# 1974–75 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1974–75 season was Stoke City's 68th season in the Football League and the 44th in the First Division.
Stoke back in European competition were handed a tough tie against Dutch giants Ajax. After a 1–1 draw at home Stoke dominated the second leg in Amsterdam but failed to find the back of the net and were knocked out on the away goals rule. In the league Stoke continued from where they left off the previous season in good form and for the first time since the 1946–47 season they were in the race for the First Division title. However, so were a number of other clubs, and with three matches left Stoke were third and on course for their best ever finish, but they took just a point in those games and finished in 5th position. There was a double blow for Stoke as they missed out on a UEFA Cup place after West Ham United won the FA Cup.

## Season review
### League

Before the start of the 1974–75 season Stoke signed Sheffield United forward Geoff Salmons and lined up for the opening match a 3–0 win over Leeds United. Despite exiting Europe Stoke's form in the First Division remained good, but Tony Waddington was worried to a certain extent about his last line of defence and in November he surprisingly decided to break the club transfer record with the signing of Peter Shilton for £325,000 which at the time was also a world record transfer for a goalkeeper. Within ten days of Shilton's arrival Stoke sat at the top of the table after beating his old club Leicester City 1–0.
Stoke's progress in 1974–75, however was severely handicapped by a remarkable injury crisis, Already without Alan Bloor and John Ritchie, Jimmy Greenhoff broke his nose against Birmingham City and then Jimmy Robertson broke his leg against Coventry City on Boxing Day. Despite this Stoke kept on performing well and by February were again on top spot. A 2–2 draw at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers cost the team another broken leg, Mike Pejic which was followed by Denis Smith in the next home match against Ipswich Town. Yet Stoke still fought on with a reduced number of players, and after some fine results they lay in third with three games remaining If they won all three they would be champions of England for the first time. As it happened they failed to win any drawing twice and losing at Sheffield United and had to settle for fifth, four points behind champions Derby County. There was further disappointment for City as they lost out on a UEFA Cup place to Everton.

### FA Cup

Stoke went down 2–0 against Liverpool in the third round.

### League Cup

Stoke beat Third Division Halifax Town 3–0 before being paired with Chelsea. After two draws the tie went to a 2nd replay and thanks to two own goals Stoke recorded their biggest League Cup win, 6–2. But they were knocked out by Ipswich Town in the next round.

### UEFA Cup

Stoke were also involved in the UEFA Cup and were paired with Dutch giants Ajax. In the first leg at the Victoria Ground Ajax dominated the match and went in front through star winger Ruud Krol. Stoke, despite being outplayed, managed to find an equaliser through Denis Smith. In the second leg it was a case of the roles being reversed: this time it was Stoke who dominated the match but couldn't find a way past Piet Schrijvers, with Stoke going out on the away-goal rule.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 23 | 5 | 14 | 66 | 44 | 1.500 | 51 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Everton | 42 | 16 | 18 | 8 | 56 | 42 | 1.333 | 50 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Stoke City | 42 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 64 | 48 | 1.333 | 49 | |
| 6 | Sheffield United | 42 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 58 | 51 | 1.137 | 49 | |
| 7 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 18 | 12 | 12 | 54 | 40 | 1.350 | 48 | |

