| 1989–90 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Peter Coates | |
| Manager | Mick Mills, Alan Ball | |
| Stadium | Victoria Ground | |
| Football League Second Division | 24th (37 Points) | |
| FA Cup | Third Round | |
| League Cup | Second Round | |
| Full Members' Cup | Second Round | |
| Top goalscorer | League:Wayne Biggins (10) All:Wayne Biggins (11) | |
| Highest home attendance | 27,032 vsPort Vale (23 September 1989) | |
| Lowest home attendance | 8,139 vsOxford United (10 April 1990) | |
| Average home league attendance | 12,499 | |
The1989–90 season wasStoke City's 83rd season inthe Football League and 30th in theSecond Division.
The pressure was now onMick Mills after four seasons without a serious promotion challenge and he spent big in the summer with £1 million worth of talent arriving at theVictoria Ground. However Stoke's overall performances left a lot to be desired and after failing to gain a victory until their 12th match Stoke hit the bottom of the table. With no improvement Mills paid the price and was sacked in November with former World Cup winnerAlan Ball taking charge. Ball was unable to stop the slide into the third tier for only the second time in the club's history.[1]
After four seasons of mid-table finishes managerMick Mills spent big to turn Stoke into a side capable of gaining promotion to the First Division.[1] He spent good money, breaking the club's record transfer of £480,000 forSheffield Wednesday defenderIan Cranson, £75,000 onDerek Statham fromWest Bromwich Albion, £175,000 forIan Scott and £250,000 forWayne Biggins both fromManchester City.[1] All four started the first match of the season in a 1–1 draw at home toWest Ham United in front of an expectant crowd of 16,058.[1] The teams's overall displays, however, left a lot to be desired and favourable results proved elusive, Stoke failing to win any of their first 11 matches.[1]
Injuries, refereeing decisions and a spate of draws saw Stoke hit bottom spot in November after collecting just two wins in 19.[1] With the club heading towards the third tier for the first time since 1927 Mills paid the price for his failure and was dismissed.[1] Into Mills' place cameAlan Ball, a former World Cup winner with England, whose previous job was withPortsmouth. Ball was appointed as Mills' assistant two months earlier.[1] He made an instant impact as Stoke beatNewcastle United on Boxing Day.[1] But injury to Ian Cranson againstBournemouth in March put a dent in any hopes of a revival.[1] Ball chose to wheel and deal in the transfer market in an effort to halt the club's slide.[1] He had come to the conclusion that the squad he had inherited was simply not good enough and out wentChris Kamara,Dave Bamber,Leigh Palin,Carl Saunders,Gary Hackett andNicky Morgan.[1] Into the side cameTony Ellis,Lee Sandford,Tony Kelly,Dave Kevan,Paul Barnes andNoel Blake.[1]
It was a big gamble by Ball to change the squad around so much so quickly and it did not pay off, Stoke staying rooted to the bottom of the table and they subsequently fell through the trap door into the Third Division for the first time since 1927.[1] Stoke won only six of their 46 matches and scored just 35 goals, Biggins getting 10.[1] With Stoke's fate already sealed over 3,000 fans travelled toBrighton & Hove Albion for the final away match to have a 'relegation party'.[2] There were few bright spots during a dismal season which saw thePotteries derby make a return, 27,032 saw Stoke and Vale draw 1–1 on 23 September and atVale Park 22,075 saw a dull 0–0 on 3 February.[1]
Former fan favouritesSteve Bould andLee Dixon returned to theVictoria Ground withArsenal and a crowd of 23,827 sawDavid O'Leary score the only goal of the tie.[1]
After beating First DivisionMillwall 1–0 in the first leg Stoke lost the second leg 2–0 with some controversial referring decisions going against Stoke which led to Mick Mills having to be restrained on the touchline.[1]
Stoke entered theFull Members' Cup for the final time and went out in the second round losing on penalties toLeeds United.[1]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | West Bromwich Albion | 46 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 67 | 71 | −4 | 51 | |
| 21 | Middlesbrough | 46 | 13 | 11 | 22 | 52 | 63 | −11 | 50 | |
| 22 | Bournemouth(R) | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 57 | 76 | −19 | 48 | Relegation to theThird Division |
| 23 | Bradford City(R) | 46 | 9 | 14 | 23 | 44 | 68 | −24 | 41 | |
| 24 | Stoke City(R) | 46 | 6 | 19 | 21 | 35 | 63 | −28 | 37 |
| Win | Draw | Loss |
| Match | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 August 1989 | West Ham United | H | 1–1 | 16,058 | Biggins 81' |
| 2 | 26 August 1989 | Portsmouth | A | 0–0 | 7,433 | |
| 3 | 2 September 1989 | Leeds United | H | 1–1 | 14,570 | Cranson 29' |
| 4 | 5 September 1989 | Barnsley | A | 2–3 | 8,584 | Berry 19' (pen),Morgan 58' |
| 5 | 9 September 1989 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–0 | 15,659 | |
| 6 | 16 September 1989 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–2 | 10,673 | Bamber 65' |
| 7 | 23 September 1989 | Port Vale | H | 1–1 | 27,037 | Palin 66' |
| 8 | 26 September 1989 | Bradford City | H | 1–1 | 9,346 | Cranson 55' |
| 9 | 30 September 1989 | Ipswich Town | A | 2–2 | 10,389 | Palin 47' (pen),Saunders 50' |
| 10 | 7 October 1989 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–3 | 6,940 | |
| 11 | 14 October 1989 | Hull City | H | 1–1 | 9,955 | Biggins 3' |
| 12 | 17 October 1989 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–1 | 11,911 | Hackett 8',Biggins 32' |
| 13 | 21 October 1989 | Sheffield United | A | 1–2 | 16,873 | Palin 67' (pen) |
| 14 | 28 October 1989 | Sunderland | H | 0–2 | 12,480 | |
| 15 | 1 November 1989 | Oxford United | A | 0–3 | 4,375 | |
| 16 | 4 November 1989 | Swindon Town | A | 0–6 | 7,825 | |
