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Enoch "Tubby" Hood was a founder member of Port Vale F.C. (1876) and was the first recorded team captain (1879). His brothers Jack and Harry, and nephew Edgar also played for Port Vale.
James H. Ditchfield was an English footballer who played at inside-left for Burslem Port Vale between 1886 and 1896.
C. McAlpine was a 19th-century footballer in England. He played 76 games for Burslem Port Vale, although 30 of those were friendlies, which were more prevalent in that era than today.
Robert McCrindle was a Scottish footballer who played at centre-half for Burslem Port Vale and Luton Town in the 1890s. He played 183 games for Burslem Port Vale, scoring six goals, however, 72 of these games were friendlies. He received a call-up to the Scotland national side in 1899, but was unable to play the game due to a fixture clash.
William Elson was an English footballer. He played 241 games and scored 15 goals for Burslem Port Vale, however, 114 of these games were friendlies.
James Clutton was an English footballer. He made 92 appearances for Burslem Port Vale; 27 of these were friendlies, 29 were in the Football League and 22 in the Midland League.
W.E. Powell was a 19th-century footballer who played 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.
William Reynolds was an English footballer who played as a centre-forward for Burslem Port Vale between 1882 and 1892.
Francis McGinnes was a Scottish footballer. He was described as 'the best centre-forward that ever left Scotland'. A prolific goalscorer, he was Burslem Port Vale's best player, but died suddenly just before they started their first season in the Football League in 1892–93.
George Henry Bateman was an English footballer who played for Burslem Port Vale, Stoke, and Northwich Victoria in the 1880s and 1890s.
Henry Thomas Hodgkinson was an English footballer who was one of Port Vale's first players.
Charles Simpson was an English footballer.
Ben Davies was a footballer in the 19th century for Port Vale.
William Edward Poulson was an English footballer. He was a one-club man for Port Vale, possibly also being one of its founders.
Jimmy Owen was an English footballer for Port Vale and Stoke during the 1880s.
The 1888–89 season was Burslem Port Vale's first season and only season of football in The Combination. The league was abandoned before the fixture list was completed, though Vale were in poor form regardless. They exited the FA Cup, Staffordshire Senior Cup and North Staffordshire Challenge Cup in their opening rounds and also struggled in friendlies, the low point being a 3–1 defeat to village team Oswaldtwistle Rovers at the Athletic Ground.
The 1890–91 season was Burslem Port Vale's first season in the newly formed Midland League. They finished in eighth-place, having only picked up two points away from home. They failed to go on any cup runs and were in fact beaten by a club record 12–0 margin by Aston Villa in the Second Round of the Staffordshire Senior Cup. They did though share the North Staffordshire Challenge Cup after holding Stoke to a draw in the final.
The 1891–92 season was Burslem Port Vale's second-successive season in the Midland League. They managed to finish third in the table and were rewarded with a place in the Football League for the following season, justifying the club's decision to refuse to listen to offers for star forward Frank McGinnes. They also reached the semi-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and won the North Staffordshire Challenge Cup, though exited the FA Cup and Birmingham Senior Cup at the first round.
The 1896–97 season was Burslem Port Vale's first season of football back in the Midland League following a four-season stay in the Football League. The first half of the season saw low crowds and poor results, the consequence of which led to discussions about dissolving the club. However, the club returned from the brink, as a new committee was formed, with Edward Oliver installed as chairman and Sam Gleaves appointed club secretary. Good results and large crowds followed in the second half of the campaign, and the club finished in seventh-place and narrowly missed out on re-election to the Football League. Vale were beaten by Football League opposition in the fifth qualification round in the FA Cup, whilst exiting the Birmingham Senior Cup, Staffordshire Senior Cup and Wellingborough Cup in the early stages, though they did beat Football League side Walsall in the latter competition. They won the Staffordshire Senior Charity Cup after beating Dresden United 3–0.