1959–60 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale
1959–60 season
Chairman Fred Burgess
Manager Norman Low
Stadium Vale Park
Football League Third Division 14th (46 Points)
FA Cup Fifth Round
Supporters' Clubs' Trophy Runners–up
Top goalscorer League: Graham Barnett (14)
All: Graham Barnett (17)
Highest home attendance 49,768 vs. Aston Villa (20 February 1960)
Lowest home attendance 5,514 vs. Swindon Town (30 April 1960)
Average home league attendance 10,733
Home colours

The 1958–59 season was Port Vale's 48th season of football in the Football League, and their first season in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division.[1] Progressing to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, there they set a Vale Park and club-record attendance of 49,768, in a 2–1 defeat by Aston Villa on 20 February. In the first of a short-lived Supporters' Clubs' Trophy, they lost to rivals Stoke City 5–3 on aggregate; whilst in the league they finished a respectable fourteenth, thirteen points from both promotion and relegation.

Overview

Third Division

The pre-season saw the arrival of Morgan Hunt from Norwich City for a four-figure fee, and outside-left Cliff Portwood from Preston North End for £750.[1]

The season began with a 3–2 win over Reading at Elm Park, Norman Low having selected a first eleven without any of the new signings.[1] However, after a 1–0 win over Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic Vale began to struggle, picking up just a point in their next six games.[1] Low tried to sign Stanley Matthews, still going strong aged 44 for Blackpool, but a deal could not be reached.[1] On 5 September, Tranmere Rovers beat Vale 6–0 at Prenton Park after Roy Sproson left the field in the first half with a gashed leg.[1] Low then traded John Cunliffe and £2,000 to Stoke City in exchange for winger Harry Oscroft and centre-half Peter Ford.[1] An improvement took place, and despite trouble in front of goal, the team won seven successive games at Burslem.[1] In October, Jack Wilkinson was sold to Exeter City for £2,500, having lost his place in the starting eleven.[1] On 28 December, Vale recorded a 7–0 win over Halifax Town, causing The Sentinel's "T.G.F." to remark that "rarely have the opposition been so completely outplayed".[1]

In March, Graham Barnett was sold to Tranmere Rovers for £5,000, having lost his form.[1] The "Valiants" continued to perform well at home, but lose on their travels.[1] The departure of top-scorer Barnett meant the club 'urgently needed a top-class inside-forward'.[1] This was proven with a run of just four goals in seven matches, culminating in only two points and dashed hopes of promotion.[1] In danger of relegation, the players rallied to win seven points from the final five games.[1] The penultimate match was a 6–3 loss to Mansfield Town at Field Mill, whilst Vale then destroyed Swindon Town 6–1 in front of a season-low Vale Park crowd of 5,514.[1]

They finished in fourteenth spot with 46 points, a good finish for a club just promoted.[1] Stan Steele had put in his third successive ever-present season, whilst Barnett was the top-scorer despite leaving in March.[1]

Finances

On the financial side, a £1,454 loss was announced despite a £10,352 donation from the Sportsmen's Association.[1] Gate receipts had risen by £1,680 due to the Aston Villa game, however average home attendance was down by around 2,000.[1] Wages also increased by a more considerable £7,064, though there was a transfer credit of £3,500.[1] There were 22 players retained, Roy Pritchard and Morgan Hunt were not amongst them, leaving for Wellington Town and Boston United respectively.[1]

In May, the club took a five-match tour of Czechoslovakia.[1] They experienced a culture shock, playing with a smaller, 'half-inflated' ball, and finding referees much more strict. However the tour was a success and much enjoyed by the players and their hosts.[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale eased past Dorchester Town of the Western League 2–1 after Graham Barnett injured Dorchester's keeper.[2] In the next round Vale beat Queens Park Rangers 2–1 in a replay,[1] after a fifty-yard strike from David Raine helped them to a 3–3 draw in the original match.[3] In the Third Round, they met Second Division high-flyers Cardiff City at Ninian Park, and were not concerned as Graham Barnett responded to Low's warning that the Wales captain faced them by saying "So fucking what? My mother could play for Wales".[4] They beat Cardiff 2–0 with a solid performance.[1] Drawn against Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park, 'the defence took the honours' in a 1–0 win.[1] The Fifth Round draw saw Vale face a home tie with Aston Villa, another second tier club. A still-standing club-record attendance of 49,768 turned up for the game on 20 February, resulting in £8,500 worth of gate receipts for the Vale.[1] Brian Jackson gave Vale a 36th-minute lead, but the "Villans" came back to win the match with six minutes to spare.[1]

