League During the summer of 1952
Bob McGrory resigned after spending 31 years at the
Victoria Ground as player and manager and
Frank Taylor took over as first team manager. Taylor was a 'new breed' of tracksuit manager and was regarded as potential great manager by the Stoke board. The first act Taylor did was to erect a sign above the players dressing room which read: '' Are you 90 minutes fit? It's the last 20 minutes that count–train for it''. The 1952–53 season was obviously going to be a transitional one with the defence and forward lines in need of strengthening. A new goalkeeper was brought in,
Bill Robertson coming up from
Birmingham City for £8,000. The season did not start well and after one win the first five matches Taylor moved quickly to bring in
Ken Thomson to the club a fine centre back from
Aberdeen whilst allowing
George Mountford to join
Queens Park Rangers. Taylor also started to move on some of McGrory's signings but the talent from the youth team which had served Stoke for so long had now dried up. Prior to the lead up to 1953 Stoke had agonisingly slipped into the relegation zone, but seven games without defeat at the turn of the year they seemed to have averted the danger. But then it all went wrong again and they slipped back down the table and in the end they had to win their final match of the season against an already relegated
Derby County at the
Victoria Ground. Most expected Stoke to step it up and beat a dejected Derby side but disaster struck as
Jack Lee scored for the "Rams" early on. Stoke hit back through
Frank Bowyer but
Jackie Stamps but Derby 2–1 up. Stoke created plenty of chances and with just minutes left were awarded a penalty but the reliable
Ken Thomson hit his kick straight at
Ray Middleton and with it ended Stoke's 20 year stay in the First Division.
FA Cup A miserable season was not helped any by a shock 1–0 defeat to Third Division North side
Halifax Town in the fourth round. ==Final league table==