1956–57 Port Vale F.C. season
Encyclopedia
The 1956–57 season was Port Vale
's forty-fifth season of football in the Football League
, and their third successive season (thirty-second overall) in the Second Division
. 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', 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).
, a winger from Manchester City
signed for 'a substantial fee'.
The season started with Anders and Baily
up front, a combination which failed during a goalless draw with Barnsley
. 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'. Vale then 'clicked into gear', picking up seven points out of a possible ten in September. This included a 4–2 win at Ewood Park
, their last away win of the campaign. Injuries then ravaged the squad as Vale went on a sequence of eight straight defeats to take them from fourteenth to second from bottom. These included losses at the City Ground
, Victoria Ground
(in the first ever floodlit game in the Potteries), and Anfield
. In October, Baily was sold to Nottingham Forest
for £7,000 – exactly what Vale had paid for him earlier in the year. Baily had failed to fit in with the team, and was seen as too individualist. The next month Steele bought experienced forward Billy Spurdle
from Manchester City
for £4,000. 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
. This temporarily took them away from relegation worries before a streak of seven games without victory.
On 15 January, Steele resigned, saying "I am quite prepared to face the consequences". 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. 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. On 18 February, 42 year old Norman Low
of Workington Town
took the £2,000 a year job as Vale manager. Low had no interest in the tactics of the opposition, and simply told his players to 'entertain the public'. He was confident the players at his disposal could reach safety, despite the difficult situation they found themselves in. His first match in charge saw a 3–0 win over Grimsby Town
which took them out of the relegation zone. Yet what followed was a club-record nine game losing streak that doomed their season, five of which were played in Burslem
. 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
. However it was their 1–0 defeat at Gigg Lane
to struggling Bury that did more damage to their prospects of survival. During this spell Reg Potts
made his 166th consecutive appearance, though Low put young reserves into the fray after all seemed lost. 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
. Low also announced his plans to rebuild the club, initiating a lengthy series of schoolboy trials.
They finished bottom of the table with 22 points, losing 18 of their 21 away games. They were eight points short of third-from-bottom Notts County
. 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
). Top scorer Cyril Done
only score nine goals, as no consistent scorer emerged all season long.
); 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
). Though many of these were some of the club's best players, many had also reached retirement age. Low admitted that he would have to buy young players to fill the vacancies in the first team.
, Vale drew 3–3 with Barnsley
at Oakwell, before losing the replay 1–0.
P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points
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 forty-fifth 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 successive season (thirty-second overall) in 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...
. 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
Freddie Steele (footballer)
Frederick Charles Steele was a footballer who played as a forward for Stoke City and was a former England international. He also had spells at Mansfield Town and Port Vale as a player-manager, leading Vale to a league title...
left the club in January. The season was considered to be one where the old guard 'cracked', and thus many loyal servants of the club were let go in the summer of 1957, including Ray King
Ray King (footballer)
Raymond King is a former English football goalkeeper. He is the younger brother of George King.A legend at Port Vale, he was their first choice keeper from 1949 to 1957. A key part of the squad, he was at the club during one of their brightest periods...
, Reg Potts
Reg Potts
Reginald Potts was an English football defender, nicknamed Dan after Desperate Dan.A key member of Port Vale's history, Potts played close to 300 league games for the club between 1945 and 1957...
, Stan Turner
Stan Turner
Stanley Simpson Turner was an English footballer. He made 246 appearances for Port Vale during one of the club's brightest periods.-Playing style:...
, Tommy Cheadle
Tommy Cheadle
Thomas Cheadle was an English footballer. He played for Port Vale in various positions for over a decade...
, and Stan Smith
Stan Smith (footballer)
Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,...
.
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).
Second Division
The pre-season saw the arrival of Harry AndersHarry Anders
Harry Anders was an English professional footballer. His brother was fellow footballer Jimmy Anders.-Playing career:...
, a winger from Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
signed for 'a substantial fee'.
