1979–80 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke City
1979–80 season
Chairman Thomas Degg
Manager Alan Durban
Stadium Victoria Ground
Football League First Division 18th (35 Points)
FA Cup Third Round
League Cup Third Round
Top goalscorer League: Garth Crooks (12)
All: Garth Crooks (15)
Highest home attendance 31,996 vs Liverpool (23 April 1980)
Lowest home attendance 14,333 vs Norwich City (15 March 1980)
Average home league attendance 20,176
Home colours

The 1979–80 season was Stoke City's 73rd season in the Football League and the 47th in the First Division.

With Stoke now back in the First Division after a two-year absence the main aim of 1979–80 was to remain there. It was a difficult season for Stoke but they managed to achieve their aim finishing in a safe position of 18th five points away from relegation.[1]

Season review

League

Durban recognised the need to strengthen his squad for the challenges of top-flight football and with veteran Denis Smith skippering the side he added to it Ray Evans a former Tottenham Hotspur right back, and goalkeeper Eric McManus.[1] It was around his time that the introduction of foreign players from across Europe began to influence English football.[1] And in keeping with the times Stoke signed their first player from the continent, Dutch midfielder Loek Ursem from AZ '67 for the equivalent of £85,000 in Dutch guilders.[1] The players Durban brought to the Victoria Ground were respected more for their work rate than their flair but Ursem was something of an inspiration. Whilst he never fully commanded a regular place in the side he was a very popular player with the fans but at times lacked that extra bit of class to make him a top player.[1]

Stoke also unveiled the new Stoke End stand in the summer of 1979, capable of seating 4,250 it was built from the proceeds of the club's successful commercial department whose lotteries were key to their success.[1] After a good start to the season with two home wins the tough task of First Division football began to cause Stoke problems and they remained in the bottom six all season.[1] They avoided an instant return to the Second Division with little to spare finishing in 18th position with 36 points.[1]

FA Cup

Stoke had two men controversially sent-off as Burnley won 1–0 at Turf Moor.[1] With the match seemingly destined for a replay referee Kevin McNally caused controversy as he sent off Denis Smith for time-wasting as he was going off injured. He then awarded Burnley as penalty after Billy Hamilton was fouled by Ray Evans, Martin Dobson scoring from the spot. Stoke were then reduced to nine-men as Evans was then sent-off for dissent.[2]

League Cup

This season saw the introduction of two legged matches in the early rounds of the League Cup, Stoke beating Swansea City but then losing to Swindon Town.[1]

Final league table

PosClubPWDLFAGDPts
1Liverpool42251078130+5160
2Manchester United42241086535+3058
3Ipswich Town42229116839+2953
4Arsenal42181685236+1652
5Nottingham Forest42208146343+2048
6Wolverhampton Wanderers42199145847+1147
7Aston Villa421614125150+146
8Southampton42189156553+1245
9Middlesbrough421612145044+644
10West Bromwich Albion421119125450+441
11Leeds United421314154650–440
12Norwich City421314155866–840
13Crystal Palace421216144150–940
14Tottenham Hotspur421510175262–1040
15Coventry City42167195666–1039
16Brighton & Hove Albion421115164757–1037
17Manchester City421213174366–2337
18Stoke City421310194458–1436
19Everton42917164351–835
20Bristol City42913203766–2931
21Derby County42118234767–2030
22Bolton Wanderers42515223873–3525

