1979–80 Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Port Vale 1979–80 Dennis Butler(until 30 August)Alan Bloor(30 August to 1 December)Bill Bentley(caretaker in December)John McGrath(from December) Arthur McPherson Vale Park Football League Fourth Division 20th (36 points) FA Cup First Round(eliminated by Doncaster Rovers) League Cup First Round(eliminated by Tranmere Rovers) Player of the Year Kenny Beech Neville Chamberlain (11) Neville Chamberlain (11) 6,756 vs. Walsall, 8 March 1980 2,338 vs. Doncaster Rovers, 3 May 1980 3,462 5–0 vs. Northampton Town, 15 September 1979 1–7 vs. Huddersfield Town, 22 September 1979 _blackflair _collarblack _blackflair _whitesides _color_3_stripes_white ffffff ffffff ffffff 000000 000000 1978–79 1980–81 The 1979–80 season was Port Vale's 68th season of football in the Football League, and their second-successive season (eighth overall) in the Fourth Division.Kent Jeff The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale Witan Books 1990 258–290 From Rags to Riches (1979–1990) 0-9508981-4-7 The season saw immense managerial turbulence, with Dennis Butler starting the season, Alan Bloor succeeding him on 30 August (serving until 1 December), followed by a brief stint from caretaker Bill Bentley, and ultimately John McGrath taking charge in December. On the pitch, Vale endured one of their worst campaigns in their history, finishing 20th with just 36 points, the club's lowest-ever league finish to that point. They suffered early exits in both cup competitions, being eliminated in the First Round of the FA Cup, and in the League Cup, losing to Tranmere Rovers. Neville Chamberlain emerged as both the league and season top scorer for the club, netting 11 goals, while Kenny Beech earned the Player of the Year award after scoring four goals in 49 appearances. Attendance remained subdued, with an average of 3,462. The highest attendance was 6,756 in the match against Walsall on 8 March 1980, while the lowest was 2,338 against Doncaster Rovers on 3 May 1980. The season also featured a notable 7–1 away defeat to Huddersfield Town on 22 September 1979 — one of the club's heaviest losses of the era. Off the field, the season was marred by financial losses, disciplinary issues, and slack governance. Vale began the season with six consecutive defeats, incurred a £500 FA fine for poor discipline, briefly became the first club in the division to feature shirt sponsorship (with T.I.Creda), and underwent a significant squad clear-out initiated by McGrath — yet still recorded a staggering loss of £82,069. Nearby rivals Crewe Alexandra finished below them, offering the supporters a small consolation in an otherwise grim campaign. A tumultuous and financially fraught campaign saw Vale endure managerial revolving doors, a historically poor league finish, and off-field instability, offset only marginally by Chamberlain's goal-scoring and Beech's dependable performances. Overview Fourth Division The pre-season saw manager Dennis Butler sign three players on free transfers: 29-year-old striker Terry Owen (Rochdale), second striker Alan Woolfall (Bury), and 19-year-old forward Steve Jones (Manchester United). Meanwhile, the club was fined £500 by The Football Association for the team's ongoing poor disciplinary record. The season began with four consecutive league defeats, which led to the dismissal of Butler as manager. Only 2,744 fans turned up to Vale Park for the opening home game of the campaign, a 1–0 defeat to Hereford United. Alan Bloor took over as caretaker manager, who threatened the players with a place on the bench if they failed to deliver in the first XI, and to prove his point he replaced Bernie Wright with Neville Chamberlain. Chamberlain rewarded him with both goals in a 2–0 victory over Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road. A 5–0 thrashing of Northampton Town followed eight days later, with both Chamberlain and Wright claiming a brace. However, the following week they were 'massacred' 7–1 at high-flying Huddersfield Town's Leeds Road. Chris Harper of The Sentinel reported that it was "probably the most unprofessional performance I have witnessed by a Vale side in more than ten years".Baggaley Mike Vale's statement victory https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/vales-statement-victory 