The season started with Anders and Baily
Eddie Baily
Edward Francis Baily was a former England international footballer. He was a member of the 1950 FIFA World Cup squad. At club level, he played for Tottenham Hotspur from 1946–56, helping the club to both First and Second Division winning seasons. He also played for Port Vale, Nottingham Forest...
up front, a combination which failed during a goalless draw with 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...
. Two losses followed in which eight goals were conceded. 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...
replaced Albert Leake
Albert Leake
Albert George Leake was an English former football half-back.He spent the entire 1950s with Port Vale, as the club enjoyed an exciting period of their history. After a total of 43 goals in 293 games, Leake left the club in 1961 for non-league Macclesfield Town, a club he later managed...
in what was 'one of the few rays of sunlight in an otherwise gloomy beginning'. Vale then 'clicked into gear', picking up seven points out of a possible ten in September. This included a 4–2 win at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
, their last away win of the campaign. Injuries then ravaged the squad as Vale went on a sequence of eight straight defeats to take them from fourteenth to second from bottom. These included losses at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
, Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground
Victoria Ground may refer to:*Victoria Ground, the former name of Hartlepool United’s ground Victoria Park.*Victoria Ground, Stoke City’s ground from 1878 to 1997.*Victoria Ground, current home of Bromsgrove Rovers...
(in the first ever floodlit game in the Potteries), and Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. In October, Baily was sold to Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
for £7,000 – exactly what Vale had paid for him earlier in the year. Baily had failed to fit in with the team, and was seen as too individualist. The next month Steele bought experienced forward Billy Spurdle
Billy Spurdle
William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final...
from Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for £4,000. He scored on his debut in a 3–2 win over Bury
Bury F.C.
Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the...
, and two weeks later he scored a brace in a 4–2 win over 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...
. This temporarily took them away from relegation worries before a streak of seven games without victory.
On 15 January, Steele resigned, saying "I am quite prepared to face the consequences". 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. A week later, the Valiants put three past 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....
, but failed to pick up any points as Ray King
Ray King (footballer)
Raymond King is a former English football goalkeeper. He is the younger brother of George King.A legend at Port Vale, he was their first choice keeper from 1949 to 1957. A key part of the squad, he was at the club during one of their brightest periods...
conceded six goals despite a brilliant performance. On 18 February, 42 year old Norman Low
Norman Low
Norman Harvey Low was a Scottish football player and manager. He was the son of Scottish international footballer, Wilf Low....
of Workington Town
Workington A.F.C.
Workington A.F.C. is an English football club from Workington, Cumbria. They are in the Conference North, and play their home matches at Borough Park, which has a capacity of 3,101 . The club play in red, and are known locally as the Reds...
took the £2,000 a year job as Vale manager. Low had no interest in the tactics of the opposition, and simply told his players to 'entertain the public'. He was confident the players at his disposal could reach safety, despite the difficult situation they found themselves in. His first match in charge saw a 3–0 win over 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...
which took them out of the relegation zone. Yet what followed was a club-record nine game losing streak that doomed their season, five of which were played in 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:...
. Low experimented with his team by dropping King and 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...
(on a run of 128 consecutive appearances), but all that resulted was a 6–0 hammering from Sheffield United
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
. However it was their 1–0 defeat at Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane
Gigg Lane is an all-seater football stadium in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. Historically within Lancashire, it was built for Bury F.C. in 1885, and has been their home ever since.-History:...
to struggling Bury that did more damage to their prospects of survival. During this spell Reg Potts
Reg Potts
Reginald Potts was an English football defender, nicknamed Dan after Desperate Dan.A key member of Port Vale's history, Potts played close to 300 league games for the club between 1945 and 1957...
made his 166th consecutive appearance, though Low put young reserves into the fray after all seemed lost. 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
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...
. Low also announced his plans to rebuild the club, initiating a lengthy series of schoolboy trials.
They finished bottom of the table with 22 points, losing 18 of their 21 away games. They were eight points short of third-from-bottom 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...
. Their 57 goals scored was greater only than 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....
