1961–62 Port Vale F.C. season
Encyclopedia
The 1961–62 season was Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

's fiftieth season of football in the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...

, and their third season in the Third Division
Football League Third Division
The Football League Third Division was the 3 tier of English Football from 1920 until 1992 when after the formation of the Football Association Premier League saw the league renamed The Football League Division Two...

. The season was most notable for the win over Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

 in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

, which followed a goalless draw at Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...

 in which the Vale defence prevented Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...

 from even having a shot. The club also hosted a friendly against the Czechoslovakia national football team
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...

, and later took a tour of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

. In the league they failed to gain promotion, and had to settle for mid-table obscurity.

Third Division

The pre-season saw Norman Low
Norman Low
Norman Harvey Low was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the son of Scottish international footballer, Wilf Low....

 spend some of the £10,000 in transfer funds he was allocated. He spent £2,000 acquiring inside-forward Arthur Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

 from Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

. Low then repaid West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...

 the £10,000 for Stan Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

 in order to bring him back to Vale Park
Vale Park
Vale Park is a football stadium in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. It is the home ground of Port Vale F.C., who have played at the ground since 1950....

. This meant a 'shock' for the fans, as Cliff Portwood
Cliff Portwood
Clifford Portwood is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Cliff Portwood started his career with Manchester Athletic before joing Preston North End in 1955. He quickly became a regular for the first 11, becoming Tom Finney's understudy. He joined Port Vale for £750 in August 1959. and was...

 was sold to Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

 for £6,000 to balance the books. Another £2,000 was spent on bringing centre-half John Nicholson
John Nicholson (English footballer)
John Purcell Nicholson was an English footballer.-Playing career:Nicholson joined Port Vale for a £2,000 fee from Liverpool in August 1961. He made his debut in 1–1 draw at Northampton Town on 2 September 1961, and 208 consecutive appearances later, on 8 September 1965, he had broken a club record...

 from Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

. Free signings included winger Stan Edwards
Stan Edwards (footballer)
Stanley Edwards is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Edwards played for Everton before joining Port Vale in May 1961...

 (Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

), goalkeeper Peter Taylor (Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...

), and Joe Maloney
Joe Maloney
Joseph John Maloney , was an English footballer of the 1950s.-Playing career:Maloney started his career at Liverpool, coming through the junior ranks at Anfield, taking the place of Bob Paisley when making his first team debut in a goalless draw at home to Bolton Wanderers in March 1953...

 (Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

). Low declared that the logic behind the signings was to improve the defence and that his side was now 'capable of getting promotion'. To whip the new signings into shape trainer Lol Hamlett
Lol Hamlett
Thomas Lawrence "Lol" Hamlett was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hamlett played for Congleton Town and Bolton Wanderers, also guesting for Stoke City and Manchester United before he joined Port Vale in May 1949...

 took them on a seven mile run.

The defence began poorly, in a opening day 4–2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

 at Gay Meadow
Gay Meadow
The Gay Meadow is the former home ground of Shrewsbury Town FC, a football club in England. It was situated just outside the town centre of Shrewsbury, on the banks of the River Severn and it opened in August 1910....

. Maloney was subsequently dropped and sold to Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

 for 'a small fee'. The first match at Burslem
Burslem
The town of Burslem, known as the Mother Town, is one of the six towns that amalgamated to form the current city of Stoke-on-Trent, in the ceremonial county of Staffordshire, in the Midlands of England.-Topography:...

 saw Vale ' casually steamroller' Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

 4–0. On 2 September, John Nicholson made the first of his club record 208 consecutive appearances, that would end on 8 September 1965. On a four match sequence without a win, The Sentinel commented that "gloom has descended". The mood lifted with a 1–0 win over Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

 at Ashton Gate on 9 September, in the first of five wins in six games.

On 2 October Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...

 beat Vale 3–1 in front of 22,895 fans at Vale Park, repaying the club for their successful tour of the country at the end of the 1959–60 season
1959–60 Port Vale F.C. season
The 1958–59 season was Port Vale's forty-eighth season of football in the Football League, and their first season in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division. Progressing to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, there they set a Vale Park and club-record attendance of 49,768,...

. Later that month Dennis Fidler
Dennis Fidler
Dennis John Fidler is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Fidler played for Manchester United as a youth, but never played first team football. He signed amateur forms with cross-town rivals Manchester City in 1956, and turned professional the following year. He made his senior debut in...

 was sold to Grimsby Town for £2,000, and the "Valiants" struggled. Vale then signed Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger is an English former footballer. He was first cousins with fellow players Dennis Grainger, Jack Grainger and Edwin Holliday.-Club career:...

 from Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...

 for £6,000, and the former England international
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 scored on his debut. In December, Low further added to his fire-power by signing Ralph Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...

 from Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

 for £3,500. Hunt scored a hat-trick in his second game for the club, a 4–1 win over Shrewsbury Town. He also hit the back of the net in the following two victories. Vale then struggled in the league, losing four games on the bounce. Around this time rivals
Potteries derby
The Potteries derby is the football local derby in Stoke-on-Trent between Port Vale and Stoke City. The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals; this has led to a heated atmosphere at these matches, especially with the rise of football hooliganism and the 'Naughty Forty'...

 Stoke City
Stoke City F.C.
Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded in 1863, it is the oldest club in the Premier League, and considered to be the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts...

 faced an upsurge in support with the return of Stanley Matthews
Stanley Matthews
Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers'...

. Low attempted to tempt Tom Finney
Tom Finney
Sir Thomas Finney, OBE is a former English footballer, famous for his loyalty to his league club, Preston North End, and for his performances in the English national side....

 out of retirement, but was unsuccessful.

By the end of February Vale lay just four points clear of relegation and star player Grainger was out injured. Beating Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

 2–0, they picked up six points out of a possible ten. They then remained unbeaten throughout the opening six games of April to ensure survival. At this time Noel Kinsey
Noel Kinsey
Noel Kinsey is a Welsh former international footballer, who played as an inside right for Norwich City, Birmingham City and Port Vale.-Club career:...

's contract was cancelled, as he wished to go into the pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...

 business in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...

. At Vale Park, an £8,000 social club was opened, as the club management stated their intention to turn the ground into 'a real family social centre'.

They finished the season in twelfth position with 45 points, closer to the drop than promotion. A strong defence was not supported by a weak attack. Llewellyn and Longbottom scored twenty goals each in all competitions, but received little support.

Finances

On the financial side, declining attendances failed to prevent a profit of £1,261. This profit came thanks to a hefty £16,250 donation from the Sportsmen's Association, as well as Vale's daily pools. Gate receipts stood at £44,388, whilst expenditures rose to £73,059 despite wages being kept at around £31,000. Peter Taylor was allowed to leave for Burton Albion
Burton Albion F.C.
Burton Albion Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. The club's home ground is the Pirelli Stadium, having moved from Eton Park in 2005...

 as he failed to dislodge Ken Hancock
Ken Hancock
Kenneth Paul Hancock is an English former footballer. During his career he made 241 appearances for Port Vale and 163 appearances for Ipswich Town. He is the younger brother of Ray Hancock.-Playing style:...

, Taylor later became acquainted with Brian Clough at Burton. Low also sold three players for £2,000 each: Brian Jackson to Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

, Ralph Hunt to Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

, and David Raine
David Raine
David Raine is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Raine graduated through the Vale juniors to make his debut in a 2–1 home win against Rotherham United on 27 April 1957. He signed his first professional contract the following month and by October 1957 had established himself in the first...

 to Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...

.

In May the team took a tour of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

, playing four friendlies, climbing the Tatra Mountains
Tatra Mountains
The Tatra Mountains, Tatras or Tatra , are a mountain range which forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland, and are the highest mountain range in the Carpathian Mountains...

, and sailing on the Tatras river. When one boat capsized, 'the lads told the attendant in colourful Potteries language
Potteries dialect
The Potteries dialect is a dialect found in the northern West Midlands of England, almost exclusively in and around Stoke-on-Trent.-Features:Two noticeable features of the dialect are the vowel sound ow which is used where standard English would use ol as in cowd = cold, 'towd" = told, etc...

 what they thought of him'. The final game of the tour was a goalless draw with Legia
Legia Warszawa
Legia Warszawa is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. It was founded in March 1916 in the area of Maniewicze in Volhynia as the football club of the Polish Legions...

