1963–64 Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Port Vale 1963–64 Freddie Steele Tom Talbot Vale Park Football League Third Division 13th (46 points) FA Cup Fourth Round(eliminated by Liverpool) League Cup First Round(eliminated by Southend United) Tony Richards (12) Tony Richards (13) 42,179 vs. Liverpool, 27 January 1964 4,497 vs. Wrexham, 25 April 1964 10,056 5–0 vs. Wrexham, 25 April 1964 0–3 (twice) and 1–4 _collarblack _band_white ffffff ffffff ffffff 000000 000000 1962–63 1964–65 The 1963–64 season was Port Vale's 52nd season of football in the English Football League, and their fifth season in the Third Division.Kent Jeff The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale Witan Books 1990 196–226 Flattering Only to Deceive (1960–1969) 0-9508981-4-7 Under manager Freddie Steele and chairman Tom Talbot, the club embarked on an ambitious recruitment drive — paying large transfer fees for players like Albert Cheesebrough (£20,000), Billy Bingham (£15,000), Jackie Mudie (£12,000), and Ron Wilson (£12,000) — but it proved to be a disappointing campaign both on the pitch and financially. Vale finished a middling 13th in the league with 46 points from 46 matches, ten places below their previous season's third-place near-promotion position. The season's highlights came in the FA Cup, where Vale pulled off a major upset by beating top-flight Birmingham City at St Andrew's, then held Liverpool to 0–0 at Anfield before narrowly losing the Fourth Round replay at Vale Park. In the League Cup, Vale were eliminated at the First Round stage. Tony Richards finished as the club's top scorer with 13 goals (12 in the league), despite Vale's struggles to convert their investment into results. Support at Vale Park averaged 10,056, with the lowest attendance recorded as 4,497 against Wrexham on 25 April 1964, when Vale also secured their largest win of the campaign, a 5–0 victory. Overall, the 1963–64 season proved a season of high spending and unfulfilled expectations. Despite cup heroics and a stable mid-table finish, Vale missed promotion, suffered financially, and underperformed given the hefty transfer outlays under Freddie Steele's leadership. Overview Third Division The pre-season saw manager Freddie Steele spend unprecedented sums of money, though Vale's spending was insignificant to the standard of many of their rivals. Steele brought in Northern Ireland international Billy Bingham from Everton for £15,000; Albert Cheesebrough from Leicester City for another £15,000; as well as Walsall's Tim Rawlings for £4,000. Chairman Tom Talbot approved these signings despite the club's financial problems. The club also took a tour of Northern Ireland, though a friendly with Benfica (arranged to match rivals Stoke City's match with Real Madrid) was cancelled due to fixture congestion. Manager Freddie Steele reverted the black and amber striped shirts of recent seasons to black and white as he felt it was a more "manly-looking outfit". The season opened with a 1–0 defeat to Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow. This was followed with two victories, including a 4–1 win over Bristol City in which Tony Richards bagged a hat-trick. After another three poor away games came, followed by a 3–0 win over Brentford in which Cheesebrough scored a hat-trick, and a 4–0 win over nearby Crewe Alexandra in front of 17,118 fans. Richards sustained a bad leg injury in this win over Crewe. In the beginning of October, Steele bought "robust and direct" winger Ron Smith from Crewe for £6,500. Vale improved as a consequence, and three successive victories followed, leaving Vale in fifth spot. On 12 October, Vale recorded a 4–1 victory over Southend United. A 2–1 win at Wrexham a week later brought Vale up to fifth in the table. However, with Richards' return came a downturn in form, as Vale's impressive strikers failed to find the net in a run of one win in nine league games. This one win was a 1–0 victory over struggling Barnsley at Vale Park. However, a subsequent pitch