1912–13 Stoke F.C. season


The 1912–13 season was Stoke's fourth season in the Southern Football League. In 1913 the club reached its 50th year in existence.
Stoke had ambitions to return to the Football League and the objective for the 1912–13 season was earn a top six place in the Southern League Division One. However Stoke failed spectacularly and ended up finishing bottom and being relegated to the Southern League Division Two. The season was a complete embarrassment to the directors and management and fans started to lose patience with manager Alfred Barker.

Season review

League

With Alfred Barker still manager of the club there were high hopes that the 1912–13 season would see Stoke come good in the top division of the Southern League. The players who had served the club well over the past 12 months or so were all retained and new players were added to the squad to make competition for places harder. The main ambition was a top six place, but by Christmas time Stoke were bottom of the table and stayed there. The directors attributed relegation to bad luck while the supporters blamed Barker. William Smith, who had been such a key player in attack missed most of the season through injury and his absence proved costly as Stoke had a very poor forward line. Only 14 goals were scored in the first 15 matches summed up Stoke's problems and there was no upturn in fortune after Christmas and relegation was duly suffered and it was back to the drawing board once more.
By the end of the season the directors came under considerable pressure from supporters as they were reluctant to accept a place back in Division Two and by the end of April 1913 no players had been offered a new contract contrary to previous practice. The directors eventually accepted life in the Southern League Division Two again but fans vented their anger at them in the annual general meeting.

FA Cup

Stoke's miserable season also included a first round exit to fellow Southern League side Reading.

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

Southern Football League Division One

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
12 September 1912Norwich CityH0–110,000
25 September 1912Norwich CityA0–13,000
37 September 1912Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–34,000Whittaker
414 September 1912Northampton TownH1–04,000A Smith
521 September 1912Coventry CityA2–56,000A Smith, Revill
628 September 1912Queens Park RangersH0–07,000
72 October 1912WatfordA4–24,000Revill, Hardman, English
812 October 1912BrentfordH1–05,000Hardman
919 October 1912Merthyr TownA1–23,000A Smith
1026 October 1912Millwall AthleticH0–23,000
112 November 1912Crystal PalaceA0–13,000
129 November 1912Bristol RoversH2–14,000A Smith, Turner
1316 November 1912Plymouth ArgyleA0–45,000
1423 November 1912Swindon TownH1–18,000Revill
1530 November 1912SouthamptonA1–27,000A Smith
167 December 1912PortsmouthH2–06,000Revill, Lenaghan
1714 December 1912ReadingA2–63,000Lenaghan, Hardman
1821 December 1912Exeter CityH0–25,000
1925 December 1912West Ham UnitedA0–58,000
2026 December 1912West Ham UnitedH0–110,000
2128 December 1912Brighton & Hove AlbionH4–17,000A Smith, Revill, Hardman, Herbert
224 January 1913Northampton TownA0–91,600
2318 January 1913Coventry CityH0–15,000
2425 January 1913Queens Park RangersA0–112,000
256 February 1913WatfordH1–26,000Herbert
2615 February 1913BrentfordA2–42,000Herbert, A Smith
2722 February 1913Merthyr TownH2–04,000Herbert, A Smith
281 March 1913Millwall AthleticA2–19,000Herbert, Pentland
298 March 1913Crystal PalaceH0–07,000
3014 March 1913Bristol RoversA0–42,000
3121 March 1913GillinghamA0–05,000
3222 March 1913Plymouth ArgyleH0–25,000
3324 March 1913GillinghamH0–23,500
3429 March 1913Swindon TownA2–33,000W Smith, Holmes
355 April 1913SouthamptonH3–14,000W Smith, Holmes
3612 April 1913PortsmouthA1–44,000A Smith
3719 April 1913ReadingH4–03,500Revill, W Smith, Heggarty
3826 April 1913Exeter CityA0–11,000

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R116 January 1913ReadingH2–214,000A Smith, Revill
R1 Replay22 January 1913ReadingA0–312,000

Squad statistics