1984–85 Stoke City F.C. season

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Stoke City 1984–85 football 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.[1][2]

Season review[edit]

League[edit]

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.[1] 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.[1] 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.[1]

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.[1] Stoke went down breaking almost every record available: fewest goals scored (24); fewest wins (3); and lowest points tally (17).[1]Ian Painter was top goalscorer with six of which four were penalties.[1] 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.[1] Chairman Frank Edwards took the full brunt of the supporters protests following relegation before he died following a heart attack.[1] Sandy Clubb took over from Edwards and he appointed Mick Mills as manager as the club began to rebuild in the Second Division.[1]

FA Cup[edit]

Luton Town knocked out Stoke after a replay in the third round.[1]

League Cup[edit]

Stoke were defeated by Third Division Rotherham United in the second round.[1]

Final league table[edit]

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ Manchester United would have qualified as FA Cup winners.
  2. ^ Since the FA Cup winners, Manchester United, would have qualified for the UEFA Cup based on league position, this would have been passed down to the next best-placed team, Southampton.
  3. ^ Norwich City would have qualified for the UEFA Cup as League Cup.

Results[edit]

Stoke’s score comes first

Legend[edit]

[edit]

Match Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 25 August 1984 Luton Town A 0–2 8,626
2 27 August 1984 Aston Villa H 1–3 12,605 Painter 44′
3 1 September 1984 Sheffield Wednesday H 2–1 13,032 McIlroy 35′, Heath 44′
4 15 September 1984 Leicester City H 2–2 13,591 Hemming 65′, Bould 69′
5 19 September 1984 Norwich City A 0–0 13,051
6 22 September 1984 Arsenal A 0–4 26,758
7 29 September 1984 Sunderland H 2–2 8,882 Dyson 75′, Bould 87′
8 6 October 1984 Nottingham Forest A 1–1 14,129 Berry 11′
9 13 October 1984 Southampton H 1–3 9,643 Heath 41′
10 20 October 1984 West Ham United H 2–4 9,945 Painter 81′, Chamberlain 90′
11 27 October 1984 Tottenham Hotspur A 0–4 23,477
12 3 November 1984 Liverpool H 0–1 20,567
13 10 November 1984 West Bromwich Albion A 0–2 12,258
14 17 November 1984 Everton A 0–4 26,705
15 24 November 1984 Watford H 1–3 10,564 Painter 58′ (pen)
16 1 December 1984 Newcastle United A 1–2 21,135 McIlroy 55′
17 4 December 1984 Queens Park Rangers A 0–2 8,403
18 8 December 1984 Ipswich Town H 0–2 7,925
19 15 December 1984 Chelsea A 1–1 20,534 Dyson 71′
20 22 December 1984 Sheffield Wednesday A 1–2 19,799 Bould 45′
21 26 December 1984 Manchester United H 2–1 21,013 Painter 70′ (pen), Saunders 75′
22 29 December 1984 Queens Park Rangers H 0–2 10,811
23 1 January 1985 Coventry City A 0–4 9,829
24 12 January 1985 Leicester City A 0–0 10,111
25 2 February 1985 Sunderland A 0–1 14,762
26 23 February 1985 Liverpool A 0–2 31,368
27 2 March 1985 Tottenham Hotspur H 0–1 12,533
28 12 March 1985 West Bromwich Albion H 0–0 6,995
29 16 March 1985 Southampton A 0–0 14,608
30 23 March 1985 Nottingham Forest H 1–4 7,453 Parkin 10′
31 27 March 1985 Aston Villa A 0–2 10,874
32 30 March 1985 Arsenal H 2–0 7,371 Painter 55′ (pen), Dyson 62′
33 6 April 1985 Manchester United A 0–5 42,940
34 8 April 1985 Luton Town H 0–4 6,985
35 20 April 1985 Everton H 0–2 18,258
36 24 April 1985 Norwich City H 2–3 4,597 Bertschin 10′, Saunders 90′
37 27 April 1985 Watford A 0–2 14,586
38 4 May 1985 Newcastle United H 0–1 7,088
39 6 May 1985 Ipswich Town A 1–5 14,150 Bertschin 69′
40 11 May 1985 Chelsea H 0–1 8,905
41 14 May 1985 West Ham United A 1–5 13,362 Painter 63′ (pen)
42 17 May 1985 Coventry City H 0–1 6,930

FA Cup[edit]

League Cup[edit]

Friendlies[edit]

Squad statistics[edit]

References[edit]