1907–08 Stoke F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Stoke 1907–08 Horace Austerberry Mr W Cowlishaw Victoria Ground Football League Second Division 10th (37 Points) FA Cup Fourth Round Tom Holford (12) Tom Holford (15) 12,000 vs Oldham Athletic (7 September 1907) 1,500 vs Leicester Fosse (27 April 1908) 5,825 1906–07 1908–09 a02040 a02040 a02040 FFFFFF a02040 The 1907–08 season was Stoke's 19th season in the Football League and first in the Second Division. Stoke now playing in the Second Division failed to mount a promotion challenge and finished in 10th place. However that was the least of Stoke's worries as financial problems dominated the season and ended with the club being put into liquidation and thus had to resign from the Football League. At long last local feeling was roused and attempts were made to raise £2,000 to take over the club, its buildings and remaining assets. Twelve local burghers stepped forward guided by Alfred Barker a former league referee and supporter of the club.Matthews Tony The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City 1994 Lion Press 0-9524151-0-0 A new board of seven directors was formed and in June 1908 re-branded the club as Stoke Football Club (1908). Barker's impressive efforts led to Stoke being included for re-election but lost out to Tottenham Hotspur and their exit from the Football League was sealed. Barker placed Stoke in the Birmingham & District League for the 1908–09 season. Season review League The 1907–08 season saw Stoke playing in the Second Division for the first time and they started their fixture programme disastrously, collecting just one point from their opening four games. They quickly dropped into the bottom two and although they picked up and eventually finished 10th, their highest spot throughout the campaign but generally it was not a good season. The Victoria Ground faithful witnessed only a few worthwhile performances, the best being a couple of 5–0 victories over Gainsborough Trinity and Grimsby Town and a 6–1 beating of Fulham. Newspaper reports described that win over Fulham as one of the best attacking displays by a Stoke side so far. FA Cup Stoke had a good run in the cup soundly beating Lincoln City 5–0, Gainsborough Trinity after three attempts and Portsmouth before losing to eventual winners Wolverhampton Wanderers in front of 31,800. Football League exit Finance was now a major problem within the club and following that cup exit to Wolves in February 1908 the fans deserted the team and crowds plummeted alarmingly. Only 2,000 bothered to turn up to see Barnsley beaten 4–0 and the takings at the gate amounted to just £40. It was now common knowledge that the books would not balance as wages repeatedly exceeded the poor gates receipts. Before the end of the season Tom Holford was sold to Manchester City as the directors turned to players to generate income. Only a few players with any real ability stayed with the club as Stoke's squad was sold off. Chairman Cowlishaw's last-ditch efforts to rally support failed and he immediately pulled Stoke out of the league, putting the company into liquidation. Cowlishaw left by stating: "The Potteries public do not deserve a football club if this is the way they show their support". At long last local feeling was roused and attempts were made to raise £2,000 to take over the club, its buildings and remaining assets. Twelve local burghers stepped forward guided by Alfred Barker a former league referee and supporter of the club. A new board of seven directors was formed and in June 1908 re-branded the club as Stoke Football Club (1908). Barker's impressive efforts led to Stoke being included for re-election but lost out Tottenham Hotspur and their