| 17 | 11 November 1989 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 3–2 | 10,346 | Beeston 1',Bamber 25',Kamara 30' |
| 18 | 18 November 1989 | Bournemouth | A | 1–2 | 6,412 | Hilarie 84' |
| 19 | 25 November 1989 | Leicester City | H | 0–1 | 12,261 | |
| 20 | 2 December 1989 | West Ham United | A | 0–0 | 17,704 | |
| 21 | 9 December 1989 | Barnsley | H | 0–1 | 10,163 | |
| 22 | 26 December 1989 | Newcastle United | H | 2–1 | 14,878 | Biggins 78',Beeston 90' |
| 23 | 30 December 1989 | Watford | H | 2–2 | 12,228 | Biggins (2) 23', 26' (1 pen) |
| 24 | 1 January 1990 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–0 | 16,238 | Ellis 61' |
| 25 | 13 January 1990 | Portsmouth | H | 1–2 | 12,051 | Sandford 70' |
| 26 | 20 January 1990 | Leeds United | A | 0–2 | 29,318 | |
| 27 | 27 January 1990 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–3 | 9,132 | |
| 28 | 3 February 1990 | Port Vale | A | 0–0 | 22,075 | |
| 29 | 10 February 1990 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–2 | 10,028 | |
| 30 | 17 February 1990 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–0 | 17,870 | Biggins 64',Hackett 75' |
| 31 | 22 February 1990 | Leicester City | A | 1–2 | 12,242 | Biggins 41' |
| 32 | 3 March 1990 | Bournemouth | H | 0–0 | 10,998 | |
| 33 | 6 March 1990 | Ipswich Town | H | 0–0 | 10,815 | |
| 34 | 10 March 1990 | Bradford City | A | 0–1 | 9,269 | |
| 35 | 17 March 1990 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 0–0 | 9,452 | |
| 36 | 20 March 1990 | Hull City | A | 0–0 | 6,456 | |
| 37 | 24 March 1990 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–1 | 12,771 | Ellis 78' |
| 38 | 31 March 1990 | Sheffield United | H | 0–1 | 14,898 | |
| 39 | 7 April 1990 | Sunderland | A | 1–2 | 17,119 | Ellis 63' |
| 40 | 10 April 1990 | Oxford United | H | 1–2 | 8,139 | Sandford 42' |
| 41 | 14 April 1990 | Middlesbrough | H | 0–0 | 8,636 | |
| 42 | 16 April 1990 | Newcastle United | A | 0–3 | 26,190 | |
| 43 | 21 April 1990 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–1 | 9,305 | |
| 44 | 24 April 1990 | Watford | A | 1–1 | 8,073 | Biggins 30' |
| 45 | 28 April 1990 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 4–1 | 9,614 | Ellis (2) 51', 76',Biggins 70',Scott 80' |
| 46 | 5 May 1990 | Swindon Town | H | 1–1 | 11,386 | Ellis 12' |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 6 January 1990 | Arsenal | H | 0–1 | 23,827 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R2 1st Leg | 19 September 1989 | Millwall | H | 1–0 | 8,030 | Morgan 32' |
| R2 2nd Leg | 3 October 1989 | Millwall | A | 0–2 | 8,637 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 28 November 1989 | Bradford City | H | 2–1 | 4,616 | Berry 21',Bamber 40' |
| R2 | 19 December 1989 | Leeds United | H | 2–2 (4–5 pens) | 5,792 | Kamara 32',Biggins 95' |
| Match | Opponent | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Västra Frölunda IF | A | 9–0 |
| 2 | Alnö IF | A | 3–1 |
| 3 | Frösö IF | A | 4–0 |
| 4 | Anundsjö IF | A | 1–0 |
| 5 | Hamrånge GIF | A | 7–0 |
| 6 | Västerhaninge IF | A | 8–0 |
| 7 | Newcastle Town | A | 2–0 |
| 8 | Derby County | H | 1–2 |
| 9 | Everton | H | 2–4 |
| 10 | Walsall | H | 2–0 |
| 11 | Rocester | A | 1–2 |
| 12 | Stafford Rangers | A | 3–0 |
| 13 | Jersey Wanderers | A | 7–0 |
| Pos. | Name | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Full Members' Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| GK | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| GK | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| GK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| DF | 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
| DF | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| DF | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |
| DF | 13(2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15(2) | 0 | |
| DF | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | |
| DF | 5(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7(1) | 0 | |
| DF | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 2 | |
| DF | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| DF | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| DF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| MF | 15(1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16(1) | 2 | |
| MF | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| MF | 6(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6(2) | 0 | |
| MF | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | |
| MF | 4(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7(2) | 0 | |
| MF | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| FW | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | 17(2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21(2) | 3 | |
| MF | 14(5) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 14(6) | 1 | |
| MF | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| MF | 9(7) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12(7) | 0 | |
| FW | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 3 | |
| FW | 4(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | |
| FW | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| FW | 35 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 11 | |
| FW | 4(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(3) | 0 | |
| FW | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 6 | |
| FW | 18(8) | 2 | 0(1) | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20(10) | 2 | |
| FW | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| FW | 5(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5(4) | 0 | |
| FW | 6(7) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 7(8) | 2 | |
| FW | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | |
| FW | 12(10) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14(11) | 1 | |
| FW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |