1984–85 Stoke City F.C. season


The 1984–85 season was Stoke City's 78th season in the Football League and 52nd in the First Division.
Bill Asprey was given the managerial position on a permanent basis by the board following the previous season's close escape. However Stoke won three of their 42 league matches managing to pick up 17 points, a record low which would stand for 21 years. Stoke scored 24 goals and conceded 91 giving them a goal difference of –67. Supporters stopped attending matches with crowds falling below 5,000. The season became known as The Holocaust season and Stoke would not gain a return to the top flight until 2008.

Season review

League

The directors did not hesitate in appointing Bill Asprey on a full-time basis, but there was a shock for the supporters when it was announced that both Paul Maguire and Peter Hampton were being released. Asprey had decided to start building his own team but he knew that there was no money available for him and so a club once filled with international stars had to loan players from other clubs. As the season started goals were almost non-existent and by autumn Asprey had sold Robbie James for £100,000 to Queens Park Rangers so he could buy Keith Bertschin a proven goalscorer from Norwich City.
Still there was no improvement and as the season wore on Stoke struggled to even compete with their First Division rivals and it turned into a case of when and not if Stoke would be relegated. Stoke went down breaking almost every record available: fewest goals scored ; fewest wins ; and lowest points tally. Ian Painter was top goalscorer with six of which four were penalties. With the season drawing to a close Asprey was relieved of his duties as his health had been affected by the season's traumas and Tony Lacey took over the last eight matches losing all of them. Chairman Frank Edwards took the full brunt of the supporters protests following relegation before he died following a heart attack. Sandy Clubb took over from Edwards and he appointed Mick Mills as manager as the club began to rebuild in the Second Division.

FA Cup

knocked out Stoke after a replay in the third round.

League Cup

Stoke were defeated by Third Division Rotherham United in the second round.

Final league table

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

Results

Stoke's score comes first

Legend

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
125 August 1984Luton TownA0–28,626
227 August 1984Aston VillaH1–312,605Painter 44'
31 September 1984Sheffield WednesdayH2–113,032McIlroy 35', Heath 44'
415 September 1984Leicester CityH2–213,591Hemming 65', Bould 69'
519 September 1984Norwich CityA0–013,051
622 September 1984ArsenalA0–426,758
729 September 1984SunderlandH2–28,882Dyson 75', Bould 87'
86 October 1984Nottingham ForestA1–114,129Berry 11'
913 October 1984SouthamptonH1–39,643Heath 41'
1020 October 1984West Ham UnitedH2–49,945Painter 81', Chamberlain 90'
1127 October 1984Tottenham HotspurA0–423,477
123 November 1984LiverpoolH0–120,567
1310 November 1984West Bromwich AlbionA0–212,258
1417 November 1984EvertonA0–426,705
1524 November 1984WatfordH1–310,564Painter 58'
161 December 1984Newcastle UnitedA1–221,135McIlroy 55'
174 December 1984Queens Park RangersA0–28,403
188 December 1984Ipswich TownH0–27,925
1915 December 1984ChelseaA1–120,534Dyson 71'
2022 December 1984Sheffield WednesdayA1–219,799Bould 45'
2126 December 1984Manchester UnitedH2–121,013Painter 70', Saunders 75'
2229 December 1984Queens Park RangersH0–210,811
231 January 1985Coventry CityA0–49,829
2412 January 1985Leicester CityA0–010,111
252 February 1985SunderlandA0–114,762
2623 February 1985LiverpoolA0–231,368
272 March 1985Tottenham HotspurH0–112,533
2812 March 1985West Bromwich AlbionH0–06,995
2916 March 1985SouthamptonA0–014,608
3023 March 1985Nottingham ForestH1–47,453Parkin 10'
3127 March 1985Aston VillaA0–210,874
3230 March 1985ArsenalH2–07,371Painter 55', Dyson 62'
336 April 1985Manchester UnitedA0–542,940
348 April 1985Luton TownH0–46,985
3520 April 1985EvertonH0–218,258
3624 April 1985Norwich CityH2–34,597Bertschin 10', Saunders 90'
3727 April 1985WatfordA0–214,586
384 May 1985Newcastle UnitedH0–17,088
396 May 1985Ipswich TownA1–514,150Bertschin 69'
4011 May 1985ChelseaH0–18,905
4114 May 1985West Ham UnitedA1–513,362Painter 63'
4217 May 1985Coventry CityH0–16,930

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R35 January 1985Luton TownA1–17,270Painter 78'
R3 Replay9 January 1985Luton TownH2–39,917Painter 47', Chamberlain 68'

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R2 1st Leg26 September 1984Rotherham UnitedH1–28,221Saunders 65'
R2 2nd Leg9 October 1984Rotherham UnitedA1–16,898Painter 22'

Friendlies

Squad statistics