1959–60 Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Port Vale 1959–60 Norman Low Fred Burgess Vale Park Football League Third Division 14th (46 points) FA Cup Fifth Round(eliminated by Aston Villa) Supporters' Clubs' Trophy Runners–up(eliminated by Stoke City) Graham Barnett (14) Graham Barnett (17) 49,768 vs. Aston Villa, 20 February 1960 5,514 vs. Swindon Town, 30 April 1960 10,733 7–0 vs. Halifax Town, 28 December 1959 0–6 vs. Tranmere Rovers, 5 September 1959 _black_stripes _blackstripescollar _black_stripes _black_thinstripe_color _color_3_stripes_black FFD700 FFD700 FFD700 FFD700 FFD700 1958–59 1960–61 The 1958–59 season was Port Vale's 48th season of football in the English Football League, and their first season in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth 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 the stewardship of manager Norman Low and chairman Fred Burgess, Vale finished a solid 14th with 46 points from 46 matches, nestled mid-table and comfortably clear of both relegation and promotion zones. The attack produced 80 league goals, with Graham Barnett finishing as both league top scorer with 14 goals and season top scorer with 17 across all competitions. In the FA Cup, Vale enjoyed their most successful run since 1953–54, reaching the Fifth Round, a journey which came to an end in a 2–1 home defeat to Aston Villa before a club record crowd of 49,768 at Vale Park on 20 February 1960. They also took part in the inaugural Supporters' Clubs' Trophy, narrowly losing the final to Potteries derby rivals Stoke City by 5–3 on aggregate. Support at Vale Park remained steady, with an average attendance of 10,733, though spectator interest varied significantly — from a season‑low 5,514 against Swindon Town on 30 April 1960, to the spectacular 49,768 in the cup tie with Villa. One of the season's standout league results was a 7–0 thrashing of Halifax Town on Boxing Day 1959, Vale's largest win of the campaign. The squad underwent notable changes: new signings included Morgan Hunt, Stan March, Cliff Portwood, Peter Ford, and Harry Oscroft, while departures saw Jack Wilkinson, John Cunliffe, and eventual top scorer Graham Barnett move on during the season — reflecting Low's continued reshaping of the team. Overall, the 1959–60 season was marked by a competent return to Third Division football. Vale consolidated their position with mid-table stability, a memorable FA Cup run that broke attendance records, and some emphatic league victories — laying down a foundation for further progress under Norman Low. Overview Third Division The pre-season saw the arrival of Morgan Hunt from Norwich City for a four-figure fee, and outside-left Cliff Portwood from Preston North End for £750. The season began with a 3–2 win over Reading at Elm Park, Norman Low having selected a first XI without any of the new signings. However, after a 1–0 win over Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Vale began to struggle, picking up just a point in their next six games. Low tried to sign Stanley Matthews, still going strong aged 44 for Blackpool, but a deal could not be reached. On 5 September, Tranmere Rovers beat Vale 6–0 at Prenton Park after Roy Sproson left the field in the first half with a gashed leg. Low then traded John Cunliffe and £2,000 to Stoke City in exchange for winger Harry Oscroft and centre-half Peter Ford. An improvement took place, and despite trouble in front of goal, the team won seven successive games at Burslem. In October, Jack Wilkinson was sold to Exeter City for £2,500, having lost his place in the starting eleven. On 28 December, Vale recorded a 7–0 win over Halifax Town, causing The Sentinel'''s "T.G.F." to remark that "rarely have the opposition been so completely outplayed". In March, Graham Barnett was sold to Tranmere Rovers for £5,000, having lost his form. The "Valiants" continued to perform well at home but lost on their travels. The departure of top-scorer Barnett meant the club 'urgently needed a top-class inside-forward'. This was proven with a run of just four goals in seven matches, culminating in only two points and dashed hopes of promotion. On 12 March, Vale were beaten 4–1 at Chesterfield and both Peter Ford and Terry Miles suffered season-ending injuries. A 3–1 defeat at Bury saw Peter Ford play as the eighth different player of the season in the centre forward role. In danger of relegation, the players rallied to win seven points from the final five games. The penultimate match was a 6–3 loss to Mansfield Town at Field Mill, whilst Vale then won against Swindon Town 6–1 in a game that was alleged to have been fixed by Jimmy Gauld.Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk - Jimmy GAULD - Player Profile https://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/Person.asp?PersonID=GAULDJIM www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk 18 October 2020 They finished in 14th spot with 46 points, a good finish for a club just promoted. Stan Steele had put in his third successive ever-present season, whilst Barnett was the top-scorer despite leaving in March. The club toured Czechoslovakia at the end of the season, due to Stoke-on-Trent's close relationship with the town of Lidice that developed from local MP Barnett Stross's Lidice Shall Live campaign.How Stoke-on-Trent helped Lidice https://news.bbc.co.uk/local/stoke/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9418000/9418670.stm 4 June 2020 BBC 8 March 2011 The team defeated Cottwaldov, Přerov, Karlovy Vary; drew with FK Teplice; and were beaten by Jihlava.Port Vale and Czechoslovakia - a special relationship https://www.onevalefan.co.uk/czech-mates-port-vale-and-czechoslovakia-a-special-relationship/ 4 June 2020 onevalefan.co.uk Finances On the financial side, a £1,454 loss was announced despite a £10,352 donation from the Sportsmen's Association. Gate receipts had risen by £1,680 due to the Aston Villa game. However, average home attendance was down by around 2,000. Wages also increased by a more considerable £7,064, though there was a transfer credit of £3,500. There were 22 players retained, Roy Pritchard and Morgan Hunt were not amongst them, leaving for Wellington Town and Boston United respectively. In May, the club took a five-match tour of Czechoslovakia. They experienced a culture shock, playing with a smaller, 'half-inflated' ball, and finding referees much more strict. However, the tour was a success and was much enjoyed by the players and their hosts. Cup competitions In the FA Cup, Vale eased past Dorchester Town of the Western League 2–1 after Graham Barnett injured Dorchester's keeper.Kent Jeff Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories Witan Books December 1991 27 0-9508981-6-3 In the next round Vale beat Queens Park Rangers 2–1 in a replay, after a 50 yd strike from David Raine helped them to a 3–3 draw in the original match.Kent Jeff Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories Witan Books December 1991 116 0-9508981-6-3 In the third round, they met Second Division high-flyers Cardiff City at Ninian Park, and were not concerned as Graham Barnett responded to Low's warning that the Wales captain faced them by saying "So fucking what? My mother could play for Wales".Kent Jeff Port Vale Tales: A Collection Of Stories, Anecdotes And Memories Witan Books December 1991 28 0-9508981-6-3 They beat Cardiff 2–0 with a solid performance. Drawn against Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park, 'the defence took the honours' in a 1–0 win. The fifth round draw saw Vale face a home tie with Aston Villa, another second-tier club. A still-standing club-record attendance of 49,768 turned up for the game on 20 February, resulting in £8,500 worth of gate receipts for the Vale. Vale sold tickets for the Villa game from kiosks inside the ground during a midweek home game against Grimsby Town, which saw a 12,000 higher-than-normal attendance as fans were so desperate to secure their tickets for the Villa game.Substack Valiant's Vale determined to back Darren Moore https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/vale-determined-to-back-darren-moore 25 November 2025 Valiant's Substack 24 November 2025 Heavy snowfall preceded the match and 1,500 tonnes of snow were cleared off the pitch. Brian Jackson gave Vale a 36th-minute lead, but the "Villans" came back to win the match with six minutes to spare. Vale lost to Stoke 5–3 on aggregate in the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy. Results Football League Third Division 1959–60 Football League League table Third Division y PTV Results by matchday table b Round Ground