1924–25 Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Port Vale 1924–25 Joe Schofield Secretary-manager Sampson Walker Old Recreation Ground Football League Second Division 8th (42 points) FA Cup First Round(eliminated by Aston Villa) Wilf Kirkham (26) Wilf Kirkham (33) 17,936 vs. Stoke, 24 January 1925 5,000 vs. Southampton, 13 October 1924 10,769+ 8–2 vs. Alfreton, 13 December 1924 0–7 vs. Leicester City, 25 December 1924 _color_3_stripes_red ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 ffffff 000000 1923–24 1925–26 The 1924–25 season was Port Vale's sixth consecutive season of football (19th 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 Under the management of Joe Schofield and the chairmanship of Sampson Walker, the club finished eighth in the Second Division, accumulating 42 points from 17 wins, 8 draws, and 17 losses. This was their highest league finish in over 30 years and, at the time, their best performance in the second tier. Notably, they finished above Potteries derby rivals Stoke for the first time in their history. Central to the club's success was the prolific form of young forward Wilf Kirkham, who scored 33 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions, including 26 in league matches. His remarkable tally made him the club's top scorer for the season and a key figure in their attacking lineup. The team maintained a settled squad, with 15 regular players supplemented by seven reserve players, contributing to a cohesive and consistent performance throughout the campaign. In cup competitions, Vale's FA Cup run was short-lived, as they were eliminated in the First Round by Aston Villa. Despite this early exit, the club's league form remained strong, with significant victories such as an 8–2 win over Alfreton in December 1924. However, they also suffered a heavy 7–0 defeat to Leicester City on Christmas Day, highlighting the occasional inconsistencies in their performance. Off the pitch, the club faced financial challenges, with a reported wage bill of £7,900. Despite these constraints, the team managed to achieve their best league finish in decades, demonstrating resilience and determination. The season concluded with the club firmly mid-table, setting the stage for future growth and success in the Football League. 450px|thumb|Port Vale squad photo 200px|thumb|right|Billy Briscoe missed just the one match. 200px|thumb|right|Billy Tempest was a new signing from Stoke. 200px|thumb|right|Right-back Jack Maddock played in 23 games. Overview Second Division The pre-season saw the arrival of three new players: veteran Everton goalkeeper Tom Fern, young half-back Sidney Blunt, and winger Billy Tempest made the leap from Stoke to Vale. The season started with a lose-one-win-one sequence of six games; significantly, the final game of this sequence was a 1–0 win over Stoke at the Victoria Ground, Bob Connelly scoring the goal. The "Valiants" followed this with five games without a win, and "a certain section of the crowd" became "prone to gibe and jeer at mistakes", which had a noticeable effect on the side's confidence. Goals were a problem, and so the directors decided to sell full-back Len Birks to Sheffield United for 'a substantial sum', promising to spend the money on forwards. They duly signed Alfred Strange from Portsmouth. On 11 October, Vale fell to a 4–1 defeat at Derby County after Tom Fern was forced off in the first half due to injury. The team bobbed along at mid-table and, on 20 December, were expected to be turned over by promotion-chasing Manchester United; however, Vale managed to record a 2–1 win. The difficult games continued, as two games in as many days came against eventual champions Leicester City; they were thumped 7–0 at Filbert Street on Christmas Day. Johnny Duncan scored six of the "Foxes" seven goals (a Leicester record). Twydell Dave Rejected F.C. of Scotland Volume 3:The Rest 1997 180 1-874427-17-8 A 3–0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers was blamed on a slippery surface that caused at times comic falls from the players. The second half of the season would be a brilliant one for the club. They won ten of their first 13 league games of 1925, including a 2–0 win over Stoke at the Old Recreation Ground – former "Potter" Tempest getting a goal against his former employers. On 7 February, the players presented secretary-manager Joe Schofield with a gold-mounted walking stick to celebrate his five years in charge, though they went on to be beaten 3–0 by South Shields. They did, though record a 2–1 home win over league leaders Derby County seven days later despite losing Ernest Collinge to a dislocated