.

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

, Vale brushed past Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

 with a 1–0 win at Horsfall Stadium
Horsfall Stadium
Horsfall Stadium is a sports stadium located just off Halifax Road in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, approximately three miles south-east of the city centre. It is currently the home of Bradford Park Avenue Football Club and Bradford Airedale Athletics Club.It was originally built as a running...

. In the Second Round they faced Crewe Alex, who they beat 3–0 in a replay, following a 1–1 draw at Gresty Road
Alexandra Stadium
The Alexandra Stadium is a multi-use stadium in Crewe, England. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Crewe Alexandra...

. Vale then beat Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

 3–1, all the goals coming from Bert Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

. In the Fourth Round they travelled to Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

's Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...

, holding the mackems to a goalless draw in front of 49,468 noisy Sunderland fans - not even £50,000 star striker Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...

 could master the Vale defence. For the return, 28,226 witnessed a 3–1 victory for the Vale over the Second Division
Football League Second Division
From 1892 until 1992, the Football League Second Division was the second highest division overall in English football.This ended with the creation of the FA Premier League, prior to the start of the 1992–93 season, which caused an administrative split between The Football League and the teams...

 side in 'a magical piece of soccer history'. The Vale had 'spat and hissed like angry alley cats' for their win, intimidating tricky winger Harry Hooper. In the Fifth Round they were beaten by First Division Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

 at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....

 with a disputed late penalty
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...

. The referee also gave the Cottagers a goal kick when the ball had in fact crossed the line for a goal – to the fury of the Vale supporters.

In the League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...

, First Division
Football League First Division
The First Division was a division of The Football League between 1888 and 2004 and the highest division in English football until the creation of the Premier League in 1992. The secondary tier in English football has since become known as the Championship....

 Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

 took a 2–1 win at Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road
Bloomfield Road is an all-seater football stadium in the English town of Blackpool, Lancashire. It has been the permanent home of Blackpool F.C. since 1901 and is named after the road on which the stadium's main entrance used to stand. The stadium has been in a process of redevelopment since 2000...

 to dump Vale out of the competition.

Final league table

P WDLFAGAPts
1 Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

46 27 11 8 87 47 1.851 65
2 Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

46 28 6 12 80 56 1.429 62
3 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....

46 21 17 8 69 45 1.533 59
4 Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

46 24 11 11 111 73 1.521 59
5 Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

46 26 6 14 107 82 1.305 58
6 Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

46 23 8 15 94 72 1.306 54
7 Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

46 22 9 15 77 66 1.167 53
8 Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

46 20 11 15 85 57 1.491 51
9 Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

46 17 15 14 78 71 1.099 49
10 Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

46 20 8 18 67 54 1.241 48
11 Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

46 20 7 19 80 78 1.026 47
12 Port Vale
Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

46 17 11 18 65 58 1.121 45
13 Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

46 17 9 20 67 74 0.905 43
14 Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

46 16 11 19 64 71 0.901 43
15 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

46 14 14 18 83 80 1.038 42
16 Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...

46 13 16 17 57 69 0.826 42
17 Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

46 14 13 19 63 74 0.851 41
18 Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

46 15 10 21 62 84 0.738 40
19 Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

46 13 12 21 73 84 0.869 38
20 Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

46 13 12 21 71 95 0.747 38
21 Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...

46 15 6 25 76 100 0.760 36
22 Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

46 9 17 20 57 87 0.655 35
23 Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

46 13 8 25 53 93 0.570 34
24 Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

46 7 8 31 46 102 0.451 22


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

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Third Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
19 August 1961 Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

|A 2–4 8,632 Fidler
Dennis Fidler
Dennis John Fidler is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Fidler played for Manchester United as a youth, but never played first team football. He signed amateur forms with cross-town rivals Manchester City in 1956, and turned professional the following year. He made his senior debut in...

, Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

21 August 1961 Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

|H 4–0 11,480 Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

 (2), Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

, Jackson
26 August 1961 Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

|H 0–1 18,797
31 August 1961 Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...

|A 1–3 8,095 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

2 September 1961 Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

|A 1–1 9,573 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

4 September 1961 Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...

|H 0–0 10,317
9 September 1961 Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

|A 1–0 10,670 Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

16 September 1961 Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

|H –2 9,279 Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

, Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

, Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

21 September 1961 Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

|A 3–2 8,676 Jackson, Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

, Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

23 September 1961 Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

|A 1–1 8,910 Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

25 September 1961 Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...

|H 1–0 11,707 Whalley
Selwyn Whalley
Selwyn Davies Whalley is a former English footballer. He was a one club man with a fifteen year career at Port Vale.-Playing career:Whalley was born in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, and grew up supporting Port Vale...

30 September 1961 Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

|H 2–0 9,821 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

, Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

4 October 1961 Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

|A 0–0 11,779
7 October 1961 Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

|H 1–3 10,120 Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

9 October 1961 Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...

|H 2–1 7,208 Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

, Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

14 October 1961 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....

|A 0–1 13,675
16 October 1961 Southend United
Southend United F.C.
Southend United Football Club is an English football club based at Roots Hall Stadium, Prittlewell, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, who play in Football League Two. Their home ground is Roots Hall, and the club plan to move into a new 22,000-seater stadium located at Fossetts Farm.-Stadium:The club has had...

|A 1–4 8,090 Nicholson
John Nicholson (English footballer)
John Purcell Nicholson was an English footballer.-Playing career:Nicholson joined Port Vale for a £2,000 fee from Liverpool in August 1961. He made his debut in 1–1 draw at Northampton Town on 2 September 1961, and 208 consecutive appearances later, on 8 September 1965, he had broken a club record...

21 October 1961 Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...

|H 4–1 10,383 Jackson (2), Grainger
Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger is an English former footballer. He was first cousins with fellow players Dennis Grainger, Jack Grainger and Edwin Holliday.-Club career:...

, Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

28 October 1961 Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

|A 1–1 4,708 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

11 November 1961 Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

|A 1–2 7,087 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

18 November 1961 Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

|H 1–1 9,374 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

2 December 1961 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

|H 0–1 9,761
9 December 1961 Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

|A 0–1 11,925
16 December 1961 Shrewsbury Town
Shrewsbury Town F.C.
Shrewsbury Town Football Club is an English Association football club based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, who play in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club was formed in 1886 and has played in all the bottom three divisions in various guises since being elected into the Football...

|H 4–1 8,837 Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...

 (3), Jackson
23 December 1961 Peterborough United
Peterborough United F.C.
Peterborough United Football Club are a professional English football club based in Peterborough. Peterborough United formed in 1934 and played in the old Midland League, which they won six times; eventually being admitted to the Football League in 1960, replacing Gateshead. Their home ground is...

|A 3–1 9,294 Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...

 (2), Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

26 December 1961 Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

|H 3–0 12,182 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

, Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

, Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...

13 January 1962 Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

|H 1–1 8,229 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

20 January 1962 Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...

|H 0–2 7,262
3 February 1962 Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

|A 1–2 9,294 Sproson
Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson was an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record for Vale, making 837 starts for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes a run of 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and March 1957...

10 February 1962 Grimsby Town
Grimsby Town F.C.
Grimsby Town Football Club is an English football club based in the seaside town of Cleethorpes, in North East Lincolnshire, England, who compete in the Conference National. They were formed in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham and later became Grimsby Town...

|H 0–2 10,071
24 February 1962 Watford
Watford F.C.
Watford Football Club is an English professional football club based in Watford, Hertfordshire. It is often referred to as Watford F.C., Watford, or by the team's nickname The Hornets . Watford Rovers, Founded in 1881, entered the FA Cup for the first time in 1886, and the Southern League a decade...

|A 0–2 7,778
5 March 1962 Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

|H 2–0 4,958 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

, Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

10 March 1962 Torquay United
Torquay United F.C.
Torquay United Football Club, nicknamed the Gulls, are an English association football club based in the tourist resort town of Torquay, Devon. They played in the Conference National in 2008–09, but were promoted to Football League Two after a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 17 May 2009 at Wembley...

|A 0–2 4,565
12 March 1962 Newport County
Newport County A.F.C.
Newport County Association Football Club are a professional football club based in the city of Newport, south Wales, who currently play in the Conference National, the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...

|A 1–1 2,524 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

17 March 1962 Lincoln City
Lincoln City F.C.
Lincoln City Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Lincoln, Lincolnshire. The club are currently members of the Conference National in 2011–12 following relegation from the Football League....

|H 4–0 6,239 Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

 (2), Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

, Edwards
Stan Edwards (footballer)
Stanley Edwards is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Edwards played for Everton before joining Port Vale in May 1961...

