Season › 2023-24 › General Forum The Ups and Downs of the Original Twelve — Part IV By John McFarlane [Senior] 26/07/2023 Share: Here is the final part of this series. Stoke City Stoke-on-Trent FC 1893, Stoke FC 1872. Stoke City 1925.Ground: Victoria Ground. Stoke City owes its origin directly to a Public School for in 1863, some Old Carthusians in the North Staffordshire Railway Works decided to form a football club. They played on Sweeting Field, the kind of game to which they had been accustomed to at Charterhouse. In this, they were helped by the sympathetic and practical committeemen of the men of the Stoke Victoria Athletic Club, a contact which was later of great value. When the Staffordshire FA was formed in 1877, it inaugurated its Cup competition, and Stoke FC, inspired by Tom Slaney, won this in both 1878 and 1879. When this became the Senior Cup competition, clubs like Aston Villa and Wolves, as well as West Bromwich Albion, took an active part, but Stoke was in the final eight times between 1883 and 1904, when it shared the holding of the trophy with Wolverhampton. Later this Cup was won at least six times. In 1883 the club began playing at the Victoria ground and is still there. First employing professionals in 1885, it was one of the twelve original members of the Football League in 1888. Signs of players unrest were shown soon afterwards, for they grumbled at getting 2s/6p per week when other clubs were paying 5s/-. Being bottom of the League table in both 1889 and 1890, Stoke failed to gain re-election in that latter year, so they joined the Alliance, which they duly won and got back into Division 1 in 1891 when it was enlarged. Here they stayed until 1907, but were never higher than sixth, a position they occupied twice. Relegated to Division 2 for season 1907-08, they resigned their Football League membership the following year, owing to lack of support, playing in the Birmingham League and Southern League. They were re-elected to the Football League (Division 2) in 1919, and in 1922 they gained promotion, but for one season only. After three more Division 2 seasons, they fell to Division 3 North but were back at once. In 1933, Stoke City regained Division 1 status and remained there until 1953, during which time they reached fourth place twice, but from 1953 they have been back again in Division 2. Although the club (known as 'The Potters') generally did well in local cup contests, it holds the record with a 26-0 win over Mow Cop, it only once got into the semi-final of the FA Cup, and that was in 1889. Its first record in the Cup competition proper is for 1883, but its most consistently good spell was from 1899-90 to 1895-96 when it was in the last eight on four occasions. This has been repeated several since, but it has not got very far since 1933-4 when it beat Bradford, Blackpool and Chelsea before losing to Manchester City, apart from 1946, when it was last in the quarter-finals. Victoria Ground is one of the larger type, it was selected for semi-final ties, the last being in 1935, when 49,110 spectators saw Bolton play West Bromwich. Its first stand was erected for the 1897 semi-final. The largest crowd was at the Stoke v Arsenal match in 1937, 51,380 people being admitted. In its early days, the club boasted some fine players such as Wm. Rowley, T Clare. and J Underwood, later that goalkeeper of renown L R Roose played for it, but if for nothing else, Stoke City will ever be remembered because it produced Stanley Matthews, the 'wizard of dribble', as well as Fred Steele, and Frankie Soo. West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Strollers 1879, West Bromwich Albion 1880.Ground: The Hawthorns. In 1884 West Bromwich Albion adopted as its crest, a thrush perched on a crossbar and so it got its name of "The Throstles", the local name for this bird. Calling themselves West Bromwich Strollers, some working lads of a cricket team decided to play association football during the winter of 1879. Paying 6d entry, and a small weekly subscription, their pitch was on Dartmouth Park until they moved to an enclosed ground at Four Acres, having changed their name to Albion in 1880. Here they entered Cup competitions, both county and national, and by 1883 had won the Staffordshire Cup, a feat they later repeated many times. Here too, was their first real progress in the FA Cup for, in 1895, they reached