# 1939–40 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1939–40 season was Stoke City's fifth season in the non-competitive War League. It would have been their 26th season in the Football League First Division but after just three matches the League was cancelled due to World War II.
In 1939 World War II was declared and the Football League was cancelled. In its place were formed War Leagues and cups, based on geographical lines rather than based on previous league placement. However, none of these were considered to be competitive football, and thus their records are not recognised by the Football League and thus not included in official records.

## Season review

Stoke started the 1939–40 season with a match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Football League Jubilee Fund losing 4–2. The Stoke players wore squad numbers for the first time in this match. After just three First Division matches had been played the Football League was cancelled and although a regional war-league was set up attendances suffered alarmingly. Stoke had looked a useful side with a lot of young, talented players before the hostilities came along and ruined the careers of many and from October 1939 to May 1946 the club missed out on what could have been a successful seven-year period.
With the cancellation of the league action, the re-organised competitions started on 21 October 1939, with 82 of the 88 clubs participating. Stoke drew their first match 4–4 with Everton with Tommy Sale scoring a fine hat-trick. With players being called up for military duty and with travelling very difficult plus the fact that Stanley Matthews was in heavy demand for guest matches team selection was never easy for Bob McGrory. Stoke brought in their own guest players to the Victoria Ground and they proved to be very successful as Stoke won the 1939–40 Western League finishing two points ahead of Liverpool.

## Final league table
### West Regional Championship

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 1 | Stoke City | 22 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 57 | 41 | 1.390 | 31 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 22 | 12 | 5 | 5 | 66 | 40 | 1.650 | 29 |
| 3 | Everton | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 64 | 33 | 1.939 | 28 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 22 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 74 | 41 | 1.805 | 28 |
| 5 | Manchester City | 22 | 12 | 4 | 6 | 73 | 41 | 1.780 | 28 |
| 6 | Wrexham | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 45 | 50 | 0.900 | 25 |
| 7 | New Brighton | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 55 | 52 | 1.058 | 23 |
| 8 | Port Vale | 22 | 10 | 2 | 10 | 52 | 56 | 0.929 | 22 |
| 9 | Chester | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 40 | 51 | 0.784 | 19 |
| 10 | Crewe Alexandra | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 44 | 79 | 0.557 | 13 |
| 11 | Stockport County | 22 | 4 | 3 | 15 | 45 | 79 | 0.570 | 11 |
| 12 | Tranmere Rovers | 22 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 41 | 93 | 0.441 | 7 |

### First Division

* Note: The Football League was cancelled after three matches.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 1 | Blackpool | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2.500 | 6 |
| 2 | Sheffield United | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3.000 | 5 |
| 3 | Arsenal | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 2.000 | 5 |
| 4 | Liverpool | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 2.000 | 4 |
| 5 | Everton | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1.250 | 4 |
| 6 | Bolton Wanderers | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1.200 | 4 |
| 7 | Derby County | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1.000 | 4 |
| 8 | Charlton Athletic | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.750 | 4 |
| 9 | Stoke City | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1.750 | 3 |
| 10 | Manchester United | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1.667 | 3 |
| 11 | Chelsea | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1.000 | 3 |
| 12 | Brentford | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1.000 | 3 |
| 13 | Grimsby Town | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 0.500 | 3 |
| 14 | Aston Villa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1.000 | 2 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 0.857 | 2 |
| 16 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.750 | 2 |
| 17 | Huddersfield Town | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0.667 | 2 |
| 18 | Portsmouth | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.600 | 2 |
| 19 | Preston North End | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 2 |
| 20 | Blackburn Rovers | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.600 | 1 |
| 21 | Middlesbrough | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0.375 | 1 |
| 22 | Leeds United | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.000 | 1 |

## Results

Stoke's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Jubilee Fund

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 19 August 1939 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–4 | 6,440 | Sale (2) |

### Football League First Division

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 26 August 1939 | Charlton Athletic | H | 4–0 | 16,268 | Soo, Sale, Smith (2) |
| 2 | 28 August 1939 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–2 | 13,067 | Gallacher |
| 3 | 2 September 1939 | Middlesbrough | A | 2–2 | 12,088 | Sale (2) |

