Birmingham CityA0–222,100
2325 December 1954BuryH3–218,312King (3)
2427 December 1954BuryA1–124,091King
251 January 1955MiddlesbroughH1–219,272Harris (o.g.)
265 February 1955Luton TownH0–021,156
2712 February 1955Hull CityA1–110,165Oscroft
2819 February 1955Lincoln CityH4–212,363Bowyer (3), King
295 March 1955LiverpoolA4–235,635King (2), Oscroft, Malkin
3012 March 1955West Ham UnitedH0–220,496
3119 March 1955Blackburn RoversA0–227,200
3226 March 1955FulhamH1–17,050Oscroft
3328 March 1955Notts CountyH3–08,171Oscroft (2), Finney
342 April 1955Swansea TownA5–312,534Oscroft (2), Finney, Bowyer, King
359 April 1955Doncaster RoversH3–020,259Oscroft, Bowyer, King
3611 April 1955Ipswich TownH3–020,551Oscroft, Bowyer, Malkin
3716 April 1955Derby CountyA2–112,584Finney, King
3818 April 1955Rotherham UnitedA1–219,888Bowyer
3920 April 1955Doncaster RoversA1–19,857Malkin
4023 April 1955Bristol RoversH2–018,139Oscroft, Finney
4125 April 1955Port ValeA1–040,066Bowyer
4230 April 1955Plymouth ArgyleA0–223,844

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R38 January 1955BuryA1–120,227King
R3 Replay12 January 1955BuryH1–1 (aet)13,352Ratcliffe
R3 Second Replay17 January 1955BuryN3–3 (aet)2,469Bowyer (2), King
R3 Third Replay19 January 1955BuryN2–2 (aet)9,881Ratcliffe, King
R3 Fourth Replay24 January 1955BuryN3–2 (aet)22,549Thomson, Coleman (2)
R428 January 1955Swansea TownA1–327,892Malkin

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Wilf Hall 105060
GK Bill Robertson 41010420
DF George Bourne 28060340
DF John McCue 41100411
DF Jack Short 25260312
DF Ken Thomson 41061471
MF Bobby Cairns 18060240
MF Frank Mountford 40030430
MF Alan Martin 303060
MF John Sellars 38000380
FW Stan Bevans 11100111
FW Frank Bowyer 2913623515
FW Neville Coleman 202242
FW Bill Finney 11440154
FW Colin Hutchinson 600060
FW Joe Hutton 19500195
FW Johnny King 3617634220
FW John Malkin 26451315
FW Harry Oscroft 3721103821
FW Don Ratcliffe 6052112
FW Derrick Ward 301040
Own goals 101

References

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