The City Ground

SEASON: 1953-54

Total Season: 89Prev Season: 1952-53
League Season: 52This Season: 2025-26
Next Season: 1954-55

DIVISION: English Second Division (Tier 2)

MANAGER(s):: Billy Walker
FA Cup:: 3rd Round (Plymouth Argyle (A) 0-2)

Top Goalscorer:: Alan Moore (19 goals)

Competitive Games:: 43
Competitive Goals:: 86
Goals per game:: 2.0
League Games:: 42
League Points:: 52 out of 84 (2 points per win)
Points Percentage:: 61.9%

Highest League Attendance:: 34,423 (Leicester City)
Lowest League Attendance:: 13,573 (Hull City)
Average League Attendance:: 22,588
Highest Cup Attendance:: -
Lowest Cup Attendance:: -

Champions:: Wolverhampton Wanderers
FA Cup:: West Bromwich Albion
Community Shield:: Arsenal

SEASON RECORDS

Most Goals scored: 5
5-4 (Sat Sep 19, 1953, Stoke City, Home, League Tier 2)
5-0 (Sat Oct 10, 1953, Notts County, Home, League Tier 2)
5-2 (Fri Dec 25, 1953, Leeds United, Home, League Tier 2)

Biggest Winning Margin: 5
5-0 (Sat Oct 10, 1953, Notts County, Home, League Tier 2)

Most Goals Conceded: 4
5-4 (Sat Sep 19, 1953, Stoke City, Home, League Tier 2)

Biggest Losing Margin: 3
0-3 (Mon Sep 07, 1953, Hull City, Away, League Tier 2)
0-3 (Sat Jan 16, 1954, Rotherham United, Away, League Tier 2)

Clean Sheets:: 6
Yellow Cards:: 0
Red Cards:: 0
Own goals (for):: 0 (scored by opponents for us)
Own goals (against):: 0 (scored by us for opponents)
Penalties scored:: 6
Penalties conceded:: 5
Penalties missed:: 1
Penalties saved:: 2

TABLE

SECOND DIVISION (Tier 2) - 1953-54

SEASON END TABLE								Home					Away								Results
Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	W	D	L	F	A	GA	Pts	Result	Home	Away
1	Leicester City	42	23	10	9	97	60	15	4	2	63	23	8	6	7	34	37	1.617	56	Promoted as Champions	3-1	0-1
2	Everton	42	20	16	6	92	58	13	6	2	55	27	7	10	4	37	31	1.586	56	Promoted	3-3	3-3
3	Blackburn Rovers	42	23	9	10	86	50	15	4	2	54	16	8	5	8	32	34	1.720	55		0-1	0-2
4	Nottingham Forest	42	20	12	10	86	59	15	5	1	61	27	5	7	9	25	32	1.458	52
5	Rotherham United	42	21	7	14	80	67	13	4	4	51	26	8	3	10	29	41	1.194	49		4-1	0-3
6	Luton Town	42	18	12	12	64	59	11	7	3	36	23	7	5	9	28	36	1.085	48		2-1	1-0
7	Birmingham City	42	18	11	13	78	58	12	6	3	49	18	6	5	10	29	40	1.345	47		1-1	2-2
8	Fulham	42	17	10	15	98	85	12	3	6	62	39	5	7	9	36	46	1.153	44		4-1	1-3
9	Bristol Rovers	42	14	16	12	64	58	10	7	4	32	19	4	9	8	32	39	1.103	44		3-1	0-1
10	Leeds United	42	15	13	14	89	81	12	5	4	56	30	3	8	10	33	51	1.099	43		5-2	2-0
11	Stoke City	42	12	17	13	71	60	8	8	5	43	28	4	9	8	28	32	1.183	41		5-4	1-1
12	Doncaster Rovers	42	16	9	17	59	63	9	5	7	32	28	7	4	10	27	35	.937	41		2-2	3-1
13	West Ham United	42	15	9	18	67	69	11	6	4	44	20	4	3	14	23	49	.971	39		4-0	1-1
14	Notts County	42	13	13	16	54	74	8	6	7	26	29	5	7	9	28	45	.730	39		5-0	1-1
15	Hull City	42	16	6	20	64	66	14	1	6	47	22	2	5	14	17	44	.970	38		2-0	0-3
16	Lincoln City	42	14	9	19	65	83	11	6	4	46	23	3	3	15	19	60	.783	37		4-2	2-2
17	Bury	42	11	14	17	54	72	9	7	5	39	32	2	7	12	15	40	.750	36		2-2	1-2
18	Derby County	42	12	11	19	64	82	9	5	7	38	35	3	6	12	26	47	.780	35		4-2	2-1
19	Plymouth Argyle	42	9	16	17	65	82	6	12	3	38	31	3	4	14	27	51	.793	34		3-0	0-1
20	Swansea Town	42	13	8	21	58	82	11	5	5	34	25	2	3	16	24	57	.707	34		2-1	1-2
21	Brentford	42	10	11	21	40	78	9	5	7	25	26	1	6	14	15	52	.513	31	Relegated	2-1	1-1
22	Oldham Athletic	42	8	9	25	40	89	6	7	8	26	31	2	2	17	14	58	.449	25	Relegated	1-1	3-1

