1956–57 Port Vale F.C. season: Difference between revisions
Content deleted Content added
No edit summary |
|||
| (13 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 31: | Line 31: | ||
| nextseason = [[1957–58 Port Vale F.C. season|1957–58]] |
| nextseason = [[1957–58 Port Vale F.C. season|1957–58]] |
||
}} |
}} |
||
The [[1956–57 Football League|1956–57 season]] was [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]]'s 45th season of football in the [[English Football League]], and their third |
The [[1956–57 Football League|1956–57 season]] was [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]]'s 45th season of football in the [[English Football League]], and their third-successive season (thirty-second overall) in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]].<ref name="Kent">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale|publisher=Witan Books|year=1990|pages=171–196|chapter=Fame and Fortune (1950–1959)|isbn=0-9508981-4-7}}</ref> An unmitigated disaster from start to finish, they were [[Promotion and relegation|relegated]] in bottom place with just 22 points from 42 games. It was the end of an era, as the reputation of 'the Steele Curtain' had taken a severe blow, and its architect [[Freddie Steele (footballer)|Freddie Steele]] left the club in January. The season was considered to be one where the old guard 'cracked',<ref name="Kent" /> and thus many loyal servants of the club were let go in the summer of 1957, including [[Ray King (footballer)|Ray King]], [[Reg Potts]], [[Stan Turner]], [[Tommy Cheadle]], and [[Stan Smith (footballer, born 1931)|Stan Smith]]. |
||
Three still-standing but unwanted [[List of Port Vale F.C. records and statistics|club-records]] were set this season: a record 28 defeats in 42 matches |
Three still-standing but unwanted [[List of Port Vale F.C. records and statistics|club-records]] were set this season: a record 28 defeats in 42 matches and a 22-game streak without a [[Shutout|clean sheet]] (22 September 1956 to 23 February 1957), and a losing streak of nine straight games (9 March 1957 to 20 April 1957). |
||
==Overview== |
==Overview== |
||
| Line 40: | Line 40: | ||
The pre-season saw the arrival of [[Harry Anders]], a winger from [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] signed for 'a substantial fee'.<ref name="Kent" /> |
The pre-season saw the arrival of [[Harry Anders]], a winger from [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] signed for 'a substantial fee'.<ref name="Kent" /> |
||
The season started with Anders and [[Eddie Baily|Baily]] up front, a combination which failed during a goalless draw with [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]].<ref name="Kent" /> Two losses followed in which eight goals were conceded. [[Harry Poole]] replaced [[Albert Leake]] in what was 'one of the few rays of sunlight in an otherwise gloomy beginning'.<ref name="Kent" /> Vale then 'clicked into gear', picking up seven points out of a possible ten in September.<ref name="Kent" /> This included a 4–2 win at [[Ewood Park]], their last away win of the campaign.<ref name="Kent" /> Injuries then ravaged the squad as Vale went on a sequence of eight straight defeats to take them from fourteenth to second from bottom.<ref name="Kent" /> These included losses at the [[City Ground]], [[Victoria Ground]] (in the first ever floodlit game in the Potteries<ref name="Kent" />), and [[Anfield]]. In October, Baily was sold to [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] for £7,000 – exactly what Vale had paid for him earlier in the year.<ref name="Kent" /> Baily had failed to fit in with the team, and was seen as too individualist.<ref name="Kent" /> The next month Steele bought experienced forward [[Billy Spurdle]] from [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] for £4,000.<ref name="Kent" /> He scored on his debut in a 3–2 win over [[Bury F.C.|Bury]], and two weeks later he scored a brace in a 4–2 win over [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]].<ref name="Kent" /> This temporarily took them away from relegation worries before a streak of seven games without victory.<ref name="Kent" /> |
