1969–70 Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Port Vale 1969–70 Gordon Lee Arthur McPherson(until 3 March)Mark Singer(from 3 March) Vale Park Football League Fourth Division 4th (59 points) FA Cup Second Round(eliminated by Tranmere Rovers) League Cup First Round(eliminated by Tranmere Rovers) Player of the Year John Green John James (14) John James (17) 12,538 vs. Crewe Alexandra, 15 September 1969 3,955 vs. York City, 7 February 1970 6,894 4–0 vs. Darlington, 21 March 1970 0–2 (twice) and 1–3 ffffff ffffff ffffff ffffff ffffff 1968–69 1970–71 The 1969–70 season was Port Vale's 58th season of football in the English Football League and their fifth-successive season (sixth overall) in the Fourth Division.Kent Jeff The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale Witan Books 1990 227–257 Surviving on a Shoestring (1969–1979) 0-9508981-4-7 Under manager Gordon Lee, and with Arthur McPherson serving as chairman until March before Mark Singer took over, Vale mounted a sustained promotion challenge — finishing 4th with 59 points and earning promotion back to the Third Division. The season opened with a club record unbeaten run of 18 league matches, and after a brief mid‑season dip, Vale regrouped to end with a nine‑game unbeaten run to seal promotion. Lee credited the rise to the fitness, cohesion, and consistency of a remarkably settled squad — ten players made at least 35 league appearances during the campaign. In cup competitions, Vale reached the Second Round of the FA Cup, only to be eliminated by Tranmere Rovers after a replay, and exited the League Cup in the First Round, also at the hands of Tranmere. John James led the scoring charts with 14 league goals and 17 in all competitions, while John Green was voted Player of the Year for his commanding defensive displays. Attendance figures were encouraging: the highest attendance was 12,538 for the home fixture against Crewe Alexandra on 15 September 1969, the lowest was 3,955 versus York City on 7 February 1970, and the average league gate stood at 6,894 fans per match. Overall, the 1969–70 season represented a major turnaround — transforming Vale from a struggling Fourth Division outfit into promotion winners, powered by strong leadership under Gordon Lee, squad stability, and on-field consistency. Overview Fourth Division In the pre-season, there were talks of bringing speedway to Vale Park, introducing a new team to the British League Division Two. However, many were opposed to the idea, and a 2,600 strong petition was given to local MP John Forrester. The idea was killed when the council failed to grant planning permission, despite a 3,000 strong petition in favour of the proposal. The club had hoped to profit from the venture; however, many locals were concerned about noise pollution. Gordon Lee meanwhile had little in the way of funds when it came to signing new players, and so he was only able to bring in three new attackers on free transfers: 22-year-old centre-forward Ken Wookey (Newport County); outside-right Stuart Shaw (Southport); and lively frontrunner Eric Magee (Oldham Athletic). They continued from their unbeaten result at the end of the previous season to make a club-record unbeaten sequence of ten away games and 19 games home and away (5 May to 8 November). Five of these results were goalless draws, as the defence proved stronger than the attack following the departure of top-scorer Roy Chapman at the end of the previous season. The season began with a 0–0 draw at home with Peterborough United, during which Posh had a man sent off on the 31st-minute. Nevertheless, the run put them at the top of the table. Lee credited his team's hard work and fitness. John James played on despite an injured ankle, Mick Morris found himself a permanent fixture as an energetic utility man, whilst Tommy McLaren also worked his way into the first XI. The defence conceded just six goals in the opening 15 league games. The run included a 1–0 win over Chesterfield at Saltergate, a 2–0 win over nearby Crewe Alexandra in front of a season-best Burslem crowd of 12,538, and a 'war of attrition' in a 1–1 draw 'full of ugly incidents' with Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground in front of a crowd of 19,946. Young Tommy McLaren established himself in the first XI, replacing Eric Magee. On 11 October, Vale ended fourth-placed York City's 100% home record by beating them by a goal to nil. A 0–0 draw with Swansea City was played out a week later, with John King featuring despite a bout of chickenpox. Some 5,000 Vale supporters had travelled to Wrexham on a British Rail 'Soccer Special' to witness the top-of-the-table clash, and saw two red cards as Wrexham's Steve Ingle and Vale's John James were both sent off.Baggaley Mike Taking chances and limited options as Port Vale prepare for Wrexham https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/taking-chances-and-limited-options 12 November 2023 Valiant's Substack 6 November 2023 Their 22 November fixture at the Old Showground with Scunthorpe United could have seen the Vale equal their best start to an English League season in the 20th century. After a Wookey goal put them ahead they lost after a disputed penalty and a bizarre own goal from Roy Sproson. Meanwhile, Vale could not afford the £500 registration fee for Ian Buxton following the player's departure from Notts County. So the club could only sign him for an initial three-month period. They returned to the summit with a 1–1 draw at Chester on 20 December. Injuries and suspensions helped to dent the Vale's form, as they lost their status as league leaders. On 17 January, Sproson made his 800th senior appearance in a 2–0 victory over Exeter City. Only 3,955 turned up at Vale Park to witness a 1–1 draw with York City on 7 February. In an attempt to lift the club, Lee signed wing-half Tony Lacey on loan from Stoke City, and also bought Bill Summerscales from Leek Town for £400. Heading into a six-game unbeaten run, Lee signed Buxton permanently despite the player's decision to retire at the end of the season. On 21 February, Vale defeated Bradford (Park Avenue) in "wretched conditions" by four goals to one, with James scoring a hat-trick.Baggaley Mike Promotion push tested by injuries https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/promotion-push-tested-by-injuries 21 February 2025 Valiant's Substack 20 February 2025 On 28 February, Vale held promotion rivals Swansea City to a goalless draw at Vetch Field. In March, Chairman Arthur McPherson pleaded guilty to receiving stolen goods and was sentenced to an 18-month suspended sentence and fined £1,500. Resigning his position at the club, he was replaced by Mark Singer. On 9 March, the match against Hartlepool had to be suspended for five minutes after Vale fans continually pelted the opposition keeper with snowballs. On 21 March, Lee named an unchanged side for the eighth successive game as Vale recorded a 4–0 home victory over Darlington, with all four goals coming in the last half hour.Baggaley Mike Making home advantage count https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/making-home-advantage-count 21 March 2025 Valiant's Substack 20 March 2025 Signing Lacey permanently for £2,500, and Sammy Morgan on a free from Gorleston, Vale were in a close battle for promotion. A 4–0 win over Darlington came on 21 March despite Vale Park attendants giving slow claps with the game goalless after an hour. The unbeaten home record fell two days later with a 2–0 defeat to Scunthorpe United. On 1 April, Vale returned to form with a 1–0 win over fourth-placed Wrexham, though a supporter was knocked unconscious after confronting goalkeeper David Gaskell. On 8 April, Vale came away from Notts County with a 2–1 victory after coming from a goal down, as Buxton concluded his time with the club with the winning goal three minutes from time.Baggaley Mike Striving for promotion and packing the park https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/striving-for-promotion-and-packing 7 April 2025 Valiant's Substack 7 April 2025 On 18 April, Vale drew 1–1 at home to Notts County after coming from behind to a Don Masson goal to secure a vital point.Baggaley Mike Talking points, FA Cup and more https://portvalethevaliant.substack.com/p/talking-points-fa-cup-and-more 16 December 2025 Valiant's Substack 15 December 2025 Unbeaten in their final nine games, they secured promotion with what The Sentinel's Peter Hewitt called a 'blockade formula' – they conceded just four goals in this run. They finished in fourth place with 59 points, three points clear of fifth place. His side promoted, Lee said that 'no team could have deserved reward as much for their hard work and strength of character'. With 33 goals conceded, only Chesterfield conceded fewer. Only 17 players were used all season, whilst eight barely missed a game between them. On 31 May, they played a Potteries derby friendly with First Division Stoke and won 3–2 at the Victoria Ground. Roy Sproson was named Gillette Sportsman of the Year. Finances On the financial side, a loss of £3,003 was made despite fundraising donations of £17,925. Gate receipts were up by over £13,000 as home attendances were encouraging. However, expenditure had increased, and there was a transfer deficit of £2,900. Six players were let go at the season's end, including Ken Wookey (Workington); Stuart Shaw (Morecambe); Eric Magee (Linfield); Stuart Chapman (Stafford Rangers); and Gordon Logan (Kettering Town). Cup competitions In the FA Cup, they had to overcome Northern Premier League side Wigan Athletic on a very heavy Springfield Park pitch, but could only manage a 1–1 draw. After a 2–2 draw back in Stoke-on-Trent, the second replay was held at Old Trafford, Manchester. James scored two minutes from the end of extra time to finally kill off the non-Leaguers. After a 3–1 defeat at Prenton Park to Tranmere Rovers in a replay, the Vale were out of the competition with a profit of £5,000 from their five games. In the League Cup, a first-round exit came courtesy of Third Division Tranmere Rovers at Vale Park. Results Football League Fourth Division 1969–70 Football League League table Fourth Division y PTV Results by matchday table b Round Ground H/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/H/A/H/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/A/A/H/A/A/H/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/H/H/A/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H Result D/W/W/D/D/W/W/W/W/W/D/D/D/W/D/D/W/W/L/W/W/D/L/L/W/L/L/D/W/W/D/D/W/L/D/W/L/W/D/W/D/W/D/D/D/D Position 7/3/1/3/3/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/1/2/3/2/1/2/2/2/2/4/4/3/2/2/2/3/4/5/3/3/4/3/3/3/3/3/3/4/4 Points 1p/3p/5p/6p/7p/9p/11p/13p/15p/17p/18p/19p/20p/22p/23p/24p/26p/28p/28p/30p/32p/33p/33p/33p/35p/35p/35p/36p/38p/40p/41p/42p/44p/44p/45p/47p/47p/49p/50p/52p/53p/55p/56p/57p/58p/59p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1969–1970 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063206/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1969-1970/results 4 March 2016 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 9 August 1969 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-peterborough-united-09-august-1969-39820/ Peterborough United Vale Park Burslem W. Hall 5,453 2 16 August 1969 Chesterfield 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/chesterfield-v-port-vale-16-august-1969-39829/ Port Vale Sproson Saltergate Chesterfield, Derbyshire 5,062 3 23 August 1969 15:00 BST Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-northampton-town-23-august-1969-39843/ Northampton Town Green Wookey Gough Magee Felton Vale Park Burslem 4,809 4 27 August 1969 Lincoln City 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/lincoln-city-v-port-vale-27-august-1969-39858/ Port Vale Sincil Bank Lincoln 6,865 5 30 August 1969 Colchester United 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/colchester-united-v-port-vale-30-august-1969-39864/ Port Vale Layer Road Colchester J Quinn 6,323 6 6 September 1969 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-chester-06-september-1969-39879/ Chester James Wookey Green Vale Park Burslem 6,874 7 13 September 1969 Oldham Athletic 2–3 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/oldham-athletic-v-port-vale-13-september-1969-39892/ Port Vale Gough Logan James Boundary Park Oldham 5,777 8 15 September 1969 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-crewe-alexandra-15-september-1969-39900/ Crewe Alexandra James Morris Vale Park Burslem 12,538 9 20 September 1969 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-grimsby-town-20-september-1969-39915/ Grimsby Town James pen. Vale Park Burslem 8,787 10 27 September 1969 Exeter City 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/exeter-city-v-port-vale-27-september-1969-39925/ Port Vale Green McLaren St James Park Exeter K.W.Sutcliffe J.R.Davies, G.D.Helier 5,503 11 29 September 1969 Southend United 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/southend-united-v-port-vale-29-september-1969-39935/ Port Vale James Roots Hall Southend-on-Sea 7,704 12 4 October 1969 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-aldershot-04-october-1969-39951/ Aldershot Vale Park Burslem 8,858 13 6 October 1969 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-chesterfield-06-october-1969-39960/ Chesterfield Wookey Vale Park Burslem 9,506 14 11 October 1969 York City 0–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/york-city-v-port-vale-11-october-1969-39979/ Port Vale Gough Bootham Crescent York 7,195 15 18 October 1969 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-swansea-town-18-october-1969-39989/ Swansea City Vale Park Burslem 7,195 16 25 October 1969 15:15 BST Wrexham 1–1 D https://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=3260 Port Vale Smith 55 McLaren 38 Racecourse Ground Wrexham P.R. Walters W.A. Rainex, F. Warburton 19,946 17 1 November 1969 Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-newport-county-01-november-1969-40014/ Newport County Sproson Boulton Smith Vale Park Burslem 7,477 18 8 November 1969 Bradford (Park Avenue) 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/bradford-park-avenue-v-port-vale-08-november-1969-40017/ Port Vale og. Boulton Park Avenue Bradford 3,498 19 22 November 1969 Scunthorpe United 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/scunthorpe-united-v-port-vale-22-november-1969-40037/ Port Vale Wookey Old Show Ground Scunthorpe 5,750 20 29 November 1969 Port Vale 3–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-workington-29-november-1969-40058/ Workington James Sproson Vale Park Burslem 4,891 21 13 December 1969 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-oldham-athletic-13-december-1969-40067/ Oldham Athletic Buxton Vale Park Burslem 5,387 22 20 December 1969 Chester 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/chester-v-port-vale-20-december-1969-40074/ Port Vale Provan McLaren Sealand Road Chester 5,235 23 26 December 1969 15:00 BST Northampton Town 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/northampton-town-v-port-vale-26-december-1969-40086/ Port Vale F.Rankmore County Cricket Ground Northampton 7,522 24 10 January 1970 Grimsby Town 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/grimsby-town-v-port-vale-10-january-1970-40106/ Port Vale Blundell Park Cleethorpes 4,654 25 17 January 1970 Port Vale 2–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-exeter-city-17-january-1970-40117/ Exeter City og. James Vale Park Burslem L.R.Sinkins 4,633 26 24 January 1970 Brentford 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/brentford-v-port-vale-24-january-1970-40123/ Port Vale Boulton og. Griffin Park Brentford, West London 8,661 27 31 January 1970 Aldershot 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/aldershot-v-port-vale-31-january-1970-40132/ Port Vale Recreation Ground Aldershot 6,858 28 7 February 1970 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-york-city-07-february-1970-40153/ York City Gough Vale Park Burslem 3,955 29 21 February 1970 Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bradford-park-avenue-21-february-1970-40173/ Bradford (Park Avenue) James Boulton Vale Park Burslem 4,416 30 23 February 1970 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-southend-united-23-february-1970-40179/ Southend United Gough James Vale Park Burslem 6,333 31 28 February 1970 Swansea City 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/swansea-town-v-port-vale-28-february-1970-40194/ Port Vale Vetch Field Swansea 6,576 32 2 March 1970 Darlington 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/darlington-v-port-vale-02-march-1970-40199/ Port Vale Boulton James Feethams Darlington 2,152 33 9 March 1970 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-hartlepool-united-09-march-1970-40214/ Hartlepool Boulton 47 50 Lacey 81 Vale Park Burslem D Laing 5,456 34 14 March 1970 Workington 3–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/workington-v-port-vale-14-march-1970-40231/ Port Vale Buxton Gough Borough Park Workington 2,047 35 16 March 1970 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-brentford-16-march-1970-40237/ Brentford Vale Park Burslem 7,944 36 21 March 1970 Port Vale 4–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-darlington-21-march-1970-40254/ Darlington Buxton Green Gough Vale Park Burslem 4,717 37 23 March 1970 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-scunthorpe-united-23-march-1970-40258/ Scunthorpe United Gough Vale Park Burslem 6,394 38 28 March 1970 Hartlepool 0–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/hartlepool-united-v-port-vale-28-march-1970-40273/ Port Vale Morris 4 Buxton 65 Victoria Park Hartlepool HW Ellis 2,227 39 30 March 1970 Newport County 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/newport-county-v-port-vale-30-march-1970-40284/ Port Vale Wood Morgan Somerton Park Newport, Wales 2,218 40 1 April 1970 19:30 BST Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.wrexhamafcarchive.co.uk/matchdetails.php?id=1539 Wrexham James 37 pen. Vale Park Burslem K.H. Burns D.L. Stanton, P. Totney 10,954 41 4 April 1970 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-lincoln-city-04-april-1970-40305/ Lincoln City Vale Park Burslem 7,414 42 8 April 1970 Notts County 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/notts-county-v-port-vale-08-april-1970-40317/ Port Vale Sproson Buxton Meadow Lane Nottingham 5,010 43 15 April 1970 Crewe Alexandra 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/crewe-alexandra-v-port-vale-15-april-1970-40332/ Port Vale Gresty Road Crewe 7,155 44 18 April 1970 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-notts-county-18-april-1970-40341/ Notts County Morris Vale Park Burslem 8,042 45 22 April 1970 Peterborough United 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/peterborough-united-v-port-vale-22-april-1970-40351/ Port Vale London Road Stadium Peterborough D. Lyden 3,844 46 25 April 1970 Port Vale 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-colchester-united-25-april-1970-40358/ Colchester United McLaren 38 Dyson 75 Vale Park Burslem W Wallace 5,626 FA Cup 1969–70 FA Cup R1 15 November 1969 Wigan Athletic 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/wigan-athletic-v-port-vale-15-november-1969-212901/ Port Vale Sutherland James Springfield Park Wigan 12,622 Replay 18 November 1969 Port Vale 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-wigan-athletic-18-november-1969-212910/ Wigan Athletic McLaren Sproson Fleming Fielding Vale Park Burslem 9,703 yes Replay 24 November 1969 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-wigan-athletic-24-november-1969-212920/ Wigan Athletic James Old Trafford Manchester 16,453 yes R2 6 December 1969 Port Vale 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-tranmere-rovers-06-december-1969-212936/ Tranmere Rovers James Green Vale Park Burslem 6,883 Replay 8 December 1969 Tranmere Rovers 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/tranmere-rovers-v-port-vale-08-december-1969-212941/ Port Vale Magee Prenton Park Prenton 7,156 League Cup 1969–70 Football League Cup R1 13 August 1969 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-tranmere-rovers-13-august-1969-29038/ Tranmere Rovers Vale Park Burslem 4,955 Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward Fourth Division FA Cup League Cup GK ENG Keith Ball 46 0 5 0 1 0 DF ENG Clint Boulton 46 6 5 0 1 0 DF SCO Gordon Logan 9 1 5 0 0 0 DF ENG Roy Sproson 46 5 5 1 1 0 DF ENG Bill Summerscales 4 0 0 0 0 0 DF SCO Ron Wilson 46 0 3 0 1 0 MF ENG Stuart Chapman 1 0 2 0 0 0 MF ENG John Green 46 4 5 1 1 0 MF ENG Tony Lacey 18 1 0 0 0 0 MF ENG John King 35 0 5 0 1 0 MF SCO Tommy McLaren 35 4 5 1 1 0 MF ENG Howard Moore 0 0 0 0 0 0 MF ENG Stuart Shaw 3 0 2 0 0 0 FW ENG Ian Buxton 18 6 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Bobby Gough 45 9 2 0 1 0 FW ENG John James 43 14 4 3 1 0 FW NIR Eric Magee 18 1 2 1 1 0 FW NIR Sammy Morgan 1 1 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Mick Morris 45 3 5 0 0 0 FW WAL Ken Wookey 24 4 4 0 1 0 |} Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameFourth DivisionFA CupLeague CupTotal1FWEnglandJohn James1430172FWEnglandBobby Gough90093FWEnglandIan Buxton6006–DFEnglandClint Boulton6006–DFEnglandRoy Sproson51066MFEnglandJohn Green4105–MFScotlandTommy McLaren41058FWWalesKen Wookey40049FWEnglandMick Morris300310FWNorthern IrelandEric Magee110211FWNorthern IrelandSammy Morgan1001–MFEnglandTony Lacey1001–DFScotlandGordon Logan1001–––Own goals2002TOTALS617068 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. July 1969 MF ENG Stuart Shaw Southport Free transfer Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 July 1969 FW ENG Eric Magee Oldham Athletic Free transfer July 1969 FW ENG Ken Wookey Newport County Free transfer December 1969 FW ENG Ian Buxton Notts County £500 January 1970 FW NIR Sammy Morgan Gorleston Free transfer February 1970 DF ENG Bill Summerscales Leek Town £400 April 1970 MF ENG Tony Lacey Stoke City £2,500 Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. May 1970 MF ENG Malcolm Bailey Northwich Victoria Free transfer May 1970 DF SCO Gordon Logan Kettering Town Free transfer May 1970 FW ENG Eric Magee NIR Linfield Free transfer May 1970 MF ENG Stuart Shaw Morecambe Free transfer May 1970 FW ENG Ken Wookey Workington Free transfer Summer 1970 FW ENG Ian Buxton Ilkeston Town Retired Summer 1970 MF ENG Stuart Chapman Stafford Rangers Free transfer Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date to Ref. February 1970 MF ENG Tony Lacey Stoke City April 1970 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