The 1984–85 season was Stoke City's 78th season in the Football League and 52nd in the First Division.

Bill Asprey was given the managerial position on a permanent basis by the board following the previous season's close escape. However Stoke won three of their 42 league matches managing to pick up 17 points, a record low which would stand for 21 years. Stoke scored 24 goals and conceded 91 giving them a goal difference of –67. Supporters stopped attending matches with crowds falling below 5,000. The season became known as The Holocaust season and Stoke would not gain a return to the top flight until 2008.

Season review

League The directors did not hesitate in appointing Bill Asprey on a full-time basis, but there was a shock for the supporters when it was announced that both Paul Maguire and Peter Hampton were being released. Asprey had decided to start building his own team but he knew that there was no money available for him and so a club once filled with international stars had to loan players from other clubs. As the season started goals were almost non-existent and by autumn Asprey had sold Robbie James for £100,000 to Queens Park Rangers so he could buy Keith Bertschin a proven goalscorer from Norwich City.

Still there was no improvement and as the season wore on Stoke struggled to even compete with their First Division rivals and it turned into a case of when and not if Stoke would be relegated. Stoke went down breaking almost every record available: fewest goals scored (24); fewest wins (3); and lowest points tally (17). Ian Painter was top goalscorer with six of which four were penalties. With the season drawing to a close Asprey was relieved of his duties as his health had been affected by the season's traumas and Tony Lacey took over the last eight matches losing all of them. Chairman Frank Edwards took the full brunt of the supporters protests following relegation before he died following a heart attack. Sandy Clubb took over from Edwards and he appointed Mick Mills as manager as the club began to rebuild in the Second Division.

FA Cup Luton Town knocked out Stoke after a replay in the third round.

League Cup Stoke were defeated by Third Division Rotherham United in the second round.

Final league table

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend WinDrawLoss

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 25 August 1984 Luton TownA0–28,6262 27 August 1984 Aston VillaH1–312,605Painter 44'3 1 September 1984 Sheffield WednesdayH2–113,032McIlroy 35', Heath 44'4 15 September 1984 Leicester CityH2–213,591Hemming 65', Bould 69'5 19 September 1984 Norwich CityA0–013,0516 22 September 1984 ArsenalA0–426,7587 29 September 1984 SunderlandH2–28,882Dyson 75', Bould 87'8 6 October 1984 Nottingham ForestA1–114,129Berry 11'9 13 October 1984 SouthamptonH1–39,643Heath 41'10 20 October 1984 West Ham UnitedH2–49,945Painter 81', Chamberlain 90'11 27 October 1984 Tottenham HotspurA0–423,47712 3 November 1984 LiverpoolH0–120,56713 10 November 1984 West Bromwich AlbionA0–212,25814 17 November 1984 EvertonA0–426,70515 24 November 1984 WatfordH1–310,564Painter 58' (pen)16 1 December 1984 Newcastle UnitedA1–221,135McIlroy 55'17 4 December 1984 Queens Park RangersA0–28,40318 8 December 1984 Ipswich TownH0–27,92519 15 December 1984 ChelseaA1–120,534Dyson 71'20 22 December 1984 Sheffield WednesdayA1–219,799Bould 45'21 26 December 1984 Manchester UnitedH2–121,013Painter 70' (pen), Saunders 75'22 29 December 1984 Queens Park RangersH0–210,81123 1 January 1985 Coventry CityA0–49,82924 12 January 1985 Leicester CityA0–010,11125 2 February 1985 SunderlandA0–114,76226 23 February 1985 LiverpoolA0–231,36827 2 March 1985 Tottenham HotspurH0–112,53328 12 March 1985 West Bromwich AlbionH0–06,99529 16 March 1985 SouthamptonA0–014,60830 23 March 1985 Nottingham ForestH1–47,453Parkin 10'31 27 March 1985 Aston VillaA0–210,87432 30 March 1985 ArsenalH2–07,371Painter 55' (pen), Dyson 62'33 6 April 1985 Manchester UnitedA0–542,94034 8 April 1985 Luton TownH0–46,98535 20 April 1985 EvertonH0–218,25836 24 April 1985 Norwich CityH2–34,597Bertschin 10', Saunders 90'37 27 April 1985 WatfordA0–214,58638 4 May 1985 Newcastle UnitedH0–17,08839 6 May 1985 Ipswich TownA1–514,150Bertschin 69'40 11 May 1985 ChelseaH0–18,90541 14 May 1985 West Ham UnitedA1–513,362Painter 63' (pen)42 17 May 1985 Coventry CityH0–16,930

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR35 January 1985 Luton TownA1–17,270Painter 78'R3 Replay9 January 1985 Luton TownH2–39,917Painter 47' (pen), Chamberlain 68'

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR2 1st Leg26 September 1984 Rotherham UnitedH1–28,221Saunders 65'R2 2nd Leg9 October 1984 Rotherham UnitedA1–16,898Painter 22'

Friendlies MatchOpponentVenueResult1Parkway ClaytonA4–12Cardiff CityA0–33Oldham AthleticA2–3

Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Paul Barron10000010GK Joe Corrigan90000090GK Peter Fox1400020160GK Stuart Roberts30200050GK Barry Siddall1500000150DF Steve Bould3832020423DF Aaron Callaghan2(3)000002(3)0DF Alan Dodd1600000160DF Paul Dyson3732020413DF Wayne Ebanks1000020120DF Chris Hemming14(2)1001015(2)1DF Robbie James800020100DF Tony Spearing90000090MF Carl Beeston10000010MF George Berry31(1)1000031(1)1MF Alan Hudson16(1)0201019(1)0MF Chris Maskery3402010370MF Sammy McIlroy3422000362MF Steve Parkin8(5)1201011(5)1MF Terry Williams20000020FW Keith Bertschin24(1)2200026(1)2FW Mark Chamberlain27(1)1212031(1)2FW Phil Heath34(2)2000(1)034(3)2FW Brendan O'Callaghan2002020240FW Ian Painter3862221429FW Carl Saunders17(6)20(2)02119(8)3

References