left arm. Four clean sheets followed, which was then followed by a 4–2 victory over Clapton Orient to take the team into fifth place. Whilst on the South Coast of England the players were rewarded for their hard work with a relaxing holiday, seeing sights such as the Isle of Wight, the Southampton docks, HMS Victory, the Newbury races, and music hall star Gertie Gitana performing at the theatre. Following this, manager Joe Schofield took advantage of a comfortable league position by experimenting with his starting eleven. Just four points were picked up from their last nine games, this included a 1–0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in front of 30,000 and a 4–0 defeat at Old Trafford in front of 40,000. However, Kirkham did bag his third hat-trick of the season against Stockport County. At the end of the season, Vale picked up a club record 42 Football League points, with Kirkham scoring 26 league goals. Outside of Kirkham, however, the club were finding difficulties in front of goal and had to be much more prolific to challenge for promotion. They were 15 points off the top two and eight points clear of the bottom two. Jack Lowe was an ever-present in both league and cup, whereas Kirkham and Briscoe each missed just one game. Fern, Connelly, and Blunt were also highly consistent. At the end of the campaign, all of the first-team performers were retained. Finances The club finally found itself on a sound financial footing, making a record £4,469 profit on the campaign. The club debt went down to £134, and the club decided to purchase the Old Recreation Ground outright, putting down a deposit of £2,250. FA Cup In the FA Cup, the Vale managed to qualify for the first round for the first time since 1921–22. Kirkham and Briscoe scored a combined total of ten goals in the games against Midland League Boston and Central Alliance side Alfreton, with Strange contributing three. Kirkham scored his first career hat-trick away at Alfreton. This set up a difficult encounter with First Division club Aston Villa at Villa Park, the first competitive meeting between the two clubs. Vale were easily outclassed in the second half, despite leading 1–0 at the break, and finished the game with a 7–2 defeat after Billy Walker and Len Capewell scored three and four goals respectively.Game #1282 https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/1282 www.avfchistory.co.uk 18 September 2025 Results Football League Second Division 1924–25 Football League League table Second Division y PTV Results by matchday table b Round Ground H/A/H/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/H/H/A/H/A/H/H/H/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/A/A/H/A/A/H/A/A/A Result L/W/L/W/L/W/D/D/L/D/L/W/L/W/L/W/D/W/L/L/L/W/W/W/W/L/W/W/D/W/W/W/D/L/L/D/L/L/W/L/L/D Position 14/13/17/14/16/10/14/13/16/15/15/11/14/12/12/11/15/16/17/17/18/15/16/13/9/10/10/8/7/6/5/5/5/5/7/7/7/8/8/8/8/8 Points 0p/2p/2p/4p/4p/6p/7p/8p/8p/9p/9p/11p/11p/13p/13p/15p/16p/18p/18p/18p/18p/20p/22p/24p/26p/26p/28p/30p/31p/33p/35p/37p/38p/38p/38p/39p/39p/39p/41p/41p/41p/42p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss gold green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1924–1925 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20160304041323/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1924-1925/results 4 March 2016 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 30 August 1924 Port Vale 1–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-wolverhampton-wanderers-30-august-1924-96741/ Wolverhampton Wanderers Page 18 Bowen 56 Edmonds 69 Lees 74 Old Recreation Ground Hanley J Forshaw 15,000 2 6 September 1924 Barnsley 1–3 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/barnsley-v-port-vale-06-september-1924-96753/ Port Vale Kirkham Briscoe Oakwell Barnsley 8,000 3 8 September 1924 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-fulham-08-september-1924-96770/ Fulham Wainscoat Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,000 4 13 September 1924 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-middlesbrough-13-september-1924-96781/ Middlesbrough Kirkham Briscoe Wainscoat Old Recreation Ground Hanley 6,000 5 15 September 1924 Port Vale 0–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-portsmouth-15-september-1924-96786/ Portsmouth Mackie Haines Old Recreation Ground Hanley 9,000 6 20 September 1924 Stoke 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/stoke-v-port-vale-20-september-1924-96797/ Port Vale Connelly Victoria Ground Stoke-upon-Trent 22,747 7 27 September 1924 Bradford City 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/bradford-city-v-port-vale-27-september-1924-96801/ Port Vale Briscoe Valley Parade Bradford 10,000 8 4 October 1924 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-south-shields-afc-04-october-1924-96820/ South Shields Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,180 9 11 October 1924 Derby County 4–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/derby-county-v-port-vale-11-october-1924-96828/ Port Vale Whitehouse Murphy Storer Kirkham Baseball Ground Derby 18,000 10 13 October 1924 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-southampton-13-october-1924-96836/ Southampton Kirkham Woodhouse Old Recreation Ground Hanley 5,000 11 18 October 1924 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-blackpool-18-october-1924-96844/ Blackpool Kirkham Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,000 12 25 October 1924 Port Vale 4–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-coventry-city-25-october-1924-96857/ Coventry City Kirkham Maddock pen. Connelly Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,965 13 1 November 1924 Oldham Athletic 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/oldham-athletic-v-port-vale-01-november-1924-96866/ Port Vale Boundary Park Oldham 3,000 14 8 November 1924 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-sheffield-wednesday-08-november-1924-96879/ The Wednesday Kirkham Old Recreation Ground Hanley 9,018 15 15 November 1924 Clapton Orient 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/leyton-orient-v-port-vale-15-november-1924-96886/ Port Vale Briscoe Clapton Stadium Clapton, London 10,000 16 22 November 1924 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-crystal-palace-22-november-1924-96901/ Crystal Palace Kirkham Strange Old Recreation Ground Hanley 8,147 17 6 December 1924 14:30 GMT Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-chelsea-06-december-1924-96923/ Chelsea Briscoe 52 Whitton 43 Old Recreation Ground Hanley Harry Mason 11,975 18 20 December 1924 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-manchester-united-20-december-1924-96943/ Manchester United Lowe Kirkham Lochhead Old Recreation Ground Hanley 14,000 19 25 December 1924 Leicester City 7–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/leicester-city-v-port-vale-25-december-1924-96948/ Port Vale Chandler Duncan Filbert Street Leicester 22,000 20 26 December 1924 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-leicester-city-26-december-1924-96962/ Leicester City Kirkham Carr Chandler Old Recreation Ground Hanley 17,000 21 27 December 1924 Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/wolverhampton-wanderers-v-port-vale-27-december-1924-96975/ Port Vale Lees 8 Molineux Stadium Wolverhampton J Forshaw 8,000 22 3 January 1925 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-barnsley-03-january-1925-96989/ Barnsley Kirkham Page Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,654 23 17 January 1925 Middlesbrough 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/middlesbrough-v-port-vale-17-january-1925-96997/ Port Vale Page Ayresome Park Middlesbrough 6,000 24 24 January 1925 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-stoke-24-january-1925-97011/ Stoke Kirkham Tempest Old Recreation Ground Hanley 17,936 25 2 February 1925 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bradford-city-02-february-1925-97016/ Bradford City og. Old Recreation Ground Hanley 6,000 26 7 February 1925 South Shields 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/south-shields-afc-v-port-vale-07-february-1925-97021/ Port Vale Horsley Hill South Shields 10,000 27 14 February 1925 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-derby-county-14-february-1925-97037/ Derby County Kirkham pen. Thornewell Old Recreation Ground Hanley 16,000 28 25 February 1925 Stockport County 0–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/stockport-county-v-port-vale-25-february-1925-97051/ Port Vale Kirkham Edgeley Park Stockport 3,000 29 28 February 1925 Coventry City 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/coventry-city-v-port-vale-28-february-1925-97053/ Port Vale Highfield Road Coventry 9,000 30 7 March 1925 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-oldham-athletic-07-march-1925-97070/ Oldham Athletic Page Old Recreation Ground Hanley 11,005 31 14 March 1925 The Wednesday 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/sheffield-wednesday-v-port-vale-14-march-1925-97082/ Port Vale Kirkham Hillsborough Stadium Owlerton 12,000 32 21 March 1925 Port Vale 4–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-leyton-orient-21-march-1925-97096/ Clapton Orient Kirkham