exit from the Football League was confirmed. Barker placed Stoke in the Birmingham & District League for the 1908–09 season. Final league table Second Division y STK Results Stoke's score comes first Legend WinDrawLoss Football League Second Division 1907–08 Football League MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 2 September 1907 Chesterfield TownH1–13,000Watkins2 7 September 1907 Oldham AthleticH1–312,000Watkins3 9 September 1907 BurnleyA1–37,000Gallimore4 14 September 1907 Clapton OrientA0–35,0005 21 September 1907 Leeds CityH2–110,000Chalmers, Sturgess6 28 September 1907 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–29,0007 5 October 1907 Gainsborough TrinityH5–05,000Fielding, Holford (2), Watkins, Gemmell8 12 October 1907 Stockport CountyA2–16,000Holford, Watkins9 19 October 1907 GlossopH4–07,000Holford, Fielding, Gemmell, Baddeley10 26 October 1907 Leicester FosseA0–118,00011 2 November 1907 BlackpoolH3–17,000Holford, Baddeley (2)12 9 November 1907 Grimsby TownA0–14,00013 11 November 1907 Clapton OrientH3–05,000Holford (2), Baddeley14 16 November 1907 West Bromwich AlbionA0–110,00015 23 November 1907 Bradford CityH3–08,000Baddeley, Holford, Gallimore16 30 November 1907 Hull CityA1–27,000Holford17 7 December 1907 Derby CountyH0–36,00018 14 December 1907 Lincoln CityA2–1500Brown, Arrowsmith19 21 December 1907 FulhamH6–16,000Brown (3), Baddeley, Gallimore, Coxon20 26 December 1907 BurnleyH0–010,00021 28 December 1907 BarnsleyA1–02,000Gallimore22 4 January 1908 Oldham AthleticA1–310,000Brown23 18 January 1908 Leeds CityA1–010,000Baddeley24 25 January 1908 Wolverhampton WanderersH0–06,00025 8 February 1908 Stockport CountyH1–05,000Williams26 15 February 1908 GlossopA0–21,00027 29 February 1908 BlackpoolA0–14,00028 14 March 1908 West Bromwich AlbionH1–15,000Gallimore29 19 March 1908 Grimsby TownH5–03,000Gallimore, Holford (2), Davies (2)30 21 March 1908 Bradford CityA0–615,00031 28 March 1908 Hull CityH1–12,500Brown32 4 April 1908 Derby CountyA0–37,00033 11 April 1908 Lincoln CityH3–02,000Holford, Baddeley, Owen34 17 April 1908 Gainsborough TrinityA0–26,00035 18 April 1908 FulhamA1–515,000Brown36 20 April 1908 Chesterfield TownA4–23,000Brown, Baddeley, Chalmers (2)37 25 April 1908 BarnsleyH4–01,800Baddeley, Owen (3)38 27 April 1908 Leicester FosseH0–11,500 FA Cup 1907–08 FA Cup RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR111 January 1908 Lincoln CityH5–07,413Gallimore (2), Brown, Holford, Wilson (o.g.)R21 February 1908 Gainsborough TrinityH1–16,400Baddeley (pen)R2 Replay5 February 1908 Gainsborough TrinityA2–2 (aet)6,000Brown, BentleyR2 Second Replay10 February 1908 Gainsborough TrinityN3–15,000Brown, Holford, WatkinsR322 February 1908 PortsmouthA1–020,000HolfordR47 March 1908 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–131,800 Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGKENG Arthur Box33060390GKENG Fred Rathbone200020GKWAL 1807 Leigh Richmond Roose300030FBENG Charlie Burgess37060430FBENG William Cope25060310FBENG Ernest Mullineux13000130FBENG Harry Smith100010HBENG George Baddeley37461435HBENG Sam Baddeley100010HBENG Frank Bentley104151HBENG Joe Brough100010HBWAL 1807 Lloyd Davies200020HBENG Walter Rogers100010HBENG Albert Sturgess37160431HBENG Louis Williams33130361FWENG Arthur Arrowsmith7140111FWENG Amos Baddeley15600156FWENG Freddie Brown198632511FWSCO Jackie Chalmers930093FWENG Tom Coxon9130121FWENG William Davies10200102FWENG Ross Fielding27210282FWENG George Gallimore24652298FWSCO Jimmy Gemmell11200112FWENG Arthur Griffiths401050FWENG Tom Holford2912633515FWSCO James Morton000000FWENG Syd Owen540054FWWAL 1807 Mart Watkins17431205FWENG Bill Williamson500050–Own goals–0–1–1 References Category:Stoke City F.C. seasons Stoke