Points per win: 2

Click here for all tables for 1953-54

LEAGUE POSITIONS

GOALS
Goals scored, conceded and win and loss margins

Goal count:	1 goal	2 goals	3 goals	4 goals	5+ goals
Scored	10 times	10 times	7 times	5 times	3 times
Conceded	20 times	11 times	5 times	1 time
Won By	6 times	8 times	4 times	1 time	1 time
Lost By	6 times	3 times	2 times

LEAGUE POSITION ANALYSIS
Analysis of the league positions
This table shows:
(a) how many days we spent in each of the league positions
(b) how we did when we played teams in each of the league positions.

Position days

Record against teams in each position

Forest
Pos

Num Days

Opp
Pos

Points

Results (Green=win; Blue=draw; Red=loss)

Doncaster Rovers (2-2), Leicester City (3-1), Blackburn Rovers (0-1)

West Ham United (4-0), Everton (3-3)

124

Leicester City (0-1), Birmingham City (1-1), Birmingham City (2-2)

Lincoln City (2-2)

Rotherham United (0-3)

Leeds United (5-2), Fulham (4-1), Doncaster Rovers (3-1)

Stoke City (5-4), Bristol Rovers (3-1), Blackburn Rovers (0-2), Stoke City (1-1), Bristol Rovers (0-1)

Luton Town (1-0), Leeds United (2-0)

West Ham United (1-1)

Derby County (4-2)

Rotherham United (4-1)

Plymouth Argyle (3-0)

Luton Town (2-1), Brentford (1-1), Swansea Town (2-1), Notts County (1-1)

Hull City (2-0), Lincoln City (4-2), Bury (2-2), Derby County (2-1)

Swansea Town (1-2), Plymouth Argyle (0-1)

Brentford (2-1)

Hull City (0-3), Fulham (1-3), Notts County (5-0), Bury (1-2), Oldham Athletic (1-1),
Manager for all games: Billy Walker
League

