# 1951–52 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1951–52 season was Stoke City's 45th season in the Football League and the 31st in the First Division.
Stoke made a truly awful start to the 1951–52 season claiming just a single point from the first eleven matches. Results slowly started to improve and back-to-back home wins in the final two matches saw Stoke survive relegation.

## Season review
### League

In the summer of 1951 there was a major change at boardroom level at Stoke as chairman Mr H. Booth stepped down after 15 years and Mr T. Preece took over in temporary charge. Stoke suffered an opening day mauling at Newcastle United losing 6–0 and it set the tone for a woeful start to the season as they took just two points from the first 22 on offer, finding themselves firmly bedded at the foot of the division. McGrory went out and spent £45,000 on three new players to arrest the decline, he exchanged Albert Mullard plus £10,000 for Alan Martin another £10,000 for Billy McIntosh and again smashed the club's transfer record with the purchase of Northern Irish striker Sammy Smyth for a fee of £25,000. Smyth certainly had the desired impact scoring 12 goals becoming top scorer for the season.
After these arrivals Stoke's form improved and with five straight wins Stoke caught up with the rest of the division however four defeats later they found themselves unable to pull away from a relegation fight. A cruel 5–4 defeat at home to Newcastle did not help, but Stoke somehow managed to take the fight to the final two matches of the season. Stoke had the worst goal average in the division but with both Fulham and Huddersfield Town in terrible form Stoke knew that two more wins would see them safe and that's what they managed leaving them three points clear of Huddersfield.
One interesting scoreline this season came in the League match at Villa Park on 16 February 1952. Aston Villa were on the fringe of forcing themselves in the title race but they came unstuck against a determined Stoke side and lost 3–2. On the scoresheet for the "Potters" was their goalkeeper Dennis Herod who had broken his arm earlier during the match and so swapped positions with left winger Sammy Smyth and went on to score the winning goal five minutes after half time.

### FA Cup

After a good win over Sunderland in the third round Stoke were humbled by Third Division South side Swindon Town in a replay.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Relegation |
| 18 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 64 | 88 | 0.727 | 36 | |
| 19 | Chelsea | 42 | 14 | 8 | 20 | 52 | 72 | 0.722 | 36 | |
| 20 | Stoke City | 42 | 12 | 7 | 23 | 49 | 88 | 0.557 | 31 | |
| 21 | Huddersfield Town (R) | 42 | 10 | 8 | 24 | 49 | 82 | 0.598 | 28 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 22 | Fulham (R) | 42 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 58 | 77 | 0.753 | 27 | Relegation to the Second Division |

