1931–32 Stoke City F.C. season
Introduction The 1931–32 season was Stoke City's 32nd season in the Football League and the 12th in the Second Division.It was a good season for Stoke as they were finally able to mount a serious promotion challenge. They were involved in the race throughout the season and just missed out finishing third, two points behind second-placed Leeds United. Too many winnable matches were drawn with fourteen matches ending on level terms.In March 1932 away at Bury, 17-year-old Stanley Matthews made his professional debut and he would go on to become one of the greatest players in English football.
Season review ===League===The 1931–32 season proved to be an entertaining season for Stoke as they were involved in the hunt for promotion throughout the campaign, just missing out in third spot in the final placings. Their draw tally of 14 cost Stoke dearly in the end and on a number of occasions Stoke were denied victory due to last minute equalisers from their opponents. There were a number of good things to come out of the season, including 25 goals from Joe Mawson and a 14 match unbeaten run from mid-November to the beginning of February. Manager Tom Mather was able to select the same starting eleven for 16 consecutive matches, a club record. Stoke, suffered the fewest defeats in the Second Division.The directors, who had used cash resources carefully, allowed Mather to build up his squad, and he duly pulled off three excellent deals, the returning Harry Davies from Huddersfield Town, goalkeeper Roy John and winger Joe Johnson. Johnson was perhaps the shrewdest of the three, for Stoke became aware that his club Bristol City were struggling for money and after a goalless draw at Ashton Gate in April 1932 Stoke paid Bristol a mere £250 for his signature.It was at Bury on 19 Match 1932 that Stoke introduced their latest local talent, Stanley Matthews who at the time was described at the time as a 'promising outside right'. Matthews had signed professional contract forms on his 17th birthday (1 February 1932) and was deputising for the injured Bobby Liddle.===FA Cup===Stoke, beat Hull City 3–0 and Sunderland 2–1 in a 2nd replay before been knocked out 3–0 by Bury.
Final league table
Results ''Stoke's score comes first''===Legend===WinDrawLoss===Football League Second Division===MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers1 29 August 1931 ChesterfieldH2–112,130Kirkham, McMahon2 31 August 1931 Bradford Park AvenueA1–27,000Taylor3 5 September 1931 BurnleyA0–38,7104 7 September 1931 Manchester UnitedH3–010,518Mawson (2), Liddle5 12 September 1931 Preston North EndH4–19,400Mawson, Liddle, Sale, Archibald6 16 September 1931 Manchester UnitedA1–15,025Liddle7 19 September 1931 SouthamptonA2–110,063Mawson (2)8 26 September 1931 Port ValeH4–028,192Sale, Bussey (3)9 3 October 1931 Charlton AthleticH4–010,024Sale, Liddle (2), Mawson10 10 October 1931 Wolverhampton WanderersA1–030,000Liddle11 17 October 1931 MillwallA0–18,00012 24 October 1931 Bradford CityH3–110,000Liddle, Sale (2) (1 pen)13 31 October 1931 Leeds UnitedA0–215,00014 7 November 1931 BuryH3–211,145Liddle, Sale, Mawson15 14 November 1931 BarnsleyA0–16,00016 21 November 1931 Notts CountyH2–211,120Bussey, Mawson17 28 November 1931 Plymouth ArgyleA1–17,000Sale18 5 December 1931 Bristol CityH1–18,600Mawson19 12 December 1931 Oldham AthleticA3–15,748Mawson (2), Sellars20 19 December 1931 Swansea TownH0–07,20021 25 December 1931 Nottingham ForestH2–18,150Sale (2) (1 pen)22 26 December 1931 Nottingham ForestA1–112,000Bussey23 2 January 1932 ChesterfieldA3–17,976Mawson, Taylor (2)24 16 January 1932 BurnleyH3–09,045Mawson, Taylor, Bussey25 30 January 1932 SouthamptonH2–09,206Taylor, Ware26 6 February 1932 Port ValeA0–320,70327 15 February 1932 Charlton AthleticA1–110,000Liddle28 20 February 1932 Wolverhampton WanderersH2–125,641Bussey, Mawson29 25 February 1932 Preston North EndA0–23,07430 27 February 1932 MillwallH0–012,03631 5 March 1932 Bradford CityA2–212,000Taylor (2)32 12 March 1932 Leeds UnitedH3–48,500Taylor, Mawson, Davies33 19 March 1932 BuryA1–04,000Maloney34 25 March 1932 Tottenham HotspurA3–312,500Mawson (3)35 26 March 1932 BarnsleyH2–07,200Liddle, Robertson36 28 March 1932 Tottenham HotspurH2–215,077Liddle, Davies37 2 April 1932 Notts CountyA1–210,886Mawson38 9 April 1932 Plymouth ArgyleH3–27,000Mawson, Davies (2)39 16 April 1932 Bristol CityA0–010,00040 23 April 1932 Oldham AthleticH1–15,051Taylor41 30 April 1932 Swansea TownA1–16,000Bussey42 7 May 1932 Bradford Park AvenueH1–05,892Ware===FA Cup===RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersR39 January 1932 Hull CityH3–020,024Sellars, Bussey, MawsonR423 January 1932 SunderlandA1–143,700MawsonR4 Replay28 January 1932 SunderlandH1–1 (aet)30,575BusseyR4 2nd Replay1 February 1932 SunderlandN2–1 (aet)7,470Mawson (2)R513 February 1932 BuryA0–329,503
Squad statistics Pos.NameLeagueFA CupTotalAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsGK Roy John100010GK Norman Lewis41050460DF Arthur Beachill42050470DF Joe Buller100010DF Bob McGrory41050460DF Billy Spencer100010MF Len Armitage400040MF Peter Jackson100010MF20px John McDaid300030MF Hugh McMahon810081MF Tim Maloney810081MF William Robertson38150431MF Arthur Turner35050400MF Harry Sellars42151472FW Bobby Archibald21130241FW Walter Bussey378324010FW Harry Davies14400144FW Joe Johnson100010FW Wilf Kirkham110011FW Bobby Liddle3911504411FW Stanley Matthews200020FW Joe Mawson3420543924FW Albert Pinxton000000FW Tommy Sale24950299FW Harold Taylor17920199FW Harry Ware622082
References