The 1938–39 season was Stoke City's 39th season in the Football League and the 25th in the First Division. It was the final full season of league football until 1946 due to World War II.
Stoke again made no major signings despite a very disappointing campaign last season. After a poor start Stoke began to play well during the season and finished in a respectable 7th place having collected 46 points almost equalling their best points tally of 47.
Season review
League Despite the scare of relegation last season, there were no significant new faces at the Victoria Ground for the 1938–39 season but Frank Soo took over captaincy from Arthur Turner. The fans did not share the club's confidence and their judgement appeared to be justified as the team spent the first three months of the season in the bottom four. Manager Bob McGrory's patience was wearing thin and he started to trim his squad, selling Charlie Scrimshaw to Middlesbrough for £3,000 and veteran Arthur Turner to Birmingham. To strengthen the attack, he recruited Arthur Griffiths and Patrick Gallacher but both players were struck down by injury after a handful of appearances.
New players or not, an amazing transformation took place and had Stoke beaten Leeds on the final day of the season and not drawn, they would have equalled their best points tally of 47. At home in particular they became a potent force and lost just twice at the Victoria Ground during the season.
FA Cup No progress was made in the Cup as Stoke lost in a third round replay to Leicester City.
Final league table
Results
Stoke's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League First Division
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 27 August 1938 Leicester CityA2–225,000Steele (2)2 29 August 1938 Charlton AthleticA2–427,000Steele, Baker3 3 September 1938 MiddlesbroughH1–322,376Steele4 5 September 1938 Leeds UnitedH1–115,950Steele5 10 September 1938 BirminghamA2–122,000Smith, Baker6 17 September 1938 Manchester UnitedH1–121,370Soo7 24 September 1938 Derby CountyA0–520,0008 1 October 1938 ChelseaA1–128,000Westland9 8 October 1938 Preston North EndH3–120,070Matthews, Sale, Soo10 15 October 1938 BrentfordH3–223,436Smith, Sale, Baker11 22 October 1938 BlackpoolA1–125,000Baker12 29 October 1938 Grimsby TownH1–219,833Matthews13 5 November 1938 SunderlandA0–325,00014 12 November 1938 Aston VillaH3–129,464Antonio, Sale, Baker15 19 November 1938 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–330,10416 26 November 1938 EvertonH0–026,56617 3 December 1938 Huddersfield TownA4–112,000Sale (3), Steele18 10 December 1938 PortsmouthH1–121,882Steele19 17 December 1938 ArsenalA1–445,000Steele20 24 December 1938 Leicester CityH1–015,201Steele21 26 December 1938 LiverpoolH3–118,027Sale (2), Baker22 27 December 1938 LiverpoolA0–148,00023 31 December 1938 MiddlesbroughA1–512,000Peppitt24 2 January 1939 Bolton WanderersA3–115,000Peppitt, Baker, Antonio25 14 January 1939 BirminghamH6–320,000Steele (4), Smith, Sale26 21 January 1939 Manchester UnitedA1–025,000Steele27 28 January 1939 Derby CountyH3–033,000Steele, Smith, Sale28 4 February 1939 ChelseaH6–125,047Steele (3), Smith, Sale, Baker29 15 February 1939 Preston North EndA1–115,000Smith30 18 February 1939 BrentfordA0–122,00031 25 February 1939 BlackpoolH1–122,720Steele32 7 March 1939 Grimsby TownA1–35,000Baker33 11 March 1939 SunderlandH3–124,000Steele (2), Sale34 18 March 1939 Aston VillaA0–335,00035 29 March 1939 Wolverhampton WanderersH5–335,000Sale (3), Steele, Antonio36 1 April 1939 EvertonA1–130,000Sale37 8 April 1939 Huddersfield TownH2–226,014Sale, Steele38 10 April 1939 Bolton WanderersH4–128,879Sale, Steele (2), Baker39 15 April 1939 PortsmouthA0–213,00040 22 April 1939 ArsenalH1–013,000Antonio41 29 April 1939 Charlton AthleticH1–024,000Steele42 6 May 1939 Leeds UnitedA0–018,000
FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR37 January 1939 Leicester CityA1–119,750SooR3 Replay11 January 1939 Leicester CityH1–218,488Steele
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK David Jones100010GK Douglas Westland300030GK Norman Wilkinson38020400DF John Bamber13000130DF Harry Brigham39020410DF Jack Challinor12000120DF Ernest Hall000000DF George Oldham200020DF Charlie Scrimshaw400040DF Jack Tennant26020280DF Bill Winstanley100010MF Arthur Griffiths400040MF Jock Kirton36020380MF Alfred Massey200020MF Billy Mould22020240MF Clement Smith20600206MF Frank Soo42221443MF Arthur Turner11000110MF Arthur Tutin300030FW George Antonio23420254FW Frank Baker3610203810FW Syd Fursland100010FW Patrick Gallacher301040FW Eric Jones000000FW Bobby Liddle200020FW Stanley Matthews36220382FW Alexander Ormston9010100FW Syd Peppitt620062FW Tommy Sale3418003418FW Freddie Steele3126213327FW James Westland210021
References