| 1947–48 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Alf Jukes | |
| Manager | Bill Dodgin | |
| Stadium | The Dell | |
| Second Division | 3rd | |
| FA Cup | Sixth round | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Charlie Wayman (17) All: Charlie Wayman (19) | |
| Highest home attendance | 27,330 vWest Bromwich Albion(27 March 1948) | |
| Lowest home attendance | 15,280 vFulham (21 April 1948) | |
| Average home league attendance | 20,717 | |
| Biggest win | 6–1 vDoncaster Rovers (20 December 1947) | |
| Biggest defeat | 0–5 vNewcastle United (25 October 1947) | |
The1947–48 season was the 47th year of competitive football played bySouthampton F.C., the club's 21st season as members ofthe Football League, and their 19th competing in theSecond Division.[1] The Saints finished the campaign in third place in the league table, having gained 52 from a possible 84 points with 21 wins, ten draws and 11 losses.[2] The club also competed in theFA Cup, making it to the sixth round before being eliminated by fellow Second Division sideTottenham Hotspur.[3]
After an underwhelming first post-war league performancethe previous season, Southampton managerBill Dodgin made a number of new signings before the start of the 1947–48 campaign. One of the biggest deals in the summer of 1947 was the sale of wingerDon Roper toArsenal, for whom theFirst Division side paid £12,000 as well as transferring two of their own forwards –George Curtis andTommy Rudkin.[4] Also signed in the summer wereLuton Town forwardAugie Scott,[5]Leyton Orient full-backTed Ballard,[6] and young Scottish forwardGeorge Beattie.[7] Dodgin continued signing new players during the first half of the season, adding wingerBilly Wrigglesworth and centre-forwardCharlie Wayman in October,[8][9] followed by Scottish goalkeeperIan Black in December.[10] All three played central roles in the second half of the season.[11]
During the season, 23 players appeared for Southampton in all competitions. Full-backAlf Ramsey featured in more games than any other player, being ever present in both the league and FA Cup with 46 appearances.[11] Charlie Wayman, who joined the club a few months after the season started, finished as Southampton's top scorer with 19 goals in all competitions – 17 in the league and two in the FA Cup.[11] The club attracted an average home league attendance atThe Dell of 20,717 – the highest league attendance was 27,330 againstWest Bromwich Albion, although this was surpassed in the FA Cup fifth round againstSwindon Town which was attended by 29,134.[12]
Southampton's start to the 1947–48 league campaign brought mixed fortunes. The side won just four of its first ten games, failing to pick up victories over recently promoted sidesDoncaster Rovers (with whom they drew 1–1 in the opening fixture) andCardiff City (by whom they were thrashed 1–5), which left them in the bottom half of the table.[13] The team's performances picked up starting in November after they had signed prolificNewcastle United centre-forwardCharlie Wayman, who helped them secure wins against title challengersBirmingham City, as well as mid-table sidesBarnsley andLuton Town.[14] In December, the club won three games in a row (including a season-record 6–1 return win over Doncaster) to reach the top five of the league table by Boxing Day.[14] In his first ten games at the Saints, Wayman scored eight times.[11]
With new signingIan Black taking over in goal, Southampton started the new year on strong form, embarking on an unbeaten run of nine league games between 31 January and 29 March 1948; the run included a 5–1 home win over relegation-threatenedMillwall, a 1–0 away win againstCoventry City, and a 4–2 victory over eventual Second Division runners-up Newcastle United in which Wayman scored twice in three minutes against his former club.[15] By the end of March, Southampton were in the running for promotion to theFirst Division, however after two wins in early April against Barnsley andPlymouth Argyle, it was predicted by local newspaper theSouthern Daily Echo that the team could "forget about promotion".[15] Four wins from their last five games saw Southampton climb from fifth to third, where they finished just four points behind second.[15]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birmingham City(C, P) | 42 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 55 | 24 | 2.292 | 59 | Promotion to theFirst Division |
| 2 | Newcastle United(P) | 42 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 72 | 41 | 1.756 | 56 | |
