1968–69 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1968–69 season
Chairman Albert Henshall
Manager Tony Waddington
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 19th (33 Points)
FA Cup Fifth Round
League Cup Second Round
Top goalscorer League: Peter Dobing (8)
All: Peter Dobing (10)
Highest home attendance 30,630 vs Manchester United (23 November 1968)
Lowest home attendance 8,826 vs Sheffield Wednesday (22 April 1969)
Average home league attendance 18,984
Home colours

The 1968–69 season was Stoke City's 62nd season in the Football League and the 38th in the First Division.

Stoke failed to improve on last season's near miss and again were involved in a relegation scrap. Stoke won just nine matches all season and scored just 40 goals as they narrowly avoided relegation by three points.[1]

Season review

League

To address last season's lack of goals Waddington brought in Scottish international David Herd on a free transfer from Manchester United.[1] There was tragedy in October 1968 as reserve team goalkeeper Paul Shardlow suffered a heart attack in a training match and died.[1]

As the 1968–69 season began, once again Stoke found goals hard to come by, they only scored eight in their opening eleven league matches and although the feeling amongst the supporters was that the team was too good to be relegated they were lucky in the fact that Queens Park Rangers and Leicester City had poor seasons.[1] Stoke could only manage 19th place in a very uneventful season which saw champions Leeds United gain revenge for last season by beating Stoke 5–1 at the Victoria Ground.[1] It had been a nerve-wrecking season with Stoke seemingly involved in a relegation battle from the start, and thanks to some determined performances Stoke scrambled three points clear of the drop zone.[1] The 1968–69 season did, however mark the debut of Denis Smith who was later to become club captain and would have a major impact on the club's fortunes during the 1970s.[1]

At the end of the season in May 1969 Stoke City embarked on an end of season tour which saw them play against Congo Kinshasa (drew 1–1) and then on to Spain where they played against Catalonia giants Barcelona.[1] The match was played in front of 65,000 at the Camp Nou and Stoke shocked the prestigious hosts with a 3–2 victory.[1] David Herd scored twice and Harry Burrows hit a third to put Stoke into a 3–0 lead at half-time. Barcelona fought back after the break scoring twice but a superbly marshalled Stoke back line held on for a splendid victory.[1]

FA Cup

After unspectacular wins over Fourth Division sides York City and Halifax Town, Stoke lost 3–2 away at Chelsea.[1]

League Cup

Blackburn Rovers eliminated Stoke in a second round replay 1–0 after a 1–1 draw at Ewood Park, John Mahoney scoring for the "Potters".[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Leeds United422713266262.53867
2Liverpool422511663242.62561
3Everton422115677362.13957
4Arsenal422212856272.07456
5Chelsea4220101273531.37750
6Tottenham Hotspur4214171161511.19645
7Southampton4216131357481.18845
8West Ham United4213181166501.32044
9Newcastle United4215141361551.10944
10West Bromwich Albion4216111564670.95543
11Manchester United4215121557531.07542
12Ipswich Town4215111659600.98341
13Manchester City4215101764551.16440
14Burnley421591855820.67139
15Sheffield Wednesday4210161641540.75936
16Wolverhampton Wanderers4210151741580.70735
17Sunderland4211121943670.64234
18Nottingham Forest4210131945570.78933
19Stoke City429151840630.63533
20Coventry City4210112146640.71931
21Leicester City429122139680.57430
22Queens Park Rangers424102839950.41118

