ON THE face of it, the Stoke City team of 1984-85 did not lack talent. Sammy McIlroy appeared twice in the finals of the World Cup for Northern Ireland, Steve Bould won three league titles with Arsenal, Mark Chamberlain played eight times for England and Alan Hudson’s ability was unquestioned. But circumstances contrived to turn their season into the worst in top-flight history.

More than 20 years later, Sunderland could “beat” Stoke’s dismal record, but memories of that bitter campaign linger in the Potteries. A tally of 17 points from 42 matches left the team 33 points away from safety after a season in which defeat after defeat left them demoralised, and they were doomed by Christmas. To top it off, it was thought that the dire situation contributed to the health problems that led to Bill Asprey resigning as manager near the end of the season.

Peter Fox spent 15 years at Stoke, but that fateful season stands out for the goalkeeper. “We’d had a great escape the season before, a fantastic last 18 games when Alan Hudson came to the club,” he said. “We showed championship-winning form to stay up. Then, in their wisdom, they released a few experienced players and went with a few kids, but they weren’t up to it.”

Fox missed two thirds of the campaign with a back injury, having been an ever-present the previous year — “I’m saying this bad season had nothing to do with me,” he joked — and he pointed out other problems.

“Alan Hudson got injured. Mark Chamberlain had played for England, but there was a lot of speculation during the season that Middlesbrough and Sunderland were coming in for him. Then Steve Bould, who was 6ft 3in, was played at right back for some reason. Twenty years ago he was big for a centre back, so you can imagine what he was like at full back.”

The construction of a new stand at the Victoria Ground meant that there were no finances for team strengthening after a poor start to the season and all hope of avoiding relegation was soon extinguished. “Just before Christmas we realised we would go down,” Fox said. “Confidence had gone. The young lads found it very difficult to compete. It spiralled so quickly. The crowd’s enthusiasm from the previous season disappeared.”

Stoke won only three matches, against Sheffield Wednesday, Manchester United and Arsenal, and after suffering ten successive league defeats in the autumn, they repeated the trick in their final ten games of the campaign. After adjustments to assume three points for a win and a 38-game season, it was the worst record in the top flight since the Football League was formed in 1888. It ended Stoke’s six-year run in the top division and they have yet to return.

However, they will be rid of their unwanted label if Sunderland continue at their present rate in the Barclays Premiership. Having gained only nine points after 23 of 38 matches, Mick McCarthy’s team are on course for half a point less than Stoke, after adjustments. Their nine points are made up of victories away to Middlesbrough and West Bromwich Albion and draws at home to West Bromwich, West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers.

At least Sunderland are unlikely to endure the worst league season in any division, given that a far worse fate befell Loughborough in the old second division in 1899-1900. With one win, six draws and 27 defeats, their equivalent tally, assuming three points for a win and 38 games, would be ten points, a figure that the Wearsiders should surely beat.

Fox could not offer Sunderland any advice, despite having been in the same boat with Stoke. “If you haven’t got the quality, you’re going to struggle,” he said.