The season started with Anders and [[Eddie Baily|Baily]] up front, a combination which failed during a goalless draw with [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]].<ref name="Kent" /> Two losses followed in which eight goals were conceded. [[Harry Poole]] replaced [[Albert Leake]] in what was 'one of the few rays of sunlight in an otherwise gloomy beginning'.<ref name="Kent" /> Vale then 'clicked into gear', picking up seven points out of a possible ten in September.<ref name="Kent" /> This included a 4–2 win at [[Ewood Park]], their last away win of the campaign.<ref name="Kent" /> Injuries then ravaged the squad as Vale went on a sequence of eight straight defeats to take them from fourteenth to second from bottom.<ref name="Kent" /> These included losses at the [[City Ground]], [[Victoria Ground]] (in the first ever floodlit game in the Potteries<ref name="Kent" />), and [[Anfield]]. In October, Baily was sold to [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] for £7,000 – exactly what Vale had paid for him earlier in the year.<ref name="Kent" /> Baily had failed to fit in with the team, and was seen as too individualist.<ref name="Kent" /> The next month Steele bought experienced forward [[Billy Spurdle]] from [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] for £4,000.<ref name="Kent" /> He scored on his debut in a 3–2 win over [[Bury F.C.|Bury]], and two weeks later he scored a brace in a 4–2 win over [[Doncaster Rovers F.C.|Doncaster Rovers]].<ref name="Kent" /> This temporarily took them away from [[Promotion and relegation|relegation]] worries before a streak of seven games without victory.<ref name="Kent" /> |
||
On 15 January, Steele resigned, saying "I am quite prepared to face the consequences".<ref name="Kent" /> On 2 February, Nottingham Forest travelled to Vale Park with Eddie Baily, and demolished Vale 7–1 in a record defeat for the club at the stadium.<ref name="Kent" /> A week later, the "Valiants" put three past [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] at [[Craven Cottage]], but failed to pick up any points as [[Ray King (footballer)|Ray King]] conceded six goals despite a brilliant performance.<ref name="Kent" /> On 18 February, 42-year-old [[Norman Low]] of [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington Town]] took the £2,000 a year job as Vale manager.<ref name="Kent" /> Low had no interest in the tactics of the opposition, and simply told his players to 'entertain the public'.<ref name="Kent" /> He was confident the players at his disposal could reach safety, despite the difficult situation they found themselves in.<ref name="Kent" /> His first match in charge saw a 3–0 win over [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] which took them out of the relegation zone.<ref name="Kent" /> Yet what followed was a club-record nine game losing streak that doomed their season, five of which were played in [[Burslem]].<ref name="Kent" /> Low experimented with his team by dropping King and [[Roy Sproson]] (on a run of 128 consecutive appearances), but all that resulted was a 6–0 hammering from [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]].<ref name="Kent" /> However it was their 1–0 defeat at [[Gigg Lane]] to struggling Bury that did more damage to their prospects of survival.<ref name="Kent" /> During this spell [[Reg Potts]] made his 166th consecutive appearance, though Low put young reserves into the fray after all seemed lost.<ref name="Kent" /> After relegation was confirmed, Vale seemed to play better with the pressure lifted, and picked up five points in their last three games, including a 2–2 draw at home to [[Potteries derby|rivals]] [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]].<ref name="Kent" /> Low also announced his plans to rebuild the club, initiating a lengthy series of schoolboy trials.<ref name="Kent" /> |
On 15 January, Steele resigned, saying "I am quite prepared to face the consequences".<ref name="Kent" /> On 2 February, Nottingham Forest travelled to Vale Park with Eddie Baily, and demolished Vale 7–1 in a record defeat for the club at the stadium.<ref name="Kent" /> A week later, the "Valiants" put three past [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]] at [[Craven Cottage]], but failed to pick up any points as [[Ray King (footballer)|Ray King]] conceded six goals despite a brilliant performance.<ref name="Kent" /> On 18 February, 42-year-old [[Norman Low]] of [[Workington A.F.C.|Workington Town]] took the £2,000 a year job as Vale [[Manager (association football)|manager]].<ref name="Kent" /> Low had no interest in the [[Association football tactics and skills|tactics]] of the opposition, and simply told his players to 'entertain the public'.<ref name="Kent" /> He was confident the players at his disposal could reach safety, despite the difficult situation they found themselves in.<ref name="Kent" /> His first match in charge saw a 3–0 win over [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] which took them out of the relegation zone.