invasion by youths emphasised a growing hooligan culture that would plague the club and the sport itself for decades. One youth was arrested for throwing a cup at goalkeeper Alan Hill. Unrelated to the violence, Cheesebrough left the field injured and subsequently required a cartilage operation. In November, Vale paid Stoke City £12,000 for both ex-Scotland striker Jackie Mudie and left-back Ron Wilson. They made their debuts in a 2–0 defeat to Colchester United on 23 November. The defeats kept coming, and so Steele experimented with a 4–2–4 formation, dropping Richards from the first XI. Vale then went six league games unbeaten, including a 4–4 draw with Bristol Rovers at the Eastville Stadium where Mudie showed himself as a "master tactician" and scored two "brilliant" goals. On 11 January, a 1–0 home win over third-placed Oldham Athletic took them to within five points of the promotion places with a match in hand. However, despite Cheesebrough's return to fitness, a 1–0 home loss inflicted by Notts County sent Vale on a run of seven defeats and two draws in nine league games. By March, the club was in a relegation battle, though results then began to go Vale's way. Only one defeat in their final eleven games ensured safety, as the season ended with a 5–0 drubbing of already-relegated Wrexham. They finished in 13th place with 46 points, a poor finish for the money spent on transfers. Only 53 goals were scored, as Richards and Cheeseborough were affected with injuries, and Bingham struggled to find his footing in the third tier. Their 49 goals conceded was an excellent record though. Finances On the financial side, good attendance figures failed to prevent a massive loss of £42,650, resulting from a £45,567 deficit in transfer fees. A donation of £19,867 from the Sportsmen's Association and the social club could not disguise the disaster of poor finances. The wage bill had also risen by 20% to over £40,000. Leaving the club were Colin Grainger to Doncaster Rovers and Terry Harkin to Crewe Alexandra for a £3,000 fee. Cup competitions In the FA Cup, Vale "turned on that old cup magic" against Fourth Division side Bradford City with a 2–1 win at Valley Parade. They defeated Workington 2–1 in a 'slipshod affair'. The third round held First Division club Birmingham City at St Andrew's. Three thousand of the 21,652 spectators were Vale fans, who 'sung and chanted their way through' a 2–1 victory as John Nicholson played on despite suffering from concussion. Vale had controlled most of the game, looking the more efficient and well-drilled team.Baggaley Mike Transfer priority and work to do https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/transfer-priority-and-work-to-do 19 January 2026 Valiant's Substack 19 January 2026 In the fourth round, Vale were drawn against top-flight giants Liverpool at Anfield. The "Reds" had inflicted a 6–1 thrashing of Stoke on Boxing Day, in an ominous sign of the challenge the "Valiants" faced. Vale achieved a goalless draw in front of 52,327 fans – 8,000 of them Vale supporters – in a fantastic team performance. The replay at Vale Park ended in a 2–1 loss in front of 42,179 paying fans (as well as an additional 6,000 or so Liverpool supporters who 'mob stormed' the gates to enter the Railway Paddock).Baggaley Mike The challenge for the next manager https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/the-challenge-for-the-next-manager 5 January 2026 Valiant's Substack 5 January 2026 Crowd trouble ate into the £8,000 worth of gate receipts, and more significantly caused the death of a Leek man (Harold Birch), and saw serious injuries inflicted to Liverpool fans Harry Taylor and James McDonough, as well as Vale supporter Billy Poulson (son of the former player of the same name). In the League Cup, a first-round exit came with a 2–1 defeat at Southend United's Roots Hall. Results Football League Third Division 1963–64 Football League League table Third Division y PTV Results by matchday table b Round Ground