1914–15 Sheffield United F.C. season
1914–15 season | ||
---|---|---|
Chairman | Tom Bott | |
Manager | None (John Nicholson acted as club secretary) | |
Stadium | Bramall Lane | |
Division One | 6th | |
FA Cup | Winners | |
Top goalscorer | League: Kitchen (12) All: Kitchen (16) | |
Highest home attendance | 32,000 (vs Blackburn Rovers) | |
Lowest home attendance | 5,000 (vs Burnley) | |
Average home league attendance | 14,947 | |
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The 1914–15 season was the 26th season in existence for Sheffield United, during which they played in Division One. At this time the club did not employ a manager, with the team being selected by the Football Committee although the club secretary, John Nicholson, undertook many of the duties now associated with a team manager. The club continued to establish itself as one of the top sides in the country, finishing sixth in the First Division and beating Chelsea 3–0 in the final to become winners of the FA Cup.
Season overview[]
After a solid end to the previous season there was an amount of optimism for what the club could achieve in the coming term. Reserve players Bob Barnshaw, Bert Pearson and Sam Bagnall were allowed to leave during the close season but it was thought that only a few good additions to the squad would turn the side into genuine contenders for the league title.
The football committee duly signed Harry Pantling and Jack Thompson but it was the signing of Wally Masterman for £800 from Gainsborough Trinity that proved their most astute purchase.
The season was played under the shadow of war from the European continent and attendances dwindled as the country moved onto a war footing. The team's pre-season optimism was dealt a massive blow in their first game when star player Billy Gillespie broke his leg and did not feature again that term.[1] This loss unsettled the team and they made a miserable start, winning only three games up until the start of December.
The loss of Gillespie had an unforeseen effect however, as it allowed other players to come into their own. Joe Kitchen was the main goal threat but David Davis and particularly Masterman began to score regularly.
The change in fortune came in December from when the team embarked on an impressive run of form, losing only once more until the start of April. During this time the club also had another successful run in the FA Cup. Beaten semi-finalists the season before, this time round they reached the final at Old Trafford where they beat Chelsea 3–0 to lift the cup for the third time.
Unfortunately the hoped for challenge for the championship never really materialised. Ironically the team's success in the cup would begin to have a detrimental effect on their league form as the resulting fixture pile up meant that they were required to play nine competitive games during April 1915, including the FA Cup Final, and results suffered accordingly. This, coupled with their poor start, saw the side eventually finish sixth in the table in what turned out to be the final season before the league and cup competitions were abandoned whilst the country was at war.
Players[]
Squad[]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Squad statistics[]
- As of the end of the season[1]
No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Division One | FA Cup | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
GK | Ernest Blackwell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
DF | Bill Brelsford | 37 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
DF | Bill Cook | 44 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||
FW | David Davies | 25 | 7 | 22 | 7 | 3 | 0 | ||
DF | Jack English | 34 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
MF | Robert Evans | 38 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 6 | 0 | ||
FW | Stan Fazackerley | 30 | 8 | 25 | 6 | 5 | 2 | ||
FW | Billy Gillespie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
GK | Harold Gough | 43 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 6 | 0 | ||
FW | Harry Hall | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
DF | Fred Hawley | 25 | 1 | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ||
GK | Ted Hufton | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
FW | Joe Kitchen | 36 | 16 | 29 | 12 | 7 | 4 | ||
FW | Wally Masterman | 32 | 11 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 2 | ||
MF | Harry Pantling | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
DF | Tom Richardson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
MF | Jimmy Revill | 11 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
FW | Jimmy Simmons | 44 | 11 | 37 | 9 | 7 | 2 | ||
MF | Albert Sturgess | 43 | 1 | 36 | 1 | 7 | 0 | ||
MF | Jack Thompson | 8 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
MF | George Utley | 44 | 2 | 37 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
Transfers[]
In[]
Position | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FW | Wally Masterman | Gainsborough Trinity | £800 | 2 May 1914 | [2] |
MF | Harry Pantling | Watford | £850 | 3 May 1914 | [3] |
MF | Jack Thompson | Scunthorpe & Lindsey United | Free | 8 July 1914 | [4] |
Out[]
Position | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FW | Bob Barnshaw | Watford | £50 | 20 May 1914 | [5] |