the last eight, having beaten their great rivals, Aston Villa, at the third attempt and the famous Druids before losing to Blackburn Rovers. Moving to Stoney Lane, they won the Birmingham Senior Cup in 1886 and, for the first time, became Cup Finalists having disposed of Wolves, Old Carthusians and Old Westminsters, as well as Small Heath before meeting Blackburn Rovers at the Oval. A replay was necessary, and it was played away from London, a novelty Indeed. Derby was the venue and the Rovers won. Finalists again in 1887, they lost to Aston Villa, but in 1888 defying the prophets, They beat the all-too-sure Prestonians at the Oval, with a team of Englishmen, mostly born near West Bromwich. It was therefore natural that The Throstles were chosen as one of the twelve founder clubs in 1888, They stayed in Division 1 until 1901, when they had their initial experience of Division 2 football, something they had to taste subsequently, being relegated in 1904, 1927 and 1938, but they gained promotion in 1902, 1911, 1931 and 1949. In 1920, they were League Champions, and they nearly brought off the elusive double in 1954, they won the Cup at Wembley by repeating the victory over Preston North End gained 66 years earlier but, handicapped by injuries towards the end of the League programme, they had to be satisfied with being in second place with 53 points, to the 57 obtained by Wolves. Between these two Cup victories, they had won the coveted trophy twice, by beating Aston Villa in 1892, and Birmingham at Wembley in 1931. In addition, they contested the final on three more occasions, in 1895, 1912 and 1935. They also added to their list of honours by winning the Lord Mayor of Birmingham's Charity Cup five times between 1900 and 1925. Albion went to the Hawthorns in 1901, it is a fine ground which has held 64,612 spectators for the match against Villa, and 64,815 for the visit of Arsenal in 1937; it has housed international matches against Wales, Ireland, and Belgium. Connected with Albion have been players of great renown: Billy Bassett, Jessie Pennington, James Reynolds, Tom Magee, Billy Richardson, Joe Carter, J M Bayliss, Tommy Glidden, and more recently, John Mahon, Stan Rickaby, Ray Barlow, Ronnie Allen, Don Howe, and Derek Kevan to name but a few. Wolverhampton Wanderers Formed as St Luke's 1877, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1880.Ground: Molineux Grounds, Waterloo Road. The Wolves are now famous internationally, and their displays against the best teams of Hungary, Russia, and elsewhere are 'news' but like so many other clubs, their beginnings were small. In 1887, the boys connected with St Luke's at Blakenhall, a suburb of Wolverhampton, formed themselves into a football club playing near Sir Alfred Hickman's house. After a season or two, they combined with another local side, the Wanderers, and the name was changed to Wolverhampton Wanderers. In 1883 they met and defeated the strongest team in the district, Stafford Road, and so established themselves as the accepted champions of Wolverhampton. By 1884 the club had a new ground near Dudley Road, won its first trophy, the Wrekin Cup, and had entered the FA Cup competition. In two more years, strengthened by such players as Harry Allen and Tom Hunter, Wolves were considered as good as the then great Aston Villa. By 1887, one of their players, Chas Mason, had gained an international cap, and the club had won the Birmingham Charity Cup. Chosen as one of the twelve original clubs to form the Football League in 1888, they reached third place and played the 'Invincibles' of Preston North End in the FA Cup. In 1889, the Wanderers left Dudley Road and settled at the Molineux ground, the headquarters of professional cycle racing. Cup success followed and for three successive seasons, they reached or passed the quarter-final stage, until in 1893 the coveted Cup was gained by beating Everton 1-0 at Fallowfield before a record crowd. A row of houses built on the Dudley Road ground, adorned with the Cup in stone, called Fallowfield Terrace, is a tribute to this victory. In 1908, the Cup was won again by beating Newcastle 3-1 at Crystal Palace in a game where the only four men whose names started with "H" scored the goals, Hunt, Hedley, and Harrison for Wolves, Howie for Newcastle. it was an unexpected victory, for Wolverhampton had dropped into Division 2 in 1906. Nor did