A/H/H/A/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/A/H/H/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/A/H Result W/W/L/L/L/D/L/L/W/W/L/L/W/W/W/L/W/L/W/L/D/W/W/D/W/L/D/W/L/W/D/L/W/W/D/L/D/L/L/L/L/W/W/D/L/W Position 9/2/8/15/17/16/18/19/17/16/17/18/18/16/16/16/16/16/15/16/16/14/13/12/9/10/11/10/12/10/11/11/10/7/7/9/11/12/13/16/17/14/11/14/15/14 Points 2p/4p/4p/4p/4p/5p/5p/5p/7p/9p/9p/9p/11p/13p/15p/15p/17p/17p/19p/19p/20p/22p/24p/25p/27p/27p/28p/30p/30p/32p/33p/33p/35p/37p/38p/38p/39p/39p/39p/39p/39p/41p/43p/44p/44p/46p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1959–1960 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20150913021606/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1959-1960/results 13 September 2015 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 22 August 1959 Reading 2–3 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/reading-v-port-vale-22-august-1959-125878/ Port Vale Barnett Poole Elm Park Reading, Berkshire 14,917 2 24 August 1959 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bournemouth-and-boscombe-athletic-24-august-1959-125889/ Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic Barnett Vale Park Burslem 18,037 3 29 August 1959 Port Vale 0–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-shrewsbury-town-29-august-1959-125903/ Shrewsbury Town Vale Park Burslem 18,607 4 2 September 1959 Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bournemouth-and-boscombe-athletic-v-port-vale-02-september-1959-125915/ Port Vale Dean Court Bournemouth 11,689 5 5 September 1959 Tranmere Rovers 6–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/tranmere-rovers-v-port-vale-05-september-1959-125928/ Port Vale Prenton Park Prenton 11,635 6 7 September 1959 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-southampton-07-september-1959-125936/ Southampton Poole O'Brien Vale Park Burslem 13,906 7 12 September 1959 Norwich City 5–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/norwich-city-v-port-vale-12-september-1959-125951/ Port Vale Poole Carrow Road Norwich 27,041 8 16 September 1959 Southampton 3–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/southampton-v-port-vale-16-september-1959-125965/ Port Vale Huxford Reeves Barnett Steele The Dell Southampton 17,009 9 19 September 1959 Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-brentford-19-september-1959-125970/ Brentford Steele Barnett Francis Vale Park Burslem 12,817 10 21 September 1959 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-barnsley-21-september-1959-125981/ Barnsley Sproson Vale Park Burslem 10,886 11 26 September 1959 Colchester United 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/colchester-united-v-port-vale-26-september-1959-125995/ Port Vale King Poole Layer Road Colchester 7,822 12 30 September 1959 Barnsley 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/barnsley-v-port-vale-30-september-1959-126012/ Port Vale Oakwell Barnsley 7,870 13 3 October 1959 Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-southend-united-03-october-1959-126019/ Southend United Leake Steele Jackson Vale Park Burslem 12,008 14 10 October 1959 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-accrington-stanley-10-october-1959-126043/ Accrington Stanley Jackson pen. Barnett Vale Park Burslem 10,712 15 12 October 1959 Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-mansfield-town-12-october-1959-126051/ Mansfield Town Jackson Oscroft Barnett Wilkinson Jones Vale Park Burslem 9,230 16 19 October 1959 Newport County 4–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/newport-county-v-port-vale-19-october-1959-126069/ Port Vale McPherson Meyer McSeveney Whalley Barnett Somerton Park Newport, Wales 7,996 17 24 October 1959 Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-chesterfield-24-october-1959-126077/ Chesterfield Oscroft Barnett Steele Vale Park Burslem 7,946 18 31 October 1959 15:15 GMT Wrexham 1–0 L https://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=3015 Port Vale Weston 78 Racecourse Ground Wrexham G. McCabe H. Tonge, T.B. Edwards 8,150 19 7 November 1959 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-york-city-07-november-1959-126101/ York City Oscroft og. Vale Park Burslem 8,425 20 21 November 1959 Port Vale 0–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bradford-city-21-november-1959-126112/ Bradford City Vale Park Burslem 9,924 