1958–59 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1958–59 season
Chairman Mr C. Salmon
Manager Frank Taylor
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Second Division 5th (49 Points)
FA Cup Fourth Round
Top goalscorer League: Dennis Wilshaw (15)
All: Dennis Wilshaw (18)
Highest home attendance 30,083 vs Leyton Orient (27 December 1958)
Lowest home attendance 6,855 vs Grimsby Town (25 April 1959)
Average home league attendance 17,249
Home colours

The 1958–59 season was Stoke City's 52nd season in the Football League and the 19th in the Second Division.

Manager Frank Taylor again decided not to make any signings in the summer of 1958 and was to regret that decision as Stoke crashed to a 6–1 defeat on the opening day of the season. However Stoke's fortunes started to improve and two decent unbeaten runs before the new year lifted Stoke into the promotion race. But just six wins in 1959 saw Stoke finish in 5th position, eleven points behind second placed Fulham.[1]

Season review

League

The rebuilding of the main stand at the Victoria Ground had been completed over the summer months and cost the club around £70,000 and whilst it was fine stand the supporters had hoped it would have cost less to avoid swallowing up the seasons transfer budget.[1] As a result, there were no major signings whatsoever for the 1958–59 season, and for the opening day match away at Fulham Stoke were without both Bobby Howitt and Tony Allen. They were badly missed as Stoke were hammered 6–1 by an impressive Fulham side led by Johnny Haynes.[1] After a poor start to their league campaign Stoke went on a nine match unbeaten run and didn't lose a match in December to lift Stoke to third in the table.[1] However following the turn of the year Stoke's form dropped and Sheffield Wednesday and Fulham pulled to far ahead as Stoke ended the season in 5th place.[1]

It had been a fairly uninspiring yet somewhat of a transitional season with Neville Coleman moving on to Crewe Alexandra for a modest fee after scoring 52 goals in 126 games for the club while three club legends Frank Bowyer, John McCue and Harry Oscroft where entering the veteran stage of their careers.[1] Before the season was out Oscroft was involved in a three-man swap, as he and Peter Ford move to Vale Park in exchange for John Cunliffe a left-winger who had a good career at Vale but failed to make an impression with Stoke.[1] John Sellars who missed the season due to an eye injury decided to retire and Stoke decided to end their season with a trip to Morocco.[1]

FA Cup

In the third round Dennis Wilshaw bagged a hat trick as Oldham Athletic were well beaten 5–1 before Ipswich Town came and frustrated Stoke and in the fourth round before nicking a 1–0 win.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Sheffield Wednesday422868106482.20862
2Fulham42276996611.57460
3Sheffield United422371282481.70853
4Liverpool422451387621.40353
5Stoke City422171472581.24149
6Bristol Rovers4218121280641.25048
7Derby County422081474711.04248
8Charlton Athletic421871792901.02243
9Cardiff City421871765651.00043
10Bristol City421771874701.05741
11Swansea Town421691779810.97541
12Brighton & Hove Albion4215111674900.82241
13Middlesbrough4215101787711.22540
14Huddersfield Town421681862551.12740
15Sunderland421681864750.85340
16Ipswich Town421761962770.80540
17Leyton Orient421482071780.91036
18Scunthorpe United421292155840.65533
19Lincoln City421172463930.67729
20Rotherham United421092342820.51229
21Grimsby Town429102362900.68928
22Barnsley421072555910.60427