, whilst 'the Steele Curtain' was broken, conceding 101 goals, fewer than only two Football League clubs (Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
and 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...
). Top scorer Cyril Done
Cyril Done
Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:...
only score nine goals, as no consistent scorer emerged all season long.
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. Despite this a profit of £1,268 was recorded. This occurred because of a wage budget cut of around £8,000 to £20,684 and a transfer credit of £625. The club's debts were worrying however, causing the club's directors to funnel £2,500 of their own resources towards repaying this debt. A clear-out of players was initiated for the first time in a good while, those departing included: Cyril Done (Winsford UnitedWinsford United F.C.
Winsford United Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Winsford, Cheshire, England. The club was founded in 1883 and is nicknamed The Blues...
); Ray King (sold to Boston United
Boston United F.C.
Boston United Football Club are an association football club based in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. They currently play in the Conference North. The club is known as 'the Pilgrims' in reference to the Pilgrim Fathers, who fled from Boston to the USA and founded Boston, Massachusetts. The club's...
for £2,500); Reg Potts and Stan Turner
Stan Turner
Stanley Simpson Turner was an English footballer. He made 246 appearances for Port Vale during one of the club's brightest periods.-Playing style:...
(Worcester City
Worcester City F.C.
Worcester City Football Club is an English football club based in Worcester, Worcestershire. The club are currently members of the Conference North and play at St George's Lane.-History:...
); Tommy Cheadle
Tommy Cheadle
Thomas Cheadle was an English footballer. He played for Port Vale in various positions for over a decade...
, Stan Smith
Stan Smith (footballer)
Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,...
, and Derek Mountford
Derek Mountford
Derek Mountford is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Mountford graduated through the Port Vale juniors to sign with the club as a professional in May 1951. He made his debut on 30 April 1955, in a 1–0 home win over Rotherham United and became a first team regular until he lost his place...
(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...
); Len Stephenson
Len Stephenson
Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road...
and Billy Spurdle
Billy Spurdle
William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final...
(Oldham Athletic
Oldham Athletic A.F.C.
Oldham Athletic Association Football Club is an English association football club based at Boundary Park, on Sheepfoot Lane in Oldham, Greater Manchester. The club currently competes in the Football League One, the third tier of the English league...
); and Harry Anders
Harry Anders
Harry Anders was an English professional footballer. His brother was fellow footballer Jimmy Anders.-Playing career:...
(Accrington Stanley
Accrington Stanley F.C. (1891)
Accrington Stanley was an English football club based in Accrington, Lancashire. Established in 1891, the club played in the Football League between 1921 and 1962, when the club became only the second ever to resign from the League mid-season. The club went into liquidation in 1966...
). Though many of these were some of the club's best players, many had also reached retirement age. Low admitted that he would have to buy young players to fill the vacancies in the first team.
Cup competitions
In the FA CupFA 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 drew 3–3 with 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...
at Oakwell, before losing the replay 1–0.