A/H/H/A/A/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/A/H/A/A/A/H/H/A/A/H/H/H/A/A/H Result L/W/W/L/D/L/W/W/L/W/D/L/W/W/W/L/D/D/L/W/L/D/D/D/W/D/W/L/L/L/L/D/L/L/L/D/W/D/D/W/W/D/W/L/D/W Position 21/9/4/11/10/16/7/6/10/8/9/12/9/6/5/6/7/7/12/10/10/12/13/13/10/9/8/10/11/13/13/15/15/16/17/17/16/17/16/15/14/14/13/14/14/13 Points 0p/2p/4p/4p/5p/5p/7p/9p/9p/11p/12p/12p/14p/16p/18p/18p/19p/20p/20p/22p/22p/23p/24p/25p/27p/28p/30p/30p/30p/30p/30p/31p/31p/31p/31p/32p/34p/35p/36p/38p/40p/41p/43p/43p/44p/46p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1963–1964 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064724/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1963-1964/results 4 March 2016 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 24 August 1963 Shrewsbury Town 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/shrewsbury-town-v-port-vale-24-august-1963-128088/ Port Vale Gay Meadow Shrewsbury 9,710 2 26 August 1963 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-mansfield-town-26-august-1963-128092/ Mansfield Town Richards Vale Park Burslem 14,451 3 31 August 1963 Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bristol-city-31-august-1963-128110/ Bristol City Richards Rowland Vale Park Burslem 10,363 4 7 September 1963 Oldham Athletic 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/oldham-athletic-v-port-vale-07-september-1963-128122/ Port Vale Boundary Park Oldham 14,730 5 9 September 1963 Mansfield Town 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/mansfield-town-v-port-vale-09-september-1963-128128/ Port Vale Boner B.Hancock Field Mill Mansfield 12,064 6 14 September 1963 Notts County 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/notts-county-v-port-vale-14-september-1963-128145/ Port Vale Meadow Lane Nottingham 7,309 7 16 September 1963 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-brentford-16-september-1963-128153/ Brentford Cheesebrough Vale Park Burslem 11,539 8 21 September 1963 Port Vale 4–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-crewe-alexandra-21-september-1963-128171/ Crewe Alexandra Cheesebrough Bingham Steele Richards Vale Park Burslem 17,118 9 28 September 1963 Crystal Palace 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/crystal-palace-v-port-vale-28-september-1963-128180/ Port Vale Selhurst Park Selhurst, Croydon 15,044 10 1 October 1963 Brentford 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/brentford-v-port-vale-01-october-1963-128190/ Port Vale McAdams Poole Cheesebrough Griffin Park Brentford, West London 11,914 11 5 October 1963 Port Vale 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-walsall-05-october-1963-128207/ Walsall Bingham og. Vale Park Burslem 12,760 12 9 October 1963 Luton Town 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/luton-town-v-port-vale-09-october-1963-128220/ Port Vale Kenilworth Road Luton 5,914 13 12 October 1963 Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-southend-united-12-october-1963-128232/ Southend United Rowland Smith Harkin Miles Vale Park Burslem 10,306 14 14 October 1963 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-luton-town-14-october-1963-128237/ Luton Town Rawlings Vale Park Burslem 11,449 15 19 October 1963 15:15 BST Wrexham 1–2 W https://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=3112 Port Vale Griffiths 59 Bingham 36 52 Racecourse Ground Wrexham A.W. Luty H.V. Allsop, S. Read 6,781 16 23 October 1963 Reading 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/reading-v-port-vale-23-october-1963-128267/ Port Vale Elm Park Reading, Berkshire 8,731 17 26 October 1963 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bournemouth-and-boscombe-athletic-26-october-1963-128278/ Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic Vale Park Burslem 12,402 18 28 October 1963 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-reading-28-october-1963-128284/ Reading Vale Park Burslem 9,492 19 2 November 1963 15:00 GMT Hull City 4–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/hull-city-v-port-vale-02-november-1963-128298/ Port Vale Chilton 28 60 Wilkinson 51 64 Richards Boothferry Park Kingston upon Hull 8,460 20 9 November 1963 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-barnsley-09-november-1963-128313/ Barnsley Steele Vale Park Burslem 9,083 21 23 November 1963 Port Vale 0–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-colchester-united-23-november-1963-128325/ Colchester United Hunt 3 50 Vale Park Burslem A. Jones 11,108 22 30 November 1963 Watford 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/watford-v-port-vale-30-november-1963-128339/ Port Vale Oliver Poole Vicarage Road Watford 9,890 23 14 December 1963 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-shrewsbury-town-14-december-1963-128349/ Shrewsbury Town Mudie Vale Park Burslem 6,906 24 21 December 1963 Bristol City 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/bristol-city-v-port-vale-21-december-1963-128355/ Port Vale Ashton Gate Ashton Gate, Bristol 6,021 25 26 December 1963 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bristol-rovers-26-december-1963-128371/ Bristol Rovers Mudie Vale Park Burslem 11,442 26 28 December 1963 Bristol Rovers 4–4 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/bristol-rovers-v-port-vale-28-december-1963-128376/ Port Vale Richards Mudie Eastville Stadium Bristol 12,954 27 11 January 1964 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-oldham-athletic-11-january-1964-128399/ Oldham Athletic Richards Vale Park Burslem 12,322 28 18 January 1964 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-notts-county-18-january-1964-128412/ Notts County Vale Park Burslem 7,337 29 31 January 1964 Crewe Alexandra 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/crewe-alexandra-v-port-vale-31-january-1964-128423/ Port Vale Gresty Road Crewe 9,425 30 8 February 1964 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-crystal-palace-08-february-1964-128443/ Crystal Palace Richards Vale Park Burslem 8,204 31 15 February 1964 Walsall 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/walsall-v-port-vale-15-february-1964-128457/ Port Vale Mudie Fellows Park Walsall 7,056 32 22 February 1964 Southend United 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/southend-united-v-port-vale-22-february-1964-128468/ Port Vale Smith Roots Hall Southend-on-Sea 7,612 33 29 February 1964 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.theposhtrust.co.uk/match/1009/19640229 Peterborough United Poole Jackson Smith Vale Park Burslem W. Haynes 6,613 34 7 March 1964 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bournemouth-and-boscombe-athletic-v-port-vale-07-march-1964-128487/ Port Vale Dean Court Bournemouth 7,584 35 16 March 1964 Millwall 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/millwall-v-port-vale-16-march-1964-128511/ Port Vale Mudie The Den New Cross, Lewisham 8,312 36 23 March 1964 Peterborough United 1–1 D https://www.theposhtrust.co.uk/match/1009/19640323 Port Vale Horobin Steele London Road Stadium Peterborough G. Davis 10,408 37 28 March 1964 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-millwall-28-march-1964-128541/ Millwall Bingham Vale Park Burslem 5,385 38 30 March 1964 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-coventry-city-30-march-1964-128550/ Coventry City Steele own goal Vale Park Burslem 17,567 39 31 March 1964 Coventry City 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/coventry-city-v-port-vale-31-march-1964-128558/ Port Vale Kirby Smith Highfield Road Coventry 29,641 40 4 April 1964 Colchester United 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/colchester-united-v-port-vale-04-april-1964-128564/ Port Vale Stark 66 Miles 4 Rowland 77 Layer Road Colchester T. Dawes 3,263 41 6 April 1964 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-queens-park-rangers-06-april-1964-128572/ Queens Park Rangers Steele Smith Vale Park Burslem 7,167 42 11 April 1964 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-watford-11-april-1964-128582/ Watford Vale Park Burslem 7,698 43 13 April 1964 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-hull-city-13-april-1964-128589/ Hull City Rowland Vale Park Burslem 6,090 44 18 April 1964 Queens Park Rangers 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/queens-park-rangers-v-port-vale-18-april-1964-128600/ Port Vale Bedford Leary Loftus Road Shepherd's Bush, West London 4,955 45 20 April 1964 Barnsley 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/barnsley-v-port-vale-20-april-1964-128604/ Port Vale Oakwell Barnsley 4,918 46 25 April 1964 15:15 GMT Port Vale 5–0 W https://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=845 Wrexham Richards 11 80 Bingham 26 pen. Smith 59 Cheesebrough 72 Vale Park Burslem V. James H. Thompson, A. Johnson 4,497 FA Cup 1963–64 FA Cup R1 16 November 1963 Bradford City 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/bradford-city-v-port-vale-16-november-1963-211927/ Port Vale Whalley Richards Valley Parade Bradford 8,189 R2 7 December 1963 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-workington-07-december-1963-211986/ Workington Steele Bingham Vale Park Burslem 10,286 R3 4 January 1964 Birmingham City 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/birmingham-city-v-port-vale-04-january-1964-211997/ Port Vale Beard Sproson Mudie St Andrew's Birmingham 21,652 R4 25 January 1964 Liverpool 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/liverpool-v-port-vale-25-january-1964-212045/ Port Vale Anfield Liverpool 52,327 Replay 27 January 1964 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-liverpool-27-january-1964-212051/ Liverpool Cheesebrough 79 Hunt 35 Thompson 118 Vale Park Burslem 42,179 yes League Cup 1963–64 Football League Cup R2 25 September 1963 Southend United 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/southend-united-v-port-vale-25-september-1963-28411/ Port Vale Harkin Roots Hall Southend-on-Sea 6,126 Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward Third Division FA Cup League Cup GK ENG John Cooke 2 0 0 0 0 0 GK ENG Ken Hancock 44 0 5 0 1 0 DF ENG Terry Alcock 2 0 0 0 0 0 DF ENG Terry Lowe 3 0 0 0 0 0 DF ENG John Nicholson 46 0 5 0 1 0 DF ENG Roy Sproson 46 0 5 1 1 0 DF ENG Selwyn Whalley 41 0 5 1 1 0 DF SCO Ron Wilson 24 0 4 0 0 0 MF ENG Colin Grainger 3 0 0 0 0 0 MF ENG Terry Miles 24 2 2 0 1 0 MF ENG Tim Rawlings 19 1 3 0 0 0 MF ENG Ron Smith 34 5 5 0 0 0 FW NIR Billy Bingham 35 6 2 1 1 0 FW ENG Albert Cheesebrough 25 6 1 1 1 0 FW ENG Barry Hancock 5 1 0 0 0 0 FW NIR Terry Harkin 10 1 0 0 1 1 FW SCO Jackie Mudie 18 6 3 1 0 0 FW ENG Harry Poole 26 3 2 0 1 0 FW ENG Mick Porter 2 0 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Tony Richards 30 12 4 1 0 0 FW ENG John Rowland 23 4 4 0 1 0 FW ENG Stan Steele 44 5 5 1 1 0 |} Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameThird DivisionFA CupLeague CupTotal1FWEnglandTony Richards1210132FWScotlandJackie Mudie6107–FWNorthern IrelandBilly Bingham6107–FWEnglandAlbert Cheesebrough61075FWEnglandStan Steele51066MFEnglandRon Smith50057FWEnglandJohn Rowland40048FWEnglandHarry Poole30039MFEnglandTerry Miles2002–FWNorthern IrelandTerry Harkin101211FWEnglandBarry Hancock1001–FWEnglandTim Rawlings1001–DFEnglandRoy Sproson0101–DFEnglandSelwyn Whalley0101–––Own goals1001TOTALS537161 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. June 1963 MF ENG Tim Rawlings Walsall £4,000 Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 August 1963 FW ENG Albert Cheesebrough Leicester City £20,000 August 1963 FW NIR Billy Bingham Everton £15,000 October 1963 MF ENG Ron Smith Crewe Alexandra £6,500 November 1963 FW SCO Jackie Mudie Stoke City £12,000 November 1963 DF SCO Ron Wilson Stoke City £12,000 Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. May 1964 GK ENG John Cooke Macclesfield Town Free transfer July 1964 MF NIR Terry Harkin Crewe Alexandra £3,000 July 1964 MF ENG Jim Watton Doncaster Rovers Free transfer Summer 1964 FW ENG Barry Hancock 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