15 September 2024 Valiant's Substack 15 September 2024 He further added that "the constant changes [in management] are totally opposed to the stability required to achieve success". Despite conceding serven goals, Trevor Dance retained his place in goal, with John Connaughton 'in a huff' with the club. Coach Graham Hawkins left the club as he felt that, as the assistant manager, he should have been put in caretaker charge over Bloor. By the end of September, Bloor was made manager on a permanent basis. Vale celebrated with a 5–1 beating of Rochdale on 29 September, whilst Ken Todd was sold to Portsmouth for £20,000. Ged Stenson had his contract cancelled, and signed with Morecambe. Losing five of their seven games in October, Vale drifted to third-from-bottom. Gordon Banks was demoted to coaching the reserves. Bloor spent £30,000 on Crewe Alexandra defender Paul Bowles. Undefeated in November in the league, Vale then lost 5–1 to a York City side at Bootham Crescent that was marashlled by Peter Lorimer.Baggaley Mike Making plans and unexpected challenges https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/making-plans-and-unexpected-challenges 2 December 2024 Valiant's Substack 1 December 2024 Later in the month, Vale became the first Fourth Division club to strike a shirt advertising deal, signing a deal with TI Creda for £5,000. A surprise came though when Bloor resigned his position, stating that "I do not have what it takes". Gordon Banks was also dismissed, and he blamed the players for his downfall, claiming they did not like hard work. Bill Bentley was appointed as caretaker manager, as the club approached numerous managers – including former player Ronnie Allen. The job went to John McGrath, who had been working as a coach at Southampton. He appointed Torquay United coach John Rudge as his second in command. Finding his new team to be undisciplined, McGrath said that 'the holiday is over', and began fining players for various reasons. He offloaded Connaughton to Altrincham, loaned Paul Bowles to Southampton, and discovered that Wright was no longer willing to play for the club. On 12 January, a 3–2 victory was achieved at well-placed Doncaster Rovers to take the club out of the bottom four temporarily. In February, McGrath signed 19-year-old goalkeeper Mark Harrison and defender Lee Harwood from Southampton, as well as forward Tony Sealy on loan from Crystal Palace. He also placed 15 players on the transfer list, after which the Vale went on a six-game unbeaten run. Lee Harwood and Phil Sproson made a solid defensive pair, whilst young Mark Chamberlain (brother of Neville) was used in midfield. Phil Sproson struck a solid defensive partnership with Harwood. The final game of the unbeaten run was a 2–2 draw with league leaders Walsall. In March, John Fleming arrived on loan from Lincoln City, and the club went on a run of one win in twelve games, ending with a 2–1 defeat at Vale Park to fellow strugglers York City. In April, Felix Healy left the club to return to his native Northern Ireland. A Sealy goal earned Vale two points in their penultimate game with Stockport County at Edgeley Park, and their final game was a 3–0 win over Doncaster Rovers in front of just 2,338 supporters. These wins took Vale out of the re-election zone on goal difference. They finished in twentieth place with 36 points, finishing ahead of Hereford United in the re-election zone on goals scored. Hereford United needed to win by three goals in their final game to finish above Vale, but could only manage a 2–0 victory over Rochdale. Finances On the financial side, a loss of £82,069 was recorded. The financial picture led Chairman Arthur McPherson to describe 1979–80 as 'probably the worst season in the club's history'. Leaving the club at the end of the season were: Bernie Wright (Kidderminster Harriers); Bill Bentley (Stafford Rangers); Terry Owen (Northwich Victoria); Bob Delgado (Miami Americans); and Kevin Tully (Chorley). Several players remained in Burslem on virtue of having extended contracts. Cup competitions In the FA Cup, Vale were knocked out in the first round after losing 3–1 at home to Doncaster Rovers. In the League Cup, Vale were defeated by Tranmere Rovers 3–1 on aggregate. Results Football League Fourth Division 