Week	Date	Time	Opponent	H/A	Score	Att	Pos	Scorers	Status
1	Wed Aug 19, 1953	7:45 pm	Everton	H	3-3	21,519	11	Capel (16', 40'), Collindridge (85')
2	Sat Aug 22, 1953	3:00 pm	Plymouth Argyle	H	3-0	16,746	7	Moore (37'), Martin (88' pen), Leverton (90')
3	Wed Aug 26, 1953	7:45 pm	Luton Town	A	1-0	17,522	3	Capel (75')
4	Sat Aug 29, 1953	3:00 pm	Swansea Town	A	1-2	11,242	4	Moore (52')
5	Wed Sep 02, 1953	7:45 pm	Luton Town	H	2-1	17,172	5	Moore (5'), Leverton (41')
6	Sat Sep 05, 1953	3:00 pm	Rotherham United	H	4-1	22,502	2	Leverton (9', 51'), Scott (12'), Capel (69')
7	Mon Sep 07, 1953	7:45 pm	Hull City	A	0-3	17,288	5
8	Sat Sep 12, 1953	3:00 pm	Leicester City	A	0-1	29,939	11
9	Wed Sep 16, 1953	7:45 pm	Hull City	H	2-0	13,573	5	Collindridge (5', 50')
10	Sat Sep 19, 1953	3:00 pm	Stoke City	H	5-4	22,840	5	Moore (20', 21', 85'), Leverton (38'), Burkitt (53')
11	Sat Sep 26, 1953	3:00 pm	Fulham	A	1-3	24,251	7	Moore (37')
12	Sat Oct 03, 1953	3:00 pm	West Ham United	H	4-0	23,167	6	Collindridge (24', 26'), Capel (54'), Burkitt (85')
13	Sat Oct 10, 1953	3:00 pm	Notts County	H	5-0	30,559	4	Gager (15' pen), Collindridge (28'), Capel (38'), Thompson (74'), Johnston (80' OG)
14	Sat Oct 17, 1953	3:00 pm	Lincoln City	A	2-2	21,936	5	Capel (31'), Thompson (44')
15	Sat Oct 24, 1953	3:00 pm	Bristol Rovers	H	3-1	23,139	5	Thompson (71'), Capel (76'), Moore (86')
16	Sat Oct 31, 1953	3:00 pm	Brentford	A	1-1	15,384	3	Latimer (85' OG)
17	Sat Nov 07, 1953	3:00 pm	Derby County	H	4-2	31,397	2	Moore (13'), Capel (65', 88'), Lemon (75')
18	Sat Nov 14, 1953	3:00 pm	Blackburn Rovers	A	0-2	16,549	4
19	Sat Nov 21, 1953	3:00 pm	Doncaster Rovers	H	2-2	28,491	4	Thompson (8', 34')
20	Sat Nov 28, 1953	3:00 pm	Bury	A	1-2	11,915	5	Moore (81')
21	Sat Dec 05, 1953	3:00 pm	Oldham Athletic	H	1-1	16,798	6	Ardron (64')
22	Sat Dec 12, 1953	3:00 pm	Everton	A	3-3	33,192	6	Thompson (27'), Gager (34' pen), Moore (85')
23	Sat Dec 19, 1953	3:00 pm	Plymouth Argyle	A	0-1	17,491	6
24	Fri Dec 25, 1953	7:45 pm	Leeds United	H	5-2	19,745	5	Capel (11'), Ardron (16', 28', 58'), Moore (68')
25	Sat Dec 26, 1953	3:00 pm	Leeds United	A	2-0	22,135	5	Ardron (63'), Moore (78')
26	Sat Jan 02, 1954	3:00 pm	Swansea Town	H	2-1	18,795	4	Ardron (15', 18')
27	Sat Jan 16, 1954	3:00 pm	Rotherham United	A	0-3	14,325	6
28	Sat Jan 23, 1954	3:00 pm	Leicester City	H	3-1	34,423	4	Capel (11'), McLaren (69', 86')
29	Sat Feb 06, 1954	3:00 pm	Stoke City	A	1-1	17,346	4	McLaren (74')
30	Sat Feb 13, 1954	3:00 pm	Fulham	H	4-1	25,147	4	Capel (27', 35', 74'), McLaren (55')
31	Sat Feb 20, 1954	3:00 pm	West Ham United	A	1-1	20,400	3	McLaren (85')
32	Sat Feb 27, 1954	3:00 pm	Notts County	A	1-1	36,988	5	Capel (41')
33	Sat Mar 06, 1954	3:00 pm	Lincoln City	H	4-2	20,986	4	McLaren (41'), Collindridge (51'), Moore (58'), Green (79' OG)	Safe
34	Sat Mar 13, 1954	3:00 pm	Bristol Rovers	A	0-1	21,736	4		Safe
35	Sat Mar 20, 1954	3:00 pm	Brentford	H	2-1	15,700	4	Ardron (57'), Moore (74')	Safe
36	Sat Mar 27, 1954	3:00 pm	Doncaster Rovers	A	3-1	13,441	4	Gager (44'), Capel (52'), Moore (83')	Safe
37	Sat Apr 03, 1954	3:00 pm	Bury	H	2-2	17,215	4	Moore (36'), Ardron (38')	Safe
38	Sat Apr 10, 1954	3:00 pm	Derby County	A	2-1	21,961	4	Ardron (12'), Moore (46')	Safe
39	Fri Apr 16, 1954	7:45 pm	Birmingham City	H	1-1	25,285	4	Gager (14' pen)	Safe
40	Sat Apr 17, 1954	3:00 pm	Blackburn Rovers	H	0-1	29,154	4		Safe
41	Mon Apr 19, 1954	7:45 pm	Birmingham City	A	2-2	14,625	4	Thompson (5'), Gager (81' pen)	Safe
42	Sat Apr 24, 1954	3:00 pm	Oldham Athletic	A	3-1	8,301	4	Gager (20' pen), Capel (27'), Moore (38')	Safe

