1896–97 Stoke F.C. season

Stoke
1896–97 season
Chairman	Mr S. Barker
Manager	Bill Rowley
Stadium	Victoria Ground
Football League First Division	13th (25 Points)
FA Cup	Second Round
Top goalscorer	League: William Maxwell ; (13); All: William Maxwell ; (16)
Highest home attendance	8,000 vs Everton ; (2 January 1897)
Lowest home attendance	2,500 vs Bury ; (12 April 1897)
Average home league attendance	5,400
	Home colours
	Home colours
	← 1895–96 1897–98 →

The 1896–97 season was Stoke's eighth season in the Football League.

After last season's success of finishing in 6th position there was high hopes that it would signal a change in the club's fortunes. Alas it was a disappointing season for Stoke as little progress was made and they finished the season in 13th position with 25 points.^[1]

Season review

League

As the 1896–97 season beckoned there was a lot of talk of Stoke purchasing the football pitch at the cricket ground in the town, with a considerable amount of financial backing promised.^[1] However this never materialised much to the disappointment of chairman Mr S. Barker.^[1] During the campaign itself a total of 16 players made their senior debuts for the club including Zeke Johnston, Stoke's first Irishman signed from Burnley.^[1] There was little progress in the league with a 13th-place finish.^[1] The best result of the season saw Stoke beat Liverpool 6–1 in February 1897.^[1] Long serving forward Billy Dickson retired as did half-back Davy Brodie.^[1]

FA Cup

After beating Glossop 5–2 in the first round Stoke lost 2–1 in the next to Preston North End.^[1]

Final league table

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Relegation
11	Nottingham Forest	30	9	8	13	44	49	0.898	26
12	West Bromwich Albion	30	10	6	14	33	56	0.589	26
13	Stoke	30	11	3	16	48	59	0.814	25
14	Blackburn Rovers	30	11	3	16	35	62	0.565	25
15	Sunderland (O)	30	7	9	14	34	47	0.723	23	Qualification for test matches

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(O) Play-off winners

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Win	Draw	Loss

Football League First Division

Match	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
1	2 September 1896	Aston Villa	A	1–2	5,000	Schofield
2	5 September 1896	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	2–1	7,000	Johnson, Wood
3	12 September 1896	Nottingham Forest	A	0–4	3,500
4	19 September 1896	Bolton Wanderers	H	2–3	4,000	Schofield, Eccles
5	26 September 1896	The Wednesday	A	3–4	6,000	Schofield, Wood, Johnson
6	10 October 1896	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	2–1	5,000	W Maxwell, Wood
7	17 October 1896	Nottingham Forest	H	3–0	5,000	W Maxwell, Schofield, Johnson
8	24 October 1896	Bolton Wanderers	A	0–4	4,000
9	31 October 1896	Aston Villa	H	0–2	4,000
10	7 November 1896	Derby County	A	1–5	3,000	W Maxwell
11	9 November 1896	Preston North End	H	2–1	4,000	W Maxwell, Eardley
12	14 November 1896	Bury	A	2–4	3,000	A Maxwell, Wood
13	21 November 1896	West Bromwich Albion	H	2–2	6,200	W Maxwell (2)
14	28 November 1896	Preston North End	A	0–3	5,000
15	5 December 1896	Derby County	H	2–2	5,000	W Maxwell (2)
16	12 December 1896	West Bromwich Albion	A	2–1	1,105	W Maxwell (2)
17	19 December 1896	Everton	A	2–4	7,000	W Maxwell, Schofield
18	2 January 1897	Everton	H	2–3	8,000	W Maxwell, Schofield
19	9 January 1897	Burnley	A	3–1	3,000	A Maxwell (2), Schofield
20	16 January 1897	Liverpool	A	0–1	7,000
21	23 January 1897	The Wednesday	H	0–0	5,000
22	6 February 1897	Liverpool	H	6–1	7,000	Schofield (2), W Maxwell, Hill (2), Hingerty
23	20 February 1897	Sunderland	A	1–4	2,000	Schofield
24	27 February 1897	Burnley	H	3–2	8,000	Hill (2), Hingerty
25	20 March 1897	Blackburn Rovers	A	1–2	8,000	Hingerty
26	27 March 1897	Sheffield United	A	0–1	2,000
27	3 April 1897	Sunderland	H	0–1	5,000
28	10 April 1897	Blackburn Rovers	H	1–0	5,000	Hill
29	12 April 1897	Bury	H	3–0	2,500	Hill, Schofield, Darroch (o.g.)
30	15 April 1897	Sheffield United	H	2–0	3,000	Hingerty, W Maxwell

FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
R1	30 January 1897	Glossop	H	5–2	2,000	W Maxwell (2), Schofield, Hingerty (2)
R2	13 February 1897	Preston North End	A	1–2	6,000	W Maxwell

Squad statistics

Pos.	Name	League		FA Cup		Total
Pos.	Name	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Albert Boardman	1	0	0	0	1	0
GK	Zeke Johnston	16	0	2	0	18	0
GK	Fred Latham	5	0	0	0	5	0
GK	Bill Rowley	4	0	0	0	4	0
GK	Fred Sheldon	5	0	0	0	5	0
FB	Tommy Clare	30	0	2	0	32	0
FB	Peter Durber	17	0	2	0	19	0
FB	Jack Eccles	13	1	1	0	14	1
HB	Lucien Boullemier	7	0	0	0	7	0
HB	Davy Brodie	17	0	1	0	18	0
HB	Bill Fearns	4	0	0	0	4	0
HB	Jimmy Grewer	22	0	2	0	24	0
HB	Ted McDonald	2	0	0	0	2	0
HB	Jim Peacock	1	0	0	0	1	0
HB	Harry Simpson	8	0	0	0	8	0
HB	Arthur Rowley	25	0	2	0	27	0
HB	Alf Wood	12	4	0	0	12	4
FW	Billy Baird	3	0	0	0	3	0
FW	Arthur Bentley	5	0	0	0	5	0
FW	Samuel Cole	0	0	0	0	0	0
FW	Billy Dickson	4	0	0	0	4	0
FW	Billy Eardley	10	1	0	0	10	1
FW	Billy Heames	3	0	0	0	3	0
FW	Jimmy Hill	10	6	1	0	11	6
FW	Jim Hingerty	10	4	2	2	12	6
FW	Freddie Johnson	14	3	1	0	15	3
FW	Allan Maxwell	23	3	2	0	25	3
FW	William Maxwell	29	13	2	3	31	16
FW	Joe Schofield	29	12	2	1	31	13
FW	Samuel Woods	1	0	0	0	1	0
–	Own goals	–	1	–	0	–	1