Final league table
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GA | Pts | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
42 | 25 | 11 | 6 | 109 | 67 | 1.627 | 61 |
| 2 | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
42 | 22 | 10 | 10 | 94 | 55 | 1.709 | 54 |
| 3 | 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... |
42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 82 | 54 | 1.519 | 53 |
| 4 | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
42 | 21 | 10 | 11 | 83 | 75 | 1.107 | 52 |
| 5 | 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... |
42 | 20 | 8 | 14 | 83 | 58 | 1.431 | 48 |
| 6 | 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... |
42 | 19 | 10 | 13 | 84 | 60 | 1.400 | 48 |
| 7 | Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 87 | 76 | 1.145 | 46 |
| 8 | West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 59 | 63 | 0.937 | 46 |
| 9 | Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers F.C. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city.... |
42 | 18 | 9 | 15 | 81 | 67 | 1.209 | 45 |
| 10 | Swansea Town Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position... |
42 | 19 | 7 | 16 | 90 | 90 | 1.000 | 45 |
| 11 | 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... |
42 | 19 | 4 | 19 | 84 | 76 | 1.105 | 42 |
| 12 | Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One... |
42 | 18 | 6 | 18 | 68 | 74 | 0.919 | 42 |
| 13 | 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... |
42 | 16 | 9 | 17 | 74 | 79 | 0.937 | 41 |
| 14 | 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... |
42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 77 | 77 | 1.000 | 40 |
| 15 | Leyton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63... |
42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 66 | 84 | 0.786 | 40 |
| 16 | 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... |
42 | 17 | 5 | 20 | 61 | 62 | 0.984 | 39 |
| 17 | Rotherham United Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history... |
42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 74 | 75 | 0.987 | 37 |
| 18 | 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.... |
42 | 14 | 6 | 22 | 54 | 80 | 0.675 | 34 |
| 19 | 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... |
42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 59 | 89 | 0.663 | 34 |
| 20 | 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... |
42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 58 | 86 | 0.674 | 30 |
| 21 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
42 | 8 | 9 | 25 | 60 | 96 | 0.625 | 25 |
| 22 | 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... |
42 | 8 | 6 | 28 | 57 | 101 | 0.564 | 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 Second Division
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 August 1956 | 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 | 0–0 | 14,336 | |
| 22 August 1956 | 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 | 0–4 | 11,863 | |
| 25 August 1956 | Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
|A | 2–4 | 21,950 | Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... (2) |
| 27 August 1956 | 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 | 1–1 | 13,595 | Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... |
| 1 September 1956 | 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 | 3–1 | 17,645 | Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... (2), Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... |
| 8 September 1956 | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
|A | 4–2 | 20,753 | Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... (2), Stephenson Len Stephenson Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road... , 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.... |
| 15 September 1956 | West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
|H | 0–0 | 17,582 | |
| 22 September 1956 | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
|A | 2–4 | 18,699 | Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... , Baily Eddie Baily Edward Francis Baily was a former England international footballer. He was a member of the 1950 FIFA World Cup squad. At club level, he played for Tottenham Hotspur from 1946–56, helping the club to both First and Second Division winning seasons. He also played for Port Vale, Nottingham Forest... |
| 29 September 1956 | 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... |
|H | 2–1 | 21,281 | Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... , Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... |
| 6 October 1956 | 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... |
|A | 1–3 | 18,586 | Stephenson Len Stephenson Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road... |
| 10 October 1956 | 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... |
|A | 1–3 | 39,446 | Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... |
| 13 October 1956 | Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
|H | 2–3 | 21,690 | Hayward Basil Hayward Carl Basil Hayward was an English footballer player and manager. He was the younger brother of Doug and Eric Hayward.... (2) |
| 20 October 1956 | 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 | 0–1 | 13,801 | |
| 27 October 1956 | 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 | 1–2 | 13,137 | Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... |
| 3 November 1956 | 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... |
|A | 1–4 | 32,334 | 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 November 1956 | Leyton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63... |
|H | 1–2 | 8,404 | 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.... |
| 17 November 1956 | Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One... |
|A | 1–3 | 14,044 | 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... |
| 24 November 1956 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
