1921–22 Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Port Vale 1921–22 Joe Schofield Secretary-manager Sampson Walker Old Recreation Ground Football League Second Division 18th (36 points) FA Cup First Round(eliminated by Stoke) North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup Winners(shared with Stoke) Tom Page (9) Tom Page (10) 20,000 vs Stoke, 1 October 1921 6,000 vs South Shields, 22 October 1921Barnsley, 17 December 1921The Wednesday, 3 April 1922Hull City, 21 January 1922 11,619 3–0 (twice) and 5–2 0–3, 1–4 and 2–5 _2 white stripes ffffff ffffff ffffff 000000 000000 1920–21 1922–23 The 1921–22 season was Port Vale's third consecutive season of football (16th overall) in the English Football League.Kent Jeff The Valiants' Years The Story Of Port Vale Witan Books 1990 98–123 Keeping in Good Company (1919-1929) 0-9508981-4-7 Managed by Joe Schofield and chaired by Sampson Walker, the club played their home fixtures at the Old Recreation Ground. The team finished 18th in the 22-team league, accumulating 36 points from 14 wins, 8 draws, and 20 losses, scoring 43 goals and conceding 57. This marked the second successive season in which Vale secured 36 points, reflecting a period of stagnation in the club's league performance. The season was characterised by inconsistency. After a promising start, the team endured a challenging mid-season, culminating in a nine-match winless streak. However, a remarkable turnaround occurred with a nine-match unbeaten run, including seven consecutive clean sheets, a club record achieved under goalkeeper Teddy Peers. Despite these highs, the team's performance remained erratic, and they ultimately finished just above the relegation zone. In cup competitions, Vale exited the FA Cup in the First Round, suffering a 4–2 defeat to Potteries derby rivals Stoke. In the North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup, the final against Stoke ended in a 0–0 draw, leading to the trophy being shared between the two clubs. The season also saw the club's finances come under strain, with a reported loss of £4,641, attributed to declining gate receipts and increased wage bills following the raising of the maximum wage limit. Despite the challenges, the club experienced moments of individual brilliance. Goalkeeper Teddy Peers made history by becoming the first Port Vale player to earn an international cap while still at the club, representing Wales during the season. Forward Tom Page was the team's top scorer, netting 10 goals in all competitions. The season concluded with the club narrowly avoiding relegation, setting the stage for future rebuilding efforts. 400px|thumb|(Players only) Back row: Billy Agnew, Bob Firth, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, Walter Smith Front row: unknown, Billy Briscoe, unknown, unknown 200px|thumb|right|Wing half Tom Holford was past 40 and still made several appearances. 200px|thumb|right|Joe Brough, 35, was another veteran willing to play his part. 200px|thumb|right|Billy Briscoe hardly missed a match. Overview Second Division New additions to the squad in pre-season included: Welshman Jack Hampson signed from Aston Villa for £1,000; a returning Albert Pearson from Liverpool; half-back Ernest Collinge; centre-half from Nottingham Forest Robert Firth; young Scottish midfielder Bob Connelly; and forward Billy Agnew from Falkirk. The stadium was also improved, with a gym constructed, and the new stand extended. The season may also have marked the first appearance of a club crest on Port Vale shirts, with surviving evidence showing a Staffordshire knot bearing the initials "PVFC".The Stoke 2000 - Port Vale 1921-22 https://thestoke2000.co.uk/portvale1921-22/ /thestoke2000.co.uk 20 August 2026 19 May 2024 The season started poorly, with Vale losing four of their opening five games, the one success being "a clever display" in a 3–0 home win over Clapton Orient on 29 August. A 0–0 draw was achieved away at Potteries derby rivals Stoke, though it remained one of many fixtures in which the forward line failed to find the net. Stoke defeated the Vale in the return fixture at the Old Recreation Ground by one goal to nil and so Bob Connelly was tried at centre-forward at Bury in the next game, which