The 1939–40 season was Stoke City's fifth season in the non-competitive War League. It would have been their 26th season in the Football League First Division but after just three matches the League was cancelled due to World War II.
In 1939 World War II was declared and the Football League was cancelled. In its place were formed War Leagues and cups, based on geographical lines rather than based on previous league placement. However, none of these were considered to be competitive football, and thus their records are not recognised by the Football League and thus not included in official records.
Season review Stoke started the 1939–40 season with a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Football League Jubilee Fund losing 4–2. The Stoke players wore squad numbers for the first time in this match. After just three First Division matches had been played the Football League was cancelled and although a regional war-league was set up attendances suffered alarmingly. Stoke had looked a useful side with a lot of young, talented players before the hostilities came along and ruined the careers of many and from October 1939 to May 1946 the club missed out on what could have been a successful seven-year period.
With the cancellation of the league action, the re-organised competitions started on 21 October 1939, with 82 of the 88 clubs participating. Stoke drew their first match 4–4 with Everton with Tommy Sale scoring a fine hat-trick. With players being called up for military duty and with travelling very difficult plus the fact that Stanley Matthews was in heavy demand for guest matches team selection was never easy for Bob McGrory. Stoke brought in their own guest players to the Victoria Ground and they proved to be very successful as Stoke won the 1939–40 Western League finishing two points ahead of Liverpool.
Final league table
West Regional Championship
First Division Note: The Football League was cancelled after three matches.
Results
Stoke's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Football League Jubilee Fund
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 19 August 1939 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–46,440Sale (2)
Football League First Division
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 26 August 1939 Charlton AthleticH4–016,268Soo, Sale, Smith (2)2 28 August 1939 Bolton WanderersH1–213,067Gallacher3 2 September 1939 MiddlesbroughA2–212,088Sale (2)
West Regional Championship
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 21 October 1939 EvertonA4–43,998Sale (3), Liddle2 28 October 1939 Stockport CountyH4–22,100Sale, Soo, Ormston, Matthews3 4 November 1939 WrexhamA4–43,959Peppitt (2), Smith, Ormston4 11 November 1939 New BrightonH4–12,401Ormston (2), Sale (2)5 18 November 1939 Manchester CityA1–18,038Sale (pen)6 25 November 1939 ChesterH2–01,425Sale, Peppitt7 2 December 1939 Crewe AlexandraA2–43,403Sale (2)8 9 December 1939 LiverpoolH3–11,269Sale, Liddle, Matthews9 6 January 1940 Tranmere RoversH1–0714Peppitt10 20 January 1940 Manchester UnitedA3–42,884Peppitt, Sale, Bowyer11 10 February 1940 EvertonH1–08,910Sale12 24 February 1940 Stockport CountyA5–12,037Peppitt (4), Soo13 2 March 1940 WrexhamH3–12,974Ormston (2), Steele 14 9 March 1940 New BrightonA1–31,357Baker15 16 March 1940 Manchester CityH2–13,520Sale, Smith16 23 March 1940 ChesterA3–34,116Peppitt, Ormston17 25 March 1940 Port ValeH5–19,450Ormston (2), Sale, Own Goal (2)18 30 March 1940 Crewe AlexandraH1–12,460Sale19 6 April 1940 LiverpoolA2–15,130Steele, Peppitt20 6 May 1940 Port ValeA2–15,130Steele, Sale21 13 May 1940 Tranmere RoversA1–52,434Mountford22 25 May 1940 Manchester UnitedH3–23,227Peppitt (2), Ormston
Football League War Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR1 1st Leg 20 April 1940New BrightonA4–15,289Sale, Steele (3)R1 2nd Leg 27 April 1940New BrightonH2–13,654Sale, SteeleR2 1st Leg 4 May 1940BarrowA2–011,870Steele (2)R2 2nd Leg 11 May 1940BarrowH6–111,870Steele, Sale (2), Ormston, Peppitt, LiddleR3 18 May 1940EvertonA0–13,557
Friendlies
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 16 September 1939 Coventry CityH3–14,647Baker, Sale, Peppitt2 23 September 1939 Port ValeH3–24,512Baker, Sale, Ormston3 30 September 1939 West Bromwich AlbionA0–61,5154 7 October 1939 Manchester UnitedH2–23,418Antonio, Own Goal5 14 October 1939 BirminghamH3–22,171Smith, Westland (2)6 16 December 1939 Sheffield WednesdayA2–12,035Sale, Liddle7 25 December 1939 Bolton WanderersA0–31,7078 25 December 1939 Bolton WanderersA1–52,932Ormston9 30 December 1939 BuryA6–7700Sale (3), Baker, Peppitt, Matthews10 13 January 1940 Preston North EndA1–2956Sale (pen)11 22 March 1940 ChesterfieldA1–34,525Peppitt12 13 April 1940 Nottingham ForestA3–22,224Sale (3)
Squad statistics Pos.NameMatchesAppsGoalsGK Pat Bridges10GK David Jones190GK Pat McMahon30GK Douglas Westland30GK Norman Wilkinson40DF Harry Brigham300DF Neil Franklin10DF Jack Griffiths90DF John McCue 10DF Jimmy Oakes40DF Charlie Scrimshaw100DF Jack Tennant50MF Bobby Liddle 223MF Jock Kirton80MF Alfred Massey130MF Billy Mould290MF Arthur Tutin50FW George Antonio10FW Frank Baker71FW Frank Bowyer10FW Patrick Gallacher31FW Stanley Matthews192FW Frank Mountford11FW Alexander Ormston2611FW Syd Peppitt2515FW Tommy Sale2824FW Clement Smith104FW Frank Soo283FW Freddie Steele910FW James Westland10
References