1920–21 Stoke F.C. season

Stoke
1920–21 season
Chairman Mr E.Reynish
Manager Arthur Shallcross
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Second Division 20th (35 Points)
FA Cup First Round
Top goalscorer League: Arthur Watkin (15)
All: Arthur Watkin (16)
Highest home attendance 27,455 vs Port Vale (2 October 1920)
Lowest home attendance 5,000 vs Barnsley (2 March 1921)
Average home league attendance 13,315
Home colours

The 1920–21 season was Stoke's 21st in the Football League and the third in the Second Division.

Despite strengthening the Stoke squad with veteran Tom Brittleton the most notable signing Stoke struggled all season and were involved in a fight against relegation. With one team being relegated this season, Stoke finished five points from bottom place Stockport County which was too close for comfort.[1]

Season review

League

For the 1920–21 season efforts were made to strengthen the pool of players and the first of these was former England international Tom Brittleton who made the move from Sheffield Wednesday and immediately became club captain.[1] Competition for places or not manager Arthur Shallcross maintained a settled side that is until in October when he transferred Charlie Parker to Sunderland.[1] He had spent six years at Stoke and became a fan favourite.[1]

A shortage of goals saw Stoke slip dangerously towards the lower regions of the Second Division as the 1920–21 season progressed and with only one club being relegated to the newly formed Third Division North the margin of five points and a 20th-place finish out of 22 was too close for comfort.[1] Arthur Watkin top scored with 15 and Billy Tempest scored 10 however other than those two there was a lack of goals in the side.[1]

A most significant signing in April 1921 was that of Bob McGrory, a full-back from Burnley. Rumours has it that McGrory had reservations about joining Stoke as he did not like the look of the place.[1] Whether this was true or not, he went on to spend 31 years with the club as a player and manager eventually leaving the club in May 1952.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke again exited the competition at the first hurdle losing 3–2 away at eventual runners-up Wolverhampton Wanderers in front of 35,000 spectators.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Birmingham422410879382.07958
2Cardiff City422410859321.84458
3Bristol City4219131049291.69051
4Blackpool4220101254421.28650
5West Ham United4219101351301.70048
6Notts County4218111355401.37547
7Clapton Orient4216131343421.02445
8South Shields4217101561461.32644
9Fulham4216101643470.91542
10The Wednesday4215111648481.00041
11Bury4215101745490.91840
12Leicester City4212161439460.84840
13Hull City4210201243530.81140
14Leeds United4214101840450.88938
15Wolverhampton Wanderers421662049660.74238
16Barnsley4210161648500.96036
17Port Vale4211141743490.87836
18Nottingham Forest4212121848550.87336
19Rotherham County4212121837530.69836
20Stoke4212111946560.82135
21Coventry City4212111939700.55735
22Stockport County429122142750.56030

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 28 August 1920 Nottingham ForestA2–221,000Brown, Parker
2 30 August 1920 Rotherham CountyH2–010,000Watkin, McColl
3 4 September 1920 Nottingham ForestH4–019,000Watkin (3), McColl
4 6 September 1920 Rotherham CountyA1–115,000Tempest
5 11 September 1920 The WednesdayA3–125,000Tempest (2), Brown
6 18 September 1920 The WednesdayH0–130,000
7 25 September 1920 Port ValeA1–219,967McColl
8 2 October 1920 Port ValeH0–127,455
9 9 October 1920 Notts CountyH1–010,000Watkin
10 16 October 1920 Notts CountyA0–38,500
11 23 October 1920 Coventry CityH4–112,000Tempest (2), McColl, Maddock
12 30 October 1920 Coventry CityA0–118,000
13 6 November 1920 Leeds UnitedH4–014,000Watkin (3), Brown
14 13 November 1920 Leeds UnitedA0–020,000
15 20 November 1920 BirminghamH1–215,000Brown
16 27 November 1920 BirminghamA0–312,000
17 4 December 1920 West Ham UnitedH1–010,000Brittleton
18 11 December 1920 West Ham UnitedA0–115,000
19 18 December 1920 FulhamH1–27,000Brittleton
20 25 December 1920 Leicester CityA1–320,000Watkin
21 27 December 1920 Leicester CityH1–115,000Tempest
22 1 January 1921 FulhamA3–18,500Watkin (2), Brittleton
23 15 January 1921 South ShieldsA1–115,000Burton
24 22 January 1921 South ShieldsH0–05,000
25 5 February 1921 Cardiff CityA1–028,000Watkin
26 12 February 1921 Hull CityA1–15,000Watkin
27 14 February 1921 Cardiff CityH0–012,000
28 26 February 1921 Wolverhampton WanderersA3–320,000Watkin, McColl, Smith
29 10 March 1921 Wolverhampton WanderersH1–08,000Tempest
30 12 March 1921 Stockport CountyA0–24,000
31 19 March 1921 Stockport CountyH1–07,000Watkin
32 25 March 1921 BlackpoolA1–314,000Whitehurst
33 26 March 1921 Clapton OrientH0–114,000
34 28 March 1921 BlackpoolH1–112,000Tempest
35 2 April 1921 Clapton OrientA2–36,000Whitehurst, Little
36 9 April 1921 BuryH0–17,000
37 11 April 1921 Hull CityH1–35,000Tempest
38 16 April 1921 BuryA0–35,000
39 23 April 1921 Bristol CityH0–07,000
40 30 April 1921 Bristol CityA0–56,000
41 2 May 1921 BarnsleyH3–25,000Tempest (pen), Brittleton, Helme
42 7 May 1921 BarnsleyA0–17,000

FA Cup

Main article: 1920–21 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R18 January 1921 Wolverhampton WanderersA2–335,000Watkin, Burton

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Tom Kay 27010280
GKEngland Percy Knott 12000120
GKEngland Edwin Steventon 300030
DFEngland Percy Brooke 701080
DFEngland Jack Maddock 810081
DFScotland Bob McGrory 200020
DFEngland Alec Milne 42010430
DFEngland Billy Twemlow 300030
MFEngland Tom Brittleton 41410424
MFEngland George Clarke 41010420
MFScotland Bill Dickie 200020
MFEngland Reg Forester 700070
MFEngland Jack Moorwood 900090
MFEngland Charlie Parker 910091
MFEngland David Parkes 600060
MFEngland Dickie Smith 38110391
FWScotland David Brown 19410204
FWEngland Matthew Burton 511162
FWEngland Harry Crossthwaite 18010190
FWEngland Jack Helme 410041
FWScotland George Jarvis 200020
FWEngland Tommy Little 17100171
FWEngland James Martin 300030
FWScotland Jimmy McColl 27500275
FWEngland Syd Mellor 300030
FWEngland Louis Page 800080
FWEngland John Spencer 16000160
FWEngland Billy Tempest 3710103810
FWEngland Arthur Watkin 3515113616
FWEngland Albert Whitehurst 11200112

References

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