was an experiment that was abandoned following a 5–2 loss. The scoreline was reversed when Bury came to Hanley the following week, though spirits remained low as Jack Hampson suffered a foot injury which seemed at one stage to require a toe amputation. Nevertheless, the win started a sequence of one defeat in six games, concluding with an impressive 1–1 draw away at second-placed Nottingham Forest. From the end of November until February, the club lost nine of their ten league games, standing rooted to the bottom slot. Connelly was constantly being switched from centre-half to centre-forward as management desperately searched for a solution. By 3 December, seven different players had been tried in the centre-forward role. Frustrated fans organised a protest outside the Directors' Box following defeat to Barnsley, which led to a warning from The Football Association due to the foul language used by the fans. An Extraordinary general meeting was called by the club, where directors explained to fans about the club's bleak finances. Fans volunteered to raise the money to buy back star forward Bobby Blood, but they were told West Bromwich Albion were not willing to entertain offers for the player. The team struggled on, losing goalkeeper Walter Smith to injury and finding a replacement in Wales international Teddy Peers. Forward Jack Peart was also signed from Ebbw Vale, though he failed to find the net. A 2–1 home defeat to second-bottom Coventry City on 30 January seemed to leave the club in a hopeless situation; however, it was to prove the end of the awful run of form. The club turned things around in some style by going two months unbeaten, winning six of their nine games. During this run, they went seven games without conceding a goal, with goalkeeper Peers so confident he often felt able to lean casually on his goalpost to watch the Pursell brothers clear up any danger in front of him. The success began with a "clever" 2–1 win at Notts County on 4 February and simply a settled side was credited with the turnaround in form. Thanks to a bureaucratic selection method, the first team was unsettled throughout the first half of the campaign. The run was broken after injuries set in, including a broken leg for Bob Pursell that necessitated his retirement from the game. Nevertheless, the club continued to pick up enough points to ensure their Second Division survival. At the end of the season, the club were three points clear of the relegation zone but 16 points short of rivals Stoke, who were promoted. The team was hopeless in front of the goal, with only Tom Page managing double figures. Budget cuts meant letting go of Bob Pursell, who had broken his leg; aged half-back Joe Brough who was said to have felt 'worn out'; 38-year-old stopper Walter Smith; forward Albert Pearson; 35-year-old Robert Firth; and 33-year-old Jack Peart. The former two experienced campaigners retired, with Smith joining Plymouth Argyle; Pearson joining Llanelli; Firth joining Southend United; and Peart joining Norwich City. Finances Finances were as ever of great concern to the club, and by February, the poor crowd figures meant that £2,000 was needed to keep the club afloat. A 'Shilling Fund' was established to raise donations, which resulted in donations from First Division sides Preston North End and Huddersfield Town. A loss of £4,641 was made on the season, with an economic downturn getting the blame for a shocking drop in gate receipt figures. The club even accused local paper The Sentinel of overestimating the crowd sizes. Finances were also hit by a rise in players' wages following the raising of the maximum payments limit. Aiming to make £500 the following season, the directors announced a cut in the wage bill to the tune of £3,000. Cup competitions Vale left the FA Cup in the first round thanks to Arthur Watkin scoring a hat-trick, which helped secure a 4–2 win for Stoke at the Old Recreation Ground. The end of season North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup game finished goalless between the two clubs, and as was the case in 1920, the trophy was shared between the two clubs – the cup game was held on-and-off until 1932, and Vale would lose on all five occasions. Results Football