21 28 November 1959 Queens Park Rangers 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/queens-park-rangers-v-port-vale-28-november-1959-126124/ Port Vale Bedford Poole Loftus Road Shepherd's Bush, West London 8,775 22 12 December 1959 Swindon Town 2–3 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/swindon-town-v-port-vale-12-december-1959-126139/ Port Vale Layne 15 Marshall 59 Barnett 13 Jackson 40 Portwood 83 County Ground Swindon C.W. Kingston 7,716 23 19 December 1959 Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-reading-19-december-1959-126148/ Reading Poole Jackson Portwood Vale Park Burslem 6,723 24 26 December 1959 Halifax Town 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/halifax-town-v-port-vale-26-december-1959-126157/ Port Vale Steele The Shay Halifax, West Yorkshire 6,175 25 28 December 1959 Port Vale 7–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-halifax-town-28-december-1959-126170/ Halifax Town Barnett Jackson Poole Vale Park Burslem 9,664 26 2 January 1960 Shrewsbury Town 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/shrewsbury-town-v-port-vale-02-january-1960-126182/ Port Vale Steele Gay Meadow Shrewsbury 9,754 27 16 January 1960 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-tranmere-rovers-16-january-1960-126197/ Tranmere Rovers Poole Vale Park Burslem 9,706 28 23 January 1960 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-norwich-city-23-january-1960-126203/ Norwich City Steele Miles Vale Park Burslem 11,040 29 6 February 1960 Brentford 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/brentford-v-port-vale-06-february-1960-126218/ Port Vale Towers Francis Griffin Park Brentford 10,141 30 10 February 1960 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-grimsby-town-10-february-1960-126226/ Grimsby Town Portwood Vale Park Burslem 22,987 31 13 February 1960 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-colchester-united-13-february-1960-126233/ Colchester United Donaldson King Vale Park Burslem 10,248 32 22 February 1960 Southend United 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/southend-united-v-port-vale-22-february-1960-126247/ Port Vale Steele Roots Hall Southend-on-Sea 6,534 33 27 February 1960 Accrington Stanley 1–3 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/accrington-stanley-v-port-vale-27-february-1960-126250/ Port Vale Donaldson Steele Peel Park Accrington 3,109 34 5 March 1960 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-newport-county-05-march-1960-126272/ Newport County Donaldson Jackson McSeveney Vale Park Burslem 9,073 35 7 March 1960 Coventry City 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/coventry-city-v-port-vale-07-march-1960-126277/ Port Vale Simcoe og. Leake Highfield Road Coventry 15,549 36 12 March 1960 Chesterfield 4–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/chesterfield-v-port-vale-12-march-1960-126285/ Port Vale og. Saltergate Chesterfield, Derbyshire 6,152 37 19 March 1960 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-queens-park-rangers-19-march-1960-126303/ Queens Park Rangers Vale Park Burslem 7,049 38 26 March 1960 York City 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/york-city-v-port-vale-26-march-1960-126321/ Port Vale Bootham Crescent York 6,415 39 2 April 1960 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-coventry-city-02-april-1960-126334/ Coventry City Vale Park Burslem 7,686 40 9 April 1960 Bradford City 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bradford-city-v-port-vale-09-april-1960-126342/ Port Vale Poole Valley Parade Bradford 5,986 41 15 April 1960 Bury 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bury-v-port-vale-15-april-1960-126354/ Port Vale Hall Gigg Lane Bury, Greater Manchester 6,397 42 16 April 1960 15:15 BST Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=793 Wrexham Portwood 31 Archer 60 87 Harbertson 58 Vale Park Burslem H.P. Hackney 6,798 43 18 April 1960 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bury-18-april-1960-126380/ Bury Portwood Poole Vale Park Burslem 7,875 44 23 April 1960 Grimsby Town 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/grimsby-town-v-port-vale-23-april-1960-126393/ Port Vale Hall Blundell Park Cleethorpes 8,413 45 25 April 1960 Mansfield Town 6–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/mansfield-town-v-port-vale-25-april-1960-126400/ Port Vale Hollett Delapenha Fitzsimons Wragg Portwood Archer Kinsey Field Mill Mansfield 4,970 46 30 April 1960 Port Vale 6–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-swindon-town-30-april-1960-126414/ Swindon Town Oscroft 14 25 30 65 Chamberlin 27 og. Portwood 60 Gauld 87 Vale Park Burslem L.J. Hamer 5,514 FA Cup 1959–60 FA Cup R1 14 November 1959 Dorchester Town 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/dorchester-town-v-port-vale-14-november-1959-211332/ Port Vale Poole Barnett Dorchester, Dorset 4,100 R2 5 December 1959 Queens Park Rangers 3–3 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/queens-park-rangers-v-port-vale-05-december-1959-211377/ Port Vale Longbottom Bedford Portwood Leake Raine Loftus Road Shepherd's Bush, West London 11,143 Replay 7 December 1959 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-queens-park-rangers-07-december-1959-211387/ Queens Park Rangers Barnett Andrews Vale Park Burslem 9,544 R3 9 January 1960 14:15 GMT Cardiff City 0–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/cardiff-city-v-port-vale-09-january-1960-211400/ Port Vale Steele Portwood Ninian Park Cardiff George McCabe 25,588 R4 30 January 1960 Scunthorpe United 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/scunthorpe-united-v-port-vale-30-january-1960-211442/ Port Vale Portwood Old Show Ground Scunthorpe 14,043 R5 20 February 1960 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/game/2571 Aston Villa Jackson 36 pen. Hitchens 58 Thomson 84 Vale Park Burslem Tommy Langdale 49,768 Supporters' Clubs' Trophy Final 1st Leg 5 October 1959 Stoke City 3–1 L Port Vale Jackson Victoria Ground Stoke-upon-Trent 9,045 Final 2nd Leg 26 October 1959 Port Vale 2–2 D Stoke City Steele Jackson Vale Park Burslem 7,506 3–5 Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward Third Division FA Cup Supporters' Club's Trophy GK ENG Ken Hancock 23 0 1 0 2 0 GK ENG John Poole 23 0 5 0 0 0 FB ENG Fred Donaldson 8 4 0 0 0 0 FB ENG Roy Pritchard 6 0 0 0 0 0 FB ENG David Raine 39 0 6 1 2 0 FB ENG Selwyn Whalley 12 2 0 0 1 0 HB ENG Colin Davies 10 0 0 0 0 0 HB ENG Peter Ford 25 0 6 0 2 0 HB WAL Morgan Hunt 2 0 0 0 0 0 HB ENG Albert Leake 33 2 5 1 1 0 HB ENG Terry Miles 34 1 6 0 1 0 HB ENG Roy Sproson 41 1 6 0 2 0 FW ENG John Archer 6 3 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Peter Hall 4 2 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Brian Jackson 45 8 6 1 2 2 FW WAL Noel Kinsey 19 1 1 0 1 0 FW ENG Stan March 1 0 0 0 1 0 FW ENG Harry Oscroft 26 7 1 0 2 0 FW ENG Harry Poole 44 12 6 1 2 0 FW ENG Cliff Portwood 20 9 5 3 0 0 FW ENG Stan Steele 46 10 6 1 2 1 |- |colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season:'' FW ENG Graham Barnett 27 14 6 3 2 0 FW ENG John Cunliffe 6 0 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Jack Wilkinson 6 1 0 0 0 0 |} Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameThird DivisionFA CupOtherTotal1FWEnglandGraham Barnett1430172FWEnglandHarry Poole1210133FWEnglandCliff Portwood930124FWEnglandStan Steele101111–MFEnglandBrian Jackson812116FWEnglandHarry Oscroft70077FBEnglandFred Donaldson40048FWEnglandJohn Archer3003–HBEnglandAlbert Leake210310FWEnglandPeter Hall2002–FBEnglandSelwyn Whalley200211FWEnglandJack Wilkinson1001–FWWalesNoel Kinsey1001–HBEnglandRoy Sproson1001–HBEnglandTerry Miles1001–FBEnglandDavid Raine0101–––Own goals3003TOTALS8011394 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. July 1959 HB WAL Morgan Hunt Norwich City 'four figure fee' Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 August 1959 FW ENG Stan March Altrincham £250 August 1959 FW ENG Cliff Portwood Preston North End £750 September 1959 HB ENG Peter Ford Stoke City Exchange September 1959 FW ENG Harry Oscroft Stoke City Exchange Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. September 1959 FW ENG John Cunliffe Stoke City Exchange October 1959 FW ENG Jack Wilkinson Exeter City £2,500 March 1960 FW ENG Graham Barnett Tranmere Rovers £5,000 May 1960 FB ENG Jimmy Adams Crewe Alexandra Free transfer May 1960 FB ENG Roy Pritchard Wellington Town Free transfer August 1960 FB ENG Fred Donaldson Exeter City £2,000 Summer 1960 HB WAL Morgan Hunt Boston United Released Summer 1960 FW SCO Jimmy McLean Wellington Town 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