# 1946–47 Chester F.C. season

The 1946–47 season was the ninth season of competitive association football in the Football League played by Chester, an English club based in Chester, Cheshire.
It was the club's ninth consecutive season in the Third Division North since the election to the Football League. Alongside competing in the league, the club also participated in the FA Cup and the Welsh Cup.

## Football League

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | Doncaster Rovers | 42 | 33 | 6 | 3 | 123 | 40 | 3.075 | 72 | Division Champions, promoted |
| 2 | Rotherham United | 42 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 114 | 53 | 2.151 | 64 | |
| 3 | Chester | 42 | 25 | 6 | 11 | 95 | 51 | 1.863 | 56 | Welsh Cup winners |
| 4 | Stockport County | 42 | 24 | 2 | 16 | 78 | 53 | 1.472 | 50 | |
| 5 | Bradford City | 42 | 20 | 10 | 12 | 62 | 47 | 1.319 | 50 | |

### 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 | 25 | 6 | 11 | 95 | 51 | 1.863 | 56 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 53 | 13 | 36 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 42 | 38 | 20 |
Source: rsssf.com

### Results by matchday

| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Result | D | L | W | W | D | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | W | D | W | W | W | W | L | D | L | W | L | D | L | L | W | L | L | W | W | L | D | W | W | W | L | W | L | W | W | W |
| Position | 11 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| 31 August | York City | A | D | 4–4 | Burden (2), Gledhill (o.g.), Hamilton | 7,016 |
| 4 September | Doncaster Rovers | H | L | 1–3 | Burden | 4,637 |
| 7 September | Tranmere Rovers | H | W | 4–1 | Lee, Arthur, Yates (2) | 8,100 |
| 10 September | Southport | A | W | 4–2 | Burden, Astbury, Yates (2) | 4,889 |
| 14 September | Darlington | A | D | 3–3 | Yates, Hamilton, Astbury | 8,189 |
| 18 September | Wrexham | H | W | 2–0 | Burden, Yates | 11,866 |
| 21 September | Hull City | H | W | 5–1 | Arthur, Hamilton, Burden (3) | 7,766 |
| 25 September | Southport | H | W | 2–1 | Astbury, Yates | 5,800 |
| 28 September | Gateshead | A | W | 4–3 | Burden (2), Astbury, Yates | 4,842 |
| 5 October | Hartlepools United | H | W | 2–1 | Astbury, Yates | 8,323 |
| 12 October | Crewe Alexandra | A | W | 2–0 | Yates, Burden | 10,923 |
| 26 October | Stockport County | A | W | 3–0 | Yates, Hamilton, Astbury | 11,738 |
| 2 November | Oldham Athletic | H | W | 2–0 | Yates, Burden | 10,256 |
| 9 November | Bradford City | A | D | 0–0 | | 16,775 |
| 16 November | Barrow | H | W | 3–0 | Yates (2), Burden | 7,877 |
| 23 November | Accrington Stanley | A | W | 4–1 | Arthur, Hamilton, Yates, Astbury | 3,583 |
| 7 December | Halifax Town | A | W | 2–1 | Burden, Yates | 3,830 |
| 14 December | New Brighton | H | W | 2–1 | Yates (2) | 5,942 |
| 21 December | Rochdale | A | L | 1–2 | Yates | 7,738 |
| 25 December | Rotherham United | H | D | 2–2 | Lee, Hamilton | 9,096 |
| 26 December | Rotherham United | A | L | 1–3 | Burden | 18,000 |
| 28 December | York City | H | W | 6–0 | Yates (3), Astbury (2), Selby | 7,358 |
| 4 January | Tranmere Rovers | A | L | 2–3 | Yates, Burden | 11,787 |
| 18 January | Darlington | H | D | 1–1 | Astbury | 8,266 |
| 1 February | Gateshead | H | L | 0–1 | | 5,454 |
| 8 February | Hartlepools United | A | L | 1–5 | Yates | 4,462 |
| 15 February | Crewe Alexandra | H | W | 2–0 | Astbury, Yates | 3,953 |
| 6 March | Hull City | A | L | 0–1 | | 10,367 |
| 22 March | Barrow | A | L | 0–1 | | 5,509 |
| 29 March | Accrington Stanley | H | W | 3–1 | Burden (2), Hamilton | 3,287 |
| 4 April | Lincoln City | H | W | 3–0 | Lee, Burden (2) | 6,921 |
| 5 April | Carlisle United | A | L | 2–3 | Lee, Burden | 6,810 |
| 7 April | Lincoln City | A | D | 2–2 | Yates, Burden | 8,785 |
| 12 April | Halifax Town | H | W | 2–0 | Burden (2) | 4,627 |
| 19 April | New Brighton | A | W | 3–0 | Hamilton, Yates (2) | 7,006 |
| 26 April | Rochdale | H | W | 1–0 | Yates | 4,278 |
| 3 May | Doncaster Rovers | A | L | 0–3 | | 17,015 |
| 10 May | Bradford City | H | W | 3–0 | Burden, Yates (pen.), Astbury | 3,376 |
| 17 May | Oldham Athletic | A | L | 0–1 | | 7,378 |
| 24 May | Stockport County | H | W | 3–0 | Brown, Burden, Yates | 4,563 |
| 26 May | Wrexham | A | W | 4–0 | Yates (3), Burden | 18,746 |
| 31 May | Carlisle United | H | W | 4–0 | Yates (2, 1pen.), Lee, Burden | 4,037 |

