# 1925–26 Manchester City F.C. season

The 1925–26 season was Manchester City F.C.'s thirty-fifth season of league football and twelfth consecutive season in the Football League First Division, excluding the four years during the First World War in which no competitive football was played.
Coming off the back of a series of mid-table finishes and largely unimpressive FA Cup campaigns, manager David Ashworth's resignation in November 1925 bizarrely resulted in both a first league relegation since 1909 and a first FA Cup final appearance since 1904 as well as a record 6–1 victory over rivals Manchester United, with much of the second half of the campaign being run in Ashworth's absence by a committee led by club Vice-chairman Albert Alexander.

## Football League First Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
| 18 | West Ham United | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 63 | 76 | 0.829 | 37 | |
| 19 | Leeds United | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 64 | 76 | 0.842 | 36 | |
| 20 | Burnley | 42 | 13 | 10 | 19 | 85 | 108 | 0.787 | 36 | |
| 21 | Manchester City (R) | 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 89 | 100 | 0.890 | 35 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Notts County (R) | 42 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 54 | 74 | 0.730 | 33 | Relegation to the Second Division |

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
| 42 | 12 | 11 | 19 | 89 | 100 | 0.89 | 35 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 48 | 42 | 23 | 4 | 4 | 13 | 41 | 58 | 12 |
Source: rsssf.com

### Reports

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 29 August 1925 | Cardiff City | H | Maine Road | 3 – 2 | Austin, Warner, Johnson | 42,000 |
| 31 August 1925 | Birmingham | A | St Andrew's | 0 – 1 | | 20,000 |
| 5 September 1925 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | White Hart Lane | 0 – 1 | | 35,954 |
| 12 September 1925 | Manchester United | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Cowan | 62,994 |
| 19 September 1925 | Everton | H | Maine Road | 4 – 4 | Browell (4) | 11,393 |
| 23 September 1925 | West Bromwich Albion | A | The Hawthorns | 1 – 4 | Roberts | 8,827 |
| 26 September 1925 | Huddersfield Town | A | Leeds Road | 2 – 2 | Warner, Johnson | 19,541 |
| 3 October 1925 | Sunderland | H | Maine Road | 4 – 1 | Austin (2), Warner, Browell | 40,000 |
| 10 October 1925 | Blackburn Rovers | A | Ewood Park | 3 – 3 | Browell (2), Roberts | 25,935 |
| 17 October 1925 | Liverpool | A | Anfield | 1 – 2 | Johnson | 35,000 |
| 24 October 1925 | Burnley | H | Maine Road | 8 – 3 | Browell (5), Roberts, Johnson, Hicks | 19,740 |
| 26 October 1925 | Sheffield United | A | Bramall Lane | 3 – 8 | Cowan, Roberts, Johnson | 8,000 |
| 31 October 1925 | West Ham United | A | Upton Park | 1 – 3 | Browell | 23,000 |
| 4 November 1925 | Sheffield United | H | Maine Road | 2 – 4 | Austin, Roberts | 7,000 |
| 7 November 1925 | Arsenal | H | Maine Road | 2 – 5 | Warner, Browell | 11,384 |
| 14 November 1925 | Bolton Wanderers | A | Burnden Park | 1 – 5 | Roberts | 22,326 |
| 21 November 1925 | Notts County | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Coupland | 20,000 |
| 28 November 1925 | Aston Villa | A | Villa Park | 1 – 3 | Dennison | 25,000 |
| 5 December 1925 | Leicester City | H | Maine Road | 5 – 1 | Roberts (2), Johnson (2), Dennison | 20,000 |
| 12 December 1925 | Leeds United | A | Elland Road | 4 – 3 | Bradford, Dennison, Johnson, Roberts | 18,762 |
| 19 December 1925 | Newcastle United | H | Maine Road | 2 – 2 | Johnson, Murphy | 35,000 |
| 25 December 1925 | Bury | A | Gigg Lane | 5 – 6 | Browell (2), Coupland, Johnson, Roberts | 25,000 |
| 26 December 1925 | Bury | H | Maine Road | 0 – 2 | | 50,000 |
| 1 January 1926 | West Bromwich Albion | H | Maine Road | 3 – 1 | Austin, Dennison, Johnson | 23,030 |
| 2 January 1926 | Cardiff City | A | Ninian Park | 2 – 2 | Roberts (2) | 12,000 |
| 16 January 1926 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | Maine Road | 0 – 0 | | 25,344 |
| 23 January 1926 | Manchester United | A | Old Trafford | 6 – 1 | Austin (2), Roberts (2), Johnson, Hicks | 48,657 |
| 6 February 1926 | Huddersfield Town | H | Maine Road | 1 – 5 | Roberts | 36,645 |
| 10 February 1926 | Everton | A | Goodison Park | 1 – 1 | Roberts | 15,067 |
| 13 February 1926 | Sunderland | A | Roker Park | 3 – 5 | Austin, Browell, Hicks | 25,000 |
| 27 February 1926 | Liverpool | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Browell | 35,000 |
| 13 March 1926 | West Ham United | H | Maine Road | 2 – 0 | Roberts, Murphy | 40,000 |
| 17 March 1926 | Blackburn Rovers | H | Maine Road | 0 – 1 | | 18,793 |
| 20 March 1926 | Arsenal | A | Highbury | 0 – 1 | | 34,974 |
| 29 March 1926 | Bolton Wanderers | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Austin | 21,720 |
| 2 April 1926 | Birmingham | H | Maine Road | 2 – 4 | Austin, Hicks | 60,000 |
| 3 April 1926 | Notts County | A | Meadow Lane | 0 – 1 | | 12,000 |
| 6 April 1926 | Burnley | A | Turf Moor | 2 – 1 | Johnson, Hicks | 19,966 |
| 10 April 1926 | Aston Villa | H | Maine Road | 4 – 2 | Austin, Browell, Roberts, Johnson | 42,000 |
| 17 April 1926 | Leicester City | A | Filbert Street | 3 – 2 | Roberts (2), Browell | 20,000 |
| 27 April 1926 | Leeds United | H | Maine Road | 2 – 1 | Austin, Johnson | 43,375 |
| 1 May 1926 | Newcastle United | A | St James' Park | 2 – 3 | Browell, Roberts | 20,000 |

### FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 9 January 1926 | Third round | Corinthian | A | Crystal Palace | 3 – 3 | Cookson, Roberts, Hicks | 29,700 |
| 13 January 1926 | Third round replay | Corinthian | H | Maine Road | 4 – 0 | Austin (2), Johnson, Hicks | 42,303 |
| 30 January 1926 | Fourth round | Huddersfield Town | H | Maine Road | 4 – 0 | Hicks (2), Browell, Roberts | 74,789 |
| 20 February 1926 | Fifth round | Crystal Palace | H | Maine Road | 11 – 4 | Roberts (5), Browell (3), Austin, Johnson, Hicks | 51,630 |
| 6 March 1926 | Sixth round | Clapton Orient | A | Maine Road | 6 – 1 | Johnson (3), Hicks, Roberts, Browell | 24,600 |
| 27 March 1926 | Semi-final | Manchester United | N | Bramhall Lane | 3 – 0 | Browell (2), Roberts | 46,450 |
| 24 April 1926 | Final | Bolton Wanderers | N | Wembley | 0 – 1 | | 91,547 |

## Squad statistics
### Squad

Appearances for competitive matches only
| Nat. | Player | Pos. | Premier League | Premier League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Nat. | Player | Pos. | Apps | | Apps | | Apps | |
| | Jim Goodchild | GK | 24 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| | James Mitchell | GK | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| | John Phillips | GK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | Fred Appleton | DF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| | Sam Cookson | DF | 35 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 41 | 1 |
| | Eli Fletcher | DF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | Philip McCloy | DF | 37 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
| | Robert Benzie | MF | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| | Baggy Coupland | MF | 23 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 2 |
| | Sam Cowan | MF | 39 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 45 | 2 |
| | Jimmy Elwood | MF | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | Jimmy McMullan | MF | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| | Spud Murphy | MF | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| | Charlie Pringle | MF | 36 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| | Sammy Sharp | MF | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| | Billy Austin | FW | 36 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 43 | 15 |
| | Leo Bradford | FW | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| | Tommy Browell | FW | 32 | 21 | 5 | 7 | 37 | 28 |
| | James Calderwood | FW | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| | Arthur Daniels | FW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| | Bob Dennison | FW | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 |
| | George Hicks | FW | 35 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 42 | 11 |
| | Tommy Johnson | FW | 38 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 45 | 20 |
| | Frank Roberts | FW | 38 | 21 | 7 | 9 | 45 | 30 |
| | Frank Thompson | FW | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| | Jack Warner | FW | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Own goals | Own goals | Own goals | | 0 | | 0 | | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 89 | | 31 | | 120 |

### Scorers

| Nat. | Player | Pos. | Football League | FA Cup | TOTAL |
| | Frank Roberts | FW | 21 | 9 | 30 |
| | Tommy Browell | FW | 21 | 7 | 28 |
| | Tommy Johnson | FW | 15 | 5 | 20 |
| | Billy Austin | FW | 12 | 3 | 15 |
| | George Hicks | FW | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| | Bob Dennison | FW | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| | Jack Warner | FW | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| | Baggy Coupland | MF | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| | Sam Cowan | MF | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| | Sam Cookson | MF | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | Leo Bradford | FW | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Own Goals | Own Goals | Own Goals | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | 89 | 31 | 120 |