1959–60 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1959–60 season
Chairman Albert Henshall
Manager Frank Taylor
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League Second Division 17th (35 Points)
FA Cup Third Round
Top goalscorer League: Dennis Wilshaw, Frank Bowyer (13)
All: Frank Bowyer (14)
Highest home attendance 27,212 vs Aston Villa (30 September 1959)
Lowest home attendance 4,070 vs Ipswich Town (30 April 1960)
Average home league attendance 14,506
Home colours

The 1959–60 season was Stoke City's 53rd season in the Football League and the 20th in the Second Division.

Stoke had a very poor end to an uneventful 1950s as for most of the season the side looked capable of mounting a promotion challenge but a truly awful run of results in March and April (10 straight defeats) meant that Stoke dropped down the table and only avoided relegation by five points as they finished in 17th position. At the end of the season new chairman Albert Hensall decided that a change of manager was needed and so sacked Frank Taylor and replaced him with Tony Waddington who would bring a new era to the club.[1]

Season review

League

The 1959–60 season began well with new signing from Burnley, Doug Newlands tormenting the Sunderland defence in a 3–1 victory.[1] But thereafter their form rate was erratic although Lincoln City were beaten 6–1 with Dennis Wilshaw grabbing a fine hat trick.[1] Soon after that win over Lincoln a 19-year-old Tony Allen won his first England cap.[1] But it was proving difficult on the pitch for Stoke as after a 1–0 home win against Plymouth Argyle on 27 February 1960 Stoke sat in 6th position in the table looking to start a push for promotion, but 10 matches later they were in 17th five points away from relegation.[1]

It was in defence where the problems lay as manager Frank Taylor used four different keepers one of which was Tommy Younger a fine keeper for Liverpool but in his ten matches for Stoke he lost nine of them conceding 22 goals and he quickly left.[1] Ken Thomson was sold to Middlesbrough and legendary striker Frank Bowyer decided to retire.[1]

However the biggest move at the end of the season was made by new chairman Alfred Henshall who decided that after eight years at the club it was time for a change of manager and so Frank Taylor was sacked.[1] In truth Stoke were as far away from top flight football than ever with crowds dropping and overall performances on the pitch had been the biggest disappointment.[1] Despite this Taylor was shocked at being fired and vowed never to be associated with football again.[1] In his place Henshall appointed Taylor's assistant Tony Waddington and Len Graham became Waddington's assistant.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke failed to make it past the third round this season losing 3–1 away at Preston North End in a replay.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGAPts
1Aston Villa42259889432.07059
2Cardiff City422312790621.45258
3Liverpool4220101290661.36450
4Sheffield United4219121168511.33350
5Middlesbrough4219101390641.40648
6Huddersfield Town421991473521.40447
7Charlton Athletic4217131290871.03447
8Rotherham United4217131261601.01747
9Bristol Rovers4218111372780.92347
10Leyton Orient4215141376611.24644
11Ipswich Town421961778681.14744
12Swansea Town4215101782840.97640
13Lincoln City421671975780.96239
14Brighton & Hove Albion4213121767760.88238
15Scunthorpe United4213101957710.80336
16Sunderland4212121852650.80036
17Stoke City421472166830.79535
18Derby County421472161770.79235
19Plymouth Argyle421392061890.68535
20Portsmouth4210122059770.76632
21Hull City4210102248760.63230
22Bristol City421152660970.61927