### West Regional Championship

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 21 October 1939 | Everton | A | 4–4 | 3,998 | Sale (3), Liddle |
| 2 | 28 October 1939 | Stockport County | H | 4–2 | 2,100 | Sale, Soo, Ormston, Matthews |
| 3 | 4 November 1939 | Wrexham | A | 4–4 | 3,959 | Peppitt (2), Smith, Ormston |
| 4 | 11 November 1939 | New Brighton | H | 4–1 | 2,401 | Ormston (2), Sale (2) |
| 5 | 18 November 1939 | Manchester City | A | 1–1 | 8,038 | Sale (pen) |
| 6 | 25 November 1939 | Chester | H | 2–0 | 1,425 | Sale, Peppitt |
| 7 | 2 December 1939 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 2–4 | 3,403 | Sale (2) |
| 8 | 9 December 1939 | Liverpool | H | 3–1 | 1,269 | Sale, Liddle, Matthews |
| 9 | 6 January 1940 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 1–0 | 714 | Peppitt |
| 10 | 20 January 1940 | Manchester United | A | 3–4 | 2,884 | Peppitt, Sale, Bowyer |
| 11 | 10 February 1940 | Everton | H | 1–0 | 8,910 | Sale |
| 12 | 24 February 1940 | Stockport County | A | 5–1 | 2,037 | Peppitt (4), Soo |
| 13 | 2 March 1940 | Wrexham | H | 3–1 | 2,974 | Ormston (2), Steele |
| 14 | 9 March 1940 | New Brighton | A | 1–3 | 1,357 | Baker |
| 15 | 16 March 1940 | Manchester City | H | 2–1 | 3,520 | Sale, Smith |
| 16 | 23 March 1940 | Chester | A | 3–3 | 4,116 | Peppitt, Ormston |
| 17 | 25 March 1940 | Port Vale | H | 5–1 | 9,450 | Ormston (2), Sale, Own Goal (2) |
| 18 | 30 March 1940 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–1 | 2,460 | Sale |
| 19 | 6 April 1940 | Liverpool | A | 2–1 | 5,130 | Steele, Peppitt |
| 20 | 6 May 1940 | Port Vale | A | 2–1 | 5,130 | Steele, Sale |
| 21 | 13 May 1940 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 1–5 | 2,434 | Mountford |
| 22 | 25 May 1940 | Manchester United | H | 3–2 | 3,227 | Peppitt (2), Ormston |

### Football League War Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| R1 1st Leg | 20 April 1940 | New Brighton | A | 4–1 | 5,289 | Sale, Steele (3) |
| R1 2nd Leg | 27 April 1940 | New Brighton | H | 2–1 | 3,654 | Sale, Steele |
| R2 1st Leg | 4 May 1940 | Barrow | A | 2–0 | 11,870 | Steele (2) |
| R2 2nd Leg | 11 May 1940 | Barrow | H | 6–1 | 11,870 | Steele, Sale (2), Ormston, Peppitt, Liddle |
| R3 | 18 May 1940 | Everton | A | 0–1 | 3,557 | |

### Friendlies

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 16 September 1939 | Coventry City | H | 3–1 | 4,647 | Baker, Sale, Peppitt |
| 2 | 23 September 1939 | Port Vale | H | 3–2 | 4,512 | Baker, Sale, Ormston |
| 3 | 30 September 1939 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–6 | 1,515 | |
| 4 | 7 October 1939 | Manchester United | H | 2–2 | 3,418 | Antonio, Own Goal |
| 5 | 14 October 1939 | Birmingham | H | 3–2 | 2,171 | Smith, Westland (2) |
| 6 | 16 December 1939 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | 2–1 | 2,035 | Sale, Liddle |
| 7 | 25 December 1939 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–3 | 1,707 | |
| 8 | 25 December 1939 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–5 | 2,932 | Ormston |
| 9 | 30 December 1939 | Bury | A | 6–7 | 700 | Sale (3), Baker, Peppitt, Matthews |
| 10 | 13 January 1940 | Preston North End | A | 1–2 | 956 | Sale (pen) |
| 11 | 22 March 1940 | Chesterfield | A | 1–3 | 4,525 | Peppitt |
| 12 | 13 April 1940 | Nottingham Forest | A | 3–2 | 2,224 | Sale (3) |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | Matches | Matches |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Pat Bridges | 1 | 0 |
| GK | David Jones | 19 | 0 |
| GK | Pat McMahon | 3 | 0 |
| GK | Douglas Westland | 3 | 0 |
| GK | Norman Wilkinson | 4 | 0 |
| DF | Harry Brigham | 30 | 0 |
| DF | Neil Franklin | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Jack Griffiths | 9 | 0 |
| DF | John McCue | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Jimmy Oakes | 4 | 0 |
| DF | Charlie Scrimshaw | 10 | 0 |
| DF | Jack Tennant | 5 | 0 |
| MF | Bobby Liddle | 22 | 3 |
| MF | Jock Kirton | 8 | 0 |
| MF | Alfred Massey | 13 | 0 |
| MF | Billy Mould | 29 | 0 |
| MF | Arthur Tutin | 5 | 0 |
| FW | George Antonio | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Frank Baker | 7 | 1 |
| FW | Frank Bowyer | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Patrick Gallacher | 3 | 1 |
| FW | Stanley Matthews | 19 | 2 |
| FW | Frank Mountford | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Alexander Ormston | 26 | 11 |
| FW | Syd Peppitt | 25 | 15 |
| FW | Tommy Sale | 28 | 24 |
| FW | Clement Smith | 10 | 4 |
| FW | Frank Soo | 28 | 3 |
| FW | Freddie Steele | 9 | 10 |
| FW | James Westland | 1 | 0 |