Blunt Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,000 33 28 March 1925 Crystal Palace 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/crystal-palace-v-port-vale-28-march-1925-97101/ Port Vale Selhurst Park Selhurst, Croydon 8,000 34 30 March 1925 Portsmouth 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/portsmouth-v-port-vale-30-march-1925-97109/ Port Vale Meikle Haines Fratton Park Portsmouth 35 4 April 1925 Southampton 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/southampton-v-port-vale-04-april-1925-97123/ Port Vale Dominy The Dell Southampton 8,000 36 10 April 1925 15:15 BST Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-hull-city-10-april-1925-97132/ Hull City Briscoe Mills 39 Old Recreation Ground Hanley 14,500 37 11 April 1925 15:30 BST Chelsea 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/chelsea-v-port-vale-11-april-1925-97134/ Port Vale Whitton 44 Stamford Bridge Fulham, West London Harry Mason 30,000 38 13 April 1925 15:00 BST Hull City 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/hull-city-v-port-vale-13-april-1925-97148/ Port Vale Bleakley 24 Mills 80 Strange Anlaby Road Kingston upon Hull 4,000 39 18 April 1925 Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-stockport-county-18-april-1925-97165/ Stockport County Kirkham pen. Strange Critchley Old Recreation Ground Hanley 9,760 40 22 April 1925 Blackpool 4–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/blackpool-v-port-vale-22-april-1925-97169/ Port Vale Strange Bloomfield Road Blackpool 8,000 41 25 April 1925 Manchester United 4–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/manchester-united-v-port-vale-25-april-1925-97176/ Port Vale Old Trafford Old Trafford 40,000 42 2 May 1925 Fulham 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/fulham-v-port-vale-02-may-1925-97188/ Port Vale Lochhead McPherson Smith Spence Page Craven Cottage Fulham, West London 10,000 FA Cup 1924–25 FA Cup 5Q 29 November 1924 Port Vale 6–1 W Boston Strange Kirkham Briscoe Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,101 6Q 13 December 1924 Alfreton 2–8 W Port Vale Briscoe Kirkham Strange 6,000 R1 10 January 1925 Aston Villa 7–2 L https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/1282 Port Vale Walker 48 50 59 Capewell 64 65 75 76 Kirkham 14 55 Villa Park Birmingham Fred Todman 35,800 thumb|200px|right|Alfred Strange would go on to represent England after leaving the club. thumb|right|Club record goalscorer Wilf Kirkham. thumb|Scottish midfielder Bob Connelly. thumb|Right-back Tom Cooper. Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward Second Division FA Cup GK ENG Sidney Brown 4 0 0 0 GK ENG Tom Fern 37 0 3 0 GK ENG Robert Wallis 1 0 0 0 FB ENG Tom Cooper 21 0 1 0 FB ENG Bert Lyon 0 0 0 0 FB ENG Jack Maddock 21 1 2 0 FB ENG Jimmy Oakes 28 0 3 0 HB ENG Sidney Blunt 36 1 3 0 HB ENG Ernest Collinge 29 0 3 0 HB SCO Bob Connelly 38 2 3 0 HB ENG Jack Hyde 2 0 0 0 HB ENG Roger Jones 11 0 2 0 HB ENG Harry Lomas 1 0 0 0 HB ENG Arden Maddison 8 0 0 0 HB ENG Alfred Strange 30 4 3 3 FW ENG Billy Briscoe 41 6 3 6 FW ENG Wilf Kirkham 41 26 3 7 FW ENG Jack Lowe 42 1 3 0 FW ENG Tom Meigh 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Tom Page 28 5 1 0 FW SCO Tom Reid 1 0 0 0 FW ENG Billy Tempest 29 1 0 0 FW ENG Jack Wareham 2 0 0 0 |- |colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season: FB ENG Len Birks 11 0 0 0 |} Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameSecond DivisionFA CupTotal1FWEnglandWilf Kirkham267332FWEnglandBilly Briscoe66123HBEnglandAlfred Strange4374FWEnglandTom Page5055HBScotlandBob Connelly2026FBEnglandJack Maddock101–FWEnglandJack Lowe101–FWEnglandBilly Tempest101–HBEnglandSidney Blunt101–––Own goals101TOTALS481666 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. 1924 HB ENG Alfred Strange Portsmouth Free transfer Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 June 1924 GK ENG Tom Fern Everton Free transfer June 1924 FW ENG Billy Tempest Stoke £1,000 July 1924 HB ENG Harry Lomas Congleton Free transfer July 1924 GK ENG Robert Wallis Trentham Free transfer August 1924 FB ENG Tom Cooper Trentham £20 August 1924 FW ENG Jack Wareham Stoke Free transfer October 1924 HB ENG Arden Maddison Stoke Free transfer November 1924 FW ENG Arthur Ecclestone Stone Lotus Free transfer Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. October 1924 FB ENG Len Birks Sheffield United 'substantial' Summer 1925 HB ENG Tom Davis Stafford Rangers Released Summer 1925 HB ENG Jack Hyde Released Summer 1925 HB ENG Harry Lomas Released Summer 1925 FW ENG Jack Wareham Crewe Alexandra 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