In the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy, Vale lost to Stoke 5–3 on aggregate.[1]

Final league table

P WDLFAGAPts
1Southampton4626911106751.41361
2Norwich City4624111182541.51959
3Shrewsbury Town4618161297751.29352
4Grimsby Town4618161287701.24352
5Coventry City4621101578631.23852
6Brentford462191678611.27951
7Bury462191664511.25551
8Queens Park Rangers4618131573541.35249
9Colchester United4618111783741.12247
10Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic4617131672721.00047
11Reading4618101884771.09146
12Southend United461981976741.02746
13Newport County462062080791.01346
14Port Vale461981980791.01346
15Halifax Town4618101870720.97246
16Swindon Town461981969780.88546
17Barnsley4615141765660.98544
18Chesterfield461872171840.84543
19Bradford City4615121966740.89242
20Tranmere Rovers4614131972750.96041
21York City4613122157730.78138
22Mansfield Town4615625811120.72336
23Wrexham4614824681010.67336
24Accrington Stanley4611530571230.46327

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss
Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
GroundAHHAAHAAHHAAHHHAHAHHAAHAHAHHAHHAAHAAHAHAAHHAAH
Result W W L L L D L L W W L L W W W L W L W L D W W D W L D W L W D L W W D L D L L L L W W D L W
Position 9 2 8 15 17 16 18 19 17 16 17 18 18 16 16 16 16 16 15 16 16 14 13 12 9 10 11 10 12 10 11 11 10 7 7 9 11 12 13 16 17 14 11 14 15 14

Sourced from Statto.[5]

Football League Third Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
22 August 1959 ReadingA3–214,917Barnett (2), Poole
24 August 1959 Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH1–018,037Barnett
29 August 1959 Shrewsbury TownH0–318,607
2 September 1959 Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA0–311,689
5 September 1959 Tranmere RoversA0–611,635
7 September 1959 SouthamptonH1–113,906Poole
12 September 1959 Norwich CityA1–527,041Poole
16 September 1959 SouthamptonA2–317,009Barnett, Steele
19 September 1959 BrentfordH3–112,817Steele (2), Barnett
21 September 1959 BarnsleyH1–010,886Sproson
26 September 1959 Colchester UnitedA1–37,822Poole
30 September 1959 BarnsleyA0–17,870
3 October 1959 Southend UnitedH3–112,008Leake, Steele, Jackson
10 October 1959 Accrington StanleyH2–010,712Jackson (pen), Barnett
12 October 1959 Mansfield TownH4–19,230Jackson, Oscroft, Barnett, Wilkinson
19 October 1959 Newport CountyA3–47,996Whalley (2), Barnett
24 October 1959 ChesterfieldH3–17,946Oscroft, Barnett, Steele
31 October 1959 WrexhamA0–18,150
7 November 1959 York CityH2–08,425Oscroft, o.g.
21 November 1959 Bradford CityH0–29,924
28 November 1959 Queens Park RangersA2–28,775Poole (2)
12 December 1959 Swindon TownA3–27,716Barnett, Jackson, Portwood
19 December 1959 ReadingH4–16,723Poole (2), Jackson, Portwood
26 December 1959 Halifax TownA1–16,175Steele
28 December 1959 Halifax TownH7–09,664Barnett (4), Jackson (2), Poole
2 January 1960 Shrewsbury TownA1–29,754Steele
16 January 1960 Tranmere RoversH1–19,706Poole
23 January 1960 Norwich CityH2–111,040Steele, Miles
6 February 1960 BrentfordA0–210,141
10 February 1960 Grimsby TownH2–122,987Portwood (2)
13 February 1960 Colchester UnitedH1–110,248Donaldson
22 February 1960 Southend UnitedA1–26,534Steele
27 February 1960 Accrington StanleyA3–13,109Donaldson (2), Steele
5 March 1960 Newport CountyH2–19,073Donaldson, Jackson
7 March 1960 Coventry CityA1–115,549Leake
12 March 1960 ChesterfieldA1–46,152o.g.
19 March 1960 Queens Park RangersH0–07,049
26 March 1960 York CityA0–26,415
2 April 1960 Coventry CityH0–17,686
9 April 1960 Bradford CityA1–35,986Poole
15 April 1960 BuryA1–36,397Hall
16 April 1960 WrexhamH3–16,798Archer (2), Portwood
18 April 1960 BuryH3–07,875Portwood (2), Poole
23 April 1960 Grimsby TownA1–18,413Hall
25 April 1960 Mansfield TownA3–64,970Portwood, Archer, Kinsey
30 April 1960 Swindon TownH6–15,514Oscroft (4), o.g., Portwood

