Season 1940-41 - Wartime competition and friendlies

Another season of hastily arranged friendlies and wartime regional leagues. Cyril Spiers uses 41 different players during the season, utilising many local amateurs, some of who are to become well known names in later years, such as Billy Baker, Beriah Moore and Reg Parker. Billy James starts to make something of a name for himself as well. Most matches are not particularly well attended, possibly because standards are none too high and times are hard.

The City team that beat Reading 4-1 on 15 March 1941.
BACK (L-R): Jim Merrett (trainer), Billy James, terry Wood, Beriah Moore, Jackie Pritchard, Jack Pugh, Billy Baker, Les Parker.
FRONT: Jim Burns, Arthur Granville, Bobby Tobin, Jackie Steggles.

Date	Opponents	Competition	V.	Res.		Goalscorers	Att.
August 31	Reading	Wartime South League	A	0-2	L		2,861
September 7	Reading	Wartime South League	H	2-2	D	James, Moore	3,000
September 14	Birmingham City	Wartime South League	H	5-2	W	Moore 3, James, Parker	2,175
September 21	Birmingham City	Wartime South League	A	2-3	L	Pugh, James	3,500
September 28	Bristol City	Wartime South League	H	2-2	D	James, Wrigglesworth	3,500
October 5	Bristol City	Wartime South League	A	0-1	L		1,546
October 12	Coventry City	Wartime South League	A	2-5	L	Parker 2	2,700
October 19	Coventry City	Wartime South League	H	2-2	D	James, Hollyman	3,000
October 26	Swansea Town	Wartime South League	H	8-0	W	James 3, Moore 3, Parker 2	4,000
November 2	Army XI	Friendly	H	18-1	W	James 7, Scott 5, Parker 2, Moore 2, Allen, Pugh	1,000
November 9	Southampton	Wartime South League	A	3-1	W	Moore 2, Parker	2,000
November 16	Southampton	Wartime South League	H	1-1	D	Moore	1,500
November 23	Bristol City	Wartime South League	A	1-4	L	James	2,500
November 30	Bristol City	Wartime South League	H	5-1	W	James 2, Moore, Scott, Wood	2,000
December 7	Stoke City	Wartime South League	A	1-5	L	Steggles	1,800
December 14	Stoke City	Wartime South League	H	4-0	W	Morris, James 3	1,000
December 21	Bournemouth & B.A.	Wartime South League	A	5-2	W	Moore 2, James, Baker, Parker	800
December 25	Swansea Town	Wartime South League	A	2-1	W	Moore, James	3,000
December 26	Regional XI	Friendly	A	1-3	L	Jones T.	1,200
December 28	Bournemouth & B.A.	Wartime South League	H	1-3	L	Jones T.	4,000
January 11	Bristol City	Wartime South League	H	5-2	W	Moore 2, James 2, Joy	2,000
January 25	Swansea Town	Wartime South League	A	3-2	W	Moore 2, James	1,500
February 8	Bristol City	Wartime South League	A	7-4	W	Moore 4, Parker, Pugh, Williams	1,500
February 15	Swansea Town	League Cup (1-1)	H	3-2	W	Moore, Parker, James	4,000
	Swansea Town	League Cup (1-2)	H	6-2	W	Moore 3, Parker 2, James	4,000
March 8	Reading	League Cup (2-1)	A	1-0	W	James	5,000
March 15	Reading	League Cup (2-2)	H	4-1	W	James 2, Baker, Moore	10,000
March 22	Tottenham Hotspur	League Cup (3)	A	3-3	D	Moore 2, Barnes	5,000
March 29	Tottenham Hotspur	League Cup (3R)	H	2-3	L	James, Parker	21,000
April 5	Bath City	Western Regional League	A	1-2	L	James	1,500
April 12	Lovell's Ath.	Western Regional League	H	3-2	W	James 2, Parker	2,500
April 14	Aberaman	Western Regional League	H	2-2	D	Moore, Parker	750
April 19	Lovell's Ath.	Western Regional League	A	1-2	L	Moore	2,000
April 26	Bath City	Western Regional League	H	5-2	W	James 3, Moore 2	1,700
May 10	Chelsea	Friendly	H	1-2	L	Tobin	4,000
May 17	W.B.A.	Wartime South League	H	4-4	D	Parker 2, James 2	3,009
May 24	Portsmouth	Wartime South League	H	4-1	W	Walker (og), Moore 2, Parker	2,723
May 31	Wolverhampton W.	Wartime South League	H	5-1	W	James 2, Moore, Jones T., Parker	4,204
June 3	Lovell's Ath.	League Cup Final	H	1-6	L	Hollyman