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Port Vale Football Club are a professional football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England, which compete in EFL League One. Vale are the only English Football League club not to be named after a settlement; their name being a reference to the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal. They have never played top-flight football, and hold the record for the most seasons in the English Football League (112) without reaching the first tier. After playing at the Athletic Ground in Cobridge and The Old Recreation Ground in Hanley, the club returned to Burslem when Vale Park was opened in 1950. Outside the ground is a statue to Roy Sproson, who played 842 competitive games for the club. The club's traditional rivals are Stoke City, and games between the two are known as the Potteries derby.
James Henry Cookson, better known as Harry "Gyp" Cookson, was an English professional footballer. A forward, he played for South Shore, Burslem Port Vale, Blackpool, and Accrington.
William Levi Draycott was an English footballer who played as a right half for Burslem Port Vale, Stoke, Burton Wanderers, Newton Heath, Bedminster, Bristol Rovers, Wellingborough, and Luton Town in the 1890s and early 1900s.
In English football, the Potteries derby is the local derby between the two major clubs in the city of Stoke-on-Trent – Port Vale and Stoke City, first contested in 1882. Port Vale play at Vale Park whilse Stoke play at the bet365 Stadium, the two grounds separated by roughly 4.3 miles (6.9 km). The fans of each club both consider the other to be their main rivals; this has led to a heated atmosphere at these matches. The two teams have met a total of 185 times, consisting of: 44 English Football League, 6 FA Cup, 62 friendlies, and 73 other cup games. One study in 2019 ranked it as the joint-28th biggest rivalry in English professional football, level with the Manchester derby.
James Beech was an English footballer who played as a centre-half for Burslem Port Vale between 1894 and 1902, making 151 appearances in the Football League.
James Scarratt was an English footballer who played on the wing for Burslem Port Vale in the early 1890s.
Meshach Dean was an English footballer who played for Burslem Port Vale in the 1890s.
James H. Ditchfield was an English footballer who played at inside-left for Burslem Port Vale between 1886 and 1896.
William George Eardley (1871–?) was an English footballer who played in the Football League for Burslem Port Vale and Stoke. A pacey, quality player he was also prone to sulking.
James H. Holdcroft was a footballer who played for Burslem Port Vale in the mid-1890s
Ralph Barlow was an English footballer who played for Burslem Port Vale in the mid-1890s.
Frederick Belfield (1876–1921) was an English footballer who played 51 games and scored 10 goals for Burslem Port Vale.
William Spencer Rowley was an English footballer who played as goalkeeper for Stoke in the 1880s and 1890s, also making two appearances for England. He later became Stoke's manager between 1895 and 1897.
The 1894–95 season was Burslem Port Vale's third consecutive season of football in the English Football League. The progress of the previous season was lost, as 19 of the 30 league games ended in defeat. Only nearby Crewe Alexandra finished below the Vale, however only Walsall Town Swifts failed to gain re-election – despite finishing two points ahead of Vale. As was the case in 1892–93, the Vale found great difficulty in scoring goals, with only Crewe scoring fewer.
The 1895–96 season was Burslem Port Vale's fourth consecutive season of football in the English Football League. Another poor season struggling at the wrong end of the table, this time they failed to gain re-election; two seasons in the Midlands League followed, and despite a finish of 7th and then 5th they were re-elected back into the Football League for the expanded 1898–99 season.
The 1925–26 season was Port Vale's seventh consecutive season of football in the English Football League. They improved on their previous season's success by two points. They finished in a higher league position than rivals Stoke City for only the second time in their history, and with Stoke relegated in 21st place, they guaranteed playing in a higher league than Stoke for the first time in their history. With seven games left to play, April 1926 would be arguably the club's best ever chance at reaching the top flight; however, they tallied just two points from their remaining games to finish in eighth place. Despite all of this, the Vale board proposed a merger with Stoke City, and were forced to resign en-masse when the scheme failed.
The 1929–30 season was Port Vale's 11th consecutive season of football in the English Football League, and their first in the Third Division North. They finished as champions and were thus promoted back to the Second Division. With 67 points they broke a division record. After winning the North Staffordshire & District League in 1909–10 it was their first league title, as well as their first ever promotion in the Football League. They also racked up a still-standing club record Football League wins in a season, winning 30 of their 42 games. They were the most southerly team in the North Division.
The 1892–93 season was the fourth in existence for Sheffield United. This was their first season playing in the recently formed Football League Second Division as the club sought to establish itself as a major footballing force. With some members of the football committee unconvinced of the long-term future of the Football League, the club also retained its membership of the Northern League.
References
- 1 2 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. p. 165. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- ↑ James Kirkham at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)