<ref name="Kent" /> Yet what followed was a club-record nine game losing streak that doomed their season, five of which were played in [[Burslem]].<ref name="Kent" /> Low experimented with his team by dropping King and [[Roy Sproson]] (on a run of 128 consecutive appearances), but all that resulted was a 6–0 hammering from [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]].<ref name="Kent" /> However, it was their 1–0 defeat at [[Gigg Lane]] to struggling Bury that did more damage to their prospects of survival.<ref name="Kent" /> During this spell [[Reg Potts]] made his 166th consecutive appearance, though Low put young reserves into the fray after all seemed lost.<ref name="Kent" /> After relegation was confirmed, Vale seemed to play better with the pressure lifted, and picked up five points in their last three games, including a 2–2 draw at home to [[Potteries derby|rivals]] [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]].<ref name="Kent" /> Low also announced his plans to rebuild the club, initiating a lengthy series of schoolboy trials.<ref name="Kent" /> |
||
They finished bottom of the table with 22 points, losing 18 of their 21 away games.<ref name="Kent" /> They were eight points short of third-from-bottom [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]].<ref name="Kent" /> Their 57 goals scored was greater only than [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], whilst 'the Steele Curtain' was broken, conceding 101 goals, fewer than only two Football League clubs ([[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] and [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]]).<ref name="Kent" /> Top scorer [[Cyril Done]] only score nine goals, as no consistent scorer emerged all season long.<ref name="Kent" /> |
They finished bottom of the table with 22 points, losing 18 of their 21 away games.<ref name="Kent" /> They were eight points short of third-from-bottom [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]].<ref name="Kent" /> Their 57 goals scored was greater only than [[Lincoln City F.C.|Lincoln City]], whilst 'the Steele Curtain' was broken, conceding 101 goals, fewer than only two Football League clubs ([[Charlton Athletic F.C.|Charlton Athletic]] and [[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]]).<ref name="Kent" /> Top scorer [[Cyril Done]] only score nine goals, as no consistent scorer emerged all season long.<ref name="Kent" /> |
||
===Finances=== |
===Finances=== |
||
On the financial side, 105,000 spectators had been lost from the previous season to an average of only 14,046, leaving an income from gate receipts of £40,717.<ref name="Kent" /> Despite this a profit of £1,268 was recorded.<ref name="Kent" /> This occurred because of a wage budget cut of around £8,000 to £20,684 and a transfer credit of £625.<ref name="Kent" /> The club's debts were worrying however, causing the club's directors to funnel £2,500 of their own resources towards repaying this debt.<ref name="Kent" /> A clear-out of players was initiated for the first time in a good while, those departing included: Cyril Done ([[Winsford United F.C.|Winsford United]]); Ray King (sold to [[Boston United F.C.|Boston United]] for £2,500); Reg Potts and [[Stan Turner]] ([[Worcester City F.C.|Worcester City]]); [[Tommy Cheadle]], [[Stan Smith (footballer, born 1931)|Stan Smith]], and [[Derek Mountford]] ([[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]]); [[Len Stephenson]] and [[Billy Spurdle]] ([[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]]); and [[Harry Anders]] ([[Accrington Stanley F.C. (1891)|Accrington Stanley]]).<ref name="Kent" /> Though many of these were some of the club's best players, many had also reached retirement age.<ref name="Kent" /> Low admitted that he would have to buy young players to fill the vacancies in the first |
On the financial side, 105,000 spectators had been lost from the previous season to an average of only 14,046, leaving an income from gate receipts of £40,717.<ref name="Kent" /> Despite this a profit of £1,268 was recorded.<ref name="Kent" /> This occurred because of a wage budget cut of around £8,000 to £20,684 and a [[Transfer (association football)|transfer]] credit of £625.<ref name="Kent" /> The club's debts were worrying, however, causing the club's directors to funnel £2,500 of their own resources towards repaying this debt.<ref name="Kent" /> A clear-out of players was initiated for the first time in a good while, those departing included: Cyril Done ([[Winsford United F.C.|Winsford United]]); Ray King (sold to [[Boston United F.C.|Boston United]] for £2,500); Reg Potts and [[Stan Turner]] ([[Worcester City F.C.|Worcester City]]); [[Tommy Cheadle]], [[Stan Smith (footballer, born 1931)|Stan Smith]], and [[Derek Mountford]] ([[Crewe Alexandra F.C.|Crewe Alexandra]]); [[Len Stephenson]] and [[Billy Spurdle]] ([[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]]); and [[Harry Anders]] ([[Accrington Stanley F.C. (1891)|Accrington Stanley]]).<ref name="Kent" /> Though many of these were some of the club's best players, many had also reached retirement age.<ref name="Kent" /> Low admitted that he would have to buy young players to fill the vacancies in the first-team.<ref name="Kent" /> |
||
===Cup competitions=== |
===Cup competitions=== |
||
In the [[FA Cup]], Vale drew 3–3 with [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] at [[Oakwell]], before losing the replay 1–0.<ref name="Kent" /> |
In the [[FA Cup]], Vale drew 3–3 with [[Barnsley F.C.|Barnsley]] at [[Oakwell]], before losing the [[Replay (sports)|replay]] 1–0.<ref name="Kent" /> |
||
==League table== |
==League table== |
||
{{Main|1956–57 Football League}} |
{{Main|1956–57 Football League}} |
||
{{:1956–57 Football League|transcludesection=Second Division|only_totals=y|showteam=PTV}} |
{{:1956–57 Football League|transcludesection=Second Division|only_totals=y|showteam=PTV}} |
||
==Results== |
==Results== |
||
''Port Vale's score comes first'' |
''Port Vale's score comes first'' |
||
===Football League Second Division=== |
===Football League Second Division=== |
||
====Results by matchday==== |
====Results by matchday==== |
||
| Line 76: | Line 78: | ||
|source=Statto<ref>[http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1956-1957/results Port Vale 1956–1957 : Results & Fixtures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062213/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1956-1957/results |date=4 March 2016 }}. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.</ref> |
|source=Statto<ref>[http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1956-1957/results Port Vale 1956–1957 : Results & Fixtures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304062213/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1956-1957/results |date=4 March 2016 }}. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.</ref> |
||
}} |
}} |
||
====Matches==== |
====Matches==== |
||
| Line 179: | Line 182: | ||
==Player statistics== |
==Player statistics== |
||
===Appearances=== |
===Appearances and goals=== |
||
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Line 246: | Line 249: | ||
|5||0||0||0||5||0 |
|5||0||0||0||5||0 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|align="left"|MF||align="left"|{{flagicon| |
|align="left"|MF||align="left"|{{flagicon|Guernsey}} [[Billy Spurdle]] |
||
|21||7||2||0||23||7 |
|21||7||2||0||23||7 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Line 286: | Line 289: | ||
!width=80|Total |
!width=80|Total |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|1||FW||{{ |
|1||FW||{{flagu|England}}||[[Cyril Done]]||9||0||9 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|2||FW||{{ |
|2||FW||{{flagu|England}}||[[Stan Smith (footballer, born 1931)|Stan Smith]]||8||0||8 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|3||MF||{{ |
|3||MF||{{flagu|Guernsey}}||[[Billy Spurdle]]||7||0||7 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|4||MF||{{ |
|4||MF||{{flagu|England}}||[[John Cunliffe (footballer, born 1930)|John Cunliffe]]||6||0||6 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|5||MF||{{ |
|5||MF||{{flagu|England}}||[[Colin Askey]]||5||0||5 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|–||FW||{{ |
|–||FW||{{flagu|England}}||[[Harry Poole]]||3||2||5 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|7||MF||{{ |
|7||MF||{{flagu|England}}||[[Albert Leake]]||4||0||4 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|–||FW||{{ |
|–||FW||{{flagu|England}}||[[Len Stephenson]]||3||1||4 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|9||FW||{{ |
|9||FW||{{flagu|England}}||[[Stan Steele]]||3||0||3 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|–||MF||{{ |
|–||MF||{{flagu|England}}||[[Basil Hayward]]||3||0||3 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|11||FW||{{ |
|11||FW||{{flagu|England}}||[[Ken Griffiths]]||1||0||1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|–||FW||{{ |
|–||FW||{{flagu|England}}||[[Eddie Baily]]||1||0||1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|–||DF||{{ |
|–||DF||{{flagu|England}}||[[Roy Sproson]]||1||0||1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|–||DF||{{ |
|–||DF||{{flagu|England}}||[[Reg Potts]]||1||0||1 |
||
|- |
|- |
||
|–||–||–||Own goals||2||0||2 |
|–||–||–||Own goals||2||0||2 |
||
| Line 339: | Line 342: | ||
| July 1956 || MF || {{flagicon|ENG}} || [[Harry Anders]] || [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] || 'Substantial' || <ref name="transfers"/> |
| July 1956 || MF || {{flagicon|ENG}} || [[Harry Anders]] || [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]] || 'Substantial' || <ref name="transfers"/> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| November 1956 || MF || {{flagicon| |
| November 1956 || MF || {{flagicon|Guernsey}} || [[Billy Spurdle]] || Manchester City || £4,000 || <ref name="transfers"/> |
||
|} |
|} |
||
| Line 375: | Line 378: | ||
| July 1957 || DF || {{flagicon|ENG}} || [[Stan Turner]] || Worcester City || Free transfer || <ref name="transfers"/> |
| July 1957 || DF || {{flagicon|ENG}} || [[Stan Turner]] || Worcester City || Free transfer || <ref name="transfers"/> |
||
|- |
|- |
||
| Summer 1957 || MF || {{flagicon| |
| Summer 1957 || MF || {{flagicon|Guernsey}} || [[Billy Spurdle]] || Oldham Athletic || £1,000 || <ref name="transfers"/> |
||
|} |
|} |
||
Latest revision as of 10:36, 30 August 2024
| 1956–57 season | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Fred Burgess | |
| Manager | Freddie Steele (until 15 January) Norman Low (February onwards) | |
| Stadium | Vale Park | |
| Football League Second Division | 22nd (22 Points) | |
| FA Cup | Third Round (knocked out by Barnsley) | |
| Top goalscorer | League: Cyril Done (9) All: Cyril Done (9) | |
| Highest home attendance | 22,395 vs. Stoke City, 29 April 1957 | |
| Lowest home attendance | 7,038 vs. Rotherham United, 27 April 1957 | |
| Average home league attendance | 14,046 | |
| Biggest win | 3–0 and 4–1 | |
| Biggest defeat | 0–6 and 1–7 | |
|
| ||
The 1956–57 season was Port Vale's 45th season of football in the English Football League, and their third-successive season (thirty-second overall) in the Second Division.[1] An unmitigated disaster from start to finish, they were relegated in bottom place with just 22 points from 42 games. It was the end of an era, as the reputation of 'the Steele Curtain' had taken a severe blow, and its architect Freddie Steele left the club in January. The season was considered to be one where the old guard 'cracked',[1] and thus many loyal servants of the club were let go in the summer of 1957, including Ray King, Reg Potts, Stan Turner, Tommy Cheadle, and Stan Smith.
Three still-standing but unwanted club-records were set this season: a record 28 defeats in 42 matches and a 22-game streak without a clean sheet (22 September 1956 to 23 February 1957), and a losing streak of nine straight games (9 March 1957 to 20 April 1957).
Overview
[edit]Second Division
[edit]The pre-season saw the arrival of Harry Anders, a winger from Manchester City signed for 'a substantial fee'.[1]
The season started with Anders and Baily up front, a combination which failed during a goalless draw with Barnsley.[1] Two losses followed in which eight goals were conceded. Harry Poole replaced Albert Leake in what was 'one of the few rays of sunlight in an otherwise gloomy beginning'.[1] Vale then 'clicked into gear', picking up seven points out of a possible ten in September.[1] This included a 4–2 win at Ewood Park, their last away win of the campaign.[1] Injuries then ravaged the squad as Vale went on a sequence of eight straight defeats to take them from fourteenth to second from bottom.[1] These included losses at the City Ground, Victoria Ground (in the first ever floodlit game in the Potteries[1]), and Anfield. In October, Baily was sold to Nottingham Forest for £7,000 – exactly what Vale had paid for him earlier in the year.[1] Baily had failed to fit in with the team, and was seen as too individualist.[1] The next month Steele bought experienced forward Billy Spurdle from Manchester City for £4,000.[1] He scored on his debut in a 3–2 win over Bury, and two weeks later he scored a brace in a 4–2 win over Doncaster Rovers.[1] This temporarily took them away from relegation worries before a streak of seven games without victory.[1]
On 15 January, Steele resigned, saying "I am quite prepared to face the consequences".[1] On 2 February, Nottingham Forest travelled to Vale Park with Eddie Baily, and demolished Vale 7–1 in a record defeat for the club at the stadium.[1] A week later, the "Valiants" put three past Fulham at Craven Cottage, but failed to pick up any points as Ray King conceded six goals despite a brilliant performance.[1] On 18 February, 42-year-old Norman Low of Workington Town took the £2,000 a year job as Vale manager.[1] Low had no interest in the tactics of the opposition, and simply told his players to 'entertain the public'.[1] He was confident the players at his disposal could reach safety, despite the difficult situation they found themselves in.[1] His first match in charge saw a 3–0 win over Grimsby Town which took them out of the relegation zone.[1] Yet what followed was a club-record nine game losing streak that doomed their season, five of which were played in Burslem.[1] Low experimented with his team by dropping King and Roy Sproson (on a run of 128 consecutive appearances), but all that resulted was a 6–0 hammering from Sheffield United.[1] However, it was their 1–0 defeat at Gigg Lane to struggling Bury that did more damage to their prospects of survival.[1] During this spell Reg Potts made his 166th consecutive appearance, though Low put young reserves into the fray after all seemed lost.[1] After relegation was confirmed, Vale seemed to play better with the pressure lifted, and picked up five points in their last three games, including a 2–2 draw at home to rivals Stoke City.[1] Low also announced his plans to rebuild the club, initiating a lengthy series of schoolboy trials.[1]
They finished bottom of the table with 22 points, losing 18 of their 21 away games.[1] They were eight points short of third-from-bottom Notts County.[1] Their 57 goals scored was greater only than Lincoln City, whilst 'the Steele Curtain' was broken, conceding 101 goals, fewer than only two Football League clubs (Charlton Athletic and Crewe Alexandra).[1] Top scorer Cyril Done only score nine goals, as no consistent scorer emerged all season long.[1]
Finances
[edit]On the financial side, 105,000 spectators had been lost from the previous season to an average of only 14,046, leaving an income from gate receipts of £40,717.[1] Despite this a profit of £1,268 was recorded.[1] This occurred because of a wage budget cut of around £8,000 to £20,684 and a transfer credit of £625.[1] The club's debts were worrying, however, causing the club's directors to funnel £2,500 of their own resources towards repaying this debt.[1] A clear-out of players was initiated for the first time in a good while, those departing included: Cyril Done (Winsford United); Ray King (sold to Boston United for £2,500); Reg Potts and Stan Turner (Worcester City); Tommy Cheadle, Stan Smith, and Derek Mountford (Crewe Alexandra); Len Stephenson and Billy Spurdle (Oldham Athletic); and Harry Anders (Accrington Stanley).[1] Though many of these were some of the club's best players, many had also reached retirement age.[1] Low admitted that he would have to buy young players to fill the vacancies in the first-team.[1]
Cup competitions
[edit]In the FA Cup, Vale drew 3–3 with Barnsley at Oakwell, before losing the replay 1–0.[1]
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester City (C, P) | 42 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 109 | 67 | 1.627 | 61 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Nottingham Forest (P) | 42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 94 | 55 | 1.709 | 54 | |
| 3 | Liverpool | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 82 | 54 | 1.519 | 53 | |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers | 42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 83 | 75 | 1.107 | 52 | |
| 5 | Stoke City | 42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 83 | 58 | 1.431 | 48 | |
| 6 | Middlesbrough | 42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 84 | 60 | 1.400 | 48 | |
| 7 | Sheffield United | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 87 | 76 | 1.145 | 46 | |
| 8 | West Ham United | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 59 | 63 | 0.937 | 46 | |
| 9 | Bristol Rovers | 42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 81 | 67 | 1.209 | 45 | |
| 10 | Swansea Town | 42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 90 | 90 | 1.000 | 45 | |
| 11 | Fulham | 42 | 19 | 4 | 19 | 84 | 76 | 1.105 | 42 | |
| 12 | Huddersfield Town | 42 | 18 | 6 | 18 | 68 | 74 | 0.919 | 42 | |
| 13 | Bristol City | 42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 74 | 79 | 0.937 | 41 | |
| 14 | Doncaster Rovers | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 77 | 77 | 1.000 | 40 | |