## FA Cup

Chester along with Cardiff City and Crystal Palace were given a bye to the Third round.
| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| Third round | 11 January | Plymouth Argyle (2) | H | W | 2–0 | Astbury, Burden | 18,000 |
| Fourth round | 25 January | Stoke City (1) | H | D | 0–0 | | 18,706 |
| Fourth round replay | 29 January | Stoke City (1) | A | L | 2–3 | Hamilton, Yates | 22,683 |

## Welsh Cup

| Round | Date | Opponents | Venue | Result | Score | Scorers | Attendance |
| Fifth round | 15 January | Bangor City (LC) | A | W | 5–3 | Yates, Isherwood, Davies | |
| Quarterfinal | 13 February | Swansea Town (2) | A | W | 3–1 | Yates, Astbury (2) | 10,000 |
| Semifinal | 14 May | Newport County (2) | H | W | 3–2 | Burden, Yates, Astbury | 7,000 |
| Final | 5 June | Merthyr Tydfil (SFL) | N | D | 0–0 | | 27,000 |
| Final replay | 12 June | Merthyr Tydfil (SFL) | N | W | 5–1 | Burden (2), Astbury, Yates, Turner | 11,190 |

## Season statistics

| Nat | Player | Total | Total | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Welsh Cup | Welsh Cup |
| Nat | Player | A | G | A | G | A | G | A | G |
| Goalkeepers ||||||||||
| | Bill Rigby | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | George Scales | 46 | – | 40 | – | 3 | – | 3 | – |
| | Jimmy MacLaren | 3 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| Field players ||||||||||
| | Jackie Arthur | 27 | 3 | 24 | 3 | 2 | – | 1 | – |
| | Tommy Astbury | 48 | 17 | 41 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| | Joe Brown | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | Tommy Burden | 48 | 32 | 42 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| | Reg Butcher | 37 | – | 30 | – | 3 | – | 4 | – |
| | Doug Cole | 15 | – | 13 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Maldwyn Davies | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| | Reg Dutton | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Ken Ellis | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Ivor Griffiths | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Bobby Hamilton | 43 | 9 | 37 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | – |
| | Charles Higgins | 13 | – | 11 | – | – | – | 2 | – |
| | Dennis Isherwood | 5 | 1 | 3 | – | – | – | 2 | 1 |
| | Des Lacey | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Eric Lee | 44 | 5 | 38 | 5 | 3 | – | 3 | – |
| | Stan Leonard | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | – |
| | Frank Marsh | 45 | – | 38 | – | 3 | – | 4 | – |
| | Dave McNeil | 36 | – | 30 | – | 3 | – | 3 | – |
| | John Mills | 4 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Dennis Selby | 6 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – |
| | David Skinner | 1 | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | George Summerbee | 10 | – | 9 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Phil Turner | 11 | 1 | 8 | – | – | – | 3 | 1 |
| | Trevor Walters | 47 | – | 40 | – | 3 | – | 4 | – |
| | Derek Williams | 3 | – | 2 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
| | Dick Yates | 48 | 43 | 40 | 36 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
| | Own goals | – | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | Total | 50 | 115 | 42 | 95 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 16 |