it improve their status; on the contrary, the team struggled on and after the war, did so poorly that in 1923 it had to spend one season in Division 3. The lesson was taught, and it was learned the hard way, back again in Division 2 and very near the bottom of the table more than once, they gradually improved between 1928 and 1930 from seventeenth to ninth, then fourth and at long last first, promotion to Division 1 being achieved in 1932, with a much better financial status than ever before. After an inauspicious start in the ten seasons from 1936, they twice occupied fifth place, twice third, and three times second place, to gain their first League Championship in 1954. This was followed by two successive Championships in 1958 and 1959 and with second, third, and sixth positions in the three previous seasons. In the Cup, they reached the final at Wembley in 1939, to lose against Portsmouth, but in 1949, gained their third victory by beating Leicester City. Seven times have Wolverhampton been in the final, so things have indeed changed from the days of their inferiority complex, "We never to win anything". Molineux is finely equipped and the attendance records are related to Cup-ties, 61,315 v Liverpool in 1939, and since the war 55,191 v West Bromwich Albion in 1949, and 55,504 against the same Midland club in 1956. Of its players, chapters might be written, a dozen must here suffice: H Allen, W Beats, S Cullis, Rev Kenneth Hunt, C Mason. W C Rose, and H Wood for the days gone by, and Billy Wright, Bert Williams, Johnny Hancocks, Jimmy Mullen, and D Wilshaw for more recent years. Billy Wright played his 100th game for England on 11 April 1959, against Scotland at Wembley, an international record which may never be surpassed. Reader Comments (33) Note: the following content is not moderated or vetted by the site owners at the time of submission. Comments are the responsibility of the poster. Disclaimer () Dennis Stevens 1 Posted 26/07/2023 at 19:51:59 I believe Stoke are the only club from the original 12 to have never won either the League or Cup. Apart from Accrington, of course, who suffered such a rapid demise within a few years of the Football League forming. John Burns 2 Posted 26/07/2023 at 19:56:01 What a fantastic series, John Mac. Thank you. I was talking to someone about your series today today and comparing the raw simplicity of the original 12 story to the outrageous transfer offer for Mbappe from Saudi.It just doesn't seem right. The beautiful game has certainly become a beast. Jay Harris 3 Posted 26/07/2023 at 20:07:20 Another great chapter in the history of the proper game, Sir John.Great read, thank you.Unfortunately, this history will never make its way to the big screen. The only thing that came close was that excellent showing by Sam Hoare. John McFarlane Snr 4 Posted 26/07/2023 at 20:51:18 Hi Dennis [1] you are correct in stating that Stoke have never won either the League Championship or the FA Cup; they did however win the League Cup in 1972, beating Chelsea 2-1 at Wembley.Hi John [2] I posted to Danny O'Neill on one of the threads, saying more or less what you have expressed.Hi Jay [3], thank you for your kind words, ever since I was a youngster, I have always been interested in football history. I used to stay up on a Saturday night waiting for my granddad, and six uncles to come home from the pub, and I would listen to them discussing players and clubs from the turn of the century, up to the late forties. Tony Abrahams 5 Posted 26/07/2023 at 20:54:25 I'm glad this fantastic history lesson has finally been given the promotion it deserves, John Mc! Dennis Stevens 6 Posted 26/07/2023 at 21:20:55 Aye, John Snr #4 – I didn't mention it as we all know it's the "Mickey Mouse" Cup, and will remain so until we finally win it, no doubt! Nick Page 7 Posted 26/07/2023 at 21:21:22 This is absolutely brilliant. Thanks so much, John Mc. We should have an original 12 cup every year. Sky would hate it. As would the RS. Remind them why they have that chip on their shoulder lol John McFarlane Snr 8 Posted 26/07/2023 at 21:41:24 Hi Tony [5], I initially thought that it would be more popular on the 'recent article' thread, but it appears that only a handful on ToffeeWeb consider it to be worth the bother. I intend to continue posting similar subjects, because the 'If you know your history' chant, might play a part in a sudden