|H | 3–2 | 11,840 | Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... , Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... , Stephenson Len Stephenson Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road... |
| 1 December 1956 | Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers F.C. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city.... |
|A | 1–2 | 21,268 | Griffiths Ken Griffiths Kenneth James Griffiths is an English former football forward. He scored 59 goals in 221 games in the Football League.... |
| 8 December 1956 | 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... |
|H | 4–1 | 12,330 | Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... (2), Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... (2) |
| 15 December 1956 | 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 | 0–2 | 9,683 | |
| 29 December 1956 | 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 | 3–3 | 18,561 | 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), Hayward Basil Hayward Carl Basil Hayward was an English footballer player and manager. He was the younger brother of Doug and Eric Hayward.... |
| 1 January 1957 | Rotherham United Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history... |
|A | 0–1 | 8,120 | |
| 12 January 1957 | Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers F.C. Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.... |
|H | 0–3 | 12,422 | |
| 19 January 1957 | West Ham United West Ham United F.C. West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current... |
|A | 1–2 | 17,229 | 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... |
| 2 February 1957 | Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest F.C. Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship... |
|H | 1–7 | 18,185 | Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... |
| 9 February 1957 | 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 | 3–6 | 13,967 | Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... , Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... , Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... |
| 16 February 1957 | 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... |
|H | 2–1 | 20,766 | Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... , Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... |
| 23 February 1957 | Leicester City Leicester City F.C. Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester... |
|A | 1–2 | 12,064 | Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... |
| 2 March 1957 | 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 | 3–0 | 15,293 | Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... (2), Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... |
| 9 March 1957 | 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 | 1–3 | 17,324 | Potts Reg Potts Reginald Potts was an English football defender, nicknamed Dan after Desperate Dan.A key member of Port Vale's history, Potts played close to 300 league games for the club between 1945 and 1957... |
| 16 March 1957 | 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... |
|H | 1–2 | 14,241 | Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... |
| 23 March 1957 | Leyton Orient Leyton Orient F.C. Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football club in East London. They currently play in Football League One and are known to their fans as the O's.Leyton Orient have spent one season in the top flight of English football, in 1962–63... |
|A | 2–3 | 14,412 | Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... , Leake Albert Leake Albert George Leake was an English former football half-back.He spent the entire 1950s with Port Vale, as the club enjoyed an exciting period of their history. After a total of 43 goals in 293 games, Leake left the club in 1961 for non-league Macclesfield Town, a club he later managed... |
| 25 March 1957 | Sheffield United Sheffield United F.C. Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production... |
|H | 0–6 | 9,249 | |
| 30 March 1957 | Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town F.C. Huddersfield Town Football Club is an English football club formed in 1908 and based in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. They currently play in League One... |
|H | 1–2 | 10,500 | Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... |
| 6 April 1957 | Bury Bury F.C. Bury Football Club is an association football team based in Bury, Greater Manchester. The team currently play in League One. The club's nickname is The Shakers which was bestowed upon them by club chairman JT Ingham, an industrialist and ironmonger of the late 1890s.-Formation of the club and the... |
|A | 0–1 | 10,524 | |
| 13 April 1957 | Bristol Rovers Bristol Rovers F.C. Bristol Rovers Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Bristol, that competes in Football League Two. The team plays its home matches at the Memorial Stadium, in the Horfield area of the city.... |
|H | 2–3 | 9,006 | 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... , Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... (pen) |
| 19 April 1957 | Swansea Town Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position... |
|H | 0–2 | 12,729 | |
| 20 April 1957 | 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... |
|A | 0–4 | 7,626 | |
| 22 April 1957 | Swansea Town Swansea City A.F.C. Swansea City Association Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Swansea, Wales. One of the most successful clubs in Welsh football, it has won 10 Welsh Cups and led the English Football League First Division in December 1981, before finishing the season in 6th position... |
|A | 2–2 | 11,629 | Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... , Leake Albert Leake Albert George Leake was an English former football half-back.He spent the entire 1950s with Port Vale, as the club enjoyed an exciting period of their history. After a total of 43 goals in 293 games, Leake left the club in 1961 for non-league Macclesfield Town, a club he later managed... |