## Results

Stoke's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League First Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 17 August 1974 | Leeds United | H | 3–0 | 33,534 | Mahoney 50', Greenhoff 85', Ritchie 87' |
| 2 | 20 August 1974 | Everton | A | 1–2 | 35,817 | Salmons 17' |
| 3 | 24 August 1974 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–0 | 21,117 | Hurst 86' |
| 4 | 28 August 1974 | Everton | H | 1–1 | 27,594 | Mahoney 75' |
| 5 | 31 August 1974 | Middlesbrough | H | 1–1 | 23,484 | Ritchie 17' (pen) |
| 6 | 7 September 1974 | Carlisle United | A | 2–0 | 14,507 | Hudson 5', Ritchie 58' |
| 7 | 14 September 1974 | Coventry City | H | 2–0 | 22,482 | Mahoney 59', Ritchie 84' |
| 8 | 21 September 1974 | Liverpool | A | 0–3 | 51,423 | |
| 9 | 24 September 1974 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–3 | 24,470 | Salmons 90' |
| 10 | 28 September 1974 | Derby County | H | 1–1 | 23,589 | Hurst 28' |
| 11 | 5 October 1974 | Sheffield United | H | 3–2 | 21,796 | Hurst 15', Greenhoff 38', Smith 57' |
| 12 | 12 October 1974 | Newcastle United | A | 2–2 | 38,228 | Salmons 25', Mahoney 63' |
| 13 | 19 October 1974 | Burnley | H | 2–0 | 23,466 | Marsh 13', Hurst 30' |
| 14 | 26 October 1974 | Chelsea | A | 3–3 | 24,718 | Greenhoff 13', Haslegrave 60', Robertson 85' |
| 15 | 2 November 1974 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | 2–2 | 24,668 | Salmons 8', Greenhoff 35' |
| 16 | 9 November 1974 | Manchester City | A | 0–1 | 36,966 | |
| 17 | 16 November 1974 | Luton Town | H | 4–2 | 20,646 | Hudson 3', Robertson 60', Greenhoff (2) 62', 68' |
| 18 | 23 November 1974 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–2 | 28,216 | Salmons 10', Robertson 58' |
| 19 | 27 November 1974 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 1–0 | 22,403 | Hurst 9' |
| 20 | 30 November 1974 | Leicester City | H | 1–0 | 29,793 | Smith 86' |
| 21 | 7 December 1974 | Birmingham City | A | 3–0 | 33,999 | Greenhoff (2) 14', 36', Moores 29' |
| 22 | 14 December 1974 | Leeds United | A | 1–3 | 34,685 | Moores 89' |
| 23 | 21 December 1974 | Arsenal | H | 0–2 | 23,292 | |
| 24 | 26 December 1974 | Coventry City | A | 0–2 | 22,345 | |
| 25 | 28 December 1974 | West Ham United | H | 2–1 | 33,498 | Salmons 70' (pen), Hurst 76' |
| 26 | 11 January 1975 | Birmingham City | H | 0–0 | 26,157 | |
| 27 | 18 January 1975 | Leicester City | A | 1–1 | 21,734 | Hurst 57' |
| 28 | 1 February 1975 | Manchester City | H | 4–0 | 32,007 | Moores (2) 44', 84', Hudson 68', Hurst 87' |
| 29 | 8 February 1975 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | 2–0 | 22,941 | Greenhoff 23', Hudson 32' |
| 30 | 15 February 1975 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–2 | 30,611 | Conroy 87', Skeels 88' |
| 31 | 22 February 1975 | Luton Town | A | 0–0 | 19,894 | |
| 32 | 1 March 1975 | Middlesbrough | A | 0–2 | 25,766 | |
| 33 | 15 March 1975 | Derby County | A | 2–1 | 29,985 | Greenhoff (2) 75', 89' |
| 34 | 18 March 1975 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–2 | 28,589 | Greenhoff 67' |
| 35 | 22 March 1975 | Carlisle United | H | 5–2 | 20,525 | Conroy (3) 8', 65', 73', Greenhoff 66', Salmons 88' |
| 36 | 28 March 1975 | West Ham United | A | 2–2 | 29,811 | Conroy (2) 40', 49' |
| 37 | 29 March 1975 | Arsenal | A | 1–1 | 26,852 | Salmons 33' |
| 38 | 31 March 1975 | Liverpool | H | 2–0 | 45,954 | Conroy (2) 20', 50' (1 pen) |
| 39 | 5 April 1975 | Chelsea | H | 3–0 | 26,375 | Conroy (2) 28', 87', Greenhoff 63' |
| 40 | 12 April 1975 | Sheffield United | A | 0–2 | 33,255 | |
| 41 | 19 April 1975 | Newcastle United | H | 0–0 | 25,784 | |
| 42 | 26 April 1975 | Burnley | A | 0–0 | 19,191 | |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R3 | 4 January 1975 | Liverpool | A | 0–2 | 48,723 | |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R2 | 11 September 1974 | Halifax Town | H | 3–0 | 17,805 | Conroy (3) 42', 67, 71' |
| R3 | 9 October 1974 | Chelsea | A | 2–2 | 19,953 | Robertson 6', Hurst 47' |
| R3 Replay | 16 October 1974 | Chelsea | H | 1–1 | 24,376 | Greenhoff 80' |
| R3 2nd Replay | 22 October 1974 | Chelsea | H | 6–2 | 26,271 | Hurst 2', 67', Smith 10', Droy 37' (o.g.), Harris 44' (o.g.), Salmons 62' |
| R4 | 12 November 1974 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–2 | 20,677 | Robertson 90' |

### UEFA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 1st leg | 18 September 1974 | Ajax | H | 1–1 | 37,398 | Smith 76' |
| R1 2nd leg | 2 October 1974 | Ajax | A | 0–0 | 29,000 | |
Stoke eliminated on away goal rule

### Friendlies

| Match | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| 1 | AS Monaco | A | 2–0 |
| 2 | Rhyl | A | 6–0 |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1–0 |
| 4 | KV Turnhout | A | 5–0 |
| 5 | KV Mechelen | A | 0–1 |
| 6 | Preston North End | A | 2–1 |
| 7 | Stafford Rangers | A | 3–2 |
| 8 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–1 |
| 9 | Derby County | A | 1–4 |
| 10 | Yeovil Town | A | 2–2 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | A | 1–3 |
| 12 | Morocco XI | A | 3–1 |
| 13 | Israel XI | A | 0–4 |
| 14 | Norway XI | A | 2–0 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | UEFA Cup | UEFA Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | John Farmer | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| GK | Peter Shilton | 25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| DF | Alan Bloor | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Danny Bowers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| DF | Alan Dodd | 39 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
| DF | Kevin Lewis | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Jackie Marsh | 37(1) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44(1) | 1 |
| DF | Mike Pejic | 28 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| DF | Eric Skeels | 22(1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22(1) | 1 |
| DF | Denis Smith | 30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 4 |
| MF | Terry Conroy | 11(5) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 1(1) | 0 | 15(6) | 13 |
| MF | Sean Haslegrave | 18(1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22(2) | 1 |
| MF | Alan Hudson | 42 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 4 |
| MF | John Mahoney | 39 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 4 |
| MF | Jimmy Robertson | 9(5) | 3 | 0(1) | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0(2) | 0 | 12(8) | 5 |
| FW | Jimmy Greenhoff | 39 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 15 |
| FW | Geoff Hurst | 30(5) | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 35(5) | 11 |
| FW | Ian Moores | 10(7) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11(7) | 4 |
| FW | John Ritchie | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| FW | Geoff Salmons | 42 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 9 |
| – | Own goals | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 2 | – | 0 | – | 2 |