| 3 | Southampton | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 71 | 53 | 1.340 | 52 | |
| 4 | Sheffield Wednesday | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 66 | 53 | 1.245 | 51 | |
| 5 | Cardiff City | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 61 | 58 | 1.052 | 47 |
| 23 August 19471 | Doncaster Rovers | 1–1 | Southampton | Doncaster |
Maddison 37' | Bradley 5' | Stadium:Belle Vue Attendance: 30,000 |
| 27 August 19472 | Southampton | 3–1 | Sheffield Wednesday | Southampton |
| Ramsey 57' (pen.) Bradley 72' 89' | Hunt 6' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 16,751 |
| 30 August 19473 | Southampton | 1–2 | Leeds United | Southampton |
| Bradley 77' | Short 40' Wakefield 44' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 20,801 |
| 1 September 19474 | Sheffield Wednesday | 1–2 | Southampton | Sheffield |
| Dailey 31' | Bradley 33' 75' | Stadium:Hillsborough Stadium Attendance: 23,077 |
| 6 September 19475 | Southampton | 1–0 | Bury | Southampton |
| Bradley 7' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 17,617 |
| 8 September 19476 | Cardiff City | 5–1 | Southampton | Cardiff |
| Webber 20' (o.g.) Rees Richards 70'Moore | Day 49' | Stadium:Ninian Park Attendance: 40,000 |
| 13 September 19477 | West Ham United | 2–0 | Southampton | London |
| Wood 3' Hall 38' | Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 20,709 |
| 17 September 19478 | Southampton | 2–2 | Cardiff City | Southampton |
| Bradley 22' Day 73' | McBennett 32',67' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 17,000 |
| 20 September 19479 | Southampton | 3–0 | Chesterfield | Southampton |
| Day 4',13',74' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 18,590 |
| 27 September 194710 | Millwall | 3–0 | Southampton | London |
| Mansfield 57' Jinks 83'Woodward 88' | Stadium:The Den Attendance: 23,000 |
| 4 October 194711 | Southampton | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| Day 4' | Duquemin 53' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 23,480 |
| 11 October 194712 | Fulham | 0–2 | Southampton | London |
| Bates 16',50' | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 24,437 |
| 18 October 194713 | Southampton | 3–1 | Coventry City | Southampton |
| Bates 26' Ramsey 37' (pen.)Wrigglesworth 71' | Roberts 53' (pen.) | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 21,767 |
| 25 October 194714 | Newcastle United | 5–0 | Southampton | Newcastle upon Tyne |
| Milburn 30' Stobbart 32'Walker 53',83'Pearson 75' | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 50,000 |
| 1 November 194715 | Southampton | 2–0 | Birmingham City | Southampton |
| Curts 5' Ramsey 80' (pen.) | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 27,000 |
| 8 November 194716 | West Bromwich Albion | 1–0 | Southampton | West Bromwich |
| Smith 51' | Stadium:The Hawthorns Attendance: 35,000 |
| 15 November 194717 | Southampton | 4–1 | Barnsley | Southampton |
| Wayman Wrigglesworth 39'Bates 44' | Robledo | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 21,563 |
| 22 November 194718 | Plymouth Argyle | 3–1 | Southampton | Plymouth |
| Squires 12' Tadman 35'Strauss 86' | Wayman 23' | Stadium:Home Park Attendance: 21,561 |
| 29 November 194719 | Southampton | 3–1 | Luton Town | Southampton |
| Curtis 12' Wayman 43'Ellerington 80' | Soo 87' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 18,369 |
| 6 December 194720 | Brentford | 2–2 | Southampton | London |
| Dawson 40' Nelson 44' | Day 46' Wayman 47' | Stadium:Griffin Park Attendance: 18,660 |
| 13 December 194721 | Southampton | 3–1 | Leicester City | Southampton |
| Wrigglesworth 10' Bates 35'Day 65' | Adam 9' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 18,441 |
| 20 December 194722 | Southampton | 6–1 | Doncaster Rovers | Southampton |
| Wayman 5',77' Curtis 15'Ramsey 19'Wrigglesworth 34'Day 71' | Gillespie 74' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 17,925 |
| 26 December 194723 | Bradford Park Avenue | 1–3 | Southampton | Bradford |
| Downie | Wayman 5',79' Ellerington 15' (pen.) | Stadium:Horsfall Stadium Attendance: 22,823 |
| 27 December 194724 | Southampton | 1–2 | Bradford Park Avenue | Southampton |
| Greenwood 80' (o.g.) | Henry 44' Donaldson 70' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 24,734 |
| 3 January 194825 | Leeds United | 0–0 | Southampton | Leeds |
| Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 23,194 |
| 17 January 194826 | Bury | 3–0 | Southampton | Bury |
| Bellis 25' Halton (pen.)Daniel 89' | Stadium:Gigg Lane Attendance: 13,679 |
