# 1988–89 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1988–89 season was Stoke City's 82nd season in the Football League and 29th in the Second Division.
With the sale of both Lee Dixon and Steve Bould to Arsenal manager Mick Mills was able to enter the transfer market where he bought Peter Beagrie and Chris Kamara. The hope now would be that Stoke could mount a serious promotion challenge but again results were far too inconsistent and Stoke ended the season in mid-table for a third straight season.

## Season review
### League

During the summer of 1988 Phil Heath moved to Oxford United for £80,000 and that, combined with the fee received for Lee Dixon and Steve Bould, allowed manager Mills to bring in some new faces. He brought to the club Peter Beagrie signed from Sheffield United for £215,000 and midfielder Chris Kamara from Swindon Town as well as veteran John Gidman. Stoke started the 1988–89 season with a 1–1 draw at home to Ipswich Town and it took until their seventh match against Walsall to claim their first victory of the season. By this time two defenders Mark Higgins and John Butler had been added to the ranks and with Stoke's back line more secure results started to improve and after a 4–0 win against Hull City in mid-November Stoke lay in 7th position.
However performances dropped and by the new year Stoke had fallen into 13th in the table. And that is where Stoke remained despite a rather worrying end to the season which saw Stoke register just one win in their last 14 matches. This prompted rumours that Mills' contract would not be extended for another year but the board eventually agreed to give him another chance, a decision that they would go on to regret.

### FA Cup

Stoke beat Crystal Palace 1–0 thanks to a goal from Graham Shaw and after an entertaining 3–3 with Barnsley, the "Tykes" won the replay 2–1.

### League Cup

Fourth Division Leyton Orient knocked Stoke out in the second round via a penalty shoot-out after a 3–3 aggregated draw.

### Full Members' Cup

Stoke were well beaten 3–0 by Southampton in the first round at The Dell, Danny Wallace scoring a hat trick.

## Final league table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 11 | Sunderland | 46 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 60 | 60 | 0 | 63 |
| 12 | Bournemouth | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 53 | 62 | −9 | 62 |
| 13 | Stoke City | 46 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 57 | 72 | −15 | 59 |
| 14 | Bradford City | 46 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 52 | 59 | −7 | 56 |
| 15 | Leicester City | 46 | 13 | 16 | 17 | 56 | 63 | −7 | 55 |

