The 1914–15 season was Stoke's sixth and final season in the Southern Football League.
After the resignation of chairman Hurst and manager Alfred Barker, the board elected Mr E. Reynish as the new chairman and brought in Scotsman Peter Hodge as the club's new manager. With war on the horizon, there was debate as to whether football should be cancelled; it was not, but a number of clubs in the Southern League Division Two withdrew, claiming it to be 'unpatriotic'. Stoke had a good season and won the division with 38 points, which prompted the club to seek re-election to the Football League. They were successful in their efforts and after seven seasons Stoke could finally reclaim their place in the Football League. However, at the end of the season the league was indeed cancelled due to the war and Stoke would have to wait until 1919 to play league football.
Season review
League The 1914–15 season opened up against the backdrop of World War I and there was a lot of debate to whether the football should continue. The season started but after a number of games several clubs resigned from the Southern League claiming it to be unpatriotic. These teams were Abertillery, Caerphilly, Leyton and Mardy. Their records were expunged and results against these clubs were void.
Stoke, now under the management of 39-year-old Peter Hodge the former boss of Raith Rovers, led the Division from virtually from the start. There was a familiar feeling to the squad with Dick Hope and Fred McCarthy the only players to come from outside the local area. Two departures in 1914 were William Smith whose long term leg injury got the better of him and skipper Ernest Mullineux. An impressive start was made to the 1914–15 season and a draw against Brentford on Christmas Day was only the third point Stoke had dropped. Stoke went on to comfortably claim the league title. There was also the emergence of Arthur Watkin who top scored with 24 league goals.
Stoke's success prompted them to apply for election to the Football League at the annual general meeting held on 19 July 1915. The bottom two clubs Leicester Fosse and Glossop North End, were obliged to seek re-election, but Glossop only secured one vote, while Stoke took 21 and saw them duly re-instated in the league. Later on in the meeting it was also announced that the League would be cancelled due to World War I and Stoke would have to wait longer to re-claim their place in the Football League.
FA Cup Stoke recorded their largest FA Cup victory this season an 11–0 victory over Stourbridge albeit in the preliminary round. Stoke went on to beat Birmingham Corporation Tramways and Brierley Hill Alliance before losing to Walsall.
Final league table
Results
Stoke's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Southern Football League Division Two
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 12 September 1914 Coventry CityA3–12,000McCarthy, Herbert, Hargreaves2 17 September 1914 Swansea TownH1–03,000McCarthy3 19 September 1914 Ebbw ValeA1–02,000Hargreaves4 22 September 1914 BarryH2–05,000Tempest, Jones5 3 October 1914 Ton PentreH4–15,000McCarthy, Parker, Watkin (2)6 17 October 1914 Stalybridge CelticA0–14,0007 21 October 1914 Merthyr TownH4–05,000McCarthy, Herbert, Tempest, Bradley8 14 November 1914 LlanelliH3–14,000Watkin (3)9 21 November 1914 PontypriddA1–02,000Watkin10 28 November 1914 Mid RhonddaH8–04,000Watkin (3), A Smith, Tempest, D Smith (2), Holmes (o.g.)11 5 December 1914 Newport CountyA1–03,000Watkin12 12 December 1914 PontypriddH5–04,000Watkin (2), D Smith (2), Murray (o.g.)13 25 December 1914 BrentfordA2–23,000D Smith (2)14 26 December 1914 BrentfordH3–08,000Jones, A Smith, Watkin15 9 January 1915 Newport CountyH3–13,500Watkin, Tempest, Hargreaves16 16 January 1915 Coventry CityH5–15,000Watkin (3), Tempest, A Smith17 23 January 1915 BarryA0–02,00018 6 February 1915 Ton PentreA1–01,000D Smith19 6 March 1915 Merthyr TownA0–03,00020 13 March 1915 Stalybridge CelticH1–16,000Watkin21 20 March 1915 LlanelliA2–12,000Watkin, Jones22 3 April 1915 Mid RhonddaA2–41,000D Smith (2)23 5 April 1915 Ebbw ValeH10–03,000D Smith, A Smith (4), Watkin (5)24 24 April 1915 Swansea TownA0–14,000
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersPR26 September 1914 StourbridgeH11–01,500Herbert (2), Watkin (5), Hargreaves, McCarthy (3)1QR10 October 1914 Birmingham Corporation TramwaysA3–21,000Parker, Watkin (2)2QR24 October 1914 Brierley Hill AllianceH1–02,000McCarthy3QR7 November 1914 WalsallA0–13,500
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Bert Gadsden602080GK Richard Herron18020200DF Alec Milne24040280DF George Turner24140281MF Sam Baddeley101020MF James Bradley18140221MF Joe Jones24330273MF Charlie Parker22141262MF Stan Ripley100010FW Tom Bailey600060FW Reg Forester001010FW Henry Hargreaves23441275FW Dick Hope200020FW Billy Herbert7242114FW Fred McCarthy7534109FW Alf Smith18700187FW Dick Smith1710001710FW Billy Tempest24640286FW Billy Tompkinson100010FW Arthur Watkin2024472431–Own goals–2–0–2
References