League Second Division 1921–22 Football League League table Second Division y PTV Results by matchday table b Round Ground A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/A/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/H/H/H/A/A/H/A/A/H/H/A Result L/W/L/L/L/W/D/L/L/W/D/W/L/W/D/L/L/L/L/L/D/L/L/L/L/W/D/W/D/W/W/W/W/D/L/L/D/W/L/W/W/L Position 14/6/14/21/21/17/16/20/20/19/19/19/18/14/16/18/18/19/19/19/20/20/21/22/22/22/22/19/20/18/18/18/18/18/18/18/18/18/18/18/18/18 Points 0p/2p/2p/2p/2p/4p/5p/5p/5p/7p/8p/10p/10p/12p/13p/13p/13p/13p/13p/13p/14p/14p/14p/14p/14p/16p/17p/19p/20p/22p/24p/26p/28p/29p/29p/29p/30p/32p/32p/34p/36p/36p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss gold green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1921–1922 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064805/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1921-1922/results 4 March 2016 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 27 August 1921 Leeds United 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/leeds-united-v-port-vale-27-august-1921-95352/ Port Vale Walton Howarth Pearson Elland Road Beeston, Leeds 18,000 2 29 August 1921 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-leyton-orient-29-august-1921-95365/ Clapton Orient Firth Hampson Page Old Recreation Ground Hanley 17,000 3 3 September 1921 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-leeds-united-03-september-1921-95377/ Leeds United Howarth Old Recreation Ground Hanley 18,000 4 10 September 1921 West Ham United 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-ham-united-v-port-vale-10-september-1921-95400/ Port Vale Puddefoot Watson Boleyn Ground Upton Park, London 18,000 5 12 September 1921 Clapton Orient 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/leyton-orient-v-port-vale-12-september-1921-95401/ Port Vale Clapton Stadium Clapton, London 10,000 6 17 September 1921 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-west-ham-united-17-september-1921-95409/ West Ham United Firth Hampson Watson Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,000 7 24 September 1921 Stoke 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/stoke-v-port-vale-24-september-1921-95422/ Port Vale Victoria Ground Stoke-upon-Trent 30,000 8 1 October 1921 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-stoke-01-october-1921-95431/ Stoke Broad Old Recreation Ground Hanley 20,000 9 8 October 1921 Bury 5–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bury-v-port-vale-08-october-1921-95438/ Port Vale Briscoe Connelly Gigg Lane Bury, Greater Manchester 12,000 10 15 October 1921 Port Vale 5–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bury-15-october-1921-95456/ Bury Connelly Hampson Firth Page Old Recreation Ground Hanley 11,000 11 22 October 1921 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-south-shields-afc-22-october-1921-95467/ South Shields Page Old Recreation Ground Hanley 6,000 12 29 October 1921 South Shields 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/south-shields-afc-v-port-vale-29-october-1921-95475/ Port Vale Agnew Horsley Hill South Shields 12,000 13 5 November 1921 Bristol City 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bristol-city-v-port-vale-05-november-1921-95481/ Port Vale Page Ashton Gate Ashton Gate, Bristol 20,000 14 12 November 1921 Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bristol-city-12-november-1921-95500/ Bristol City Agnew Connelly Old Recreation Ground Hanley 8,000 15 19 November 1921 15:00 GMT Nottingham Forest 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/nottingham-forest-v-port-vale-19-november-1921-95511/ Port Vale Spaven 9 Page City Ground West Bridgford AF Kirby 16,000 16 26 November 1921 15:00 GMT Port Vale 0–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-nottingham-forest-26-november-1921-95522/ Nottingham Forest Boyman 44 81 Old Recreation Ground Hanley GM Moody 12,000 17 3 December 1921 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/wolverhampton-wanderers-v-port-vale-03-december-1921-95533/ Port Vale Richards 75 Bissett 80 Molineux Stadium Wolverhampton J Telford 12,000 18 10 December 1921 Port Vale 0–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-wolverhampton-wanderers-10-december-1921-95544/ Wolverhampton Wanderers Baugh 52 Richards 87 Old Recreation Ground Hanley J Telford 8,000 19 17 December 1921 Port Vale 2–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-barnsley-17-december-1921-95553/ Barnsley Collinge pen. Connelly Old Recreation Ground Hanley 6,000 20 24 December 1921 Barnsley 3–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/barnsley-v-port-vale-24-december-1921-95556/ Port Vale Simon Firth Oakwell Barnsley 8,000 21 26 December 1921 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-derby-county-26-december-1921-95577/ Derby County Connelly Pattison Old Recreation Ground Hanley 17,000 22 27 December 1921 Derby County 3–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/derby-county-v-port-vale-27-december-1921-95579/ Port Vale Jackson Lyons Moore Firth Connelly Baseball Ground Derby 13,000 23 31 December 1921 Coventry City 4–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/coventry-city-v-port-vale-31-december-1921-95590/ Port Vale Gough Dalton Stevens Page Highfield Road Coventry 16,000 24 21 January 1922 14:30 GMT Hull City 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/hull-city-v-port-vale-21-january-1922-95612/ Port Vale Flood 20 52 Anlaby Road Kingston upon Hull 6,000 25 30 January 1922 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-coventry-city-30-january-1922-95622/ Coventry City Lauder Stevens Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,000 26 4 February 1922 Notts County 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/notts-county-v-port-vale-04-february-1922-95629/ Port Vale Collinge Lauder Meadow Lane Nottingham 7,000 27 11 February 1922 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-notts-county-11-february-1922-95644/ Notts County Old Recreation Ground Hanley 12,000 28 13 February 1922 15:00 GMT Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-hull-city-13-february-1922-95647/ Hull City Fitchford Old Recreation Ground Hanley 8,000 29 18 February 1922 Crystal Palace 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/crystal-palace-v-port-vale-18-february-1922-95651/ Port Vale Croydon Common Old Recreation Ground Selhurst, Croydon 10,000 30 25 February 1922 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-crystal-palace-25-february-1922-95666/ Crystal Palace Lauder Agnew Collinge pen. Old Recreation Ground Hanley 14,000 31 4 March 1922 Rotherham County 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/rotherham-county-v-port-vale-04-march-1922-95679/ Port Vale Page Millmoor Rotherham 8,000 32 11 March 1922 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-rotherham-county-11-march-1922-95692/ Rotherham County Page Old Recreation Ground Hanley 12,000 33 18 March 1922 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-sheffield-wednesday-18-march-1922-95705/ The Wednesday Collinge pen. Old Recreation Ground Hanley 12,000 34 1 April 1922 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-fulham-01-april-1922-95726/ Fulham Page Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,000 35 3 April 1922 Port Vale 0–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/sheffield-wednesday-v-port-vale-03-april-1922-95729/ The Wednesday Brelsford pen. Lowdell Old Recreation Ground Hanley 6,000 36 8 April 1922 Fulham 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/fulham-v-port-vale-08-april-1922-95734/ Port Vale Craven Cottage Fulham, West London 15,000 37 14 April 1922 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-leicester-city-14-april-1922-95750/ Leicester City Fitchford Trotter Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,000 38 15 April 1922 Blackpool 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/blackpool-v-port-vale-15-april-1922-95753/ Port Vale Collinge pen. Bloomfield Road Blackpool 14,000 39 17 April 1922 Leicester City 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/leicester-city-v-port-vale-17-april-1922-95767/ Port Vale Graham Trotter Thomson Filbert Street Leicester 15,000 40 22 April 1922 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-blackpool-22-april-1922-95784/ Blackpool Fitchford Old Recreation Ground Hanley 15,000 41 29 April 1922 