1909–10 Stoke F.C. season


The 1909–10 season was Stoke's second in the Birmingham & District League and the first in the Southern Football League.
Stoke decided to enter two league competitions this season with the directors feeling that the Southern Football League represented a better chance to be re-elected into the Football League. Stoke won the Southern Football League Division Two A with ease winning all ten of their matches and the Division Two championship play-off. They scored 48 goals conceding only 9, however unfortunately for Stoke promotion was not gained due to a league reorganization. The Birmingham & District League was a lot harder and Stoke finished in 7th place.

Season review

League

Stoke played in two league competitions during the 1909–10 season, in the Birmingham & District League and in the Southern League Division Two. This meant a total of 44 league fixtures would be played during the season.
The standard of football in the Southern League was of a poor quality and Stoke took the championship with ease, winning all of their 10 matches with a goal-average of 48-9. They started off with an 11–0 home victory over Merthyr Town and never looked back. On 25 April 1910, Stoke met Hastings & St Leonards United in a 'championship decider' and Stoke easily won 6–0 to claim the title.
The Birmingham league was considerably tougher and it was dominated by Aston Villa's reserve side. Stoke finished in 7th place, never threatening to challenge the leaders throughout the campaign. Arthur Griffiths, who had returned to the club from Oldham Athletic, top scored this season amassing 38 goals in all competitions.

FA Cup

The biggest crowd of the season at the Victoria Ground came in the FA Cup first round against Newcastle United. Stoke having progressed past Ilkeston and Exeter City in the qualifying rounds. Stoke held the Geordies to a 1–1 draw but lost 2–1 in the replay up in the north east and Newcastle went on to lift the cup. Stoke also played in the Birmingham League Cup for the one and only time losing to Aston Villa's second string in the third round. The directors decided that the Birmingham League Cup was not a worthwhile competition to enter.

Final league table

Birmingham & District League

Southern Football League Division Two A

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

Birmingham & District League

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
14 September 1909Burton UnitedA0–22,000
211 September 1909Wolverhampton Wanderers ReservesA2–23,000Griffiths
318 September 1909Wolverhampton Wanderers ReservesH0–25,000
423 September 1909Shrewsbury TownA1–01,500Leese
525 September 1909WalsallH5–13,000Baddeley, Millward, Cook
62 October 1909Aston Villa ReservesA1–26,000Smith
79 October 1909Kidderminster HarriersH4–23,000Griffiths, Leese
816 October 1909StourbridgeA0–51,000
923 October 1909Worcester CityH3–12,000Griffiths, Leigh
1030 October 1909West Bromwich Albion ReservesH1–38,500Baddeley
116 November 1909Wellington TownA0–12,000
1213 November 1909HalesowenH4–02,000Griffiths, Leese, Millward
1327 November 1909Birmingham ReservesH4–06,000Griffiths, Leese, Leigh
1411 December 1909Brierley Hill AllianceH4–12,000Griffiths, Millward, Turner
1518 December 1909WrexhamA2–13,000Baddeley, Leese
1628 December 1909Dudley TownA4–52,000Baddeley, Leese, Millward
171 January 1910Crewe AlexandraA2–45,000Griffiths, Leigh
188 January 1910Burton UnitedH8–02,000Griffiths, Leigh, Baddeley, Millward, Hall
1929 January 1910Shrewsbury TownH2–12,000Baddeley, Leese
205 February 1910WalsallA2–23,000Baddeley, Griffiths
2112 February 1910Aston Villa ReservesH3–210,000Baddeley, Griffiths
2219 February 1910Kidderminster HarriersA0–12,000
2326 February 1910StourbridgeH6–13,000S Baddeley, Griffiths, Leese, Millward, Taylor
245 March 1910Worcester CityA1–12,000Millward
2512 March 1910West Bromwich Albion ReservesA1–14,500Griffiths
2619 March 1910Wellington TownH5–12,500Hall, Smith, Taylor
2726 March 1910HalesowenA1–21,000Hall
2828 March 1910Crewe AlexandraH0–015,000
292 April 1910Dudley TownH6–13,000Griffiths, Leigh, Smith, Taylor
304 April 1910Stafford RangersA0–01,000
3116 April 1910Stafford RangersH3–13,000Griffiths, Millward
3218 April 1910Birmingham ReservesA3–04,000Griffiths, Millward, Taylor
3323 April 1910Brierley Hill AllianceA2–22,000Millward, Leese
3430 April 1910WrexhamH3–03,000Millward, Leese, Baddeley

Southern Football League Division Two A

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
11 September 1909Merthyr TownH11–04,000Griffiths, Leese, Millward, Smith, Tomlinson
213 September 1909Merthyr TownA4–23,000Griffiths, Leese, Tomlinson, Leigh
330 September 1909Ton PentreH8–12,500Griffiths, Baddeley, Smith, Jones
44 October 1909AberdareA2–02,000Baddeley, Leese
58 November 1909AberdareH3–24,000Baddeley, Smith
625 December 1909Burton UnitedA7–12,000Baddeley, Griffiths, Millward
727 December 1909Burton UnitedH5–04,000Baddeley, S Baddeley, Leigh, Smith
822 January 1910Salisbury CityA3–21,000Leese, Smith
925 March 1910Ton PentreA3–13,000Griffiths, Smith
1014 April 1910Salisbury CityH2–03,000Baddeley

Division Two championship Play-off

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
25 April 1910Hastings & St Leonards UnitedH6–07,000Griffiths, Leese, Smith, Turner

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
4QR20 November 1909Ilkeston UnitedH2–02,000Leigh, Smith
5QR4 December 1909Exeter CityH0–07,000
5QR Replay8 December 1909Exeter CityA1–13,500Leese
5QR Second Replay13 December 1909Exeter CityN2–13,000Leigh, Millward
R115 January 1910Newcastle UnitedH1–118,000Baddeley
R1 Replay19 January 1910Newcastle UnitedA1–214,000Griffiths

Birmingham League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R120 September 1909Brierley Hill AllianceH2–22,000Griffiths, Smith
R1 Replay18 October 1909Brierley Hill AllianceA5–01,500A Baddeley, S Baddeley
R21 November 1909StourbridgeH3–12,000Leigh, Smith, Tomlinson
R39 April 1910Aston Villa ReservesA1–24,000Leigh

Squad statistics