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 Second Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 23 August 1958 FulhamA1–631,853Oscroft
2 27 August 1958 Sheffield WednesdayH3–024,126King, Cairns (pen), Bullock
3 30 August 1958 Lincoln CityH1–020,359Oscroft
4 30 August 1958 Sheffield WednesdayA1–423,622Oscroft
5 6 September 1958 SunderlandA1–331,894King (pen)
6 10 September 1958 Scunthorpe UnitedH4–317,824King, Bullock, Wilshaw (2)
7 13 September 1958 MiddlesbroughH3–124,867King, Oscroft, Ratcliffe
8 18 September 1958 Scunthorpe UnitedA1–114,232Bullock
9 20 September 1958 Swansea TownH3–020,196King, Wilshaw (2)
10 27 September 1958 Ipswich TownA2–017,569King, Wilshaw
11 4 October 1958 Bristol RoversH2–219,763Bowyer, Thomson
12 13 October 1958 Charlton AthleticA2–117,959King, Howitt
13 18 October 1958 Bristol CityH2–122,657King (pen), Thomson
14 22 October 1958 Derby CountyH2–120,456Bowyer, Wilshaw
15 25 October 1958 Cardiff CityA1–220,351King
16 1 November 1958 LiverpoolH0–226,919
17 8 November 1958 BarnsleyA1–212,080Oscroft
18 15 November 1958 Rotherham UnitedH3–015,263Oscroft, Howitt (2)
19 22 November 1958 Sheffield UnitedA1–218,636Anderson
20 29 November 1958 Brighton & Hove AlbionH3–013,251Wilshaw (2), Howitt
21 6 December 1958 Grimsby TownA2–29,255Howitt, Asprey
22 13 December 1958 Huddersfield TownH5–112,761Howitt, Wilshaw (2), Bowyer, Ward
23 20 December 1958 FulhamH4–118,457Howitt (2), Oscroft (2)
24 26 December 1958 Leyton OrientA1–012,173Ward
25 27 December 1958 Leyton OrientH3–230,083Asprey, Wilshaw (2)
26 3 January 1959 Lincoln CityA1–38,813Bowyer
27 31 January 1959 MiddlesbroughA0–018,869
28 7 February 1959 Swansea TownA0–111,123
29 16 February 1959 Ipswich TownH1–011,230King
30 21 February 1959 Bristol RoversA0–116,341
31 28 February 1959 BarnsleyH2–113,015Asprey, Wilshaw
32 7 March 1959 Bristol CityA1–215,673Howitt
33 14 March 1959 Cardiff CityH0–111,929
34 20 March 1959 LiverpoolA4–335,507Asprey, Wilshaw (2), White (o.g.)
35 28 March 1959 Charlton AthleticH2–114,115Howitt, King
36 30 March 1959 Derby CountyA0–324,342
37 4 April 1959 Rotherham UnitedA0–010,172
38 6 April 1959 SunderlandH0–07,513
39 11 April 1959 Sheffield UnitedH1–210,439Bullock
40 18 April 1959 Brighton & Hove AlbionA2–219,501Bowyer, Bullock
41 22 April 1959 Huddersfield TownA2–19,891Bowyer, Ward
42 25 April 1959 Grimsby TownH4–06,855Ward, Asprey, King (2)

FA Cup

Main article: 1958–59 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R34 January 1959 Oldham AthleticH5–122,035Howitt, Asprey, Wilshaw (3)
R48 January 1959 Ipswich TownH0–127,062

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1Port ValeA1–2
2Port ValeA4–0
3Crewe AlexandraA5–1
4BilstonA8–0
5AirdrieoniansH3–1
6First ViennaH1–1
7Macclesfield TownA2–0
8WAC CasablancaA3–1
9Royal Moroccan ArmyA5–0

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Wilf Hall 11020130
GKEngland Bill Robertson 31000310
DFEngland Tony Allen 36020380
DFEngland Ron Andrew 200020
DFEngland Peter Ford 700070
DFEngland John McCue 42020440
DFScotland Ken Thomson 38220402
MFEngland Bill Asprey 42521446
MFScotland Bobby Cairns 29120311
FWAustralia John Anderson 610061
FWEngland Tony Bentley 200020
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 24620266
FWEngland Peter Bullock 13500135
FWEngland Neville Coleman 800080
FWScotland Bobby Howitt 2710212911
FWEngland Johnny King 3313003313
FWEngland Harry Oscroft 28820308
FWEngland Don Ratcliffe 31100311
FWEngland Jimmy Wallace 600060
FWEngland Derrick Ward 15420174
FWEngland Dennis Wilshaw 3115233318
Own goals 101

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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