| 31 January 194827 | Southampton | 3–1 | West Ham United | Southampton |
| Bates 25',49' Wayman 90' | Wright 30' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 20,178 |
| 14 February 194828 | Southampton | 5–1 | Millwall | Southampton |
| Bates 29',36' Day 46'Wayman 54'Grant 81' | Mansfield 90' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 19,625 |
| 21 February 194829 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0–0 | Southampton | London |
| Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 29,784 |
| 6 March 194830 | Coventry City | 0–1 | Southampton | Coventry |
| Scott 49' | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 23,687 |
| 13 March 194831 | Southampton | 4–2 | Newcastle United | Southampton |
| Scott 1' Wayman 4',7'Grant 59' | Sibley 46' Milburn 88' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 26,780 |
| 20 March 194832 | Birmingham City | 0–0 | Southampton | Birmingham |
| Stadium:St Andrew's Attendance: 42,000 |
| 26 March 194833 | Southampton | 2–1 | Nottingham Forest | Southampton |
| Wayman 18' Scott 27' | Lee | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 22,788 |
| 27 March 194834 | Southampton | 1–1 | West Bromwich Albion | Southampton |
| Scott 75' | Rowley 65' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 27,330 |
| 29 March 194835 | Nottingham Forest | 1–1 | Southampton | Nottingham |
| Wilkins 68' | Ellerington 44' (pen.) | Stadium:City Ground Attendance: 24,738 |
| 3 April 194836 | Barnsley | 2–1 | Southampton | Barnsley |
| Harston 55' Griffiths 79' | Grant 2' | Stadium:Oakwell Attendance: 20,000 |
| 10 April 194837 | Southampton | 2–3 | Plymouth Argyle | Southampton |
| Wayman 55' | Edds 5',13',80' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 20,544 |
| 14 April 194838 | Chesterfield | 0–1 | Southampton | Chesterfield |
| Wayman 27' | Stadium:Saltergate Attendance: 13,378 |
| 17 April 194839 | Luton Town | 0–2 | Southampton | Luton |
| Ramsey 13' (pen.) Scott 74' | Stadium:Kenilworth Road Attendance: 17,202 |
| 21 April 194840 | Southampton | 1–0 | Fulham | Southampton |
| Wayman 85' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,280 |
| 24 April 194841 | Southampton | 2–1 | Brentford | Southampton |
| Grant 2',82' | Gibbons 44' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 18,512 |
| 28 April 194842 | Leicester City | 0–0 | Southampton | Leicester |
| Stadium:Filbert Street Attendance: 17,874 |
Southampton entered the1947–48 FA Cup in the third round, hostingFirst Division strugglersSunderland – who had previously knocked the Saints out of the competition in 1931, 1932 and 1937 – on 10 January 1948. The first half saw both sides enjoying chances on the opposition's goal, with Sunderland initially dominating possession but frequently being denied by the Saints defence (including goalkeeperIan Black, who was making his home debut).[16] The game remained goalless at half-time, after which the visiting side returned to piling on the pressure, almost scoring through three successive chances forEddie Burbanks.[16] Around the hour mark,Charlie Wayman came close to scoring for the home side, but his shot hit the post and rebounded off a defender for a corner.[16] It was this set piece which ultimately led to the only goal of the game, when Southampton'sEric Day scrambled the ball into the Sunderland net for 1–0.[16] Both goalkeepers continued to perform in the closing minutes of the game to deny either side another chance.[16]
Another home tie in the fourth round two weeks later saw Southampton hostingBlackburn Rovers who, like Sunderland, were fighting against relegation from the top tier of the Football League. Despite starting well, the Saints went behind after just 11 minutes, when Rovers wing-half Jackie Campbell put the visitors ahead; just a minute later, however, the hosts responded and Eric Day scored an equaliser.[16] Both sides enjoyed a number of chances on goal throughout the rest of the first half, but it was Southampton who made it 2–1 through Charlie Wayman shortly before the break.[12] The home side enjoyed the majority of possession early in the second half, but it was Blackburn who scored next when Charlie McClelland equalised with a close range strike.[12] In the final five minutes, with Southampton on the back foot and a replay looking likely, Day scored his second and the Saints' third of the game to send the Hampshire side through to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 1927.[12]