surge of interest. Christine Foster 9 Posted 26/07/2023 at 22:18:18 Hi John, History – fans and clubs without it say it's irrelevant, whilst those with it believe it is the foundation of success. Indeed, what is a successful club? A title or a cup? Great players or teams? The fans and their sense of belonging? Memories that warm us, tales that inspire us, bonds that unite us, a clan to be feared, a club with passion and pride – not anger, arrogance or disdain. History is not just a bunch of facts, it is the lifeblood of the game, scarred or bitter memories interlaced with joy. It makes us the characters we are, our laughter our tears. ToffeeWeb is our chosen vehicle, our history told by an able wordsmith like you or by the anguish of youth, desperate for their own memories to make them smile in years to come. It's the history that binds us. John McFarlane Snr 10 Posted 26/07/2023 at 22:26:17 Hi Dennis [6],It was Liverpool fans who christened it the 'Mickey Mouse Cup' when we played Aston Villa in 1977. The following season, it was a trophy worth winning, until Nottingham Forest beat them at Old Trafford, and it reverted to the 'Mickey Mouse Cup' once more. John McFarlane Snr 11 Posted 26/07/2023 at 22:37:35 Hi Christine [9], I think that you have given me praise that I don't deserve. My posts are the result of my reference books. I do possess some memories, and I have a little football knowledge, but I don't consider it exceptional. Jim Lloyd 12 Posted 27/07/2023 at 07:29:44 Thank you, John, for a great look back to the beginnings of the National Game and how the clubs of the "Original 12" were formed and grew.Brilliant, to think back to the formation of the "Working Man's Game." Works teams, Church Teams, Athletic Clubs, Boy's Clubs; and most of these clubs were formed when there was very little in their lives but work (if they were lucky) Church and Boys Club, Athletic Clubs and maybe Pub teams.By the way, just as a point of interest, there's a Throstle's Nest pub, still going on Scotland Road!Nick (7) That's a great idea! Jack Convery 13 Posted 27/07/2023 at 08:48:49 Cheers John and thanks for taking the time to post these historical gems. I really enjoyed them. Football is all about making history and great memories. Thanks again. Rick Tarleton 15 Posted 27/07/2023 at 09:17:37 Thanks, John, for this whole series. It's a chastening thought that, when I saw my first games of professional football in 1953-54, I was closer to 1888 than to the present day. Andy Crooks 16 Posted 27/07/2023 at 10:11:19 Hi John, another great piece, thank you. It's worth remembering that thousands look at this site every day without ever logging in. I reckon your work has been enjoyed by many people you don't know. Christine Foster 17 Posted 27/07/2023 at 10:21:14 John, I think you do protest too much! History are stories passed on, written or spoken, without the spreading we would never know..so thank you! John McFarlane Snr 18 Posted 27/07/2023 at 13:29:23 Hi Jim [12], I'm afraid that the game can no longer be classed as the "working-man's game", TV.and the formation of the Premier League put an end to that. I'm not suggesting that professionals such as clergymen, solicitors etc, didn't attend games, but I would hazard a guess that they were few and far between. Having said that, I attended a Roman Catholic school, All Saints Oakfield, a few minutes from Liverpool's ground, and one or two priests could be spotted on the Kop.Hi Jack [13], Thanks for your kind words, and I agree that football provides both good and bad memories, and I'm really glad that I learned quite early in my 'footballing life' that for "Every winner, there's a loser".Hi Rick [15], If you have read from Part 1 to Part 4, you deserve a medal. You may recall that sometime ago, I mentioned that my Uncle Phil was a friend of Nel, and that my Auntie Nora taught Nel to dance at 'Peppers Dance Hall' on the corner of Aubrey Street and Everton Road.Hi Andy [16] thanks for your kind words, I wonder if I could expect royalty's, as a result of the fact that thousands read my articles, if so it won't cost you a penny at the next get-together.Hi Christine [17] I think that you have 'Sussed' me, you are right when you say "History is passed on, either by the written word or by voice, the important part is that it's passed on to younger generations. Duncan McDine 19 Posted 27/07/2023 at 