1931–32 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1931–32 season was Stoke City's 32nd season in the Football League and the 12th in the Second Division.

Stoke City
1931–32 season
ChairmanMr A.McSherwin
ManagerTom Mather
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League Second Division3rd (52 Points)
FA CupFifth Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Joe Mawson (20)
All: Joe Mawson (24)
Highest home attendance28,192 vs Port Vale (26 September 1931)
Lowest home attendance5,051 vs Oldham Athletic (28 April 1932)
Average home league attendance12,278

It was a good season for Stoke as they were finally able to mount a serious promotion challenge. They were involved in the race throughout the season and just missed out finishing third, two points behind second-placed Leeds United. Too many winnable matches were drawn with fourteen matches ending on level terms.[1]

In March 1932 away at Bury, 17-year-old Stanley Matthews made his professional debut and he would go on to become one of the greatest players in English football.[1]

Season review

League

The 1931–32 season proved to be an entertaining season for Stoke as they were involved in the hunt for promotion throughout the campaign, just missing out in third spot in the final placings.[1] Their draw tally of 14 cost Stoke dearly in the end and on a number of occasions Stoke were denied victory due to last minute equalisers from their opponents.[1] There were a number of good things to come out of the season, including 25 goals from Joe Mawson and a 14 match unbeaten run from mid-November to the beginning of February.[1] Manager Tom Mather was able to select the same starting eleven for 16 consecutive matches, a club record.[1] Stoke, suffered the fewest defeats in the Second Division.[1]

The directors, who had used cash resources carefully, allowed Mather to build up his squad, and he duly pulled off three excellent deals, the returning Harry Davies from Huddersfield Town, goalkeeper Roy John and winger Joe Johnson.[1] Johnson was perhaps the shrewdest of the three, for Stoke became aware that his club Bristol City were struggling for money and after a goalless draw at Ashton Gate in April 1932 Stoke paid Bristol a mere £250 for his signature.[1]

It was at Bury on 19 Match 1932 that Stoke introduced their latest local talent, Stanley Matthews who at the time was described at the time as a 'promising outside right'.[1] Matthews had signed professional contract forms on his 17th birthday (1 February 1932) and was deputising for the injured Bobby Liddle.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke, beat Hull City 3–0 and Sunderland 2–1 in a 2nd replay before been knocked out 3–0 by Bury.[1]

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 24 8 10 115 49 2.347 56 Division Champions, promoted
2 Leeds United 42 22 10 10 78 54 1.444 54 Promoted
3 Stoke City 42 19 14 9 69 48 1.438 52
4 Plymouth Argyle 42 20 9 13 100 66 1.515 49
5 Bury 42 21 7 14 70 58 1.207 49
Source:

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
129 August 1931ChesterfieldH2–112,130Kirkham, McMahon
231 August 1931Bradford Park AvenueA1–27,000Taylor
35 September 1931BurnleyA0–38,710
47 September 1931Manchester UnitedH3–010,518Mawson (2), Liddle
512 September 1931Preston North EndH4–19,400Mawson, Liddle, Sale, Archibald
616 September 1931Manchester UnitedA1–15,025Liddle
719 September 1931SouthamptonA2–110,063Mawson (2)
826 September 1931Port ValeH4–028,192Sale, Bussey (3)
93 October 1931Charlton AthleticH4–010,024Sale, Liddle (2), Mawson
1010 October 1931Wolverhampton WanderersA1–030,000Liddle
1117 October 1931MillwallA0–18,000
1224 October 1931Bradford CityH3–110,000Liddle, Sale (2) (1 pen)
1331 October 1931Leeds UnitedA0–215,000
147 November 1931BuryH3–211,145Liddle, Sale, Mawson
1514 November 1931BarnsleyA0–16,000
1621 November 1931Notts CountyH2–211,120Bussey, Mawson
1728 November 1931Plymouth ArgyleA1–17,000Sale
185 December 1931Bristol CityH1–18,600Mawson
1912 December 1931Oldham AthleticA3–15,748Mawson (2), Sellars
2019 December 1931Swansea TownH0–07,200
2125 December 1931Nottingham ForestH2–18,150Sale (2) (1 pen)
2226 December 1931Nottingham ForestA1–112,000Bussey
232 January 1932ChesterfieldA3–17,976Mawson, Taylor (2)
2416 January 1932BurnleyH3–09,045Mawson, Taylor, Bussey
2530 January 1932SouthamptonH2–09,206Taylor, Ware
266 February 1932Port ValeA0–320,703
2715 February 1932Charlton AthleticA1–110,000Liddle
2820 February 1932Wolverhampton WanderersH2–125,641Bussey, Mawson
2925 February 1932Preston North EndA0–23,074
3027 February 1932MillwallH0–012,036
315 March 1932Bradford CityA2–212,000Taylor (2)
3212 March 1932Leeds UnitedH3–48,500Taylor, Mawson, Davies
3319 March 1932BuryA1–04,000Maloney
3425 March 1932Tottenham HotspurA3–312,500Mawson (3)
3526 March 1932BarnsleyH2–07,200Liddle, Robertson
3628 March 1932Tottenham HotspurH2–215,077Liddle, Davies
372 April 1932Notts CountyA1–210,886Mawson
389 April 1932Plymouth ArgyleH3–27,000Mawson, Davies (2)
3916 April 1932Bristol CityA0–010,000
4023 April 1932Oldham AthleticH1–15,051Taylor
4130 April 1932Swansea TownA1–16,000Bussey
427 May 1932Bradford Park AvenueH1–05,892Ware

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R39 January 1932Hull CityH3–020,024Sellars, Bussey, Mawson
R423 January 1932SunderlandA1–143,700Mawson
R4 Replay28 January 1932SunderlandH1–1 (aet)30,575Bussey
R4 2nd Replay1 February 1932SunderlandN2–1 (aet)7,470Mawson (2)
R513 February 1932BuryA0–329,503

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Roy John 100010
GK Norman Lewis 41050460
DF Arthur Beachill 42050470
DF Joe Buller 100010
DF Bob McGrory 41050460
DF Billy Spencer 100010
MF Len Armitage 400040
MF Peter Jackson 100010
MF John McDaid 300030
MF Hugh McMahon 810081
MF Tim Maloney 810081
MF William Robertson 38150431
MF Arthur Turner 35050400
MF Harry Sellars 42151472
FW Bobby Archibald 21130241
FW Walter Bussey 378324010
FW Harry Davies 14400144
FW Joe Johnson 100010
FW Wilf Kirkham 110011
FW Bobby Liddle 3911504411
FW Stanley Matthews 200020
FW Joe Mawson 3420543924
FW Albert Pinxton 000000
FW Tommy Sale 24950299
FW Harold Taylor 17920199
FW Harry Ware 622082

References

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