| 27 April 1957 | Rotherham United Rotherham United F.C. Rotherham United Football Club are an English professional football club based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. The club's colours have traditionally been red and white, although these have evolved through history... |
|H | 2–1 | 7,038 | Leake Albert Leake Albert George Leake was an English former football half-back.He spent the entire 1950s with Port Vale, as the club enjoyed an exciting period of their history. After a total of 43 goals in 293 games, Leake left the club in 1961 for non-league Macclesfield Town, a club he later managed... (2) |
| 29 April 1957 | 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... |
|H | 2–2 | 22,395 | Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... , 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... |
FA Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R3 | 5 January 1957 | 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 | 3–3 | 17,720 | 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), Stephenson Len Stephenson Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road... |
| R3 Replay | 7 January 1957 | 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 | 0–1 | 15,718 |
Appearances
| Pos. | Name | Football League | FA Cup | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| GK |  Ray KingRay King (footballer) Raymond King is a former English football goalkeeper. He is the younger brother of George King.A legend at Port Vale, he was their first choice keeper from 1949 to 1957. A key part of the squad, he was at the club during one of their brightest periods... |
37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| GK | John Poole John Poole (footballer born 1932) John Arthur Frederick Poole is an English former footballer.-Playing career:After playing for numerous youth sides, Poole graduated through the Port Vale juniors to sign professional forms in September 1953. His debut came on 28 April 1956 in a 3-2 home win over Middlesbrough... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| GK |  Trevor WoodTrevor Wood Trevor John Wood is a former international Northern Irish footballer, born in Jersey.-Playing career:Wood played for Brighton & Hove Albion before having a successful trial with Port Vale in May 1988. He kept a clean sheet on his debut; a 2–0 home win over Huddersfield Town on 3 October 1988... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Tommy Cheadle Tommy Cheadle Thomas Cheadle was an English footballer. He played for Port Vale in various positions for over a decade... |
14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| DF | Reg Potts Reg Potts Reginald Potts was an English football defender, nicknamed Dan after Desperate Dan.A key member of Port Vale's history, Potts played close to 300 league games for the club between 1945 and 1957... |
39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| 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... |
39 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| DF | Stan Turner Stan Turner Stanley Simpson Turner was an English footballer. He made 246 appearances for Port Vale during one of the club's brightest periods.-Playing style:... |
27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| 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... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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... |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| MF | Alan Bennett Alan Bennett (English footballer) Alan Bennett is a former English footballer.-Playing style:A skilful and speedy winger, he required the protection of his teammates to prevent opposition hatchet men taking him out of the game.-Playing career:... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Albert Leake Albert Leake Albert George Leake was an English former football half-back.He spent the entire 1950s with Port Vale, as the club enjoyed an exciting period of their history. After a total of 43 goals in 293 games, Leake left the club in 1961 for non-league Macclesfield Town, a club he later managed... |
22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
| MF | John Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... |
31 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 6 |
| MF | Derek Mountford Derek Mountford Derek Mountford is an English former footballer.-Playing career:Mountford graduated through the Port Vale juniors to sign with the club as a professional in May 1951. He made his debut on 30 April 1955, in a 1–0 home win over Rotherham United and became a first team regular until he lost his place... |
9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| MF | Colin Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... |
37 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 5 |
| MF | Harry Anders Harry Anders Harry Anders was an English professional footballer. His brother was fellow footballer Jimmy Anders.-Playing career:... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 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.... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| MF | Billy Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... |
21 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 7 |
| MF | Basil Hayward Basil Hayward Carl Basil Hayward was an English footballer player and manager. He was the younger brother of Doug and Eric Hayward.... |
42 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 3 |
| FW | Ken Griffiths Ken Griffiths Kenneth James Griffiths is an English former football forward. He scored 59 goals in 221 games in the Football League.... |
17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| FW | Len Stephenson Len Stephenson Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road... |
20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 4 |
