1939–40 Stoke City F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Stoke City 1939–40 Bob McGrory Mr H. Booth Victoria Ground War League West Regional Championship 1st Football League War Cup Third Round Tommy Sale (24) 16,268 vs Charlton Athletic (26 August 1939) 714 vs Tranmere Rovers (6 January 1940) 1938–39 1940–41 _red_stripes _red_stripes _red_stripes _band_red FFFFFF 000000 The 1939–40 season was Stoke City's fifth season in the non-competitive War League.Matthews Tony The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City 1994 Lion Press 0-9524151-0-0 It would have been their 26th season in the Football League First Division but after just three matches the League was cancelled due to World War II. 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 Stoke started the 1939–40 season with a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Football League Jubilee Fund losing 4–2. The Stoke players wore squad numbers for the first time in this match. After just three First Division matches had been played the Football League was cancelled and although a regional war-league was set up attendances suffered alarmingly. Stoke had looked a useful side with a lot of young, talented players before the hostilities came along and ruined the careers of many and from October 1939 to May 1946 the club missed out on what could have been a successful seven-year period. With the cancellation of the league action, the re-organised competitions started on 21 October 1939, with 82 of the 88 clubs participating. Stoke drew their first match 4–4 with Everton with Tommy Sale scoring a fine hat-trick. With players being called up for military duty and with travelling very difficult plus the fact that Stanley Matthews was in heavy demand for guest matches team selection was never easy for Bob McGrory. Stoke brought in their own guest players to the Victoria Ground and they proved to be very successful as Stoke won the 1939–40 Western League finishing two points ahead of Liverpool. Final league table West Regional Championship main WDL Q 2 y STK STK Stoke City LIV Liverpool EVE Everton MU Manchester United MC Manchester City WRE Wrexham NBR New Brighton PTV Port Vale CHE Chester CRE Crewe Alexandra STP Stockport County TRA Tranmere Rovers 13 5 4 57 41 12 5 5 66 40 12 4 6 64 33 14 0 8 74 41 12 4 6 73 41 10 5 7 45 50 10 3 9 55 52 10 2 10 52 56 7 5 10 40 51 6 1 15 44 79 4 3 15 45 79 2 3 17 41 93 complete First Division Note: The Football League was cancelled after three matches. main WDL Q 2 y STK BLP Blackpool SHE Sheffield United ARS Arsenal LIV Liverpool EVE Everton BOL Bolton Wanderers DER Derby County CHA Charlton Athletic STK Stoke City MU Manchester United CHL Chelsea BRE Brentford GRI Grimsby Town AST Aston Villa SUN Sunderland WOL Wolverhampton Wanderers HUD Huddersfield Town POR Portsmouth PNE Preston North End BLB Blackburn Rovers MID Middlesbrough LEE Leeds United 3 0 0 5 2 2 1 0 3 1 2 1 0 8 4 2 0 1 6 3 1 2 0 5 4 2 0 1 6 5 2 0 1 3 3 2 0 1 3 4 1 1 1 7 4 1 1 1 5 3 1 1 1 4 4 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 1 2 4 1 0 2 3 3 1 0 2 6 7 0 2 1 3 4 1 0 2 2 3 1 0 2 3 5 0 2 1 0 2 0 1 2 3 5 0 1 2 3 8 0 1 2 0 2 complete Results Stoke's score comes first Legend WinDrawLoss Football League Jubilee Fund DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 19 August 1939 