13:44:55 J.Mac Sr - Catholic priests on the terraces at Anfield?... the Devil's own stomping ground??I can only assume they'd been banned from our very own Boys Pen. John McFarlane Snr 20 Posted 27/07/2023 at 15:24:43 Hi Duncan [19], I have no doubt that the Clergy were represented at Goodison at that time, but because I was restricted to the 'Boys Pen', I wasn't aware of it. Bill Watson 21 Posted 27/07/2023 at 18:12:28 Hi John. When I started going to Goodison, in the late 1950s, priests were quite a common sight in Gwladys Street.I wonder if the priests you spotted on the Kop knew the founder of the RS was a Grand Master of the Orange Lodge? lol.Frank Soo, of Stoke, was a local lad from West Derby, who went to the village school albeit 30-odd years before me. Stoke signed him from Prescot Cables. John McFarlane Snr 22 Posted 27/07/2023 at 20:11:28 Hi Bill [21] I have a couple of books, "Football League Players Records 1888-1939", and "Premier League and Football League Players Records, 1946-1998". It reads, Soo, Hong Ying [Frank] born, Buxton 08/03/1914, died 199,Caps England, [war time] 9.West Derby Boys Club,Prescot Cables.1933-1939 Stoke City, 176 appearances 6 goals. 1945 Leicester City, 0 appearances.1946-1947 Luton Town, 71 appearances 4 goals.Chelmsford City, 0 appearances. I thought that this thread had run its course but, thanks to you, it might be given a lease of life. Bill Watson 23 Posted 28/07/2023 at 12:19:12 Hi John, With going to the same school I knew all about Frank Soo at an early age but, apart from that, he never seems to get a mention. I think his family had a Chinese laundry in West Derby village.Lots of information on this link including the fact he guested for Everton during the war years, which I didn't know.Frank Soo Foundationhttps://www.thefranksoofoundation.org.uk John McFarlane Snr 24 Posted 28/07/2023 at 14:19:09 Hi Bill [23] the books I have only tell of League appearances and goals scored, but I do know that many players guested for clubs during World War 2. Bill Watson 25 Posted 28/07/2023 at 15:51:09 John #24.Yes, they tended to guest for a club local to where they were stationed or one near home if they were on leave.Like all players Soo's career was affected by the war and in his case, at 24/25 in 1939, he'd have been at his peak.On 9th May 1942 against Wales at Ninian Park, Frank was the first non-white person to play for the England national football team and still is the only player of an Asian background to reach that level for England. He went on to play for England a further eight more times and captained the RAF team during the Second World War. He also appeared as a guest player for Everton, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Brentford, and Millwall to name but a few. Danny O’Neill 26 Posted 28/07/2023 at 19:43:51 Another great trip down the historical football lane, John Senior.You made me think of a few things. I was up in the West Midlands with family yesterday.One of my nephews is a West Brom fan and quite pessimistic at the moment. Some of them are Wolves and alarmed at the rate of players they are selling. Some Villa, others Man Utd and Liverpool.Stoke and the Victoria Ground randomly made me think of Gordon Banks. Until he died, I never realised he had served in the Army (National Service in Germany).Link John McFarlane Snr 27 Posted 28/07/2023 at 20:32:40 Hi Danny [26], I thought that this thread would have run its course, without you posting. I was fortunate inasmuch as I've spent all my life in an Everton family, with the exception of two younger 'second cousins' who have favoured Liverpool. I have no way to prove it, but I firmly believe that my Granddad who was 13 years old when the Football League was formed in 1888, would have attended the games. Regarding Gordon Banks and the Army, Everton played against an Army team before the start of the season at Goodison one season and the next at Aldershot. The Army had many top class players who were doing their National Service. I wouldn't put money on it, but I think that Alex Young and Ron Yeats were in the same Army team. Paul Birmingham 28 Posted 28/07/2023 at 21:28:13 John Mac, Snr, thanks for your outstanding effort, spoken from the heart. Inspirational and keeps the club's history as a positive inspiration for this season and all seasons. You've made this an easy read, and that is a skill that is to be