The 1951–52 season was Stoke City's 45th season in the Football League and the 31st in the First Division.
Stoke made a truly awful start to the 1951–52 season claiming just a single point from the first eleven matches. Results slowly started to improve and back-to-back home wins in the final two matches saw Stoke survive relegation.
Season review
League In the summer of 1951 there was a major change at boardroom level at Stoke as chairman Mr H. Booth stepped down after 15 years and Mr T. Preece took over in temporary charge. Stoke suffered an opening day mauling at Newcastle United losing 6–0 and it set the tone for a woeful start to the season as they took just two points from the first 22 on offer, finding themselves firmly bedded at the foot of the division. McGrory went out and spent £45,000 on three new players to arrest the decline, he exchanged Albert Mullard plus £10,000 for Alan Martin another £10,000 for Billy McIntosh and again smashed the club's transfer record with the purchase of Northern Irish striker Sammy Smyth for a fee of £25,000. Smyth certainly had the desired impact scoring 12 goals becoming top scorer for the season.
After these arrivals Stoke's form improved and with five straight wins Stoke caught up with the rest of the division however four defeats later they found themselves unable to pull away from a relegation fight. A cruel 5–4 defeat at home to Newcastle did not help, but Stoke somehow managed to take the fight to the final two matches of the season. Stoke had the worst goal average in the division but with both Fulham and Huddersfield Town in terrible form Stoke knew that two more wins would see them safe and that's what they managed leaving them three points clear of Huddersfield.
One interesting scoreline this season came in the League match at Villa Park on 16 February 1952. Aston Villa were on the fringe of forcing themselves in the title race but they came unstuck against a determined Stoke side and lost 3–2. On the scoresheet for the "Potters" was their goalkeeper Dennis Herod who had broken his arm earlier during the match and so swapped positions with left winger Sammy Smyth and went on to score the winning goal five minutes after half time.
FA Cup After a good win over Sunderland in the third round Stoke were humbled by Third Division South side Swindon Town in a replay.
Final league table
Results
Stoke's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League First Division
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 18 August 1951 Newcastle UnitedA0–640,1272 20 August 1951 West Bromwich AlbionH1–122,696Oscroft3 25 August 1951 Bolton WanderersH1–222,442Malkin4 29 August 1951 West Bromwich AlbionA0–118,9035 1 September 1951 Derby CountyA2–420,243Oscroft, Mullard6 3 September 1951 FulhamH1–121,000Malkin7 8 September 1951 Manchester UnitedA0–443,6608 12 September 1951 FulhamA0–516,5009 15 September 1951 Tottenham HotspurH1–627,000Oscroft10 17 September 1951 Charlton AthleticH1–217,500McIntosh11 22 September 1951 Preston North EndA0–229,98012 29 September 1951 BurnleyH2–128,577Siddall, Martin13 6 October 1951 Aston VillaH4–132,455Smyth, Oscroft (2), Moss (o.g.)14 13 October 1951 SunderlandA1–041,826Smyth15 20 October 1951 Wolverhampton WanderersH1–043,205Oscroft16 27 October 1951 Huddersfield TownA2–019,495Smyth (2)17 3 November 1951 ChelseaH1–230,000Smyth18 10 November 1951 PortsmouthA1–430,223Oscroft19 17 November 1951 LiverpoolH1–224,000Smyth20 24 November 1951 BlackpoolA2–419,892McIntosh (2)21 1 December 1951 ArsenalH2–130,000Sellars (2) (1 Pen)22 8 December 1951 Manchester CityA1–020,397Smyth23 15 December 1951 Newcastle UnitedH4–525,393Smyth (2), Oscroft, Siddall24 22 December 1951 Bolton WanderersA1–120,088Smyth25 26 December 1951 MiddlesbroughA0–327,05526 29 December 1951 Derby CountyH3–127,000Malkin, Oscroft, Smyth27 5 January 1952 Manchester UnitedH0–036,38928 19 January 1952 Tottenham HotspurA0–245,17629 26 January 1952 Preston North EndH0–025,00030 9 February 1952 BurnleyA0–429,97131 16 February 1952 Aston VillaA3–240,000Sellars, Oscroft, Herod32 1 March 1952 SunderlandH1–124,208Sellars33 8 March 1952 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–333,00034 15 March 1952 Huddersfield TownH0–019,00035 22 March 1952 ChelseaA0–130,00036 29 March 1952 PortsmouthH2–011,375Martin, McIntosh37 5 April 1952 LiverpoolA1–230,000McIntosh38 12 April 1952 BlackpoolH2–330,000Martin, Siddall39 14 April 1952 Charlton AthleticA0–420,00040 19 April 1952 ArsenalA1–447,962Mountford (pen)41 26 April 1952 Manchester CityH3–125,000Siddall, Smyth, Bowyer42 3 May 1952 MiddlesbroughH3–210,993Brown (2), McCue
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR312 January 1952 SunderlandA0–045,099R3 Replay14 January 1952 SunderlandH3–131,841Smyth, McIntosh, MalkinR42 February 1952 Swindon TownA1–128,140SmythR4 Replay4 February 1952 Swindon TownH0–129,332
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Ray Evans000000GK Dennis Herod29140331GK Norman Wilkinson13000130DF Roy Beckett300030DF Eric Hampson500050DF John McCue42140461DF Billy Mould23040270DF Cyril Watkin11000110MF Roy Brown15200152MF Jock Kirton41040450MF Frank Mountford28130311MF John Sellars23440274FW Stan Bevans200020FW Frank Bowyer15140191FW Leslie Johnston900090FW John Malkin28441325FW Alan Martin34240382FW Billy McIntosh24511256FW George Mountford21000210FW Albert Mullard710071FW Alexander Ormston200020FW Harry Oscroft4010404410FW Brian Siddall20400204FW Sammy Smyth2612423014FW Donald Whiston100010–Own goals–1–0–1
References