FA Cup

Main article: 1959–60 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R114 November 1959 Dorchester TownA2–14,100Poole, Barnett
R25 December 1959 Queens Park RangersA3–311,143Portwood, Leake, Raine
R2 Replay7 December 1959 Queens Park RangersH2–19,544Barnett (2)
R39 January 1960 Cardiff CityA2–025,588Steele, Portwood
R430 January 1960 Scunthorpe UnitedA1–014,043Portwood
R520 February 1960 Aston VillaH1–249,768Jackson (pen)

Supporters' Clubs' Trophy

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
Final 1st Leg5 October 1959Stoke CityA1–39,045Jackson
Final 2nd Leg26 October 1959Stoke CityH2–27,506Steele, Jackson

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos. Name Football League FA Cup Supporters' Club's Trophy Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Ken Hancock 2301020260
GKEngland John Poole 2305000280
DFEngland Roy Sproson 4116020491
DFEngland David Raine 3906120471
DFEngland Selwyn Whalley 1220010132
DFEngland Fred Donaldson 84000084
DFEngland Roy Pritchard 60000060
MFEngland Albert Leake 3325110393
MFEngland John Cunliffe 60000060
MFEngland Terry Miles 3416010411
MFEngland Peter Hall 42000042
MFEngland Brian Jackson 45861225311
MFWales Morgan Hunt 20000020
MFEngland Harry Oscroft 2671020297
MFEngland Cliff Portwood 20953002512
MFEngland Peter Ford 2506020330
MFEngland Colin Davies 1000000100
FWEngland Harry Poole 441261205213
FWEngland Stan Steele 461061215411
FWEngland Jack Wilkinson 61000061
FWWales Noel Kinsey 1911010211
FWEngland Graham Barnett 271463203517
FWEngland Stan March 10001020
FWEngland John Archer 63000063

Scorers

All competitions

Scorer Goals
England Graham Barnett 17
England Harry Poole 13
England Cliff Portwood 12
England Stan Steele 11
England Brian Jackson
England Harry Oscroft 7
England Fred Donaldson 4
England John Archer 3
England Albert Leake
England Peter Hall 2
England Selwyn Whalley
England Jack Wilkinson 1
Wales Noel Kinsey
England Roy Sproson
England Terry Miles
England David Raine

League

Scorer Goals
England Graham Barnett 14
England Harry Poole 12
England Stan Steele 10
England Cliff Portwood 9
England Brian Jackson 8
England Harry Oscroft 7
England Fred Donaldson 4
England John Archer 3
England Peter Hall 2
England Albert Leake
England Selwyn Whalley
England Jack Wilkinson 1
Wales Noel Kinsey
England Roy Sproson
England Terry Miles

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
June 1959 DF England Colin Davies Free transfer [6]
July 1959 FW England John Archer Free transfer [6]
July 1959 MF Wales Morgan Hunt Norwich City 'four figure fee' [6]
August 1959 FW England Stan March Altrincham £250 [6]
August 1959 MF England Cliff Portwood Preston North End £750 [6]
September 1959 MF England Peter Ford Stoke City Exchange [6]
September 1959 MF England Harry Oscroft Stoke City Exchange [6]
October 1959 MF England Colin Corbishley Free transfer [6]
April 1960 MF England Roy Gater Free transfer [6]

Transfers out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
September 1959 MF England John Cunliffe Stoke City Exchange [6]
October 1959 FW England Jack Wilkinson Exeter City £2,500 [6]
March 1960 FW England Graham Barnett Tranmere Rovers £5,000 [6]
May 1960 MF England Jimmy Adams Crewe Alexandra Free transfer [6]
May 1960 DF England Roy Pritchard Wellington Town Free transfer [6]
August 1960 DF England Fred Donaldson Exeter City £2,000 [6]
Summer 1960 MF Wales Morgan Hunt Boston United Released [6]
Summer 1960 FW Scotland Jimmy McLean Wellington Town Released [6]

References

Specific
  1. 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 Kent, Jeff (1990). "Flattering Only to Deceive (1960–1969)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 196–226. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 27. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  3. Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 116. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  4. Kent, Jeff (December 1991). Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories. Witan Books. p. 28. ISBN 0-9508981-6-3.
  5. Port Vale 1959–1960 : Results & Fixtures. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
General
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