FW | Sam Bagnall | South Liverpool | Free | 1 July 1914 | [6] |
MF | Bert Pearson | Port Vale | Free | 1 July 1914 | [7] |
League table[]
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Burnley | 38 | 18 | 7 | 13 | 61 | 47 | 1.298 | 43 | |
5 | Manchester City | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 49 | 39 | 1.256 | 43 | |
6 | Sheffield United | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 49 | 41 | 1.195 | 43 | FA Cup Winners |
7 | The Wednesday | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 61 | 54 | 1.130 | 43 | |
8 | Sunderland | 38 | 18 | 5 | 15 | 81 | 72 | 1.125 | 41 |
Matches[]
League[]
2 September 1914 | Sunderland | 3–2 | Sheffield United | showRoker Park |
5 September 1914 | Sheffield United | 0–2 | The Wednesday | showBramall Lane |
12 September 1914 | West Bromwich Albion | 1–1 | Sheffield United | showThe Hawthorns |
19 September 1914 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Everton | showBramall Lane |
26 September 1914 | Chelsea | 1–1 | Sheffield United | showStamford Bridge |
3 October 1914 | Sheffield United | 1–1 | Bradford City | showBramall Lane |
17 October 1914 | Sheffield United | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | showBramall Lane |
24 October 1914 | Newcastle United | 4–3 | Sheffield United | showSt James' Park |
31 October 1914 | Sheffield United | 0–1 | Middlesbrough | showBramall Lane |
7 November 1914 | Manchester City | 0–0 | Sheffield United | showHyde Road |
14 November 1914 | Aston Villa | 1–0 | Sheffield United | showVilla Park |
21 November 1914 | Sheffield United | 2–1 | Liverpool | showBramall Lane |
28 November 1914 | Bradford Park Avenue | 2–0 | Sheffield United | showPark Avenue |
5 December 1914 | Sheffield United | 3–0 | Oldham Athletic | showBramall Lane |
12 December 1914 | Manchester United | 1–2 | Sheffield United | showOld Trafford |
19 December 1914 | Sheffield United | 3–1 | Bolton Wanderers | showBramall Lane |
26 December 1914 | Sheffield United | 1–2 | Blackburn Rovers | showBramall Lane |
28 December 1914 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Notts County | showBramall Lane |
1 January 1915 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–2 | Sheffield United | showEwood Park |
2 January 1915 | The Wednesday | 1–1 | Sheffield United | showHillsborough Stadium |
16 January 1915 | Sheffield United | 2–0 | West Bromwich Albion | showBramall Lane |
23 January 1915 | Everton | 0–0 | Sheffield United | showGoodison Park |
6 February 1915 | Bradford City | 1–1 | Sheffield United | showValley Parade |
13 February 1915 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Burnley | showBramall Lane |
27 February 1915 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Newcastle United | showBramall Lane |
8 March 1915 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Chelsea | showBramall Lane |
17 March 1915 | Middlesbrough | 2–2 | Sheffield United | showAyresome Park |
20 March 1915 | Sheffield United | 3–0 | Aston Villa | showBramall Lane |
29 March 1915 | Sheffield United | 0–0 | Manchester City | showBramall Lane |
2 April 1915 | Notts County | 3–1 | Sheffield United | showMeadow Lane |
3 April 1915 | Sheffield United | 3–2 | Bradford Park Avenue | showBramall Lane |
5 April 1915 | Sheffield United | 1–1 | Sunderland | showBramall Lane |
10 April 1915 | Oldham Athletic | 3–0 | Sheffield United | showBoundary Park |
17 April 1915 | Sheffield United | 3–1 | Manchester United | showBramall Lane |
19 April 1915 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 | Sheffield United | showWhite Hart Lane |
26 April 1915 | Bolton Wanderers | 0–1 | Sheffield United | showBurnden Park |
FA Cup[]
23 January 1915 Round 1 | Blackpool | 1–2 | Sheffield United | showBloomfield Road |
30 January 1915 Round 2 | Sheffield United | 1–0 | Liverpool | showBramall Lane |
20 February 1915 Round 3 | Sheffield United | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Bradford Park Avenue | showBramall Lane |
6 March 1915 Round 4 | Oldham Athletic | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Sheffield United | showBoundary Park |
13 March 1915 Round 4r | Sheffield United | 3–0 | Oldham Athletic | showBramall Lane |
13 March 1915 Semi Final | Sheffield United | 2–1 | Bolton Wanderers | showEwood Park |
24 April 1915 Final | Sheffield United | 3–0 | Chelsea | showOld Trafford |
Friendlies[]
5 October 1914 | The Wednesday | 2–0 | Sheffield United | showHillsborough Stadium |
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (1999). A Complete Record of Sheffield United Football Club 1889-1999. Sheffield United. pp. 121–122. ISBN 0-9508588-2-X.
- ^ Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 223. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
- ^ Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 249. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
- ^ Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 315. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
- ^ Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 43. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
- ^ Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
- ^ Denis Clarebrough & Andrew Kirkham (2008). Sheffield United Who's Who. Hallamshire Press. p. 253. ISBN 978-1-874718-69-7.
- English football clubs 1914–15 season
- Sheffield United F.C. seasons