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

Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 18 August 1979 Coventry CityH3–223,151Busby 34', Crooks (2) 50', 55'
2 22 August 1979 Nottingham ForestA0–126,147
3 25 August 1979 Tottenham HotspurH3–122,832Crooks (2) 35', 41' (1 pen), O'Callaghan 60'
4 1 September 1979 Ipswich TownA1–317,539Butcher 20' (o.g.)
5 8 September 1979 EvertonH2–323,460O'Callaghan 17', Smith 35'
6 15 September 1979 Bristol CityA0–016,662
7 22 September 1979 Crystal PalaceH1–219,225Smith 7'
8 29 September 1979 Manchester UnitedA0–452,327
9 6 October 1979 Norwich CityA2–217,060Irvine 13', Richardson 73' (pen)
10 10 October 1979 Nottingham ForestH1–117,060O'Callaghan 63'
11 13 October 1979 MiddlesbroughH0–018,406
12 20 October 1979 ArsenalA0–031,501
13 27 October 1979 Derby CountyH3–218,530Richardson 11', Heath 31', Crooks 67'
14 3 November 1979 Coventry CityA3–116,761Jones (o.g.) 24', Heath 26', Crooks 75'
15 10 November 1979 Wolverhampton WanderersH0–126,061
16 17 November 1979 Aston VillaA1–227,056Scott 10'
17 24 November 1979 Bolton WanderersH1–014,435O'Callaghan 44'
18 1 December 1979 SouthamptonA1–320,095Irvine 67'
19 8 December 1979 West Bromwich AlbionH3–219,865Crooks (3) 11', 14', 78'
20 15 December 1979 Brighton & Hove AlbionA0–018,392
21 21 December 1979 Leeds UnitedH0–216,878
22 26 December 1979 Manchester CityA1–136,286Dodd 5'
23 29 December 1979 Tottenham HotspurA0–128,810
24 12 January 1980 Ipswich TownH0–115,253
25 2 February 1980 Bristol CityH1–014,510Rodgers 55' (o.g.)
26 9 February 1980 Crystal PalaceA1–021,181Chapman 70'
27 16 February 1980 Manchester UnitedH1–128,068Irvine 48'
28 23 February 1980 MiddlesbroughA3–115,953Cook 4', Crooks (2) 28', 87'
29 1 March 1980 ArsenalH2–319,752Cook 12', Chapman 74'
30 8 March 1980 Derby CountyA2–222,695Cook 12', 24'
31 15 March 1980 Norwich CityH2–114,333Heath 22', Bond 35' (o.g.)
32 18 March 1980 EvertonA0–223,848
33 22 March 1980 Wolverhampton WanderersA0–327,968
34 29 March 1980 Aston VillaH2–016,234Evans 16' (pen), Chapman 65'
35 1 April 1980 LiverpoolA0–136,475
36 5 April 1980 Manchester CityH0–020,451
37 8 April 1980 Leeds UnitedA0–315,451
38 12 April 1980 SouthamptonH1–215,030O'Callaghan 12'
39 19 April 1980 Bolton WanderersA1–211,304Crooks 44'
40 23 April 1980 LiverpoolH0–231,996
41 26 April 1980 Brighton & Hove AlbionH1–014,422Heath 35'
42 3 May 1980 West Bromwich AlbionA1–018,470Heath 57'

FA Cup

Main article: 1979–80 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R35 January 1980 BurnleyA0–113,478

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
R2 1st Leg29 August 1979 Swansea CityH1–118,004Smith 90'
R2 2nd Leg4 September 1979 Swansea CityA3–1 (aet)20,030Crooks (2) 55', 120', Randall 93'
R3 1st Leg26 September 1979 Swindon TownH2–215,255Crooks 6', O'Callaghan 40'
R3 2nd Leg2 October 1979 Swindon TownA1–215,823Chapman 68'

Friendlies

MatchOpponentVenueResult
1Port ValeA2–0
2BournemouthA2–1
3PortsmouthA3–0
4ReadingA3–2
5NEC NijmegenA4–1
6Macclesfield TownA2–2
7OFI CreteA1–0
8ChelseaA1–0
9Shrewsbury TownA1–1
10Stoke City 1970s XIH5–2

Squad statistics

Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Peter Fox 2301010250
GKEngland Roger Jones 1900030220
DFEngland Alan Dodd 36(1)1103040(1)1
DFEngland Ray Evans 4011030441
DFEngland Paul Johnson 2500000250
DFEngland Paul Anthony Johnson 1500000150
DFEngland Denis Smith 3421041393
DFEngland Geoff Scott 1610030191
DFEngland Mel Pejic 10000010
MFEngland Paul Bracewell 4(2)000004(2)0
MFEngland Jeff Cook 13(1)4000013(1)4
MFEngland Mike Doyle 2801040330
MFEngland Adrian Heath 3851040435
MFScotland Sammy Irvine 2631040313
MFEngland Paul Ricardson 34(2)2102137(2)3
MFEngland Kevin Sheldon 10000010
MFNetherlands Loek Ursem 7(4)000108(4)0
FWEngland Viv Busby 4(6)1002(2)06(8)1
FWEngland Lee Chapman 14(3)3001115(3)4
FWEngland Garth Crooks 401210434515
FWScotland John Lumsden 0(1)000000(1)0
FWRepublic of Ireland Brendan O'Callaghan 32(4)5103136(4)6
FWEngland Paul Randall 12(4)0102115(4)1
Own goals 4004

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.
  2. "Kevin McNally sends off injured Denis Smith as he is being subbed". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
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