1912–13 Stoke F.C. season

The 1912–13 season was Stoke's fourth season in the Southern Football League. In 1913, the club reached its 50th year in existence.

Stoke
1912–13 season
ChairmanMr Rev. A Hurst
ManagerAlfred Barker
StadiumVictoria Ground
Southern League Division One20th (24 Points)
FA CupFirst Round
Top goalscorerLeague: Alf Smith
(9)

All: Tom Revill
& Alf Smith
(9)
Highest home attendance10,000 vs Northampton Town
(14 September 1912)
Lowest home attendance3,500 vs Reading
(19 April 1913)
Average home league attendance5,947

Stoke had ambitions to return to the Football League and the objective for the 1912–13 season was earn a top six place in the Southern League Division One. However Stoke failed spectacularly and ended up finishing bottom and being relegated to the Southern League Division Two. The season was a complete embarrassment to the directors and management and fans started to lose patience with manager Alfred Barker.[1]

Season review

League

With Alfred Barker still manager of the club there were high hopes that the 1912–13 season would see Stoke come good in the top division of the Southern League.[1] The players who had served the club well over the past 12 months or so were all retained and new players were added to the squad to make competition for places harder.[1] The main ambition was a top six place, but by Christmas time Stoke were bottom of the table and stayed there.[1] The directors attributed relegation to bad luck while the supporters blamed Barker.[1] William Smith, who had been such a key player in attack missed most of the season through injury and his absence proved costly as Stoke had a very poor forward line.[1] Only 14 goals were scored in the first 15 matches (4 against Watford) summed up Stoke's problems and there was no upturn in fortune after Christmas and relegation was duly suffered and it was back to the drawing board once more.[1]

By the end of the season the directors came under considerable pressure from supporters as they were reluctant to accept a place back in Division Two and by the end of April 1913 no players had been offered a new contract contrary to previous practice.[1] The directors eventually accepted life in the Southern League Division Two again but fans vented their anger at them in the annual general meeting.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke's miserable season also included a first round exit to fellow Southern League side Reading.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Plymouth Argyle382261077362.13850
2Swindon Town382081066411.60948
3West Ham United381812866461.43448
4Queens Park Rangers3818101046351.31446
5Crystal Palace3817111055361.52745
6Millwall381971262431.44145
7Exeter City381881248441.09044
8Reading381781359551.07242
9Brighton & Hove Albion3813121348471.02138
10Northampton Town3812121461481.27036
11Portsmouth381481641490.83636
12Merthyr Town3812121442600.70036
13Coventry City381381753590.89834
14Watford3812101643500.86034
15Gillingham3812101636530.67934
16Bristol Rovers381291755640.85933
17Southampton3810111740720.55531
18Norwich City381091939500.78029
19Brentford381152242550.76327
20Stoke381042439750.52024

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

Southern Football League Division One

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
12 September 1912Norwich CityH0–110,000
25 September 1912Norwich CityA0–13,000
37 September 1912Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–34,000Whittaker
414 September 1912Northampton TownH1–04,000A Smith
521 September 1912Coventry CityA2–56,000A Smith, Revill
628 September 1912Queens Park RangersH0–07,000
72 October 1912WatfordA4–24,000Revill (2), Hardman, English (o.g.)
812 October 1912BrentfordH1–05,000Hardman
919 October 1912Merthyr TownA1–23,000A Smith
1026 October 1912Millwall AthleticH0–23,000
112 November 1912Crystal PalaceA0–13,000
129 November 1912Bristol RoversH2–14,000A Smith, Turner (pen)
1316 November 1912Plymouth ArgyleA0–45,000
1423 November 1912Swindon TownH1–18,000Revill
1530 November 1912SouthamptonA1–27,000A Smith
167 December 1912PortsmouthH2–06,000Revill, Lenaghan
1714 December 1912ReadingA2–63,000Lenaghan, Hardman
1821 December 1912Exeter CityH0–25,000
1925 December 1912West Ham UnitedA0–58,000
2026 December 1912West Ham UnitedH0–110,000
2128 December 1912Brighton & Hove AlbionH4–17,000A Smith, Revill, Hardman, Herbert
224 January 1913Northampton TownA0–91,600
2318 January 1913Coventry CityH0–15,000
2425 January 1913Queens Park RangersA0–112,000
256 February 1913WatfordH1–26,000Herbert
2615 February 1913BrentfordA2–42,000Herbert, A Smith
2722 February 1913Merthyr TownH2–04,000Herbert, A Smith
281 March 1913Millwall AthleticA2–19,000Herbert, Pentland
298 March 1913Crystal PalaceH0–07,000
3014 March 1913Bristol RoversA0–42,000
3121 March 1913GillinghamA0–05,000
3222 March 1913Plymouth ArgyleH0–25,000
3324 March 1913GillinghamH0–23,500
3429 March 1913Swindon TownA2–33,000W Smith, Holmes
355 April 1913SouthamptonH3–14,000W Smith, Holmes (2)
3612 April 1913PortsmouthA1–44,000A Smith
3719 April 1913ReadingH4–03,500Revill, W Smith (2), Heggarty
3826 April 1913Exeter CityA0–11,000

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R116 January 1913ReadingH2–214,000A Smith, Revill
R1 Replay22 January 1913ReadingA0–312,000

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Bert Gadsden 33020350
GKEngland Richard Herron 500050
DFEngland Ernest Mullineux 16010170
DFEngland Charles James 100010
DFEngland Alec Milne 16000160
DFEngland George Smart 15000150
DFEngland George Turner 33120351
MFEngland Sam Baddeley 29020310
MFEngland Crop Hawkins 100010
MFEngland Ernest Hodkin 22020240
MFEngland Henry Hargreaves 200020
MFWales Joe Jones 30020320
MFEngland Jimmy McVay 11000110
MFEngland Albert Pitt 400040
MFEngland George Roche 300030
FWEngland Tom Bailey 13000130
FWEngland Richard Coates 100010
FWEngland Harold Leese 501060
FWEngland John Lenaghan 19200192
FWEngland Harold Hardman 19400194
FW Archie Heggarty 20120221
FWEngland Billy Herbert 16520185
FWEngland William Holmes 530053
FWEngland Fred Pentland 510051
FWEngland Tom Revill 34821369
FWEngland Alf Smith 349213610
FWEngland William Smith 530053
FWEngland Archie Sproson 100010
FWEngland Billy Tempest 400040
FWEngland Enos Whittaker 16120181
Own goals 101

References

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