The 1888–89 season was Stoke's first season in the Football League, Stoke becoming one of the 12 founder members.
There was a major change to English football in 1888–89 following the formation of the Football League. Stoke successfully joined the league along with 11 other professional football clubs. Managed by Harry Lockett Stoke struggled throughout the season and ended up finishing bottom of the table after managing just four victories.
Season review League Prior to the 1888–89 season clubs played in friendlies, Staffordshire Senior Cup and in the FA Cup which Stoke entered for the first time in 1883. However once a team has been knocked out of the cup there was little excitement for players and supporters and so a league format was advocated by the chairman of Aston Villa, William McGregor and in the spring of 1888 the Football League was formed with McGregor as its first president. Harry Lockett represented Stoke at the meeting in Anderton's Hall Hotel, London and was successful as three weeks later Stoke joined the league and Lockett was appointed as the league's first secretary which he went on to occupy from 1888 to 1902. Stoke's first league match was at the Victoria Ground against midlands rivals and FA Cup holders West Bromwich Albion. A crowd in excess of 4,500 attended the contest which was won 2–0 by the visitors thanks to late goals from Joe Wilson and George Woodhall which meant that the "Baggies" were the first side to be top of the table.
Stoke had the misfortune to finish bottom of the table, albeit on goal-average at the end of the first league season after only winning 4 of their 22 matches. These were 3–0 both home and away over Notts County the team who finished level on points with Stoke, 4–3 v Burnley and 2–1 against Blackburn Rovers. Frank Staton had the honour of scoring the club's first league goal which came in a 5–1 loss at Aston Villa. Stoke's first win was against Notts County on 22 September with two goals from Billy Tunncliffe and a strike from the clubs first Scottish player Bob McSkimming who went on be the leading goalscorer with six. Stoke's heaviest defeat was a 7–0 loss away at the eventual winners of both League and cup Preston North End. Two Stoke players failed to board the train on the morning of that game at Deepdale and so Preston agreed to loan two of their reserves (Bill Smalley and Alfred Dempsey) to make up the numbers. Alf Underwood and Bob McSkimming were Stoke's only ever-presents and Bill Rowley only missed one game. Stoke successfully applied for re-election to along with Burnley, Derby County and Notts County.
FA Cup On the same day as the first qualifying round Stoke's first team had an away match against Preston North End so Stoke's reserve side, the Stoke Swifts played the FA Cup tie against Warwick County which they lost 2–1.
Final league table
Results
Stoke's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers18 September 1888West Bromwich AlbionH0–24,524215 September 1888Aston VillaA1–53,000Staton322 September 1888Notts CountyH3–03,000Tunnicliffe (2), McSkimming429 September 1888AccringtonH2–45,000Staton, McSkimming56 October 1888Preston North EndA0–73,500613 October 1888Bolton WanderersA1–23,000Slater720 October 1888BurnleyH4–34,500Sloane, Tunnicliffe (2), Lawton827 October 1888Blackburn RoversA2–53,000McSkimming (2)93 November 1888Aston VillaH1–14,000Shutt1012 November 1888Preston North EndH0–34,5001117 November 1888Wolverhampton WanderersH0–12,5001224 November 1888Notts CountyA3–02,500McSkimming, Milarvie (2)131 December 1888Blackburn RoversH2–15,000McSkimming, Edge148 December 1888BurnleyA1–23,000Edge1515 December 1888EvertonH0–01,5001622 December 1888Wolverhampton WanderersA1–42,500Sloane1729 December 1888West Bromwich AlbionA0–24,9001812 January 1889EvertonA1–27,000Milarvie1919 January 1889Bolton WanderersH2–24,000Milarvie (2)2026 January 1889Derby CountyA1–23,000Edge216 April 1889Derby CountyH1–14,000Sayer2220 April 1889AccringtonA0–22,000
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersQR16 October 1888 Warwick CountyH1–21,500Wainwright
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Charlie Hassall001010GK Wilf Merritt100010GK Bill Rowley21000210FB George Bateman000000FB Albert Bourne001010FB Tommy Clare21000210FB Edgar Montford001010FB Alf Underwood22000220HB Albert Farmer001010HB Billy Hendry200020HB Will Holford001010HB Bob Ramsay21000210HB George Shutt21100211HB Elijah Smith21000210FW Charlie Baker100010FW Bob Barr300030FW Alfred Dempsey100010FW Alf Edge19310203FW Tom Forrester001010FW Freddie Gee100010FW Billy Hutchinson100010FW George Lawton13100131FW Bob McSkimming22600226FW Bob Milarvie15500155FW Harry Montford101020FW Thomas Moore100010FW Jimmy Sayer711081FW George Slater210021FW Jimmy Sloane11200112FW Bill Smalley100010FW Frank Staton420042FW Billy Tunnicliffe841094FW Tom Wainwright101121
References