| 15 | Leyton Orient | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 66 | 84 | 0.786 | 40 | |
| 16 | Grimsby Town | 42 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 61 | 62 | 0.984 | 39 | |
| 17 | Rotherham United | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 74 | 75 | 0.987 | 37 | |
| 18 | Lincoln City | 42 | 14 | 6 | 22 | 54 | 80 | 0.675 | 34 | |
| 19 | Barnsley | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 59 | 89 | 0.663 | 34 | |
| 20 | Notts County | 42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 58 | 86 | 0.674 | 30 | |
| 21 | Bury (R) | 42 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 60 | 96 | 0.625 | 25 | Relegation to the Third Division North |
| 22 | Port Vale (R) | 42 | 8 | 6 | 28 | 57 | 101 | 0.564 | 22 | Relegation to the Third Division South |
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
[edit]Port Vale's score comes first
Football League Second Division
[edit]Results by matchday
[edit]Matches
[edit]| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 August 1956 | Barnsley | H | 0–0 | 14,336 | |
| 22 August 1956 | Lincoln City | A | 0–4 | 11,863 | |
| 25 August 1956 | Sheffield United | A | 2–4 | 21,950 | Smith (2) |
| 27 August 1956 | Lincoln City | H | 1–1 | 13,595 | Done |
| 1 September 1956 | Bristol City | H | 3–1 | 17,645 | Smith (2), Done |
| 8 September 1956 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 4–2 | 20,753 | Smith(2), Stephenson, o.g. |
| 15 September 1956 | West Ham United | H | 0–0 | 17,582 | |
| 22 September 1956 | Nottingham Forest | A | 2–4 | 18,699 | Smith, Baily |
| 29 September 1956 | Fulham | H | 2–1 | 21,281 | Askey, Done |
| 6 October 1956 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–3 | 18,586 | Stephenson |
| 10 October 1956 | Stoke City | A | 1–3 | 39,446 | Smith |
| 13 October 1956 | Leicester City | H | 2–3 | 21,690 | Hayward (2) |
| 20 October 1956 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–1 | 13,801 | |
| 27 October 1956 | Notts County | H | 1–2 | 13,137 | Done |
| 3 November 1956 | Liverpool | A | 1–4 | 32,334 | Steele |
| 10 November 1956 | Leyton Orient | H | 1–2 | 8,404 | o.g. |
| 17 November 1956 | Huddersfield Town | A | 1–3 | 14,044 | Poole |
| 24 November 1956 | Bury | H | 3–2 | 11,840 | Askey, Spurdle, Stephenson |
| 1 December 1956 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–2 | 21,268 | Griffiths |
| 8 December 1956 | Doncaster Rovers | H | 4–1 | 12,330 | Cunliffe (2), Spurdle (2) |
| 15 December 1956 | Barnsley | A | 0–2 | 9,683 | |
| 29 December 1956 | Bristol City | A | 3–3 | 18,561 | Poole (2), Hayward |
| 1 January 1957 | Rotherham United | A | 0–1 | 8,120 | |
| 12 January 1957 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–3 | 12,422 | |
| 19 January 1957 | West Ham United | A | 1–2 | 17,229 | Sproson |
| 2 February 1957 | Nottingham Forest | H | 1–7 | 18,185 | Askey |
| 9 February 1957 | Fulham | A | 3–6 | 13,967 | Done, Cunliffe, Spurdle |
| 16 February 1957 | Middlesbrough | H | 2–1 | 20,766 | Done, Cunliffe |
| 23 February 1957 | Leicester City | A | 1–2 | 12,064 | Spurdle |
| 2 March 1957 | Grimsby Town | H | 3–0 | 15,293 | Done (2), Askey |
| 9 March 1957 | Notts County | A | 1–3 | 17,324 | Potts |
| 16 March 1957 | Liverpool | H | 1–2 | 14,241 | Spurdle |
| 23 March 1957 | Leyton Orient | A | 2–3 | 14,412 | Askey, Leake |
| 25 March 1957 | Sheffield United | H | 0–6 | 9,249 | |
| 30 March 1957 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1–2 | 10,500 | Spurdle |
| 6 April 1957 | Bury | A | 0–1 | 10,524 | |
| 13 April 1957 | Bristol Rovers | H | 2–3 | 9,006 | Steele, Done (pen) |
| 19 April 1957 | Swansea Town | H | 0–2 | 12,729 | |
| 20 April 1957 | Doncaster Rovers | A | 0–4 | 7,626 | |
| 22 April 1957 | Swansea Town | A | 2–2 | 11,629 | Cunliffe, Leake |
| 27 April 1957 | Rotherham United | H | 2–1 | 7,038 | Leake (2) |
| 29 April 1957 | Stoke City | H | 2–2 | 22,395 | Cunliffe, Steele |
FA Cup
[edit]| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 5 January 1957 | Barnsley | A | 3–3 | 17,720 | Poole (2), Stephenson |
| R3 Replay | 7 January 1957 | Barnsley | H | 0–1 | 15,718 |
Player statistics
[edit]Appearances and goals
[edit]| Pos. | Name | Football League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| GK |  Ray King
|
37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| GK | John Poole
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| GK | Leslie Wood
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Tommy Cheadle
|
14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| DF | Reg Potts
|
39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| DF | Roy Sproson