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 First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 10 August 1968 SunderlandH2–122,475Dobing, Stevenson
2 14 August 1968 West Ham UnitedH0–222,131
3 17 August 1968 Leeds UnitedA0–230,383
4 20 August 1968 LiverpoolA1–246,674Conroy
5 24 August 1968 Leicester CityH1–016,633Mahoney
6 28 August 1968 SouthamptonA0–220,712
7 31 August 1968 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–131,034Elder
8 7 September 1968 Manchester CityH1–022,013Conroy
9 14 September 1968 ArsenalA0–128,273
10 21 September 1968 Queens Park RangersH1–115,273Skeels
11 28 September 1968 Ipswich TownA1–320,943Dobing
12 5 October 1968 Nottingham ForestA3–321,510Stevenson, Burrows, Herd
13 9 October 1968 SouthamptonH1–014,105Allen
14 12 October 1968 BurnleyH1–314,160Mahoney
15 19 October 1968 EvertonA1–242,887Herd
16 26 October 1968 ChelseaH2–016,786Herd, Dobing
17 2 November 1968 Tottenham HotspurA1–133,309Herd
18 9 November 1968 Coventry CityH0–316,117
19 16 November 1968 West Bromwich AlbionA1–222,134Dobing
20 23 November 1968 Manchester UnitedH0–030,630
21 30 November 1968 Sheffield WednesdayA1–223,027Burrows
22 7 December 1968 Newcastle UnitedH1–011,594Herd
23 14 December 1968 BurnleyA1–110,003Herd
24 21 December 1968 EvertonH0–020,491
25 26 December 1968 Nottingham ForestH3–120,331Dobing, Conroy, Eastham
26 11 January 1969 Tottenham HotspurH1–121,728Conroy
27 1 February 1969 West Bromwich AlbionH1–120,567Conroy
28 1 March 1969 SunderlandA1–416,092Conroy
29 5 March 1969 ChelseaA0–119,856
30 8 March 1969 Leeds UnitedH1–524,327Burrows (pen)
31 15 March 1969 Leicester CityA0–024,987
32 18 March 1969 Coventry CityA1–125,097Herd
33 22 March 1969 Wolverhampton WanderersH4–119,574Herd, Conroy, Dobing (2)
34 24 March 1969 Manchester UnitedA1–139,931Stevenson
35 29 March 1969 Manchester CityA1–327,311Marsh
36 5 April 1969 Ipswich TownH2–115,022Herd, Dobing
37 7 April 1969 LiverpoolH0–027,389
38 8 April 1969 West Ham UnitedA0–026,577
39 12 April 1969 Queens Park RangersA1–212,489Hunt (o.g.)
40 19 April 1969 ArsenalH1–314,989Burrows
41 22 April 1969 Sheffield WednesdayH1–18,826Vernon
42 30 April 1969 Newcastle UnitedA0–527,526

FA Cup

Main article: 1968–69 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R34 January 1969 York CityA2–011,129Burrows (2)
R425 February 1969 Halifax TownH1–130,283Dobing
R4 Replay28 February 1969 Halifax TownA3–024,981Conroy (2), Burrows
R512 February 1969 ChelseaA2–339,191Burrows, Dobing

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R24 September 1968 Blackburn RoversA1–112,464Mahoney
R2 Replay11 September 1968 Blackburn RoversH0–113,747

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1Oldham AthleticA3–1
2Exeter CityA1–0
3Plymouth ArgyleA1–0
4Derby CountyH1–3
5BlackpoolA5–8
6Congo KinshasaA1–1
7GranadaA4–1
8PontevedraA0–2
9BarcelonaA3–2

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Gordon Banks 3004000340
GKEngland John Farmer 1200020140
DFEngland Tony Allen 17(3)1002019(3)1
DFEngland Bill Bentley 3(1)000003(1)0
DFEngland Alan Bloor 2904020350
DFNorthern Ireland Alex Elder 3814020441
DFEngland Tony Lacey 2(1)000103(1)0
DFEngland Jackie Marsh 28(2)1401033(2)1
DFEngland Mike Pejic 10000010
DFEngland Eric Skeels 35(1)1400(1)039(2)1
DFEngland Denis Smith 1400000140
MFEngland Mike Bernard 21(3)0400025(3)0
MFEngland Gerry Bridgwood 4(2)000105(2)0
MFRepublic of Ireland Terry Conroy 30(1)7421035(1)9
MFEngland George Eastham 26(1)1402032(1)1
MFWales John Mahoney 23(3)2002125(3)3
MFScotland Willie Stevenson 30(2)3002032(2)3
FWEngland Harry Burrows 3544400398
FWEngland Peter Dobing 40842204610
FWScotland David Herd 3594000399
FWWales Roy Vernon 5(3)100207(3)1
FWEngland John Worsdale 40000040
Own goals 1001

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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