Southampton's fifth round tie saw them hosting yet again, this time withThird Division South sideSwindon Town making the trip to The Dell, bringing "several thousand" fans to contribute to a season-high attendance of 29,134 (with "thousands" more denied entry).[12] Swindon were reduced to ten men after just eight minutes when right-back Harry Kaye injured his ankle; subsequently, Southampton broke the deadlock after 24 minutes when Charlie Wayman scored "one of the most remarkable goals ever seen in football", according to local newspaper theSouthern Daily Echo.[12] Just over ten minutes after the half-time break, the hosts doubled their lead throughGeorge Curtis, who headed in from anAlf Ramsey free kick.[12] Two minutes later, it was 3–0 through aJimmy Ithell own goal, caused by an attack by Wayman.[17]
In their first sixth round home tie ever, Southampton hosted Second Division rivalsTottenham Hotspur on 28 February 1948. Both teams enjoyed spells of possession and goal-scoring chances in the first 45 minutes – Spurs almost went ahead throughErnie Jones andLen Duquemin on a number of occasions, while the Saints came close just before the break courtesy of aTed Bates header which was just pushed onto the post by goalkeeperTed Ditchburn.[17] The first half ended goalless, before Southampton increased the pressure in the second half with plenty of shots and corners in the Spurs half; George Curtis came closest to scoring, when his low shot was cleared off the line by Tottenham full-backSid Tickridge.[17] It was the visitors, however, who scored the only goal of the fixture in the 75th minute, whenLes Bennett scored a goal from 20 yards with his left foot, despite the assertion that he "couldn't kick a ball with his left foot" according to Southampton centre-halfJoe Mallett.[18] Southampton were unable to respond and Tottenham went through.[18]
| 10 January 1948Round 3 | Southampton | 1–0 | Sunderland | Southampton |
| Day | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 24,288 |
| 24 January 1948Round 4 | Southampton | 3–2 | Blackburn Rovers | Southampton |
| Day 12',85' Wayman | Campbell 11' McClelland | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 24,274 |
| 7 February 1948Round 5 | Southampton | 3–0 | Swindon Town | Southampton |
| Wayman 24' Curtis 55'Ithell 57' (o.g.) | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 29,134 |
| 28 February 1948Round 6 | Southampton | 0–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Southampton |
| Bennett 75' | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 28,425 |
Following the end of the league campaign, Southampton embarked on a tour of Brazil to play eight friendly matches. The first four fixtures ended in losses: 0–4 atFluminense, 1–3 atBotafogo (Bill Ellerington scoring the consolation for the visitors), 2–4 atSão Paulo (Saints goals scored byBill Rochford andCharlie Wayman), and 1–2 atPortuguesa (Wayman scoring for Southampton).[19] The travelling Saints won the next two matches, 2–1 againstCorinthians with goals fromWilf Grant andGeorge Curtis, and 3–1 againstFlamengo thanks to goals from Wayman (twice) andAugie Scott.[19] The last two games of the Brazilian tour were a 1–2 loss atVasco da Gama and a 1–1 draw withMinas Gerais (Wayman scored in both games).[19]
| 16 May 1948Friendly | Fluminense | 4–0 | Southampton | Rio de Janeiro,Brazil |
|
| 20 May 1948Friendly | Botafogo | 3–1 | Southampton | Rio de Janeiro,Brazil |
| Ellerington |
| 29 May 1948Friendly | Portuguesa | 2–1 | Southampton | |
| Wayman |
| 2 June 1948Friendly | Corinthians | 1–2 | Southampton | São Paulo,Brazil |
| Grant Curtis |
| 10 June 1948Friendly | Vasco da Gama | 2–1 | Southampton | Rio de Janeiro,Brazil |
| Wayman |
| 13 June 1948Friendly | Minas Gerais | 1–1 | Southampton | Belo Horizonte,Brazil |
| Wayman |
| Name | Pos. | Nat. | League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | |||
| Ted Ballard | FB |  | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Ted Bates | FW | | 22 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 10 |
| George Beattie | FW |  | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ian Black | GK | | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Stan Clements | HB | | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| George Curtis | FW | | 41 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 4 |
| Eric Day | FW | | 35 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 39 | 13 |
| Bill Ellerington | FB | | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
| George Ephgrave | GK | | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Wilf Grant | FW | | 19 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 6 |
