1931–32 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1931–32 season
Chairman Mr A.McSherwin
Manager Tom Mather
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Second Division 3rd (52 Points)
FA Cup Fifth Round
Top goalscorer League: Joe Mawson (20)
All: Joe Mawson (24)
Highest home attendance 28,192 vs Port Vale (26 September 1931)
Lowest home attendance 5,051 vs Oldham Athletic (28 April 1932)
Average home league attendance 12,278
Home colours

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

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 number of 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

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Wolverhampton Wanderers4224810115492.34756
2Leeds United4222101078541.44454
3Stoke City421914969481.43852
4Plymouth Argyle4220913100661.51549
5Bury422171470581.20749
6Bradford Park Avenue422171472631.14349
7Bradford City4216131380611.31145
8Tottenham Hotspur4216111587781.11543
9Millwall421791661611.00043
10Charlton Athletic421791661660.92443
11Nottingham Forest4216101677721.06942
12Manchester United421781771720.98642
13Preston North End4216101675770.97442
14Southampton421771866770.85741
15Swansea Town421671973750.97339
16Notts County4213121775751.00038
17Chesterfield4213111864860.74437
18Oldham Athletic4213101962840.73836
19Burnley421392059870.67835
20Port Vale421372258890.65233
21Barnsley421292155910.60433
22Bristol City426112539780.50023

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 29 August 1931 ChesterfieldH2–112,130Kirkham, McMahon
2 31 August 1931 Bradford Park AvenueA1–27,000Taylor
3 5 September 1931 BurnleyA0–38,710
4 7 September 1931 Manchester UnitedH3–010,518Mawson (2), Liddle
5 12 September 1931 Preston North EndH4–19,400Mawson, Liddle, Sale, Archibald
6 16 September 1931 Manchester UnitedA1–15,025Liddle
7 19 September 1931 SouthamptonA2–110,063Mawson (2)
8 26 September 1931 Port ValeH4–028,192Sale, Bussey (3)
9 3 October 1931 Charlton AthleticH4–010,024Sale, Liddle (2), Mawson
10 10 October 1931 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–030,000Liddle
11 17 October 1931 MillwallA0–18,000
12 24 October 1931 Bradford CityH3–110,000Liddle, Sale (2) (1 pen)
13 31 October 1931 Leeds UnitedA0–215,000
14 7 November 1931 BuryH3–211,145Liddle, Sale, Mawson
15 14 November 1931 BarnsleyA0–16,000
16 21 November 1931 Notts CountyH2–211,120Bussey, Mawson
17 28 November 1931 Plymouth ArgyleA1–17,000Sale
18 5 December 1931 Bristol CityH1–18,600Mawson
19 12 December 1931 Oldham AthleticA3–15,748Mawson (2), Sellars
20 19 December 1931 Swansea TownH0–07,200
21 25 December 1931 Nottingham ForestH2–18,150Sale (2) (1 pen)
22 26 December 1931 Nottingham ForestA1–112,000Bussey
23 2 January 1932 ChesterfieldA3–17,976Mawson, Taylor (2)
24 16 January 1932 BurnleyH3–09,045Mawson, Taylor, Bussey
25 30 January 1932 SouthamptonH2–09,206Taylor, Ware
26 6 February 1932 Port ValeA0–320,703
27 15 February 1932 Charlton AthleticA1–110,000Liddle
28 20 February 1932 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–125,641Bussey, Mawson
29 25 February 1932 Preston North EndA0–23,074
30 27 February 1932 MillwallH0–012,036
31 5 March 1932 Bradford CityA2–212,000Taylor (2)
32 12 March 1932 Leeds UnitedH3–48,500Taylor, Mawson, Davies
33 19 March 1932 BuryA1–04,000Maloney
34 25 March 1932 Tottenham HotspurA3–312,500Mawson (3)
35 26 March 1932 BarnsleyH2–07,200Liddle, Robertson
36 28 March 1932 Tottenham HotspurH2–215,077Liddle, Davies
37 2 April 1932 Notts CountyA1–210,886Mawson
38 9 April 1932 Plymouth ArgyleH3–27,000Mawson, Davies (2)
39 16 April 1932 Bristol CityA0–010,000
40 23 April 1932 Oldham AthleticH1–15,051Taylor
41 30 April 1932 Swansea TownA1–16,000Bussey
42 7 May 1932 Bradford Park AvenueH1–05,892Ware

FA Cup

Main article: 1931–32 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R39 January 1932 Hull CityH3–020,024Sellars, Bussey, Mawson
R423 January 1932 SunderlandA1–143,700Mawson
R4 Replay28 January 1932 SunderlandH1–1 (aet)30,575Bussey
R4 2nd Replay1 February 1932 SunderlandN2–1 (aet)7,470Mawson (2)
R513 February 1932 BuryA0–329,503

Squad statistics

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

References

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