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bradford-park-avenue-29-april-1922-95796/ Bradford (Park Avenue) Agnew Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,998 42 6 May 1922 Bradford (Park Avenue) 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bradford-park-avenue-v-port-vale-06-may-1922-95800/ Port Vale Park Avenue Bradford 10,000 FA Cup 1921–22 FA Cup 1R 7 January 1922 Stoke 4–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-stoke-07-january-1922-206850/ Port Vale Watkin Tempest Page Brough Victoria Ground Stoke-upon-Trent 14,471 North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup Final 9 May 1922 Stoke 0–0 D Port Vale Victoria Ground Stoke-upon-Trent 3,000 thumb|Scottish midfielder Bob Connelly. thumb|Forward Albert Pearson. Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward Second Division FA Cup Other GK ENG Ernest Blackham 1 0 0 0 0 0 GK ENG Alfred Bourne 13 0 0 0 0 0 GK WAL 1807 Teddy Peers 15 0 1 0 1 0 GK ENG Walter Smith 13 0 0 0 0 0 FB ENG Len Birks 6 0 0 0 1 0 FB ENG William Lavery 5 0 0 0 0 0 FB SCO Bob Pursell 28 0 1 0 0 0 FB SCO Peter Pursell 30 0 1 0 1 0 FB ENG Billy Twemlow 18 0 1 0 0 0 HB ENG Joe Brough 8 0 1 1 0 0 HB ENG Ernest Collinge 41 5 1 0 1 0 HB SCO Bob Connelly 38 7 1 0 0 0 HB WAL 1807 Jack Hampson 30 3 0 0 1 0 HB ENG Tom Holford 5 0 1 0 1 0 HB ENG Frank Simon 7 1 0 0 0 0 FW SCO Billy Agnew 31 5 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Billy Briscoe 33 1 0 0 1 0 FW ENG Frank Cartledge 4 0 0 0 1 0 FW ENG Tom Collinge 1 0 0 0 0 0 FW SCO Andrew Finlay 1 0 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Robert Firth 39 5 1 0 1 0 FW ENG Billy Fitchford 6 3 0 0 1 0 FW ENG Albert Hayes 2 0 0 0 0 0 FW ENG John Johnstone 3 0 0 0 0 0 FW SCO Alex Lauder 21 3 0 0 0 0 FW Harry Littlehales 0 0 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Tom Page 37 9 1 1 1 0 FW ENG Albert Pearson 19 1 1 0 0 0 FW ENG Jack Peart 7 0 0 0 0 0 |- |colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season: FW James Wootton 0 0 0 0 0 0 |} Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameSecond DivisionFA CupInfirmary CupTotal1FWEnglandTom Page910102HBScotlandBob Connelly70073FWScotlandBilly Agnew5005–FWEnglandRobert Firth5005–HBEnglandErnest Collinge50056FWEnglandBilly Fitchford3003–HBWales 1807Jack Hampson3003–FWScotlandAlex Lauder30039FWEnglandAlbert Pearson1001–FWEnglandBilly Briscoe1001–HBEnglandFrank Simon1001–HBEnglandJoe Brough0101TOTALS432045 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. May 1921 FW ENG Albert Pearson Liverpool Free transfer Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 June 1921 FW ENG Robert Firth Nottingham Forest Free transfer June 1921 HB ENG Jack Hampson Aston Villa £1,000 August 1921 HB SCO Bob Connelly SCO Shettleston Juniors Free transfer August 1921 FB ENG Billy Twemlow Stoke Free transfer September 1921 FW SCO Billy Agnew SCO Falkirk Free transfer September 1921 FW SCO Andrew Finlay SCO Glasgow Shawfield Free transfer November 1921 FW SCO Alex Lauder SCO Partick Thistle £300 December 1921 FB ENG William Lavery SCO Johnstone Free transfer January 1922 GK WAL 1807 Teddy Peers Wolverhampton Wanderers Free transfer January 1922 FW ENG Jack Peart Ebbw Vale Steel & Iron Company Free transfer Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. January 1922 FW ENG James Wootton Nelson Free transfer Summer 1922 GK ENG Alfred Bourne Released Summer 1922 FW ENG Joe Brough Retired Summer 1922 FW ENG Frank Cartledge Congleton Town Released Summer 1922 FW ENG Tom Collinge Released Summer 1922 FW John Davis Macclesfield Released Summer 1922 FW SCO Andrew Finlay SCO Airdrieonians Released Summer 1922 FW ENG Robert Firth Southend United Released Summer 1922 FW ENG Albert Hayes Tranmere Rovers Released Summer 1922 FW ENG John Johnstone Released Summer 1922 FW SCO Alex Lauder Released Summer 1922 FB ENG Tom Lyons Walsall Released Summer 1922 HB ENG Jack Mellor New Mills Free transfer Summer 1922 FW ENG Albert Pearson Llanelly Released Summer 1922 FW ENG Jack Peart Norwich City Released Summer 1922 HB ENG Frank Simon Released Summer 1922 GK ENG Walter Smith Plymouth Argyle Released References Specific General Kent Jeff The Port Vale Record 1879-1993 Witan Books 1993 0-9508981-9-8 Category:Port Vale F.C. seasons Port Vale