1943–44 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1943–44 season was Stoke City's ninth season in the non-competitive War League.

In 1939 World War II was declared and the Football League was cancelled. In its place were formed War Leagues and cups, based on geographical lines rather than based on previous league placement. However, none of these were considered to be competitive football, and thus their records are not recognised by the Football League and thus not included in official records.

Season review With the war now at its most demanding clubs had to rely on even more guest players and Stoke used the most players this season more than any other time during the war. With most senior players being called for military duty there was a largely youthful feel to Stoke squad for the 1943–44 season and it showed as they ended the first phase of the Football League North in an overall position of 34th (out of 50 teams) and in the second phase they finished in 13th. Freddie Steele hit an impressive 20 goals from just 9 matches including a double hat trick against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League North 1st Phase MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 23 August 1943 Aston VillaH0–26,0002 4 September 1943 Aston VillaA1–215,000Sale3 11 September 1943 Crewe AlexandraA1–24,905F Mountford4 18 September 1943 Crewe AlexandraH4–23,950Sale, Bowyer (2), G Mountford5 25 September 1943 Derby CountyH5–14,000Leuty (o.g.), Peppitt (2), G Mountford, Franklin6 2 October 1943 Derby CountyA2–28,000Bowyer, Liddle7 9 October 1943 Wolverhampton WanderersH5–05,119Bowyer, G Mountford (2), Basnett (2)8 16 October 1943 Wolverhampton WanderersA2–17,242Basnett (2)9 23 October 1943 BirminghamH1–15,000G Mountford10 30 October 1943 BirminghamA0–23,90011 6 November 1943 West Bromwich AlbionH3–33,520Sale (2), Liddle12 13 November 1943 West Bromwich AlbionA0–36,91213 20 November 1943 WrexhamA1–43,850Sale14 27 November 1943 WrexhamH7–33,000Sale (2), Basnett (2), Steele (2), Liddle15 4 December 1943 Crewe AlexandraH5–03,500Sale (2), Peppitt (2), Basnett16 11 December 1943 Crewe AlexandraA1–23,000Franklin17 18 December 1943 WalsallA2–41,147Clewlow, Rist (o.g.)18 28 December 1943 WalsallH0–16,022

Football League North 2nd Phase MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 18 March 1944 Leicester CityH2–53,279F Mountford, Sellars2 25 March 1944 Leicester CityA2–27,000Ormston, Bowyer3 10 April 1944 Crewe AlexandraA6–14,350Bowyer (2), Sale (2), F Mountford, Pointon4 29 April 1944 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–22,156Sale, Jackson5 6 May 1944 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–21,997Watkin

Football League War Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersQR 30 December 1943Wolverhampton WanderersA1–119,951SaleQR 1 January 1944Wolverhampton WanderersH9–36,798Steele (6), Sale (2), LiddleQR 8 January 1944Aston VillaH6–316,492Steele (3), Peppitt (3)QR 15 January 1944Aston VillaA2–032,000Kirton, OrmstonQR 22 January 1944BirminghamA1–41,750BasnettQR 29 January 1944BirminghamH4–120,000Steele (3), SaleQR 5 February 1944WalsallH5–14,000Sale (2), Ormston, Peppitt, Shelton (o.g.)QR 12 February 1944WalsallA2–01,986Sale, F Mountford QR 19 February 1944West Bromwich AlbionA8–25,000Sale (3), Steele (4), BowyerQR 26 February 1944West Bromwich AlbionH5–48,000Sale (2), Steele (2), G MountfordR1 1st leg 4 March 1944Aston VillaH4–511,508Sale (2), Steele (2)R1 2nd leg 11 March 1944Aston VillaA0–322,000

Midland Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR1 1st leg 1 April 1944Derby CountyA3–19,000Peppitt, Steele, BowyerR1 2nd leg 8 April 1944Derby CountyH1–17,000BasnettR2 1st leg 15 April 1944West Bromwich AlbionH1–13,434SaleR2 2nd leg 22 April 1944West Bromwich AlbionA1–37,202Southern (o.g.)

Squad statistics Pos.NameMatchesAppsGoalsGK Emmanuel Foster170GK Dennis Herod10GK Edgar Podmore10GK Norman Wilkinson80DF Harry Brigham160DF Sid Clewlow21DF Stuart Cowden30DF Doug Dunn10DF Neil Franklin342DF Jack Griffiths40DF Lol Hamlett100DF Eric Hayward60DF Bill Kinson180DF John McCue340DF John Sellars31DF Roy Shufflebottom10DF Cyril Watkin11MF Jack Edwards30MF Stanley Glover10MF Jock Kirton81MF Bobby Liddle254MF George Mountford196MF Jim Simpson20MF Frank Soo20MF Bobby Windsor20MF Edward Wordley10MF Bert Wright10FW Fred Basnett229FW Edwin Blunt10FW Frank Bowyer329FW Bill Caton20FW Roy Crossley30FW Stanley Harrison20FW John Jackson31FW Stanley Matthews30FW Alfred Massey20FW Frank Mountford294FW Alexander Ormston123FW Syd Peppitt119FW Bill Pointon21FW Tommy Sale3930FW Freddie Steele920FW Thomas Vallance10FW Ken West10

References