1979–80 Football League League table Fourth Division y PTV Results by matchday table b Round Ground A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/H/A/A/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/A/H Result L/L/L/L/W/W/L/L/W/L/L/D/L/W/L/L/W/D/D/D/L/L/D/W/L/D/W/L/L/D/W/W/D/D/D/L/W/L/D/L/L/D/L/L/W/W Position 14/18/23/24/21/17/19/21/17/19/22/21/21/21/21/22/21/22/21/21/22/22/22/22/22/22/20/22/22/22/20/19/19/18/18/21/20/21/20/20/22/21/21/22/20/20 Points 0p/0p/0p/0p/2p/4p/4p/4p/6p/6p/6p/7p/7p/9p/9p/9p/11p/12p/13p/14p/14p/14p/15p/17p/17p/18p/20p/20p/20p/21p/23p/25p/26p/27p/28p/28p/30p/30p/31p/31p/31p/32p/32p/32p/34p/36p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1979–1980 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20160304044656/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1979-1980/results 4 March 2016 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 18 August 1979 Newport County 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/newport-county-v-port-vale-18-august-1979-45339/ Port Vale Vaughan Goddard Tully Somerton Park Newport, Wales 4,008 2 20 August 1979 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-hereford-united-20-august-1979-45344/ Hereford United Feeley 42 Vale Park Burslem 2,744 3 25 August 1979 Aldershot 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/aldershot-v-port-vale-25-august-1979-45358/ Port Vale Todd Recreation Ground Aldershot 2,538 4 1 September 1979 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-peterborough-united-01-september-1979-45375/ Peterborough United Kellock 20 Vale Park Burslem V. Callow 2,794 5 7 September 1979 Crewe Alexandra 0–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/crewe-alexandra-v-port-vale-07-september-1979-45380/ Port Vale Chamberlain Gresty Road Crewe 4,539 6 15 September 1979 Port Vale 5–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-northampton-town-15-september-1979-45400/ Northampton Town Chamberlain Wright Sproson Vale Park Burslem 2,847 7 17 September 1979 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bradford-city-17-september-1979-45404/ Bradford City Sproson Vale Park Burslem 4,724 8 22 September 1979 Huddersfield Town 7–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/huddersfield-town-v-port-vale-22-september-1979-45423/ Port Vale Fletcher Delgado og. Hart Robins Stanton Chamberlain Leeds Road Huddersfield 4,299 9 29 September 1979 Port Vale 5–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-rochdale-29-september-1979-45435/ Rochdale Wright 9 60Owen 54Farrell 83 85 Esser 37 Vale Park Burslem 2,835 10 3 October 1979 Bradford City 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bradford-city-v-port-vale-03-october-1979-45441/ Port Vale Valley Parade Bradford 4,393 11 6 October 1979 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-lincoln-city-06-october-1979-45457/ Lincoln City Wright Vale Park Burslem 3,127 12 10 October 1979 Hereford United 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/hereford-united-v-port-vale-10-october-1979-45471/ Port Vale Edgar Street Hereford 2,741 13 13 October 1979 Hartlepool United 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/hartlepool-united-v-port-vale-13-october-1979-45480/ Port Vale Newton 21 Ayre 64 Wright 55 Victoria Park Hartlepool 2,441 14 20 October 1979 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-darlington-20-october-1979-45493/ Darlington Beech Farrell Vale Park Burslem 2,618 15 22 October 1979 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-tranmere-rovers-22-october-1979-45498/ Tranmere Rovers Vale Park Burslem 2,990 16 27 October 1979 Walsall 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/walsall-v-port-vale-27-october-1979-45521/ Port Vale Woolfall Fellows Park Walsall 4,976 17 3 November 1979 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-newport-county-03-november-1979-45530/ Newport County Farrell og. Vale Park Burslem 2,980 18 10 November 1979 Halifax Town 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/halifax-town-v-port-vale-10-november-1979-45548/ Port Vale The Shay Halifax, West Yorkshire 1,798 19 12 November 1979 Tranmere Rovers 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/tranmere-rovers-v-port-vale-12-november-1979-45555/ Port Vale Wright Prenton Park