The 1894–95 season was Burslem Port Vale's third consecutive season of football in the Football League.[1] The progress of the previous season was lost, as 19 of the 30 league games ended in defeat. Only nearby Crewe Alexandra finished below the Vale, however only Walsall Town Swifts failed to gain re-election – despite finishing two points ahead of Vale. As was the case in 1892–93, the Vale found great difficulty in scoring goals, with only Crewe scoring fewer.
A season to forget, the club fared no better the following season, and lost their Football League status between 1896–1898. Their 2–2 draw at Crewe on 5 January 1895 was their final away draw until 3 December 1898, as the team fared extremely poorly on the road, losing almost all their away games.
Overview
Second Division
An opening day victory over Walsall Town Swifts betrayed what would be a difficult season for the "Valeites". Following the opening day they won just one of their next 21 league games, with only four of these games ending in a draw. During this streak they lost 10–0 at Notts County on 26 February 1895, after three players failed to turn up, leaving reserve players to make up the numbers.[1] Seemingly destined for a rock bottom finish, they rallied at the season's end to win five of their last seven games. One of these victories was a 7–1 demolition of Lincoln City, with big victories also coming over Grimsby Town and Crewe Alexandra. At the end of the season the Vale were 30 points behind champions Bury, and six points off safety, but were re-elected to the league.[1]
Goalkeeper Tom Baddeley was the only ever-present throughout the season, with left-back Dick Ray missing just one game. Billy Beats, George Samuel Eccles, Meshach Dean, and Alf Wood, favourites of previous campaigns, rarely missed a match. At the end of the season Wood left for Southampton, and Ray for Manchester City. With their places filled with reserves the next season looked bleak.[1]
Finances
Financially the club struggled, with attendances down due to continuing defeats, the pay rises the players had for the good work the previous season damaged the budget.[1]
Cup competitions
For the fourth consecutive season they exited the FA Cup in the first round of qualification, for the second consecutive season they scored three goals in their defeat, this time Stourbridge scored five.
Final league table
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against;
GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
Results
Burslem Port Vale's score comes first
Legend
Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
Ground | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | A | H | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A |
Result | W | L | L | L | L | L | D | W | L | L | L | L | L | L | L | D | L | L | L | D | D | L | L | W | L | W | L | W | W | W |
Position | 1 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 15 |
Sourced from Statto.[2]
Football League Second Division
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
1 September 1894 | Walsall Town Swifts | H | 1–0 | 2,000 | Beats |
8 September 1894 | Manchester City | A | 1–4 | 2,000 | Wood |
15 September 1894 | Bury | H | 1–2 | 1,500 | Marple |
17 September 1894 | Notts County | H | 0–3 | 1,000 | |
22 September 1894 | Walsall Town Swifts | A | 0–2 | 3,000 | |
29 September 1894 | Burton Swifts | A | 0–1 | 1,000 | |
6 October 1894 | Newcastle United | H | 4–4 | 2,000 | Scarratt, Wood, James Smith, Eccles |
20 October 1894 | Burton Wanderers | H | 1–0 | 1,500 | Beats |
27 October 1894 | Darwen | A | 0–2 | 3,000 | |
10 November 1894 | Bury | A | 0–4 | 3,000 | |
17 November 1894 | Darwen | H | 0–3 | 2,000 | |
8 December 1894 | Lincoln City | A | 1–6 | 1,000 | Dean |
24 December 1894 | Newton Heath | H | 2–5 | 1,000 | Beats, McDonald |
25 December 1894 | Woolwich Arsenal | A | 0–7 | 8,000 | |
1 January 1895 | Newton Heath | A | 0–3 | 4,000 | |
5 January 1895 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 2–2 | | James Smith, Evans |
19 January 1895 | Woolwich Arsenal | H | 0–1 | 300 | |
26 January 1895 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–4 | | James Smith |
2 February 1895 | Manchester City | H | 1–2 | 1,500 | Ray |
16 February 1895 | Rotherham Town | H | 1–1 | 300 | James Smith |
23 February 1895 | Leicester Fosse | H | 1–1 | | Evans |
26 February 1895 | Notts County | A | 0–10 | 1,500 | |
2 March 1895 | Rotherham Town | A | 1–2 | 1,000 | James Smith |
4 March 1895 | Burton Swifts | H | 2–0 | | Evans, Dean |
9 March 1895 | Burton Wanderers | A | 0–4 | 4,100 | |
23 March 1895 | Leicester Fosse | H | 7–1 | 2,500 | Beats (2), unknown, Evans, Dean, J. Mason, Wood |
26 March 1895 | Lincoln City | A | 1–2 | 3,000 | Evans |
6 April 1895 | Grimsby Town | H | 5–0 | 800 | Dean (2), Beats, Evans, J. Mason |
12 April 1895 | Newcastle United | A | 2–1 | 3,000 | Eardley (2) |
20 April 1895 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 4–0 | | Dean (2), Wood, Eardley |
The Burslem Port Vale team in 1894.
FA Cup
Birmingham Senior Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
2 | 9 February 1895 | Loughborough | H | 0–1 | 1,000 | |
Staffordshire Senior Cup
Player statistics
Appearances
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Scorers
All competitions
League
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Transfers
Transfers in
Transfers out
References
- Specific
- General
- Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 978-0-9508981-9-3.
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