| Jack Gregory | FB | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Horsfall | HB |  | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Lewis | FW |  | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Joe Mallett | HB | | 32 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Alf Ramsey | FB | | 42 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 46 | 5 |
| Bill Rochford | FB | | 35 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| Albie Roles | FB | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Rudkin | FW | | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Augie Scott | FW | | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 5 |
| George Smith | HB | | 39 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Len Stansbridge | GK | | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Bobby Veck | FW | | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Charlie Wayman | FW | | 27 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 19 |
| Eric Webber | HB | | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Len Wilkins | HB | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Wrigglesworth | FW | | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 4 |
| Players with appearances who left the club before the end of the season | ||||||||
| Jack Bradley | FW | | 11 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 |
| No. | Name | Pos. | Nat. | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps. | Mins. | Apps. | Mins. | Apps. | Mins. | % | ||||
| 1 | Alf Ramsey | FB | | 42 | 3,780 | 4 | 360 | 46 | 4,140 | 100% |
| 2 | George Curtis | FW | | 41 | 3,690 | 4 | 360 | 45 | 4,050 | 97.83% |
| 3 | George Smith | HB | | 39 | 3,510 | 4 | 360 | 43 | 3,870 | 93.48% |
| 4 | Eric Day | FW | | 35 | 3,150 | 4 | 360 | 39 | 3,510 | 84.78% |
| 5 | Bill Rochford | FB | | 35 | 3,150 | 3 | 270 | 38 | 3,420 | 82.61% |
| 6 | Joe Mallett | HB | | 32 | 2,880 | 4 | 360 | 36 | 3,240 | 78.26% |
| 7 | Eric Webber | HB | | 29 | 2,610 | 4 | 360 | 33 | 2,970 | 71.74% |
| 8 | Charlie Wayman | FW | | 27 | 2,430 | 4 | 360 | 31 | 2,790 | 67.39% |
| 9 | Ted Bates | FW | | 22 | 1,980 | 4 | 360 | 26 | 2,340 | 56.52% |
| 10 | Ian Black | GK | | 17 | 1,530 | 4 | 360 | 21 | 1,890 | 45.65% |
| No. | Name | Pos. | Nat. | League | FA Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | Gls. | Apps. | GPG | ||||
| 1 | Charlie Wayman | FW | | 17 | 27 | 2 | 4 | 19 | 31 | 0.61 |
| 2 | Eric Day | FW | | 10 | 35 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 39 | 0.33 |
| 3 | Ted Bates | FW | | 10 | 22 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 26 | 0.38 |
| 4 | Jack Bradley | FW | | 8 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 11 | 0.73 |
| 5 | Wilf Grant | FW | | 5 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 20 | 0.30 |
| 6 | Augie Scott | FW | | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 20 | 0.25 |
| Alf Ramsey | FB | | 5 | 42 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 46 | 0.11 | |
| 8 | Billy Wrigglesworth | FW | | 4 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 0.29 |
| George Curtis | FW | | 3 | 41 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 45 | 0.09 | |
| 10 | Bill Ellerington | FB | | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0.30 |
| Players transferred in | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Pos. | Name | Club | Fee | Ref. |
| June 1947 | FB | Ted Ballard | Leyton Orient | Exchange[a] | [6] |
| July 1947 | FW | Augie Scott | Luton Town | Free | [5] |
| August 1947 | FW | George Beattie | Rosemount | Free | [7] |
| August 1947 | FW | George Curtis | Arsenal | Exchange[b] | [4] |
| August 1947 | FW | Tommy Rudkin | Arsenal | Exchange[b] | [4] |
| October 1947 | FW | Charlie Wayman | Newcastle United | £10,000[c] | [9] |
| October 1947 | FW | Billy Wrigglesworth | Bolton Wanderers | Exchange[d] | [8] |
| December 1947 | GK | Ian Black | Aberdeen | £1,000 | [10] |
| Players transferred out | |||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Club | Fee | Ref. |
| August 1947 | FW | Don Roper | Arsenal | £12,000[b] | [4] |
| October 1947 | FW | Jack Bradley | Bolton Wanderers | £8,000[d] | [20] |
| Players released | |||||
| Date | Pos. | Name | Subsequent club | Join date | Ref. |
| Pre-season | FW | Billy Bevis | Winchester City | September 1947 | [21] |
| Pre-season | HB | Bill Bushby | Cowes Sports | Late 1947 | [22] |
| Pre-season | HB | Ken Fisher | Watford | August 1947 | [23][24] |
| Pre-season | FW | Alf Freeman | Crystal Palace | August 1948 | [25] |