Prenton 2,140 20 17 November 1979 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-torquay-united-17-november-1979-45563/ Torquay United Wright Vale Park Burslem 2,643 21 1 December 1979 York City 5–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/york-city-v-port-vale-01-december-1979-45579/ Port Vale Chamberlain Bootham Crescent York 2,402 22 7 December 1979 19:30 GMT Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-stockport-county-07-december-1979-45582/ Stockport County Chamberlain 71 Sherlock 7 Sword 57 Vale Park Burslem Bert Newsome 2,799 23 21 December 1979 Portsmouth 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/portsmouth-v-port-vale-21-december-1979-45598/ Port Vale Gregory Bryant Griffiths Fratton Park Portsmouth 12,022 24 26 December 1979 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-scunthorpe-united-26-december-1979-45611/ Scunthorpe United Wright Vale Park Burslem 3,433 25 29 December 1979 Port Vale 0–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-aldershot-29-december-1979-45621/ Aldershot Vale Park Burslem 2,559 26 5 January 1980 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-afc-bournemouth-05-january-1980-45635/ AFC Bournemouth og. Vale Park Burslem 2,875 27 12 January 1980 Doncaster Rovers 2–3 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/doncaster-rovers-v-port-vale-12-january-1980-45642/ Port Vale Chamberlain Sproson Belle Vue Doncaster 3,859 28 26 January 1980 Peterborough United 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/peterborough-united-v-port-vale-26-january-1980-45658/ Port Vale Kellock Syrett Cliss London Road Stadium Peterborough C. Downey 3,287 29 2 February 1980 Northampton Town 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/northampton-town-v-port-vale-02-february-1980-45669/ Port Vale Woolfall County Cricket Ground Northampton 1,946 30 9 February 1980 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-huddersfield-town-09-february-1980-45678/ Huddersfield Town Elsby Cowling Vale Park Burslem 5,143 31 15 February 1980 Rochdale 0–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/rochdale-v-port-vale-15-february-1980-45688/ Port Vale Sealy Beech Spotland Stadium Rochdale 1,784 32 20 February 1980 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-crewe-alexandra-20-february-1980-45701/ Crewe Alexandra Sealy Farrell Vale Park Burslem 6,655 33 23 February 1980 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-hartlepool-united-23-february-1980-45709/ Hartlepool United Chamberlain 29 Houchen 29 Vale Park Burslem 3,702 34 1 March 1980 Darlington 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/darlington-v-port-vale-01-march-1980-45718/ Port Vale Sealy Feethams Darlington 2,102 35 8 March 1980 Port Vale 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-walsall-08-march-1980-45738/ Walsall Griffiths pen. Chamberlain Vale Park Burslem 6,756 36 15 March 1980 Lincoln City 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/lincoln-city-v-port-vale-15-march-1980-45757/ Port Vale Sincil Bank Lincoln 2,969 37 22 March 1980 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-halifax-town-22-march-1980-45770/ Halifax Town og. Vale Park Burslem 2,993 38 26 March 1980 Wigan Athletic 3–1 L https://www.wiganathleticheritage.co.uk/match-report/991/1979-1980-wigan-athletic-3-port-vale-1 Port Vale Shearer 14 19 22 Beech 24 Springfield Park Wigan George Courtney 4,854 39 29 March 1980 Torquay United 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/torquay-united-v-port-vale-29-march-1980-45785/ Port Vale Keenan Plainmoor Torquay 2,109 40 1 April 1980 Port Vale 2–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-portsmouth-01-april-1980-45788/ Portsmouth Harwood Sealy Laidlaw Perrin Vale Park Burslem 3,614 41 5 April 1980 Scunthorpe United 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/scunthorpe-united-v-port-vale-05-april-1980-45804/ Port Vale Old Show Ground Scunthorpe 1,981 42 7 April 1980 15:00 BST Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.wiganathleticheritage.co.uk/match-report/995/1979-1980-port-vale-1-wigan-athletic-1 Wigan Athletic Sealy 1 Shearer 24 Vale Park Burslem Kevin McNally 3,814 43 12 April 1980 AFC Bournemouth 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/afc-bournemouth-v-port-vale-12-april-1980-45826/ Port Vale Owen Dean Court Bournemouth 2,863 44 19 April 1980 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-york-city-19-april-1980-45847/ York City Owen Vale Park Burslem 2,640 45 25 April 1980 19:30 BST Stockport County 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/stockport-county-v-port-vale-25-april-1980-45857/ Port Vale Sealy 80 Edgeley Park Stockport Gwyn Owen 2,404 46 3 May 1980 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-doncaster-rovers-03-may-1980-45879/ Doncaster Rovers Jones Griffiths pen. Bromage Vale Park Burslem 2,338 FA Cup 1979–80 FA Cup R1 23 November 1979 Port Vale 1–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-doncaster-rovers-24-november-1979-214523/ Doncaster Rovers Beech Vale Park Burslem 4,973 League Cup 1979–80 Football League Cup R1 1st Leg 11 August 1979 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-tranmere-rovers-11-august-1979-30330/ Tranmere Rovers Vale Park Burslem 3,213 R1 2nd Leg 15 August 1979 Tranmere Rovers 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/tranmere-rovers-v-port-vale-15-august-1979-30377/ Port Vale Woolfall Prenton Park Prenton 3,026 3–1 Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup GK ENG Trevor Dance 39 0 1 0 0 0 DF ENG Bill Bentley 32 0 1 0 2 0 DF ENG Paul Bowles 10 0 1 0 0 0 DF ENG Russell Bromage 29 1 0 0 1 0 DF WAL Bob Delgado 17 0 0 0 2 0 DF ENG Neil Griffiths 40 4 1 0 0 0 DF ENG Lee Harwood 15 1 0 0 0 0 DF ENG Gerry Keenan 41 1 1 0 2 0 DF ENG Billy Leese 1 0 0 0 0 0 DF ENG Phil Sproson 39 3 1 0 0 0 MF ENG Kenny Beech 46 3 1 1 2 0 MF ENG Mark Chamberlain 11 0 0 0 0 0 MF ENG Ian Elsby 21 1 0 0 1 0 MF ENG Peter Farrell 32 5 1 0 0 0 MF NIR Felix Healy 18 0 0 0 2 0 FW ENG Neville Chamberlain 35 11 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Steve Jones 15 1 1 0 0 0 FW ENG Terry Owen 18 3 0 0 2 0 FW ENG Tony Sealy 17 6 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Alan Woolfall 7 2 1 0 2 1 FW ENG Bernie Wright 30 9 1 0 2 0 |- |colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season: GK ENG John Connaughton 7 0 0 0 2 0 DF ENG Graham Hawkins 3 0 0 0 0 0 MF ENG John Fleming 3 0 0 0 0 0 MF ENG Ged Stenson 1 0 0 0 0 0 MF ENG Ken Todd 3 1 0 0 0 0 MF ENG Kevin Tully 5 1 0 0 2 0 |} Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameFourth DivisionFA CupLeague CupTotal1FWEnglandNeville Chamberlain1100112FWEnglandBernie Wright90093FWEnglandTony Sealy60064MFEnglandPeter Farrell50055DFEnglandNeil Griffiths4004–MFEnglandKenny Beech31047DFEnglandPhil Sproson3003–FWEnglandTerry Owen30039FWEnglandAlan Woolfall201310DFEnglandGerry Keenan1001–DFEnglandLee Harwood1001–MFEnglandKen Todd1001–MFEnglandKevin Tully1001–MFEnglandIan Elsby1001–FWEnglandSteve Jones1001–DFEnglandRussell Bromage1001–––Own goals3003TOTALS561158 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. May 1979 FW ENG Steve Jones Manchester United Free transfer Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 Summer 1979 FW ENG Terry Owen Rochdale Free transfer August 1979 FW ENG Alan Woolfall Bury Free transfer 25 October 1979 DF ENG Paul Bowles Crewe Alexandra £30,000 11 February 1980 GK ENG Mark Harrison Southampton Free transfer 7 February 1980 DF ENG Lee Harwood Leatherhead Free transfer Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. August 1979 FW ENG Brian Sinclair Winsford United Sacked October 1979 DF ENG Graham Hawkins Retired October 1979 MF ENG Ged Stenson Morecambe Released 5 October 1979 MF ENG Ken Todd Portsmouth £20,000 1980 GK ENG John Connaughton Altrincham Free transfer 1980 FW ENG Terry Owen Northwich Victoria Free transfer February 1980 MF ENG Kevin Tully Chorley Released May 1980 DF ENG Bill Bentley Stafford Rangers Free transfer May 1980 DF WAL Bob Delgado USA Miami Americans Released July 1980 FW NIR Felix Healy NIR Coleraine Free transfer Summer 1980 DF ENG Billy Leese Retired Summer 1980 FW ENG Bernie Wright Kidderminster Harriers Free transfer Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date to Ref. 7 February 1980 FW ENG Tony Sealy Crystal Palace End of season March 1980 MF ENG John Fleming Lincoln City March 1980 Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date to Ref. 3 January 1980 DF ENG Paul Bowles Southampton January 1980 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