1889–90 Stoke F.C. season


The 1889–90 season was Stoke's second season in the Football League.
It was another poor season for Stoke, as they again finished bottom of the Football League but this time they failed to gain re-election and their place was taken by Sunderland and Stoke joined the Football Alliance for the following season. Stoke's worst league and FA Cup defeat came during the 1889–90 season, a 10–0 reverse against Preston North End and an 8–0 cup defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Stoke won just three matches all season and picked up just ten points making it the club's worst performance in league football.

Season review

League

After finishing bottom of the league last season Stoke failed to improve a great deal in the 1889–90 season and again took the wooden spoon. They were humiliated 10–0 in the second match of the season away at Preston North End where all the goals were scored by Scottish internationals as Stoke suffered their worst league defeat. Stoke also lost 8–0 away to both Everton and Blackburn Rovers and they also suffered a 6–1 reverse against Aston Villa. Stoke were awful throughout the season and went on a ten match losing streak stretching from 19 October 1889 to 4 January 1890. In a tough home fixture against Burnley just before Christmas, Bob McCormick, the Stoke inside-right, badly injured his collar bone in a challenge with the Burnley full-back and at the end of the match some supporters invaded the pitch and confronted the "Clarets" defender. Stoke won the match 2–1 but Burnley lodged an appeal claiming their players had been intimidated. The League decided in Burnley's favour and ordered the match to be replayed, this time Burnley won 4–3.
Stoke won only three matches this season and amassed a mere ten points three fewer than Burnley and 23 behind champions, for the second season running Preston. Stoke failed to gain re-election and the end of the season and their place was taken by Sunderland. Stoke joined the Football Alliance for the 1890–91 season. A 7–1 victory over Accrington where Bob Ramsay scored the "Potters" first hat-trick was a rare highlight in what was an awful season. At the end of the season manager Harry Lockett left the club to concentrate on his job as secretary of the Football League and Joseph Bradshaw took over.

FA Cup

In the FA Cup, Stoke knocked out Old Westminsters and Everton but were ousted from the competition by Wolverhampton Wanderers. This third round tie was played on 15 February 1890 in driving sleet and rain on a heavy pitch and Wolves more suited to the conditions easily won the match 4–0. Stoke protested over the state of the pitch and the FA ordered a re-match the following Saturday. This time Wolves doubled the score to 8–0 much to the embarrassment of the Stoke officials. The result is Stoke's worst in the FA Cup.

Final league table

Key: P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Football League

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
17 September 1889Derby CountyH1–14,000McReddie
214 September 1889Preston North EndA0–107,000
328 September 1889Wolverhampton WanderersH2–15,000Gee, Coupar
45 October 1889Notts CountyA1–33,500Mudie
512 October 1889Wolverhampton WanderersA2–23,800Coupar, McReddie
619 October 1889Bolton WanderersH0–13,500
726 October 1889Derby CountyA0–23,000
82 November 1889EvertonA0–87,500
99 November 1889EvertonH1–21,500McCormick
1011 November 1889Preston North EndH1–25,500McCormick
1116 November 1889West Bromwich AlbionH1–33,900Simpson
127 December 1889Aston VillaA1–64,000Hendry
1323 December 1889Blackburn RoversH0–32,500
1428 December 1889AccringtonA1–21,500Coupar
154 January 1890Blackburn RoversA0–84,000
1611 January 1890BurnleyA3–12,500Gee, Dunn, Edge
178 February 1890Bolton WanderersA0–55,000
181 March 1890AccringtonH7–12,500Ramsay, Baker, Simpson
1910 March 1890BurnleyH3–42,000Ramsay, Christie, Gee
2015 March 1890West Bromwich AlbionA1–21,600Owen
2117 March 1890Aston VillaH1–13,150Gee
2224 March 1890Notts CountyH1–12,500Owen

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R118 January 1890Old WestminstersH3–03,000Gee, Ramsay, Sayer
R21 February 1890EvertonH4–27,000Edge, Dunn
R315 February 1890Wolverhampton WanderersA0–47,000Stoke win appeal
R322 February 1890Wolverhampton WanderersA0–87,000

Squad statistics