FA Cup

Date	Time	Opponent	Round	Replay	H/A	Score	Att	Scorers
Sat Jan 09, 1954	3:00 pm	Plymouth Argyle	3		A	0-2	21,630

Friendly

Date	Time	Opponent	Country	H/A	Score	Att	Scorers
Sat Jan 30, 1954	3:00 pm	Aston Villa	England	H	0-2	8,249
Tue Apr 27, 1954	3:00 pm	West Midlands XI	England	N	7-1	-	Moore (?), Collindridge (?), Thompson (?, ?), Capel (?), Ardron (?, ?)
Wed Apr 28, 1954	3:00 pm	Rushden Town	England	A	5-3	-	? (? OG), McLaren (?), Thompson (?), Capel (?, ?)

Testimonial

Date	Time	Opponent	Country	H/A	Score	Att	Scorers
Thu Apr 29, 1954	3:00 pm	Gainsborough Trinity	England	A	4-1	-	Moore (?, ?), Walker (? pen), Ardron (?)

TRANSFERS
Transfers before, during and immediately after the season.

In (1) - £0				Out (4) - £0
Date	Player	Details	Fee	Date	Player	Details	Fee
1953	Hugh McLaren	Bought			James Clarke	Sold
					Tot Leverton	Sold
				Apr 24, 1954	Collin Collindridge	Sold
				May 31, 1954	Tommy Capel	Sold

SQUAD

*Age = Player age on August 1st					Season Record (Competitive Games only)
Pos	Num	Player	Country	Age*	P	W	D	L	Goals	Yellows	Reds	Went Off	Came On	Unused Sub	Notes
Goalkeepers
GK		Bill Farmer	England	25	12	5	3	4
GK		Harry Walker	England	37	31	15	9	7
Defenders
D		Bill Whare	England	28	24	11	6	7
D		Bob McKinlay	Scotland	20	1		1
D		Geoff Thomas (1944-60)	England	27	29	13	10	6
D		Horace Gager	England	36	42	20	11	11	6
D		Jack Hutchinson	England	32	30	15	7	8
D		James Clarke	England	29	3	1	1	1
Midfielders
M		Alan Orr	Scotland	29	15	7	6	2
M		Jack Burkitt	England	27	40	18	11	11	2
M		Wally Ardron	England	34	15	7	5	3	10
Forwards
F		Alan Moore	England	26	43	20	12	11	19
F		Arthur Lemon	Wales	21	19	7	7	5	1
F		Brian Burton	England	20	1			1
F		Collin Collindridge	England	32	33	16	8	9	7
F		Freddie Scott	England	36	9	5	1	3	1
F		Hugh McLaren	Scotland	27	10	5	4	1	6
F		Jack French	England	28	28	13	6	9
F		Noel Kelly	Rep. of Ire.	31	14	7	4	3
F		Sid Thompson	England	25	14	5	6	3	7
F		Tom Martin	Scotland	28	11	5	3	3	1
F		Tommy Capel	England	31	35	18	9	8	18
F		Tommy Wilson	England	22	3	1	1	1
F		Tot Leverton	England	27	11	6	1	4	5

GOALSCORERS

Number of different scorers: 15

Goals (Pens)	Player	Num Games
19	Alan Moore	43
18	Tommy Capel	35
10	Wally Ardron	15
7	Collin Collindridge	33
7	Sid Thompson	14
6	Horace Gager	42
6	Hugh McLaren	10
5	Tot Leverton	11
3	Own Goals	43
2	Jack Burkitt	40
1	Arthur Lemon	19
1	Freddie Scott	9
1	Tom Martin	11

LEAGUE DOUBLES (FOR)
Home and away victories for the season

	Game 1			Game 2
Opponent	Date	H/A	Score	Date	H/A	Score
Derby County	Sat Nov 07, 1953	Home	4-2	Sat Apr 10, 1954	Away	2-1
Leeds United	Fri Dec 25, 1953	Home	5-2	Sat Dec 26, 1953	Away	2-0
Luton Town	Wed Aug 26, 1953	Away	1-0	Wed Sep 02, 1953	Home	2-1

LEAGUE DOUBLES (AGAINST)
Home and away losses for the season

	Game 1				Game 2
Opponent	Date	H/A	Score		Date	H/A	Score
Blackburn Rovers	Sat Nov 14, 1953	Away	0-2		Sat Apr 17, 1954	Home	0-1