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1967–68 Stoke City F.C. season

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Stoke City
1967–68 season
ChairmanAlbert Henshall
ManagerTony Waddington
StadiumVictoria Ground
Football League First Division18th (35 points)
FA CupFourth round
League CupQuarter-final
Top goalscorerLeague: Peter Dobing
& Harry Burrows
(15)

All: Harry Burrows (16)
Highest home attendance32,549 vs Manchester United
(30 March 1967)
Lowest home attendance15,785 vs Sheffield Wednesday
(16 March 1968)
Average home league attendance21,949

The 1967–68 season was Stoke City's 61st season in the Football League and the 37th in the First Division.

Since gaining promotion back to the First Division in 1963, Stoke had done well and managed to consistently finish in mid-table avoiding any fears of relegation. However, in 1967–68 Stoke did have a later than expected fight against relegation and after going seven straight matches without a win towards the end of the season it looked as if Stoke were heading back to the Second Division but a thrilling 3–2 win over Leeds set Stoke up to beat Liverpool on the final day ensuring survival by three points.[1]

Season review

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League

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Dennis Viollet left Stoke in May 1967 for Baltimore Bays in the United States, and Tony Waddington decided against signing a replacement, making just one transaction prior to the start of the 1967–68 season, purchasing Burnley left back Alex Elder for £50,000.[1] Elder had a fine career at Turf Moor but at Stoke after an early injury he never produced the form expected of him and is considered to be one of Waddington's worst signings.[1] After a decent enough start to the campaign by Christmas results did not go well at all and the side slipped down the table and into the relegation places.[1] Results continued to be poor and after a 3–0 defeat away at West Bromwich Albion on 13 March, Stoke went and lost the next six matches.[1]

Consequently, a lot of 'wheeling a dealing' was done in the transfer market with Alan Philpott leaving for Oldham, Maurice Setters to Coventry and the popular Calvin Palmer moving to Sunderland for £70,000. To fill the gap Waddington brought in Willie Stevenson from Liverpool for £30,000.[1] Thanks to three fine results late on in the season, including a thrilling 3–2 win over Don Revie's Leeds and a decisive 2–1 victory over Liverpool, Stoke managed to finish in 18th place three points away from the relegation places.[1]

FA Cup

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After beating Welsh side Cardiff City in the third round Stoke were knocked out by West Ham United who won 3–0 at the Victoria Ground.[1]

League Cup

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Stoke made it through to the quarter-final of the 1967–68 League Cup losing 2–0 to Leeds United at Elland Road after knocking out Watford, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday.[1]

Final league table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
16 Southampton 42 13 11 18 66 83 0.795 37
17 Wolverhampton Wanderers 42 14 8 20 66 75 0.880 36
18 Stoke City 42 14 7 21 50 73 0.685 35
19 Sheffield Wednesday 42 11 12 19 51 63 0.810 34
20 Coventry City 42 9 15 18 51 71 0.718 33
Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results