|
39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| DF | Stan Turner
|
27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| DF | David Raine
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Selwyn Whalley
|
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Frank Wintle
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Alan Bennett
|
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Albert Leake
|
22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
| MF | John Cunliffe
|
31 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 6 |
| MF | Derek Mountford
|
9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| MF | Colin Askey
|
37 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 5 |
| MF | Harry Anders
|
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Terry Miles
|
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| MF |  Billy Spurdle
|
21 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 7 |
| MF | Basil Hayward
|
42 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 3 |
| FW | Ken Griffiths
|
17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| FW | Len Stephenson
|
20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 4 |
| FW | Stan Smith
|
17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 8 |
| FW | Cyril Done
|
16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 9 |
| FW | Harry Poole
|
30 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 5 |
| FW | Eddie Baily
|
9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| FW | Stan Steele
|
12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
Top scorers
[edit]| Place | Position | Nation | Name | Second Division | FA Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | England |
Cyril Done | 9 | 0 | 9 |
| 2 | FW | England |
Stan Smith | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| 3 | MF | Guernsey |
Billy Spurdle | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 4 | MF | England |
John Cunliffe | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 5 | MF | England |
Colin Askey | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| – | FW | England |
Harry Poole | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 7 | MF | England |
Albert Leake | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| – | FW | England |
Len Stephenson | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | FW | England |
Stan Steele | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| – | MF | England |
Basil Hayward | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | FW | England |
Ken Griffiths | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England |
Eddie Baily | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England |
Roy Sproson | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England |
Reg Potts | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | – | – | Own goals | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| TOTALS | 57 | 3 | 60 | |||
Transfers
[edit]Transfers in
[edit]| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 1956 | GK | |
Leslie Wood | Barrow | 'Reasonable' | [3] |
| July 1956 | MF | |
Harry Anders | Manchester City | 'Substantial' | [3] |
| November 1956 | MF | |
Billy Spurdle | Manchester City | £4,000 | [3] |
Transfers out
[edit]| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 1956 | FW | |
Eddie Baily | Nottingham Forest | £7,000 | [3] |
| May 1957 | FW | |
Cyril Done | Winsford United | Free transfer | [3] |
| May 1957 | DF | |
Frank Wintle | Crewe Alexandra | Free transfer | [3] |
| June 1957 | MF | |
Harry Anders | Accrington Stanley | 'Small' | [3] |
| June 1957 | FW | |
Len Stephenson | Oldham Athletic | £1,025 | [3] |
| July 1957 | DF | |
Tommy Cheadle | Crewe Alexandra | Free transfer | [3] |
| July 1957 | GK | |
Ray King | Boston United | £2,500 | [3] |
| July 1957 | MF | |
Derek Mountford | Crewe Alexandra | Released | [3] |
| July 1957 | DF | |
Reg Potts | Worcester City | Undisclosed | [3] |
| July 1957 | FW | |
Stan Smith | Crewe Alexandra | Undisclosed | [3] |
| July 1957 | DF | |
Stan Turner | Worcester City | Free transfer | [3] |
| Summer 1957 | MF | |
Billy Spurdle | Oldham Athletic | £1,000 | [3] |
References
[edit]- Specific
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am Kent, Jeff (1990). "Fame and Fortune (1950–1959)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 171–196. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
- ^ Port Vale 1956–1957 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- General
- Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.