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–46,440Sale (2) Football League First Division 1939–40 Football League MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 26 August 1939 Charlton AthleticH4–016,268Soo, Sale, Smith (2)2 28 August 1939 Bolton WanderersH1–213,067Gallacher3 2 September 1939 MiddlesbroughA2–212,088Sale (2) West Regional Championship MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 21 October 1939 EvertonA4–43,998Sale (3), Liddle2 28 October 1939 Stockport CountyH4–22,100Sale, Soo, Ormston, Matthews3 4 November 1939 WrexhamA4–43,959Peppitt (2), Smith, Ormston4 11 November 1939 New BrightonH4–12,401Ormston (2), Sale (2)5 18 November 1939 Manchester CityA1–18,038Sale (pen)6 25 November 1939 ChesterH2–01,425Sale, Peppitt7 2 December 1939 Crewe AlexandraA2–43,403Sale (2)8 9 December 1939 LiverpoolH3–11,269Sale, Liddle, Matthews9 6 January 1940 Tranmere RoversH1–0714Peppitt10 20 January 1940 Manchester UnitedA3–42,884Peppitt, Sale, Bowyer11 10 February 1940 EvertonH1–08,910Sale12 24 February 1940 Stockport CountyA5–12,037Peppitt (4), Soo13 2 March 1940 WrexhamH3–12,974Ormston (2), Steele 14 9 March 1940 New BrightonA1–31,357Baker15 16 March 1940 Manchester CityH2–13,520Sale, Smith16 23 March 1940 ChesterA3–34,116Peppitt, Ormston17 25 March 1940 Port ValeH5–19,450Ormston (2), Sale, Own Goal (2)18 30 March 1940 Crewe AlexandraH1–12,460Sale19 6 April 1940 LiverpoolA2–15,130Steele, Peppitt20 6 May 1940 Port ValeA2–15,130Steele, Sale21 13 May 1940 Tranmere RoversA1–52,434Mountford22 25 May 1940 Manchester UnitedH3–23,227Peppitt (2), Ormston Football League War Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR1 1st Leg 20 April 1940New BrightonA4–15,289Sale, Steele (3)R1 2nd Leg 27 April 1940New BrightonH2–13,654Sale, SteeleR2 1st Leg 4 May 1940BarrowA2–011,870Steele (2)R2 2nd Leg 11 May 1940BarrowH6–111,870Steele, Sale (2), Ormston, Peppitt, LiddleR3 18 May 1940EvertonA0–13,557 Friendlies MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 16 September 1939 Coventry CityH3–14,647Baker, Sale, Peppitt2 23 September 1939 Port ValeH3–24,512Baker, Sale, Ormston3 30 September 1939 West Bromwich AlbionA0–61,5154 7 October 1939 Manchester UnitedH2–23,418Antonio, Own Goal5 14 October 1939 BirminghamH3–22,171Smith, Westland (2)6 16 December 1939 Sheffield WednesdayA2–12,035Sale, Liddle7 25 December 1939 Bolton WanderersA0–31,7078 25 December 1939 Bolton WanderersA1–52,932Ormston9 30 December 1939 BuryA6–7700Sale (3), Baker, Peppitt, Matthews10 13 January 1940 Preston North EndA1–2956Sale (pen)11 22 March 1940 ChesterfieldA1–34,525Peppitt12 13 April 1940 Nottingham ForestA3–22,224Sale (3) Squad statistics Pos.NameMatchesAppsGoalsGKENG Pat Bridges10GKWAL 1807 David Jones190GKSCO Pat McMahon30GKSCO Douglas Westland30GKENG Norman Wilkinson40DFENG Harry Brigham300DFENG Neil Franklin10DFENG Jack Griffiths90DFENG John McCue 10DFENG Jimmy Oakes40DFENG Charlie Scrimshaw100DFENG Jack Tennant50MFENG Bobby Liddle 223MFSCO Jock Kirton80MFENG Alfred Massey130MFENG Billy Mould290MFENG Arthur Tutin50FWENG George Antonio10FWENG Frank Baker71FWENG Frank Bowyer10FWSCO Patrick Gallacher31FWENG Stanley Matthews192FWENG Frank Mountford11FWENG Alexander Ormston2611FWENG Syd Peppitt2515FWENG Tommy Sale2824FWENG Clement Smith104FWENG Frank Soo283FWENG Freddie Steele910FWSCO James Westland10 References Category:Stoke City F.C. seasons Stoke City