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 22 August 1959 SunderlandH3–120,471Cairns (pen), Bowyer, Newlands
2 27 August 1959 Leyton OrientA1–213,606King
3 29 August 1959 PortsmouthA2–224,627Bentley (2)
4 2 September 1959 Leyton OrientH2–119,124Bentley (2)
5 5 September 1959 Derby CountyH2–121,906Bowyer, Wilshaw
6 9 September 1959 Lincoln CityA0–38,868
7 12 September 1959 Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–317,630Wilshaw
8 16 September 1959 Lincoln CityH6–113,453Bentley (2), Wilshaw (3), Cunliffe
9 19 September 1959 Swansea TownA2–214,626Bentley, Newlands
10 26 September 1959 Bristol RoversH0–117,990
11 30 September 1959 Aston VillaH3–327,212Newlands (pen), King, Bowyer
12 3 October 1959 Ipswich TownA0–416,103
13 10 October 1959 Plymouth ArgyleA3–220,087King (2), Wilshaw
14 17 October 1959 LiverpoolH1–117,703Newlands (pen)
15 24 October 1959 Charlton AthleticA2–118,412Bowyer, King
16 31 October 1959 Bristol CityH1–314,439Newlands
17 7 November 1959 Scunthorpe UnitedA1–110,827Newlands
18 14 November 1959 Rotherham UnitedH2–310,238Bowyer, King
19 21 November 1959 Cardiff CityA4–421,500Bowyer, King (2), Newlands
20 28 November 1959 Hull CityH3–112,481King, Wilshaw (2)
21 5 December 1959 Sheffield UnitedA1–015,994Bowyer
22 12 December 1959 MiddlesbroughH2–515,212Bowyer, Howitt
23 19 December 1959 SunderlandA2–012,221Newlands, Cunliffe
24 26 December 1959 Huddersfield TownH1–120,183Cunliffe
25 28 December 1959 Huddersfield TownA3–225,783Bowyer, King, Howitt
26 2 January 1960 PortsmouthH4–016,653Bowyer (2), King, Howitt
27 16 January 1960 Derby CountyA0–213,639
28 23 January 1960 Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–112,811
29 6 February 1960 Swansea TownH4–211,713Ward (2), Howitt, Asprey
30 13 February 1960 Bristol RoversA1–311,421Ratcliffe
31 27 February 1960 Plymouth ArgyleH1–09,961Bentley
32 5 March 1960 LiverpoolA1–535,101Bentley
33 12 March 1960 Charlton AthleticH1–39,947Bowyer
34 17 March 1960 Hull CityA0–411,750
35 26 March 1960 Scunthorpe UnitedH1–36,223King
36 30 March 1960 Ipswich TownH1–24,070Wilshaw
37 2 April 1960 Rotherham UnitedA0–38,522
38 9 April 1960 Cardiff CityH0–19,548
39 16 April 1960 MiddlesbroughA0–117,161
40 18 April 1960 Aston VillaA1–225,000Bowyer
41 23 April 1960 Sheffield UnitedH1–27,995Wallace
42 30 April 1960 Bristol CityA2–18,722King, Williams (o.g.)

FA Cup

Main article: 1959–60 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R39 January 1960 Preston North EndH1–138,465Howitt
R3 Replay13 January 1960 Preston North EndA1–335,352Bowyer

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Wilf Hall 300030
GKEngland Geoff Hickson 10000100
GKEngland Bill Robertson 19020210
GKScotland Tommy Younger 10000100
DFEngland Tony Allen 39020410
DFEngland Ron Andrew 30020320
DFEngland John McCue 25020270
DFEngland Terry Ward 300030
DFEngland Eric Skeels 200020
DFScotland Ken Thomson 700070
DFEngland Denis Wilson 10000100
DFScotland Ron Wilson 700070
MFEngland Bill Asprey 36120381
MFScotland Bobby Cairns 28120301
MFEngland Edward Raynor 200020
FWAustralia John Anderson 400040
FWEngland Tony Bentley 13900139
FWEngland Frank Bowyer 3113113214
FWEngland John Cunliffe 25320273
FWScotland Bobby Howitt 21421235
FWEngland Johnny King 4213204413
FWScotland Doug Newlands 32820348
FWEngland Don Ratcliffe 31100311
FWEngland Jimmy Wallace 210021
FWEngland Derrick Ward 920092
FWEngland Dennis Wilshaw 21910229
Own goals 101

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
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