acclaimed.Your the Oracle for all matters on Everton history, an outstanding contribution to the TW Family.Thank you. Brent Stephens 29 Posted 28/07/2023 at 21:31:56 "They [WBA] beat the all-too-sure Prestonians at the Oval, with a team of Englishmen, mostly born near West Bromwich."How things have changed! The number of overseas players today. For the better? For the worse?A good read, anyway, John. Thanks. John McFarlane Snr 30 Posted 28/07/2023 at 22:56:02 Hi Paul [28], As I have said previously, I've always been interested in football, mainly due my Uncle Tommy and other members of the family. My first love as a young boy was obviously Everton, but I couldn't get enough of football in any form.And as I've stated many times, I have one or two reference books, and therefore I can't take credit for anything as complex as the posts I submit. Hi Brent [29],I have to be true to my beliefs, and while I can't dispute that football is far more skillful now than it was in the late '40s, when I first set foot in Goodison Park, I can't claim that today's game is more enjoyable, but it would be fair to say that I am programmed and, if Everton are playing at home, I have to be there. Danny O’Neill 31 Posted 29/07/2023 at 07:22:58 I had to look that up, John. Yes, it appears that Alex Young did play for the Army. I never knew that. I suppose, going back to the days of National Service, there will be many others. There is probably an Everton-Army Hall of Fame out there.In the corridors of the Army FA at Aldershot, there are photos of each team from each season going back years. I suspect Alex could be on one of them.You are right about the standard. I played alongside individuals who had flirted with professional football before joining. One was with Norwich, another with Wigan and a friend made a few appearances for Newport (when in the Football League), Lincoln City and Bristol Rovers. Another was on Newcastle's books as a youngster, one more went on to coach in the youth setup at Fleetwood Town. How he never made it to some level is beyond me. I myself had my Bellefield moment, but it wasn't to be. Many were playing part-time semi-professional football in their spare time, when not deployed.It doesn't sound glamorous, but those who understand, know that to get to that level is not easy and often comes down to getting the break, the judgemental opinions of coaches and scouts, or sheer standout ability as well as hard work.I've often said, the Army could compete in the 5th or 6th tier of English football if they could put their best team together every week. But due to the nature of the beast, they can rarely put out their best team for every fixture, so play in the county leagues as a member of the FA.Not my background, but to this day, the Royal Engineers proudly wear the FA Cup as their badge, on their football top, in recognition of them winning the trophy in 1875.I digress, but hopefully in line with the historical theme of the original post. John McFarlane Snr 32 Posted 29/07/2023 at 11:06:14 Hi Danny, [31] my memory is not so good now, but I also think Liverpool had a goalkeeper who only played one game for them, his name was John Ogston, but if memory serves me right he had the nickname of "Tubby". I think that he was in the Army team with Alex Young and Ron Yeats. I was at Goodison in the early 60s, when Everton played the last home game against the Army, but all I can remember of it is, that Peter Baker Tottenham Hotspur's full back played. Dave Abrahams 33 Posted 29/07/2023 at 11:43:52 Brent (29), West Brom. beat an Everton team, in the 1968 cup final, which consisted of eleven English players. Trevor Powell 34 Posted 29/07/2023 at 2023/07/29 : 14:11:03 Fortuitously, I came across a documentary on YouTube called, "100 years of âš½ï¸ The Football League documentary".It goes right back to the founding of the Football League upto when the Premier League took over the governance of the top tier of domestic football.Pure nostalgia for old farts like me and a possible education for younger Blues!Link Add Your Comments In order to post a comment, you need to be logged in as a registered user of the site. » Log in now Or Sign up as a ToffeeWeb Member — it's free, takes just a few minutes and will allow you to post your comments on articles and Talking Points submissions across the site. How to get rid of these ads and support TW © ToffeeWeb