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Stoke's score comes first

Legend

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Win Draw Loss

Football League First Division

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Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 19 August 1967 Arsenal A 0–2 27,048
2 23 August 1967 Sheffield United H 1–1 20,823 Bloor
3 26 August 1967 Manchester City H 3–0 22,456 Bloor, Palmer, Burrows (pen)
4 29 August 1967 Sheffield United A 0–1 17,099
5 2 September 1967 Newcastle United A 1–1 38,470 Mahoney
6 6 September 1967 Leicester City H 3–2 19,032 Palmer, Burrows (pen), Conroy
7 9 September 1967 West Bromwich Albion H 0–0 21,036
8 16 September 1967 Chelsea A 2–2 26,614 Dobing, Burrows (pen)
9 23 September 1967 Southampton H 3–2 18,618 Burrows (2) (1 pen), Vernon
10 30 September 1967 Liverpool A 1–2 50,120 Dobing
11 7 October 1967 West Ham United A 4–3 24,471 Dobing (2), Burrows (2)
12 14 October 1967 Burnley H 0–2 19,532
13 23 October 1967 Sheffield Wednesday A 1–1 33,002 Burrows
14 28 October 1967 Tottenham Hotspur H 2–1 26,341 Burrows (2)
15 4 November 1967 Manchester United A 0–1 51,041
16 11 November 1967 Sunderland H 2–1 19,554 Dobing, Bloor
17 18 November 1967 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 4–3 34,544 Bloor, Mahoney, Burrows, Palmer
18 25 November 1967 Fulham H 0–1 18,344
19 2 December 1967 Leeds United A 0–2 29,958
20 9 December 1967 Everton H 1–0 17,154 Dobing
21 16 December 1967 Arsenal H 0–1 16,110
22 23 December 1967 Manchester City A 2–4 40,121 Dobing, Burrows
23 26 December 1967 Nottingham Forest A 0–3 37,577
24 30 December 1967 Nottingham Forest H 1–3 20,948 Mahoney
25 6 January 1968 Newcastle United H 2–1 17,623 Burrows (2)
26 20 January 1968 Chelsea H 0–1 21,751
27 3 February 1968 Southampton A 2–1 20,880 Burrows, Palmer
28 26 February 1968 West Ham United H 2–0 16,092 Dobing, Mahoney
29 13 March 1968 West Bromwich Albion A 0–3 20,500
30 16 March 1968 Sheffield Wednesday H 0–1 15,785
31 23 March 1968 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–3 29,530
32 30 March 1968 Manchester United H 2–4 32,549 Eastham, Dobing
33 6 April 1968 Sunderland A 1–3 27,813 Harris (o.g.)
34 13 April 1968 Wolverhampton Wanderers H 0–2 26,290
35 15 April 1968 Coventry City A 0–2 31,380
36 16 April 1968 Coventry City H 3–3 20,170 Bentley, Dobing, Mahoney
37 20 April 1968 Burnley A 0–4 13,188
38 23 April 1968 Leeds United H 3–2 24,518 Dobing (3)
39 1 May 1968 Fulham A 2–0 12,523 Dobing, Vernon
40 4 May 1968 Everton A 0–3 43,302
41 11 May 1968 Leicester City A 0–0 23,852
42 15 May 1968 Liverpool H 2–1 27,693 Dobing, Mahoney

FA Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R3 27 January 1968 Cardiff City H 2–1 23,563 Stevenson, Vernon
R4 17 February 1968 West Ham United H 0–3 36,704

League Cup

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Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
R2 13 September 1967 Watford H 2–0 10,126 Allen, Palmer
R3 11 October 1967 Ipswich Town H 2–1 14,815 Burrows, Bridgwood
R4 1 November 1967 Sheffield Wednesday A 0–0 26,001
R4 Replay 15 November 1967 Sheffield Wednesday H 2–1 21,185 Bentley, Palmer
Quarter-final 13 December 1967 Leeds United A 0–2 24,558

Friendlies

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Match Opponent Venue Result
1 Stockport County A 2–2
2 Asante Kotoko H 1–3
3 Portsmouth A 1–2

Squad statistics

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Pos. Name League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Gordon Banks 39 0 2 0 4 0 45 0
GK England John Farmer 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
GK England Paul Shardlow 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
DF England Tony Allen 38 0 2 0 5 1 45 1
DF England Bill Bentley 30(2) 1 1 0 4 1 35(2) 2
DF England Alan Bloor 37 4 2 0 4 0 43 4
DF Wales Micky Bloor 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF Northern Ireland Alex Elder 24 0 2 0 3 0 29 0
DF England Tony Lacey 0(1) 0 0 0 0 0 0(1) 0
DF England Jackie Marsh 2(2) 0 0 0 1 0 3(2) 0
DF England John Moore 12(1) 0 0 0 0 0 12(1) 0
DF England Calvin Palmer 23 4 2 0 5 2 30 6
DF England Eric Skeels 34 0 2 0 4 0 40 0
MF England Mike Bernard 11(6) 0 0 0 2 0 13(6) 0
MF England Gerry Bridgwood 14(1) 0 0 0 1 1 15(1) 1
MF Republic of Ireland Terry Conroy 8(1) 1 0 0 2 0 10(1) 1
MF England George Eastham 38(1) 1 0(1) 0 5 0 43(2) 1
MF Wales John Mahoney 27(1) 6 2 0 2 0 31(1) 6
MF England Geoff Nulty 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF England Alan Philpott 1 0 0 0 0(1) 0 1(1) 0
MF England Maurice Setters 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
MF Scotland Willie Stevenson 18 0 2 1 0 0 20 1
FW England Harry Burrows 42 15 2 0 5 1 49 16
FW England Peter Dobing 37 15 1 0 5 0 43 15
FW England Bob Hulse 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
FW Wales Roy Vernon 19 2 2 1 2 0 23 3
Own goals 1 0 0 1

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Matthews, Tony (1994). The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City. Lion Press. ISBN 0-9524151-0-0.