# 1942–43 Stoke City F.C. season

The 1942–43 season was Stoke City's eighth season in the non-competitive War League.
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

In the 1942–43 season there were again two series of League competition a cup tournament. Stoke played 38 matches and were beaten in ten of those. They took 6th place in the first phase and 10th in the second. Their best result of the season was a 7–1 victory over Walsall in mid December and two 6–1 wins over nearby Crewe Alexandra. Frank Mountford was leading scorer with 20 whilst both Frank Bowyer and Fred Basnett hit 18.

## Results

Stoke's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League North 1st Phase

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 20 August 1942 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 4–1 | 3,000 | Sale (3), Peppitt |
| 2 | 5 September 1942 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 2–1 | 2,204 | Sale, Liddle |
| 3 | 12 September 1942 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–3 | 4,251 | Bowyer, F Mountford |
| 4 | 19 September 1942 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 5,029 | Soo |
| 5 | 26 September 1942 | Derby County | H | 5–2 | 5,000 | Soo (2), Bowyer, F Mountford (2) |
| 6 | 3 October 1942 | Derby County | A | 1–0 | 10,000 | Sale |
| 7 | 10 October 1942 | Birmingham | A | 0–1 | 2,500 | |
| 8 | 17 October 1942 | Birmingham | H | 1–2 | 4,000 | Sale |
| 9 | 24 October 1942 | Aston Villa | A | 0–4 | 10,000 | |
| 10 | 31 October 1942 | Aston Villa | H | 1–0 | 6,000 | Sale |
| 11 | 7 November 1942 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–0 | 6,564 | |
| 12 | 14 November 1942 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 5–1 | 3,331 | A. Basnett (2), F Basnett, Bowyer (2) |
| 13 | 21 November 1942 | Wrexham | A | 4–2 | 3,500 | Basnett, Caton, Liddle, F Mountford |
| 14 | 28 November 1942 | Wrexham | H | 2–0 | 2,500 | F Mountford (2) |
| 15 | 5 December 1942 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 3–3 | 2,500 | F Mountford, Liddle, Sale |
| 16 | 12 December 1942 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 6–1 | 2,000 | Basnett (2), G Mountford (2), Liddle, F Mountford |
| 17 | 19 December 1942 | Walsall | H | 7–1 | 5,100 | F Mountford (2), G Mountford, Basnett, Liddle, Sale, Male (o.g.) |
| 18 | 25 December 1942 | Walsall | A | 2–2 | 2,229 | Basnett, Bowyer |

### Football League North 2nd Phase

| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 1 | 3 April 1943 | Notts County | A | 1–1 | 4,000 | Bowyer |
| 2 | 10 April 1943 | Notts County | H | 1–1 | 1,500 | Liddle |
| 3 | 17 April 1943 | Derby County | A | 1–2 | 5,000 | Hamlett |
| 4 | 24 April 1943 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 1–4 | 2,677 | F Mountford |
| 5 | 26 April 1943 | Leicester City | A | 2–1 | 2,424 | F Mountford (2) |
| 6 | 1 May 1943 | Leicester City | H | 3–0 | 1,500 | Bowyer, G Mountford, Vallance |

### Football League War Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| QR | 26 December 1942 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 6–1 | 7,000 | F Mountford (2), G Mountford, Bowyer, Basnett |
| QR | 2 January 1943 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 3–1 | 2,500 | G Mountford, Basnett |
| QR | 9 January 1943 | Aston Villa | H | 1–0 | 3,000 | G Mountford |
| QR | 16 January 1943 | Aston Villa | A | 0–3 | 7,000 | |
| QR | 23 January 1943 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 4–4 | 6,226 | Bowyer (2), Basnett (2) |
| QR | 30 January 1943 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–2 | 5,847 | Bowyer, F Mountford |
| QR | 6 February 1943 | Walsall | H | 2–1 | 4,000 | Bowyer (2) |
| QR | 13 February 1943 | Walsall | A | 1–4 | 3,000 | Bowyer |
| QR | 20 February 1943 | Derby County | H | 4–0 | 6,000 | Bowyer, Basnett, Soo |
| QR | 27 February 1943 | Derby County | A | 1–0 | 10,000 | F Mountford |
| R1 1st Leg | 6 March 1943 | Chester | A | 3–2 | 6,500 | F Mountford (2), G Mountford |
| R1 2nd Leg | 13 March 1943 | Chester | H | 5–2 | 8,000 | Basnett, Bowyer (2), Liddle, Sale |
| R2 1st Leg | 20 March 1943 | Aston Villa | H | 1–3 | 15,000 | Bowyer |
| R2 2nd Leg | 27 March 1943 | Aston Villa | A | 0–2 | 20,000 | |

## Squad statistics

| Pos. | Name | Matches | Matches |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Phil Bates | 17 | 0 |
| GK | Donald Bliton | 7 | 0 |
| GK | Emmanuel Foster | 4 | 0 |
| GK | Dennis Herod | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Harry Brigham | 32 | 0 |
| DF | Roy Brown | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Sid Clewlow | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Neil Franklin | 31 | 0 |
| DF | Stuart Cowden | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Stanley Glover | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Lol Hamlett | 34 | 1 |
| DF | John McCue | 33 | 0 |
| DF | Billy Mould | 2 | 0 |
| DF | John Sellars | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Fred Sherratt | 4 | 0 |
| MF | Len Howell | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Bill Kinson | 5 | 0 |
| MF | Jock Kirton | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Bobby Liddle | 32 | 7 |
| MF | Alfred Massey | 1 | 0 |
| MF | George Mountford | 21 | 8 |
| MF | R. Micklewright | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Arthur Tutin | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Thomas Vallance | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Albert Basnett | 2 | 2 |
| FW | Fred Basnett | 25 | 18 |
| FW | Frank Baker | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Edwin Blunt | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Frank Bowyer | 37 | 18 |
| FW | Bill Caton | 9 | 1 |
| FW | John Jackson | 4 | 0 |
| FW | Bert Mitchell | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Frank Mountford | 36 | 20 |
| FW | Alexander Ormston | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Syd Peppitt | 2 | 1 |
| FW | Tommy Sale | 37 | 10 |
| FW | Frank Soo | 13 | 4 |
| FW | Harry Ware | 1 | 0 |