| Season: | 1989–90 |
| League Result: | 24th (37 Points) |
| Cup1 Result: | Third Round |
| Cup2 Result: | Second Round |
| Cup3 Result: | Second Round |
| League Topscorer: | Wayne Biggins (10) |
| Season Topscorer: | Wayne Biggins (11) |
| Highest Attendance: | 27,032 vs Port Vale (23 September 1989) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 8,139 vs Oxford United (10 April 1990) |
| Average Attendance: | 12,499 |
| Nextseason: | 1990–91 |
| Pattern La1: | _red_stripes |
| Pattern B1: | _red_stripes |
| Pattern Ra1: | _red_stripes |
| Pattern So1: | _color_3_stripes_white |
| Leftarm1: | FFF0F9 |
| Body1: | FFF0F9 |
| Rightarm1: | FFF0F9 |
| Shorts1: | FFFFFF |
| Socks1: | FF0000 |
The 1989–90 season was Stoke City's 83rd season in the Football League and 30th in the Second Division.
The pressure was now on Mick Mills after four seasons without a serious promotion challenge and he spent big in the summer with £1 million worth of talent arriving at the Victoria 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 winner Alan 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 manager Mick 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 for Sheffield Wednesday defender Ian Cranson, £75,000 on Derek Statham from West Bromwich Albion, £175,000 for Ian Scott and £250,000 for Wayne Biggins both from Manchester City.[1] All four started the first match of the season in a 1–1 draw at home to West 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 came Alan Ball, a former World Cup winner with England, whose previous job was with Portsmouth. Ball was appointed as Mills' assistant two months earlier.[1] He made an instant impact as Stoke beat Newcastle United on Boxing Day.[1] But injury to Ian Cranson against Bournemouth 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 went Chris Kamara, Dave Bamber, Leigh Palin, Carl Saunders, Gary Hackett and Nicky Morgan.[1] Into the side came Tony Ellis, Lee Sandford, Tony Kelly, Dave Kevan, Paul Barnes and Noel 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 to Brighton & Hove Albion for the final away match to have a 'relegation party'.[2] There were few bright spots during a dismal season which saw the Potteries derby make a return, 27,032 saw Stoke and Vale draw 1–1 on 23 September and at Vale Park 22,075 saw a dull 0–0 on 3 February.[1]
Former fan favourites Steve Bould and Lee Dixon returned to the Victoria Ground with Arsenal and a crowd of 23,827 saw David O'Leary score the only goal of the tie.[1]
After beating First Division Millwall 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 the Full Members' Cup for the final time and went out in the second round losing on penalties to Leeds United.[1]
| Win | Draw | Loss |
See main article: 1989–90 Football League.
| 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' |
See main article: 1989–90 FA Cup.
See main article: 1989–90 Football League Cup.
| 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 |
See main article: 1989–90 Full Members' Cup.
| 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 | Scott Barrett | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| GK | Peter Fox | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| GK | Dan Noble | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF |  Noel Blake | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| DF | John Butler | 44 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 49 | 0 | |
| DF | Cliff Carr | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 25 | 0 | |
| DF | Ian Cranson | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 | |
| DF | Lee Fowler | 13(2) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15(2) | 0 | |
| DF | Tony Gallimore | 0(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | |
| DF | Andy Holmes | 5(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7(1) | 0 | |
| DF | Chris Kamara | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 2 | |
| DF | Lee Sandford | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| DF | Derek Statham | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
| DF | Ian Wright | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| MF | George Berry | 15(1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 16(1) | 2 | |
| MF | Carl Beeston | 38 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| MF | Garry Brooke | 6(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6(2) | 0 | |
| MF | Stephen Farrell | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | |
| MF | Mark Higgins | 4(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7(2) | 0 | |
| MF | Dave Kevan | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| FW | Darren Hope | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | Leigh Palin | 17(2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21(2) | 3 | |
| MF | Ian Scott | 14(5) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 14(6) | 1 | |
| MF | Mickey Thomas | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| MF | Paul Ware | 9(7) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12(7) | 0 | |
| FW | Dave Bamber | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 3 | |
| FW | Paul Barnes | 4(1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(1) | 0 | |
| FW | Peter Beagrie | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| FW | Wayne Biggins | 35 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 11 | |
| FW | Darren Boughey | 4(3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4(3) | 0 | |
| FW | Tony Ellis | 24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 6 | |
| FW | Gary Hackett | 18(8) | 2 | 0(1) | 0 | 1(1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 20(10) | 2 | |
| FW | Vince Hilaire | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| FW | Tony Kelly | 5(4) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5(4) | 0 | |
| FW | Nicky Morgan | 6(7) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0(1) | 0 | 7(8) | 2 | |
| FW | David Ritchie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| FW | Mark Sale | 0(2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0(2) | 0 | |
| FW | Carl Saunders | 12(10) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0(1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 14(11) | 1 | |
| FW | Mark Smith | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |