1893–94 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Burslem Port Vale 1893–94 Athletic Ground Football League Second Division 7th (30 points) FA Cup First Qualifying Round(eliminated by Burton Swifts) Birmingham Senior Cup Second Round(eliminated by West Bromwich Albion) Staffordshire Senior Cup Second Round(eliminated by Wolverhampton Wanderers) Billy Beats (16) Billy Beats (20) 5,000 vs Liverpool, 7 April 1894 500 vs Grimsby Town, 4 December 1893 2,185+ 5–0 (twice) and 6–1 1–8 vs. Manchester City, 7 October 1893 FF0000 FF0000 FF0000 000000 000000 1892–93 1894–95 thumb|right|Vale official, and future chairman Sam Bennion was forced to take to the field when the club ran short of players. The 1893–94 season was Burslem Port Vale's second consecutive season of football in the English Football League.Kent Jeff The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale Witan Books 1990 26–50 Trying to make the Grade (1888-1898) 0-9508981-4-7 They achieved a commendable seventh-place finish in the Second Division with 30 points from 28 matches (13 wins, 4 draws, 11 losses), scoring 66 goals and conceding 64. The season commenced impressively, with Vale securing victories in their first seven league matches, which, if included with the previous season's final game, led to a streak of eight league wins that is still a club record. However, their momentum waned, winning only six of the subsequent 22 games, which led to a mid-table finish. Despite this, the club's overall performance was one of its most successful, with only the 1930–31 season surpassing it in terms of league standing. In cup competitions, Vale were eliminated in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup by Burton Swifts, the Second Round of the Birmingham Senior Cup by West Bromwich Albion, and the Second Round of the Staffordshire Senior Cup by Wolverhampton Wanderers. Billy Beats was the club's top scorer, netting 16 goals in league matches and a total of 20 goals across all competitions. Attendances varied throughout the season, with a peak of 5,000 spectators for the home match against Liverpool on 7 April 1894, and a low of 500 for the fixture against Grimsby Town on 4 December 1893. The average attendance for the season was approximately 2,185. Overview Second Division thumb|right|200px|Future England international goalkeeper, Tom Baddeley, made his debut in the league for Vale in this season. Two signings were made to improve the team for the season – wingers Lewis Campbell from Aston Villa and Alex Sands. Supporters complained of high ticket prices and subsequently only 2,500 came to see the season-opening victory over Ardwick. Ardwick goalkeeper William Douglas was so disgusted with his side's performance in the 4–2 Vale win that he left the Athletic Ground before the match had finished, so the visitors ended the game playing with ten men. September was a perfect month for the "Valeites", achieving as they did seven wins out of seven games, scoring 30 goals in the process. Although two of these came against whipping boys Northwich Victoria, they did take apart reigning league champions Small Heath by five goals to nil.Notes on Sport Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury 30 September 1893 3 During this run, on 9 September, Lewis Campbell became the first Vale player to score a league hat-trick, and also four goals in one game, as his team brushed aside Walsall Town Swifts 5–0. Seven days later, Vale defeated Crewe Alexandra 4–2, with it reported that their opposition "half-backs were guilty of kicking too hard, while the forwards showed no combination".Read an 1893 match report as Port Vale thrash rivals Crewe https://www.onevalefan.co.uk/2024/09/read-an-1893-match-report-as-port-vale-thrash-rivals-crewe/ 19 September 2024 onevalefan.co.uk 18 September 2024 The winning run came to an end with an 8–1 collapse at a highly physical Ardwick, which Vale had only been losing by one goal at half-time before goalkeeper Joe Frail gave up in the second half. Two further defeats followed, including a 6–1 thumping at Notts County on 26 October. James Logan scored a hat-trick, and Notts won 6–1 to move into first place.This Day's Football – The League–Division II – Notts v. Burslem Port Vale Nottingham Evening Post 3 26 October 1893 The Vale rallied to a 1–0 win at Rotherham Town two days later, despite club secretary Dick Danks having to play in goal as Frail had missed his train. Frail was suspended by the club for the rest of the campaign. The team were in third place by December, beating Grimsby Town 6–1 following a 4–0 loss on the road,Fielding Rob “Meritorious victory” – a match report as Port Vale hit six past Grimsby Town in 1893 https://www.onevalefan.co.uk/2026/10/meritorious-victory-a-match-report-as-port-vale-hit-six-past-grimsby-town-in-1893/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=meritorious-victory-a-match-report-as-port-vale-hit-six-past-grimsby-town-in-1893 7 October 2026 onevalefan 7 October 2026 whilst a 1–1 draw at Crewe Alexandra was hard-fought as Crewe fans attempted to physically attack both Vale fans and half-back Billy Elson, before a scrimmage erupted in the dressing room. A home win over Burton Swifts was followed by defeats on the road at Woolwich Arsenal, Newcastle United and Middlesbrough Ironopolis. On 6 January, new goalkeeper Hugh Mackay played at outside-right in a 2–1 home victory over Woolwich Arsenal in a game that raised just £15 in gate receipts. The promotion push slowly came to an end, ending completely with a 2–1 home defeat to bottom club Walsall Town Swifts. Two weeks later, Vale claimed a 2–2 draw at Lincoln City despite starting the game with ten men as both William Rhodes and stand-in Jos Randles missed their trains, leading to club official Sam Bennion to change from linesman to left-back 25 minutes into the game. Vale were beaten 6–0 away at champions Small Heath, as the Small Heath forwards had "rarely been seen to greater advantage".Notes on Sport Birmingham Daily Post 26 March 1894 3 and ended the league season with a 2–2 home draw and 2–1 away defeat with Liverpool, with Liverpool scoring late goals in both encounters. Vale racked up 30 points, 10 points away from both the chance of promotion and the risk of relegation. Meshach Dean, Bob McCrindle, Billy Beats, and Alf Wood were all ever-presents, with Jimmy Scarratt and Lewis Campbell missing just one game each. At the end of the season, McCrindle moved South, and Campbell also left the area due to his wife not liking Burslem, though star striker Beats remained. The club had taken £954 in gate receipts, spent £551 in wages, making a narrow loss as total expenditure of £1,265 over total income of £1,237. Cup competitions For the second successive season, they exited the FA Cup at the first qualifying stage thanks to a defeat at home to Burton Swifts. Full-back James Clutton broke his leg in the match and his football career was ended. In the Staffordshire Senior Cup, they exited in the second round to Wolverhampton Wanderers after a 6–4 loss – Billy Beats scored a hat-trick yet still found himself on the losing side as Vale conceded four goals after leading 4–2. In the Birmingham Senior Cup, they left in the second round after a 3–1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion. Results Football League Second Division 1893–94 Football League League table Second Division y BPV Results by matchday table b Round Ground H/A/H/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/A/A/A/H/A/H/H/A/H/A/H/A Result W/W/W/W/W/W/W/L/L/L/W/W/L/W/D/W/L/L/L/W/L/D/L/D/W/L/D/L Position 5/3/4/1/1/1/1/1/2/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/4/5/6/6/6/7 Points 2p/4p/6p/8p/10p/12p/14p/14p/14p/14p/16p/18p/18p/20p/21p/23p/23p/23p/23p/25p/25p/26p/26p/27p/29p/29p/30p/30p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss gold green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1893–1894 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20150529091121/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1893-1894/results 29 May 2015 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 2 September 1893 Burslem Port Vale 4–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-ardwick-02-september-1893-90719/ Ardwick Beats Scarratt Sands Carson Robinson Athletic Ground Cobridge 2,500 2 9 September 1893 Walsall Town Swifts 0–5 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/walsall-town-swifts-v-burslem-port-vale-09-september-1893-90728/ Burslem Port Vale Campbell Beats West Bromwich Road Walsall 2,000 3 16 September 1893 Burslem Port Vale 4–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-crewe-alexandra-16-september-1893-90736/ Crewe Alexandra Wood Beats Campbell Athletic Ground Cobridge 2,000 4 18 September 1893 Burslem Port Vale 4–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-middlesbrough-ironopolis-18-september-1893-90738/ Middlesbrough Ironopolis Campbell Beats Dean Wood Athletic Ground Cobridge 3,000 5 23 September 1893 Northwich Victoria 1–5 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/northwich-victoria-v-burslem-port-vale-23-september-1893-90744/ Burslem Port Vale Campbell Dean Scarratt unknown Drill Field Northwich 6 25 September 1893 Burslem Port Vale 5–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-small-heath-25-september-1893-90747/ Small Heath Beats Wood Scarratt Athletic Ground Cobridge 3,000 7 30 September 1893 Burslem Port Vale 3–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-northwich-victoria-30-september-1893-90755/ Northwich Victoria Wood Beats Athletic Ground Cobridge 2,500 8 7 October 1893 Ardwick 8–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/ardwick-v-burslem-port-vale-07-october-1893-90762/ Burslem Port Vale Morris Yates Steele Milarvie Middleton Youds o.g. Wood Hyde Road Gorton 6,000 9 21 October 1893 Burslem Port Vale 2–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-rotherham-town-21-october-1893-90771/ Rotherham Town Dean Scarratt Athletic Ground Cobridge 1,000 10 26 October 1893 Notts County 6–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/notts-county-v-burslem-port-vale-26-october-1893-90773/ Burslem Port Vale Logan Daft Kerr George Kerr Watson Dean Castle Ground Nottingham 3,000 11 28 October 1893 Rotherham Town 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/rotherham-town-v-burslem-port-vale-28-october-1893-90780/ Burslem Port Vale Beats Clifton Grove Rotherham 2,000 12 25 November 1893 Burslem Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-notts-county-25-november-1893-90797/ Notts County Wood Athletic Ground Cobridge 1,000 13 2 December 1893 Grimsby Town 4–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/grimsby-town-v-burslem-port-vale-02-december-1893-90801/ Burslem Port Vale Abbey Park Grimsby 2,000 14 4 December 1893 Burslem Port Vale 6–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-grimsby-town-04-december-1893-90804/ Grimsby Town Beats Scarratt Elson Corfield Athletic Ground Cobridge 500 15 9 December 1893 Crewe Alexandra 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/crewe-alexandra-v-burslem-port-vale-09-december-1893-90807/ Burslem Port Vale og. Alexandra Recreation Ground Crewe 16 16 December 1893 Burslem Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-burton-swifts-16-december-1893-90815/ Burton Swifts Campbell Dean Athletic Ground Cobridge 17 25 December 1893 Woolwich Arsenal 4–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/woolwich-arsenal-v-burslem-port-vale-25-december-1893-90819/ Burslem Port Vale Henderson Shaw Booth Crawford Wood Manor Ground Plumstead, London 8,000 18 30 December 1893 Newcastle United 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/newcastle-united-v-burslem-port-vale-30-december-1893-90833/ Burslem Port Vale Crate Crielly Beats St James' Park Newcastle upon Tyne A. Cooper 3,000 19 1 January 1894 Middlesbrough Ironopolis 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/middlesbrough-ironopolis-v-burslem-port-vale-01-january-1894-90836/ Burslem Port Vale unknown Paradise Ground Middlesbrough 4,000 20 6 January 1894 Burslem Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-woolwich-arsenal-06-january-1894-90842/ Woolwich Arsenal Dean Wood Elliott Athletic Ground Cobridge 900 21 13 January 1894 Burton Swifts 5–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/burton-swifts-v-burslem-port-vale-13-january-1894-90846/ Burslem Port Vale Elson Dean Campbell Peel Croft Burton upon Trent 2,000 22 3 February 1894 Burslem Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-newcastle-united-03-february-1894-90862/ Newcastle United Wood 85 Wallace 44 Athletic Ground Cobridge J.C. Tillotson 2,000 23 10 February 1894 Burslem Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-walsall-town-swifts-10-february-1894-90869/ Walsall Town Swifts Beats Athletic Ground Cobridge 3,000 24 24 February 1894 Lincoln City 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/lincoln-city-v-burslem-port-vale-24-february-1894-90877/ Burslem Port Vale Beats John O'Gaunts Lincoln 2,000 25 10 March 1894 Burslem Port Vale 5–3 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-lincoln-city-10-march-1894-90888/ Lincoln City Campbell Edwards Scarratt Athletic Ground Cobridge 2,000 26 24 March 1894 Small Heath 6–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/small-heath-v-burslem-port-vale-24-march-1894-90899/ Burslem Port Vale Hands Walton Mobley Wheldon Muntz Street Small Heath 4,000 27 7 April 1894 Burslem Port Vale 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/burslem-port-vale-v-liverpool-07-april-1894-90917/ Liverpool Dean Wood McVean 75 McQueen 88 Athletic Ground Cobridge 5,000 28 14 April 1894 Liverpool 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/liverpool-v-burslem-port-vale-14-april-1894-90921/ Burslem Port Vale Hannah McQue Edwards Anfield Liverpool 5,000 FA Cup 1893–94 FA Cup 1Q 14 October 1893 Burslem Port Vale 3–4 L Burton Swifts Beats Dean Campbell Athletic Ground Cobridge Birmingham Senior Cup R1 20 January 1894 Redditch Town 2–4 W Burslem Port Vale Scarratt Campbell Dean Redditch 1,350 R2 12 February 1894 West Bromwich Albion 3–1 L Burslem Port Vale Wood Stoney Lane West Bromwich 2,100 Staffordshire Senior Cup R2 5 March 1894 Burslem Port Vale 4–6 L Wolverhampton Wanderers Beats Wood Athletic Ground Cobridge 2,000 thumb|right|450px|The Burslem Port Vale team in 1894. 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 Tom Baddeley 2 0 0 0 1 0 GK ENG Joe Frail 10 0 1 0 0 0 GK SCO Hugh Mackay 16 0 0 0 2 0 FB ENG Sam Bennion 1 0 0 0 0 0 FB William Corfield 3 1 0 0 0 0 FB ENG G.S. Eccles 6 0 0 0 3 0 FB Bob Ramsay 16 0 0 0 1 0 FB William Rhodes 1 0 0 0 1 0 FB ENG George Youds 22 0 1 0 0 0 HB ENG Joseph Boughey 5 0 0 0 3 0 HB ENG John Edwards 6 3 0 0 2 0 HB ENG Billy Elson 26 2 1 0 2 0 HB Fred Farrington 4 0 1 0 0 0 HB SCO Bob McCrindle 28 0 1 0 3 0 HB ENG Jimmy Scarratt 27 7 1 0 3 2 HB James Smith 14 0 0 0 0 0 HB ENG Alf Wood 28 12 1 0 3 2 FW ENG Billy Beats 28 16 1 1 3 3 FW SCO Lewis Campbell 27 13 1 1 3 1 FW ENG Dick Danks 1 0 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Meshach Dean 28 8 1 1 3 2 |- |colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season: FB ENG James Clutton 8 0 1 0 0 0 FW SCO Alex Sands 1 1 0 0 0 0 |} thumb|right|120px|Top scorer Billy Beats Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameSecond DivisionFA CupOtherTotal1FWEnglandBilly Beats1613202FWScotlandLewis Campbell1311153HBEnglandAlf Wood1202144FWEnglandMeshach Dean811105HBEnglandJimmy Scarratt70296HBEnglandJohn Edwards30037HBEnglandBilly Elson20028FBWilliam Corfield1001–FWScotlandAlex Sands1001–––Unknown2002–––Own goals1001TOTALS663978 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. June 1893 FB ENG George Samuel Eccles Middleport Free transfer Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 October 1893 FW SCO Lewis Campbell Aston Villa Free transfer October 1893 GK SCO Hugh Mackay Rotherham Town Free transfer October 1893 FB ENG Bob Ramsay Northwich Victoria Free transfer Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. September 1893 FW SCO Alex Sands Released October 1893 FB ENG James Clutton Released May 1894 GK SCO Hugh Mackay Wigan County Released May 1894 FB ENG Bob Ramsay Released Summer 1894 FB ENG Sam Bennion Released Summer 1894 FW SCO Lewis Campbell Walsall Town Swifts Released Summer 1894 FB William Corfield Released Summer 1894 FW ENG Billy Elson West Manchester Free transfer Summer 1894 FW ENG Dick Danks Released Summer 1894 HB ENG Fred Farrington Retired Summer 1894 HB SCO Bob McCrindle Luton Town Free transfer References Specific General Kent, Jeff Jeff Kent (author) The Port Vale Record 1879-1993 Witan Books 1993 0-9508981-9-8 Category:Port Vale F.C. seasons Burslem Port Vale