| FW | Stan Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... |
17 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 8 |
| FW | Cyril Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... |
16 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 9 |
| 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... |
30 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 32 | 5 |
| FW | Eddie Baily Eddie Baily Edward Francis Baily was a former England international footballer. He was a member of the 1950 FIFA World Cup squad. At club level, he played for Tottenham Hotspur from 1946–56, helping the club to both First and Second Division winning seasons. He also played for Port Vale, Nottingham Forest... |
9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 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... |
12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
| FW | Lewis White Lewis White Lewis White is an English former footballer.-Playing career:White signed professional forms with Port Vale in October 1948. His only appearance came at outside-right in a 2–1 home defeat to Ipswich Town on 23 October 1948. He was transferred to Winsford United in July 1949.-References:... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
All competitions
| Scorer | Goals |
|---|---|
| Cyril Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... |
9 |
| Stan Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... |
8 |
| Billy Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... |
7 |
| John Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... |
6 |
| Colin Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... |
5 |
| 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... |
|
| Albert Leake Albert Leake Albert George Leake was an English former football half-back.He spent the entire 1950s with Port Vale, as the club enjoyed an exciting period of their history. After a total of 43 goals in 293 games, Leake left the club in 1961 for non-league Macclesfield Town, a club he later managed... |
4 |
| Len Stephenson Len Stephenson Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road... |
|
| 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... |
3 |
| Basil Hayward Basil Hayward Carl Basil Hayward was an English footballer player and manager. He was the younger brother of Doug and Eric Hayward.... |
|
| Ken Griffiths Ken Griffiths Kenneth James Griffiths is an English former football forward. He scored 59 goals in 221 games in the Football League.... |
1 |
| Eddie Baily Eddie Baily Edward Francis Baily was a former England international footballer. He was a member of the 1950 FIFA World Cup squad. At club level, he played for Tottenham Hotspur from 1946–56, helping the club to both First and Second Division winning seasons. He also played for Port Vale, Nottingham Forest... |
|
| 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... |
|
| Reg Potts Reg Potts Reginald Potts was an English football defender, nicknamed Dan after Desperate Dan.A key member of Port Vale's history, Potts played close to 300 league games for the club between 1945 and 1957... |
|
League
| Scorer | Goals |
|---|---|
| Cyril Done Cyril Done Cyril Charles Done was an English former footballer, most notable for his 14 years with Liverpool.-Playing career:... |
9 |
| Stan Smith Stan Smith (footballer) Stanley James Smith was an English footballer.-Playing career:Smith played for Stoke City before joining rivals Port Vale in May 1950. It took until 27 September 1954 for him to make his debut, in a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers, following this he appeared fairly regularly until November 1956,... |
8 |
| Billy Spurdle Billy Spurdle William Spurdle is a former football player, who played on the right wing.-Playing career:Spurdle played for Manchester City F.C. between 1949 and 1956 making 160 appearances and scoring 32 goals, including an appearance in the 1955 FA Cup Final... |
7 |
| John Cunliffe John Cunliffe (footballer born 1930) John "Dickie" Cunliffe was an English football left-winger. He made 309 appearances in the Football League, scoring 55 goals.... |
6 |
| Colin Askey Colin Askey Colin Askey is a former English footballer who played on the right wing. He made a total of 313 appearances in the Football League, scoring 35 goals.... |
5 |
| Albert Leake Albert Leake Albert George Leake was an English former football half-back.He spent the entire 1950s with Port Vale, as the club enjoyed an exciting period of their history. After a total of 43 goals in 293 games, Leake left the club in 1961 for non-league Macclesfield Town, a club he later managed... |
4 |
| Len Stephenson Len Stephenson Robert Leonard "Len" Stephenson is an English former professional footballer.-Playing career:Stephenson began his professional career with Joe Smith's Blackpool in 1951. He made his debut for the club on 20 January in a 2–2 league draw with Sunderland at Bloomfield Road... |
3 |
| 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... |
|
| Basil Hayward Basil Hayward Carl Basil Hayward was an English footballer player and manager. He was the younger brother of Doug and Eric Hayward.... |
|
| 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... |
|
| Ken Griffiths Ken Griffiths Kenneth James Griffiths is an English former football forward. He scored 59 goals in 221 games in the Football League.... |
1 |
| Eddie Baily Eddie Baily Edward Francis Baily was a former England international footballer. He was a member of the 1950 FIFA World Cup squad. At club level, he played for Tottenham Hotspur from 1946–56, helping the club to both First and Second Division winning seasons. He also played for Port Vale, Nottingham Forest... |
|
| 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... |
|
| Reg Potts Reg Potts Reginald Potts was an English football defender, nicknamed Dan after Desperate Dan.A key member of Port Vale's history, Potts played close to 300 league games for the club between 1945 and 1957... |
|