19 March 1962 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
A.F.C. Bournemouth
A.F.C. Bournemouth is an English football club currently playing in Football League One. The club plays at Dean Court in Kings Park, Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset and have been in existence since 1899....

|H 1–0 8,993 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

24 March 1962 Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...

|A 1–2 4,670 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

31 March 1962 Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers F.C.
Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in White City, Hammersmith and Fulham, west London. As the 2010-11 Football League Championship champions, they now play in the top tier of English football the Premier League, for the first time in 15 years...

|H 2–3 4,936 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

 (2)
7 April 1962 Halifax Town
Halifax Town A.F.C.
Halifax Town Association Football Club were an English football team who most recently played in the Conference National, although prior to that they participated in the Football League for over eighty years...

|A 3–3 2,938 Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

, Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

, Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

14 April 1962 Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

|H 1–1 4,770 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

16 April 1962 Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...

|A 1–0 5,907 Edwards
Stan Edwards (footballer)
Stanley Edwards is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Edwards played for Everton before joining Port Vale in May 1961...

20 April 1962 Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

|A 2–1 11,175 o.g.
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....

, Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

21 April 1962 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace F.C.
Crystal Palace Football Club are an English Football league club based in South Norwood, London. The team plays its home matches at Selhurst Park, where they have been based since 1924. The club currently competes in the second tier of English Football, The Championship.Crystal Palace was formed in...

|A 0–0 10,519
23 April 1962 Brentford
Brentford F.C.
Brentford Football Club are a professional English football club based in Brentford in the London Borough of Hounslow. They are currently playing in Football League One....

|H 3–0 5,928 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

, Edwards
Stan Edwards (footballer)
Stanley Edwards is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Edwards played for Everton before joining Port Vale in May 1961...

, Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

28 April 1962 Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

|H 2–3 6,186 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

 (2)
30 April 1962 Swindon Town
Swindon Town F.C.
Swindon Town Football Club are a team based in Swindon, Wiltshire. Currently in League Two, Swindon have been managed by Paolo Di Canio since 23 May 2011...

|A 0–1 7,331

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R1 4 November 1961 Bradford Park Avenue
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...

A 1–0 12,127 Jackson
R2 25 November 1961 Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

A 1–1 13,081 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

R2 Replay 27 November 1961 Crewe Alexandra
Crewe Alexandra F.C.
Crewe Alexandra Football Club is an English professional football club based in Crewe, Cheshire. Nicknamed The Railwaymen due to the town's links with the rail industry, they currently play in Football League Two, the fourth tier of English football, and are based at the Alexandra Stadium.The club...

H 3–0 19,029 Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

 (2), Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

R3 6 January 1961 Northampton Town
Northampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...

H 3–1 19,444 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

 (3)
R4 27 January 1961 Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

A 0–0 49,468
R4 Replay 31 January 1961 Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...

H 3–1 28,226 Jackson, Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

, Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

R5 17 February 1961 Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...

A 0–1 29,559

League Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R1 13 September 1961 Blackpool
Blackpool F.C.
Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

A 1–2 10,494 Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...


Appearances

Pos. Name Football League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   Ken Hancock
Ken Hancock
Kenneth Paul Hancock is an English former footballer. During his career he made 241 appearances for Port Vale and 163 appearances for Ipswich Town. He is the younger brother of Ray Hancock.-Playing style:...

44 0 7 0 1 0 52 0
GK   John Cooke
John Cooke (footballer)
Edward John Cooke is an English former football goalkeeper who was a member of non-league Macclesfield Town's all-conquering team of the late 1960s and early 1970s.-Playing career:...

1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
GK   Peter Taylor 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DF   Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson was an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record for Vale, making 837 starts for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes a run of 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and March 1957...

46 1 7 0 1 0 54 1
DF   David Raine
David Raine
David Raine is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Raine graduated through the Vale juniors to make his debut in a 2–1 home win against Rotherham United on 27 April 1957. He signed his first professional contract the following month and by October 1957 had established himself in the first...