## Results
### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Second Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 27 August 1988 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–1 | 8,639 | Kamara 43' |
| 2 | 29 August 1988 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 11,918 | |
| 3 | 3 September 1988 | Barnsley | A | 0–1 | 5,682 | |
| 4 | 10 September 1988 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–1 | 8,624 | |
| 5 | 17 September 1988 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–4 | 7,823 | |
| 6 | 20 September 1988 | Portsmouth | H | 2–2 | 7,025 | Stainrod 28', Hackett 90' |
| 7 | 24 September 1988 | Walsall | A | 2–1 | 7,795 | Morgan 40', Stainrod 75' |
| 8 | 1 October 1988 | Bournemouth | H | 2–1 | 7,485 | Shaw 33', Beagrie 69' |
| 9 | 4 October 1988 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 0–0 | 8,075 | |
| 10 | 8 October 1988 | Oldham Athletic | A | 2–2 | 6,600 | Kamara 57', Stainrod 85' |
| 11 | 15 October 1988 | Leicester City | A | 0–2 | 10,312 | |
| 12 | 22 October 1988 | Watford | H | 2–0 | 7,878 | Coton 29' (o.g.), Beagrie 84' |
| 13 | 25 October 1988 | Birmingham City | A | 1–0 | 6,292 | Stainrod 73' |
| 14 | 29 October 1988 | Crystal Palace | H | 2–1 | 9,118 | Shaw 1', Henry 62' |
| 15 | 5 November 1988 | Sunderland | A | 1–1 | 18,023 | Shaw 7' |
| 16 | 13 November 1988 | Hull City | H | 4–0 | 10,505 | Henry 20', Beagrie 48', Hackett 65', Carr 74' |
| 17 | 19 November 1988 | Swindon Town | H | 2–1 | 9,339 | Berry 50' (pen), Shaw 85' |
| 18 | 26 November 1988 | Leeds United | A | 0–4 | 19,993 | |
| 19 | 3 December 1988 | Chelsea | H | 0–3 | 12,758 | |
| 20 | 10 December 1988 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–1 | 7,443 | Beagrie 26' |
| 21 | 18 December 1988 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–6 | 17,631 | |
| 22 | 26 December 1988 | Manchester City | H | 3–1 | 24,056 | Kamara 48', Bamber 54', Berry 59' (pen) |
| 23 | 31 December 1988 | Oxford United | H | 1–0 | 10,552 | Henry 24' |
| 24 | 2 January 1989 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 3–4 | 11,654 | Saunders (2) 20', 22', Atkins 44' (o.g.) |
| 25 | 14 January 1989 | Bradford City | H | 2–1 | 9,919 | Hackett 14', Henry 34' |
| 26 | 21 January 1989 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–5 | 14,692 | Bamber 74' |
| 27 | 4 February 1989 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 2–1 | 6,646 | Moyes 46' (o.g.), Shaw 82' |
| 28 | 11 February 1989 | Oldham Athletic | H | 0–0 | 10,992 | |
| 29 | 25 February 1989 | Leicester City | H | 2–2 | 9,666 | Beagrie 35', Bamber 37' |
| 30 | 28 February 1989 | Birmingham City | H | 1–0 | 7,904 | Berry 33' |
| 31 | 4 March 1989 | Hull City | A | 4–1 | 5,915 | Hackett 13', Morgan 20', Beeston (2) 37', 40' |
| 32 | 11 March 1989 | Sunderland | H | 2–0 | 12,489 | Hackett 30', Beagrie 86' |
| 33 | 18 March 1989 | Portsmouth | A | 0–0 | 7,624 | |
| 34 | 25 March 1989 | Barnsley | H | 1–1 | 10,209 | Berry 32' (pen) |
| 35 | 27 March 1989 | Manchester City | A | 1–2 | 28,303 | Butler 65' |
| 36 | 1 April 1989 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 2–2 | 8,363 | Bamber 25', Henry 44' |
| 37 | 4 April 1989 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0–0 | 11,151 | |
| 38 | 8 April 1989 | Oxford United | A | 2–3 | 5,297 | Bamber 37', Henry 73' |
| 39 | 11 April 1989 | Watford | A | 2–3 | 9,086 | Morgan (2) 30', 87' |
| 40 | 15 April 1989 | Bournemouth | A | 1–0 | 6,834 | Ware 67' |
| 41 | 22 April 1989 | Walsall | H | 0–3 | 8,132 | |
| 42 | 29 April 1989 | Leeds United | H | 2–3 | 9,061 | Bamber (2) 22', 33' |
| 43 | 1 May 1989 | Chelsea | A | 1–2 | 14,948 | Higgins 12' |
| 44 | 6 May 1989 | Swindon Town | A | 0–3 | 9,543 | |
| 45 | 9 May 1989 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–1 | 12,159 | |
| 46 | 13 May 1989 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 2–2 | 5,841 | Morgan 30', Beagrie 53' |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R3 | 7 January 1989 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–0 | 12,294 | Shaw 74' |
| R4 | 28 January 1989 | Barnsley | H | 3–3 | 18,540 | Bamber 29', Berry 77', Beagrie 83' |
| R4 Replay | 31 January 1989 | Barnsley | A | 1–2 | 21,136 | Bamber 64' |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R2 1st Leg | 27 September 1988 | Leyton Orient | A | 2–1 | 3,154 | Morgan 48', Kamara 73' |
| R2 2nd Leg | 11 October 1988 | Leyton Orient | H | 1–2 (2–3 pens) | 5,756 | Stainrod 86' (pen) |

### Full Members' Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 | 8 November 1988 | Southampton | A | 0–3 | 4,627 | |

### Friendlies

| Match | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| 1 | IFK Åmål | A | 4–1 |
| 2 | IFK Strömstad | A | 0–3 |
| 3 | Ängelholms FF | A | 4–3 |
| 4 | Skepplanda BTK | A | 2–0 |
| 5 | IFK Värnamo | A | 2–0 |
| 6 | Lerums IS | A | 1–0 |
| 7 | Newcastle Town | A | 3–0 |
| 8 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–2 |
| 9 | Port Vale | A | 0–1 |
| 10 | Luton Town | H | 0–1 |
| 11 | Port Vale | H | 1–1 |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Full Members' Cup | Full Members' Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Scott Barrett | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| GK | Peter Fox | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| DF | John Butler | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| DF | Cliff Carr | 40(1) | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 44(2) | 1 |
| DF | John Gidman | 7(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 8(5) | 0 |
| DF | Chris Hemming | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 6(1) | 0 |
| DF | Mark Higgins | 33 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| DF | Chris Kamara | 38 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 44 | 5 |
| MF | Carl Beeston | 22(1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24(1) | 2 |
| MF | George Berry | 32(1) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36(1) | 5 |
| MF | Tony Ford | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| MF | Tony Henry | 37(3) | 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43(3) | 6 |
| MF | Steve Parkin | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| MF | Paul Ware | 9(2) | 1 | 1(1) | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11(4) | 1 |
| FW | Dave Bamber | 23 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 8 |
| FW | Peter Beagrie | 41 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 8 |
| FW | Gary Hackett | 45(1) | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51(1) | 5 |
| FW | Nicky Morgan | 11(7) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12(7) | 6 |
| FW | Carl Saunders | 27(6) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31(6) | 2 |
| FW | Graham Shaw | 19(9) | 5 | 1(2) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22(11) | 6 |
| FW | Simon Stainrod | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 5 |
| – | Own goals | – | 3 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 0 | – | 3 |