# 1941–42 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1941–42 season was Stoke City's seventh season in the non-competitive War League.
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

There were three separate competitions in the 1941–42 season, two series of Football League North and a Football League War Cup tournament. Stoke did well without pulling up too many trees, finishing 5th in the first phase of the league and then a rather poor 16th in the second. Attendances were quite small due to obvious restrictions imposed by the authorities but the entertainment value was high with goals in abundance, both home and away. Among the many impressive scorelines for Stoke were those of 8–3 v Everton, 7–1 v Wrexham, 9–0 & 7–2 v Tranmere Rovers and a 10–0 defeat by Northampton Town in late May. That heavy reverse against the "Cobblers" was unbelievable as Stoke fielded a strong line up. Tommy Sale was in incredible goalscoring form this season hitting 56 goals including eleven hat-tricks.

## Results

Stoke's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League North 1st Phase

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 30 August 1941 | Everton | H | 8–3 | 4,000 | Basnett (2), Sale (3), Brigham, Liddle, Blunt |
| 2 | 6 September 1941 | Everton | H | 1–3 | 6,000 | Brigham |
| 3 | 13 September 1941 | Wrexham | A | 7–1 | 4,500 | Blunt, Bowyer (2), Basnett, Brigham, Sale (2) |
| 4 | 20 September 1941 | Wrexham | H | 5–2 | 3,000 | Blunt, Bowyer, Sale (3) |
| 5 | 27 September 1941 | Chester | H | 2–5 | 4,000 | Blunt, Bowyer |
| 6 | 4 October 1941 | Chester | A | 4–3 | 4,000 | Bowyer (2), Basnett, Sale |
| 7 | 11 October 1941 | Manchester City | A | 3–4 | 3,000 | Sale (3) |
| 8 | 18 October 1941 | Manchester City | H | 5–0 | 3,000 | Sale (3), Basnett, Peppitt |
| 9 | 25 October 1941 | Manchester United | H | 1–1 | 5,000 | Liddle |
| 10 | 1 November 1941 | Manchester United | A | 0–3 | 4,000 | |
| 11 | 8 November 1941 | New Brighton | A | 5–3 | 2,000 | Basnett, Hamlett, Mountford (2), Freddie Steele |
| 12 | 15 November 1941 | New Brighton | H | 4–0 | 2,094 | Hamlett, Sale (3) |
| 13 | 22 November 1941 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 9–0 | 1,500 | Sale (5), Basnett (2), Mountford, Bowyer |
| 14 | 29 November 1941 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 7–2 | 2,000 | Sale (3), Basnett (3), Liddle |
| 15 | 6 December 1941 | Stockport County | A | 6–1 | 500 | Sale (3), Soo (2), Basnett |
| 16 | 13 December 1941 | Stockport County | H | 3–1 | 2,000 | Sale, Mountford, Basnett |
| 17 | 20 December 1941 | Liverpool | A | 1–1 | 4,000 | Bowyer |
| 18 | 25 December 1941 | Liverpool | H | 4–3 | 11,000 | Sale (2), Basnett, Liddle |

### Football League North 2nd Phase

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 28 March 1942 | Blackpool | A | 0–4 | 4,000 | |
| 2 | 11 April 1942 | Walsall | A | 0–1 | 1,047 | |
| 3 | 18 April 1942 | Walsall | H | 2–3 | 1,500 | Sale, Liddle |
| 4 | 25 April 1942 | Chester | A | 4–2 | 1,500 | Sale, Basnett, Bowyer |
| 5 | 2 May 1942 | Chester | H | 2–2 | 2,000 | Liddle (2) |
| 6 | 9 May 1942 | Preston North End | A | 2–1 | 2,500 | Liddle (2) |
| 7 | 23 May 1942 | Northampton Town | A | 0–10 | 3,000 | |
| 8 | 30 May 1942 | Northampton Town | H | 3–2 | 1,500 | Liddle, Liddle, Blunt |

### Football League War Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| QR | 27 December 1941 | Walsall | A | 4–1 | 3,000 | Clewlow, Sale (3) |
| QR | 3 January 1942 | Walsall | H | 8–0 | 3,000 | Sale (6), Soo, Blunt |
| QR | 10 January 1942 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–4 | 7,335 | |
| QR | 17 January 1942 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–1 | 4,573 | Mitchell, Sale |
| QR | 31 January 1942 | Chesterfield | H | 2–1 | 1,500 | Sale (2) |
| QR | 14 February 1942 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 3–1 | 2,000 | Sale (3) |
| QR | 21 February 1942 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–1 | 1,000 | |
| QR | 28 February 1942 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–3 | 3,480 | Sale |
| QR | 14 March 1942 | Chesterfield | A | 1–2 | 2,500 | Sale |
| QR | 21 March 1942 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 3,000 | Basnett |
| R1 1st leg | 4 April 1942 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 5–3 | 5,000 | Basnett (2), Sale (3) |
| R1 2nd leg | 6 April 1942 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–6 | 13,864 | Sale |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | Matches | Matches |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Dennis Herod | 38 | 0 |
| DF | Harry Brigham | 33 | 3 |
| DF | Roy Brown | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Sid Clewlow | 2 | 1 |
| DF | Neil Franklin | 32 | 0 |
| DF | Stanley Glover | 34 | 0 |
| DF | Harry Griffiths | 3 | 0 |
| DF | Lol Hamlett | 35 | 2 |
| DF | Eric Hampson | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Eric Hayward | 3 | 0 |
| DF | John McCue | 3 | 0 |
| DF | Billy Mould | 10 | 0 |
| DF | Emlyn Williams | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Edwin Blunt | 20 | 6 |
| MF | Stanley Harrison | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Jock Kirton | 8 | 0 |
| MF | Bobby Liddle | 33 | 10 |
| MF | Frank Soo | 12 | 3 |
| FW | Fred Basnett | 32 | 18 |
| FW | Frank Bowyer | 37 | 10 |
| FW | Bill Caton | 11 | 0 |
| FW | Eric Longford | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Bert Mitchell | 2 | 1 |
| FW | Frank Mountford | 8 | 4 |
| FW | Alexander Ormston | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Syd Peppitt | 4 | 1 |
| FW | Tommy Sale | 37 | 56 |
| FW | Freddie Steele | 8 | 1 |
| FW | James Westland | 2 | 0 |