7 0 5 0 0 0 12 0
DF   Selwyn Whalley
Selwyn Whalley
Selwyn Davies Whalley is a former English footballer. He was a one club man with a fifteen year career at Port Vale.-Playing career:Whalley was born in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, and grew up supporting Port Vale...

40 1 7 0 1 0 48 1
DF   Terry Lowe
Terry Lowe
Terence John Lowe is a former English footballer.-Playing career:In his youth, Lowe played for Stoke City before joining Port Vale in June 1960. His debut came in the Potteries derby 1–0 win over Stoke in the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy final on 24 April 1961...

6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
MF   Terry Miles
Terry Miles
Terrence Miles is a former English football midfielder. He played for Port Vale between 1955 and 1968, helping them to the Fourth Division title in 1958–1959. He later turned out for Eastwood, before returning to Vale Park as a coach....

44 0 7 0 1 0 52 0
MF   Brian Jackson 34 5 7 2 1 0 42 7
MF   Peter Ford
Peter Ford (footballer)
Peter Leslie Ford is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Ford played for West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City before transferring to Port Vale, along with Harry Oscroft, in exchange Dickie Cunliffe and £2,000 in September 1959. He was a regular for his first two seasons, winning the...

13 0 0 0 1 0 14 0
MF   Dennis Fidler
Dennis Fidler
Dennis John Fidler is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Fidler played for Manchester United as a youth, but never played first team football. He signed amateur forms with cross-town rivals Manchester City in 1956, and turned professional the following year. He made his senior debut in...

4 1 0 0 0 0 4 1
MF   Roy Gater
Roy Gater
Roy Gater is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Gater passed through the Port Vale youth team to sign professional forms in April 1960. He made his debut on 4 April 1961, in a 1–1 draw at Coventry City. He was a member of the side that won the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy in 1961, but only...

3 0 2 0 0 0 5 0
MF   Joe Maloney
Joe Maloney
Joseph John Maloney , was an English footballer of the 1950s.-Playing career:Maloney started his career at Liverpool, coming through the junior ranks at Anfield, taking the place of Bob Paisley when making his first team debut in a goalless draw at home to Bolton Wanderers in March 1953...

1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MF   John Nicholson
John Nicholson (English footballer)
John Purcell Nicholson was an English footballer.-Playing career:Nicholson joined Port Vale for a £2,000 fee from Liverpool in August 1961. He made his debut in 1–1 draw at Northampton Town on 2 September 1961, and 208 consecutive appearances later, on 8 September 1965, he had broken a club record...

42 1 7 0 1 0 50 1
MF   Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger is an English former footballer. He was first cousins with fellow players Dennis Grainger, Jack Grainger and Edwin Holliday.-Club career:...

11 1 7 0 0 0 18 1
MF   Stan Edwards
Stan Edwards (footballer)
Stanley Edwards is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Edwards played for Everton before joining Port Vale in May 1961...

22 3 0 0 0 0 22 3
MF   Colin Corbishley
Colin Corbishley
Colin Corbishley is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Corbishley joined Port Vale as an amateur in June 1959 and signed as a professional in October of that year. He made his debut twelve months later in a League Cup first round match at Queens Park Rangers, which finished 2–2...

8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
FW   Harry Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

39 6 5 1 1 0 45 7
FW   Stan Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

35 8 2 0 1 0 38 8
FW   Bert Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

42 15 7 4 1 1 50 20
FW   Barry Hancock
Barry Hancock
Barry John Hancock is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Hancock supported Port Vale since childhood and also spent matchdays working as a programme seller at Vale Park. He managed to join the club as an amateur after a time with Birches Head R.C...

5 0 1 0 0 0 6 0
FW   Ralph Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...

14 6 0 0 0 0 14 6
FW   Arthur Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

42 16 6 4 1 0 49 20
FW   Derek Edge
Derek Edge
Derek Edge is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Edge played for Stoke City before joining Potteries derby rivals Port Vale as an amateur, before signing as a professional 1960. After making his debut in a 2–1 home win over Reading on 9 October 1961 he played the 3–1 defeat at Watford...

2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0


All competitions

Scorer Goals
  Arthur Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

20
  Bert Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

  Stan Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

8
  Harry Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

7
  Brian Jackson
  Ralph Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...

6
  Stan Edwards
Stan Edwards (footballer)
Stanley Edwards is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Edwards played for Everton before joining Port Vale in May 1961...

3
  Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger is an English former footballer. He was first cousins with fellow players Dennis Grainger, Jack Grainger and Edwin Holliday.-Club career:...

1
  John Nicholson
John Nicholson (English footballer)
John Purcell Nicholson was an English footballer.-Playing career:Nicholson joined Port Vale for a £2,000 fee from Liverpool in August 1961. He made his debut in 1–1 draw at Northampton Town on 2 September 1961, and 208 consecutive appearances later, on 8 September 1965, he had broken a club record...

  Selwyn Whalley
Selwyn Whalley
Selwyn Davies Whalley is a former English footballer. He was a one club man with a fifteen year career at Port Vale.-Playing career:Whalley was born in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, and grew up supporting Port Vale...

  Dennis Fidler
Dennis Fidler
Dennis John Fidler is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Fidler played for Manchester United as a youth, but never played first team football. He signed amateur forms with cross-town rivals Manchester City in 1956, and turned professional the following year. He made his senior debut in...

  Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson was an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record for Vale, making 837 starts for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes a run of 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and March 1957...


League

Scorer Goals
  Arthur Longbottom
Arthur Longbottom (footballer)
Arthur Langley is a former English footballer.-Playing career:He signed for QPR from Methley United in 1954 and made his debut in the 3–0 defeat against Leyton Orient in March 1955...

16
  Bert Llewellyn
Bert Llewellyn
Herbert Arthur Llewellyn is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Llewellyn played for Everton and Crewe Alexandra before joining Port Vale for £7,000 in November 1960, scoring on his debut in a 1–0 home victory over Barnsley on 12 November 1960...

15
  Stan Steele
Stan Steele
Stanley Frederick "Stan" Steele is a former English footballer. He is noted for playing 370 Vale games and scoring 97 Vale goals . His parents named him Stanley Frederick in honour of Stanley Matthews and Freddie Steele.-Playing career:Steele graduated from the Port Vale juniors to sign...

8
  Harry Poole
Harry Poole
Henry "Harry" Poole is an English former football player, noted for his swerving free kicks. A striker, he has the second highest amount of appearances for Port Vale. He made 499 league and cup appearances for the club in a fifteen year association from 1953 to 1968...

6
  Ralph Hunt
Ralph Hunt
Ralph Arthur Robert Hunt was an English footballer.-Playing career:Hunt began his career at his hometown club Portsmouth, where he only made five appearances. After a spell at Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic he moved on to Norwich City...

  Brian Jackson 5
  Stan Edwards
Stan Edwards (footballer)
Stanley Edwards is a former English footballer.-Playing career:Edwards played for Everton before joining Port Vale in May 1961...

3
  Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger
Colin Grainger is an English former footballer. He was first cousins with fellow players Dennis Grainger, Jack Grainger and Edwin Holliday.-Club career:...

1
  John Nicholson
John Nicholson (English footballer)
John Purcell Nicholson was an English footballer.-Playing career:Nicholson joined Port Vale for a £2,000 fee from Liverpool in August 1961. He made his debut in 1–1 draw at Northampton Town on 2 September 1961, and 208 consecutive appearances later, on 8 September 1965, he had broken a club record...

  Selwyn Whalley
Selwyn Whalley
Selwyn Davies Whalley is a former English footballer. He was a one club man with a fifteen year career at Port Vale.-Playing career:Whalley was born in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, and grew up supporting Port Vale...

  Dennis Fidler
Dennis Fidler
Dennis John Fidler is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Fidler played for Manchester United as a youth, but never played first team football. He signed amateur forms with cross-town rivals Manchester City in 1956, and turned professional the following year. He made his senior debut in...

  Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson
Roy Sproson was an English footballer and football manager for Port Vale. A one-club man, he holds the all-time appearance record for Vale, making 837 starts for Vale between 1950 and 1972. This includes a run of 128 consecutive appearances between April 1954 and March 1957...

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