2005–06 Stoke City F.C. season


The 2005–06 season was Stoke City's 99th season in the Football League, the 39th in the second tier and second in the Championship.
In June 2005 Tony Pulis was sacked by Stoke's Icelandic board and Dutch manager Johan Boskamp was appointed. He went about changing Stoke's style of play to a more European passing style which also meant a decent number of foreign players were signed by the club. The change in style had mixed success whilst Stoke did play good attacking football the defensive qualities by Pulis's side went missing and Stoke suffered some poor defeats particularly at home. Stoke were far too inconsistent to be anything other than a mid-table side and they finished in 13th position. At the end of the season Boskamp left the club and Icelandic chairman Gunnar Gíslason put the club up for sale. Former chairman Peter Coates brought the club back and re-appointed Tony Pulis as manager.

Season review

League

On 28 June 2005 manager Tony Pulis was sacked by Gunnar Gíslason for "failing to exploit the foreign transfer market". The next day Dutch manager Johan Boskamp was named as Pulis' successor. Boskamp went about changing Stoke's style of play to be more attacking and possession based during pre-season and he brought in a number of foreign players. Most came from the Belgian Pro League and mainly his old club Anderlecht. In came Carl Hoefkens, Hannes Sigurðsson, Junior N'Galula and Martin Kolář whilst Marlon Broomes, Paul Gallagher Mamady Sidibé, Peter Sweeney and Luke Chadwick the domestic based players to join the club.
The first match of the 2005–06 season saw City come up against newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke struggled to a goalless draw after Gerry Taggart had been sent-off after just 10 minutes. In the next match Stoke lost 4–2 away at Leicester City to set the defensive tone for the season. The club record fee was broken with the £950,000 signing of Sambégou Bangoura on transfer deadline day but three bad home defeats by Watford, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Cardiff City saw supporters begin to ask questions. Bangoura then went on a good run of form scoring seven goals in six matches as Stoke won six matches in November and December to give them a platform to build on going into the new year. But in one of those wins away at Coventry City Boskamp and his assistant Jan de Koning and director of football John Rudge were involved in an argument which led to Boskamp almost resigning.
Stoke began 2006 in terrible form winning just one match in ten and scoring a mere six goals in that time. Bangoura had been away on international duty with Guinea and failed to return to the club at the agreed date which caused the shortage of goals and with Stoke's season fizzling out with no chance of promotion Boskamp was not offered a new contract by Gunnar Gíslason. Stoke ended the season with an emphatic 5–1 win at relegated Brighton & Hove Albion and young striker Adam Rooney scored a hat-trick becoming Stoke's youngest scorer of a hat-trick.
With the Icelandic board failing to gain promotion to the Premier League and with debts now at around £5million chairman Gunnar Gíslason put the club up for sale and he sold the club back to former chairman Peter Coates. Coates then re-appointed Tony Pulis as manager who had spent the season with Plymouth Argyle.

FA Cup

Stoke had three ties against Birmingham opposition in this seasons FA Cup firstly beating plucky non-league Tamworth on penalties in a replay and then a 2–1 win against Walsall before losing 1–0 to Birmingham City.

League Cup

Stoke continued their poor showing against lower league sides in the first round this time losing 3–0 on penalties to Mansfield Town.

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 City's score comes first

Legend

Pre-Season Friendlies

Football League Championship

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersReport
16 August 2005Sheffield WednesdayH0–018,744
29 August 2005Leicester CityA2–420,519Broomes 64', Halls 89'
313 August 2005MillwallA1–08,668Halls 38'
420 August 2005Luton TownH2–118,653Broomes 63', Brammer 90+2'
527 August 2005Crystal PalaceA0–217,637
629 August 2005Norwich CityH3–114,249Kolář 9', Harper 45', Sidibé 69'
710 September 2005WatfordH0–314,565
813 September 2005Hull CityA1–018,692Gallagher 74'
916 September 2005Preston North EndA1–012,453Gallagher 76'
1024 September 2005Wolverhampton WanderersH1–318,181Buxton 90+1'
1127 September 2005Cardiff CityH0–312,240
121 October 2005Plymouth ArgyleA1–212,604Chadwick 47'
1315 October 2005Derby CountyA1–222,229Hoefkens 59'
1418 October 2005Crewe AlexandraH2–014,080Bangoura 41', Duberry 64'
1522 October 2005ReadingH0–113,484
1629 October 2005SouthamptonA0–224,095
172 November 2005Coventry CityA2–116,617Taggart 37', Gallagher 55'
185 November 2005Brighton & Hove AlbionH3–015,274Bangoura 35', 75', Russell 68'
1919 November 2005Crewe AlexandraA2–18,942Bangoura 16', Gallagher 89'
2022 November 2005Derby CountyH1–213,205Bangoura 33'
2126 November 2005Sheffield WednesdayA2–021,970Bangoura 17', Sidibé 86'
223 December 2005Queens Park RangersH1–215,367Bangoura 26'
239 December 2005Leicester CityH3–211,125Gallagher 36', Sidibé 75', Bangoura 78'
2417 December 2005Luton TownA3–28,296Gallagher 45+1', 83', Coyne 90+3',
2526 December 2005BurnleyA0–117,912
2628 December 2005Leeds UnitedH0–120,408
2731 December 2005Sheffield UnitedA1–221,279Sidibé 57'
282 January 2006Ipswich TownH2–214,493Russell 27', Sidibé 73'
2914 January 2006WatfordA0–112,247
3021 January 2006Hull CityH0–313,444
314 February 2006Preston North EndH0–013,218
3211 February 2006Cardiff CityA0–310,780
3314 February 2006Plymouth ArgyleH0–010,242
3425 February 2006MillwallH2–111,340Hoefkens 15', Gallagher 57'
354 March 2006Norwich CityA1–224,223Gallagher 58'
367 March 2006Wolverhampton WanderersA0–022,439
3713 March 2006Crystal PalaceH1–310,121Skoko 47'
3818 March 2006BurnleyH1–012,082Gallagher 52'
3925 March 2006Leeds UnitedA0–021,452
4029 March 2006Queens Park RangersA2–110,918Hoefkens 73', Sigurðsson 79'
411 April 2006Sheffield UnitedH1–117,544Skoko 16'
428 April 2006Ipswich TownA4–123,592Wilnis 51', Bangoura 82', Chadwick 90', Russell 90+4'
4315 April 2006SouthamptonH1–216,501Gallagher 83'
4417 April 2006ReadingA1–322,119Rooney 59'
4522 April 2006Coventry CityH0–113,385
4630 April 2006Brighton & Hove AlbionA5–15,859Rooney 6', 22', 63', Sidibé 40', Sweeney 82'

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersReport
R37 January 2006TamworthH0–09,366
R3 Replay17 January 2006TamworthA1–1 3,812Gallagher 80'
R428 January 2006WalsallH2–18,834Sidibé 45', Chadwick 49'
R519 February 2006Birmingham CityH0–118,768

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorersReport
R123 August 2005Mansfield TownA1–1 2,799Brammer 11'

Squad statistics