## Results

Stoke's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 18 August 1951 | Newcastle United | A | 0–6 | 40,127 | |
| 2 | 20 August 1951 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–1 | 22,696 | Oscroft |
| 3 | 25 August 1951 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–2 | 22,442 | Malkin |
| 4 | 29 August 1951 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–1 | 18,903 | |
| 5 | 1 September 1951 | Derby County | A | 2–4 | 20,243 | Oscroft, Mullard |
| 6 | 3 September 1951 | Fulham | H | 1–1 | 21,000 | Malkin |
| 7 | 8 September 1951 | Manchester United | A | 0–4 | 43,660 | |
| 8 | 12 September 1951 | Fulham | A | 0–5 | 16,500 | |
| 9 | 15 September 1951 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 1–6 | 27,000 | Oscroft |
| 10 | 17 September 1951 | Charlton Athletic | H | 1–2 | 17,500 | McIntosh |
| 11 | 22 September 1951 | Preston North End | A | 0–2 | 29,980 | |
| 12 | 29 September 1951 | Burnley | H | 2–1 | 28,577 | Siddall, Martin |
| 13 | 6 October 1951 | Aston Villa | H | 4–1 | 32,455 | Smyth, Oscroft (2), Moss (o.g.) |
| 14 | 13 October 1951 | Sunderland | A | 1–0 | 41,826 | Smyth |
| 15 | 20 October 1951 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 43,205 | Oscroft |
| 16 | 27 October 1951 | Huddersfield Town | A | 2–0 | 19,495 | Smyth (2) |
| 17 | 3 November 1951 | Chelsea | H | 1–2 | 30,000 | Smyth |
| 18 | 10 November 1951 | Portsmouth | A | 1–4 | 30,223 | Oscroft |
| 19 | 17 November 1951 | Liverpool | H | 1–2 | 24,000 | Smyth |
| 20 | 24 November 1951 | Blackpool | A | 2–4 | 19,892 | McIntosh (2) |
| 21 | 1 December 1951 | Arsenal | H | 2–1 | 30,000 | Sellars (2) (1 Pen) |
| 22 | 8 December 1951 | Manchester City | A | 1–0 | 20,397 | Smyth |
| 23 | 15 December 1951 | Newcastle United | H | 4–5 | 25,393 | Smyth (2), Oscroft, Siddall |
| 24 | 22 December 1951 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 20,088 | Smyth |
| 25 | 26 December 1951 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–3 | 27,055 | |
| 26 | 29 December 1951 | Derby County | H | 3–1 | 27,000 | Malkin, Oscroft, Smyth |
| 27 | 5 January 1952 | Manchester United | H | 0–0 | 36,389 | |
| 28 | 19 January 1952 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 0–2 | 45,176 | |
| 29 | 26 January 1952 | Preston North End | H | 0–0 | 25,000 | |
| 30 | 9 February 1952 | Burnley | A | 0–4 | 29,971 | |
| 31 | 16 February 1952 | Aston Villa | A | 3–2 | 40,000 | Sellars, Oscroft, Herod |
| 32 | 1 March 1952 | Sunderland | H | 1–1 | 24,208 | Sellars |
| 33 | 8 March 1952 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–3 | 33,000 | |
| 34 | 15 March 1952 | Huddersfield Town | H | 0–0 | 19,000 | |
| 35 | 22 March 1952 | Chelsea | A | 0–1 | 30,000 | |
| 36 | 29 March 1952 | Portsmouth | H | 2–0 | 11,375 | Martin, McIntosh |
| 37 | 5 April 1952 | Liverpool | A | 1–2 | 30,000 | McIntosh |
| 38 | 12 April 1952 | Blackpool | H | 2–3 | 30,000 | Martin, Siddall |
| 39 | 14 April 1952 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–4 | 20,000 | |
| 40 | 19 April 1952 | Arsenal | A | 1–4 | 47,962 | Mountford (pen) |
| 41 | 26 April 1952 | Manchester City | H | 3–1 | 25,000 | Siddall, Smyth, Bowyer |
| 42 | 3 May 1952 | Middlesbrough | H | 3–2 | 10,993 | Brown (2), McCue |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R3 | 12 January 1952 | Sunderland | A | 0–0 | 45,099 | |
| R3 Replay | 14 January 1952 | Sunderland | H | 3–1 | 31,841 | Smyth, McIntosh, Malkin |
| R4 | 2 February 1952 | Swindon Town | A | 1–1 | 28,140 | Smyth |
| R4 Replay | 4 February 1952 | Swindon Town | H | 0–1 | 29,332 | |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Ray Evans | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GK | Dennis Herod | 29 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| GK | Norman Wilkinson | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DF | Roy Beckett | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| DF | Eric Hampson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | John McCue | 42 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 1 |
| DF | Billy Mould | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| DF | Cyril Watkin | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| MF | Roy Brown | 15 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
| MF | Jock Kirton | 41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| MF | Frank Mountford | 28 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| MF | John Sellars | 23 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 27 | 4 |
| FW | Stan Bevans | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Frank Bowyer | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| FW | Leslie Johnston | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| FW | John Malkin | 28 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 32 | 5 |
| FW | Alan Martin | 34 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 2 |
| FW | Billy McIntosh | 24 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 6 |
| FW | George Mountford | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| FW | Albert Mullard | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| FW | Alexander Ormston | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Harry Oscroft | 40 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 10 |
| FW | Brian Siddall | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 |
| FW | Sammy Smyth | 26 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 14 |
| FW | Donald Whiston | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| – | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 0 | – | 1 |