1928–29 Port Vale F.C. season

March 2015 March 2015 Port Vale 1928–29 Joe Schofield Frank Huntbach Old Recreation Ground Football League Second Division 21st (34 points) FA Cup Third Round(eliminated by Manchester United) Wilf Kirkham (15) Wilf Kirkham (15) 18,869 vs. Stoke City, 26 January 1929 3,307 vs. Bristol City, 4 May 1929 10,207 8–1 vs. West Bromwich Albion, 9 March 1929 1–7 vs. Preston North End, 23 February 1929 _color_3_stripes_red ff0000 ff0000 ff0000 ffffff 000000 1927–28 1929–30 The 1928–29 season was Port Vale's tenth consecutive season of football (23rd overall) in the English Football League.Kent Jeff The Valiants' Years The Story Of Port Vale Witan Books 1990 98–123 Keeping in Good Company (1919-1929) 0-9508981-4-7 Managed by Joe Schofield and chaired by Frank Huntbach, Vale endured their first-ever relegation, finishing 21st with 34 points and dropping into the Third Division North. Despite a club record sequence at home, 19 league games without a draw, they secured just one away league victory during the entire season, which sharply undermined survival chances. Their season highlights included an 8–1 demolition of West Bromwich Albion on 9 March 1929 (the biggest win in the division that year), and a damaging 7–1 loss at Preston North End in February. Season top scorer Wilf Kirkham led the line with 15 goals in league matches (and across all competitions). Vale finished the campaign having scored 71 goals, but leaked 86, a total matched by few others that season. In the FA Cup, Vale reached the Third Round, where they were knocked out by Manchester United. The season also saw significant departures, most notably club legends Tom Page and Wilf Kirkham, with transfer income — including Kirkham’s £2,800 move to local rivals Stoke City — providing important financial relief in a difficult year. 200px|thumb|right|Fenton-born Billy Briscoe added 24 league appearances to his ever-growing tally. 200px|thumb|right|Chairman Frank Huntbach declared that "no efforts will be spared by the club to regain its lost status". 200px|thumb|right|Right-back Jack Maddock played in 25 games. Overview Second Division The pre-season saw only the addition of one major player – goalkeeper Jack Prince from Oldham Athletic. Otherwise, the club felt confident that they had a nice blend of youth and experience. The season started with a 4–1 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, yet two days later, the Vale travelled to The Dell, where they beat Southampton with two Stewart Littlewood goals – this would prove to be their only away victory of the season. Picking up just two wins in September (a 5–2 win over Millwall thanks to a Littlewood hat-trick, and a 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur), the club soon found themselves struggling. They also lost 2–1 at Stoke's Victoria Ground in front of 35,288 supporters. Wilf Kirkham found himself demoted to the reserves. A 2–1 defeat at bottom club Reading on 6 October was the hosts' first win of the season. Though the Vale followed this up with a 3–2 win over third-placed Preston North End. Heading into December, they won six successive home games to take them into mid-table, including a four-goal haul from Jack Simms to see off Nottingham Forest. The run of away losses was ended with an entertaining 3–3 draw at Chelsea on 24 November, where Kirkham put Vale ahead on 15 minutes, before a George Biswell brace helped to put the hosts two goals ahead by the half-four mark, with only a late Jack Sims strike recuing a point for the visitors.Fielding Rob A photograph and match reports from Port Vale’s trip to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in 1928 https://www.onevalefan.co.uk/2026/03/a-photograph-and-match-reports-from-port-vales-trip-to-chelseas-stamford-bridge-in-1928/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-photograph-and-match-reports-from-port-vales-trip-to-chelseas-stamford-bridge-in-1928 11 March 2026 onevalefan.co.uk 10 March 2026 However, the next eight away games ended in defeat. December would prove to be the month that killed the Vale. Oakes had a cartilage operation, Gillespie tore an elbow joint, and the team lost six of their seven festive games. This run included defeats by a four-goal margin at both Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers. In January, the popular high-scoring Littlewood was traded to Oldham Athletic for veteran striker Albert Pynegar and £1,300. On 26 January, Stoke City inflicted a 2–1 defeat on the Vale in front of 18,869 supporters. Only a third of the supporters returned for the following week's 4–1 win over Hull City. The team then conceded four goals at White Hart Lane as they fell to a 4–2 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. Falling down the table fast, in late February they were slaughtered 7–1 at Preston North End's Deepdale. Back at the Old Recreation Ground they managed to regularly pick up victories, most notably demolishing West Bromwich Albion 8–1 on 9 March – the biggest victory in the division that season, Pynegar scoring a hat-trick. Further good work picking up three points from Oldham Athletic and beating Chelsea was undone by a horrifying 6–0 defeat at fellow strugglers Barnsley. They failed to score a goal in the three penultimate matches of the campaign, including a goalless home draw with Swansea Town; had the Vale scored then they would have ultimately secured safety at Swansea's expense. The "Valiants" beat Bristol City 5–0 in front of a miserable home turnout thanks to a four-goal effort from Pynegar, yet it was too little too late as the club were relegated. They finished in 21st place with 34 points from 42 games, two points from safety, and suffered relegation for the first time in their history (they had previously failed re-elections). Scoring 71 goals was respectable. However, 86 goals conceded were the joint-worst in the league. Their awful away form was not unique; Vale was one of four teams with only one away win, though they conceded more on their travels than any other side. Finances On the financial side, plans of a new stadium were shelved as the directors channelled money into rebuilding their team. Vic Rouse, Alf Bennett, and David Rollo were let go, Rouse joining Crewe Alexandra. Club legend Tom Page also left the club after racking up 286 Football League appearances. With a £1,223 drop in gate receipts there were fears that the club might close, these fears were heightened when fellow legend Wilf Kirkham was sold to Stoke City for £2,800 (the second-highest transfer the club had ever received). FA Cup In the FA Cup, it was a repeat of the 1925–26 season as the club were drawn against Manchester United at home. The First Division club returned to Old Trafford with a 3–0 victory. The end-of-season North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary Cup was cancelled, with Vale seemingly too despondent to field a team. Results Football League Second Division 1928–29 Football League League table Second Division y PTV Results by matchday table b Round Ground H/A/A/H/A/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/A/H/A/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/H/A/H Result L/W/L/W/L/L/L/W/L/W/W/L/W/L/W/D/W/L/L/L/L/L/L/W/L/L/W/L/L/W/L/W/D/L/W/L/D/W/L/D/L/W Position 18/14/17/13/13/18/18/16/19/17/15/17/16/17/14/13/12/13/15/16/17/19/19/19/19/20/19/20/21/20/21/21/20/20/20/21/21/21/21/21/21/21 Points 0p/2p/2p/4p/4p/4p/4p/6p/6p/8p/10p/10p/12p/12p/14p/15p/17p/17p/17p/17p/17p/17p/17p/19p/19p/19p/21p/21p/21p/23p/23p/25p/26p/26p/28p/28p/29p/31p/31p/32p/32p/34p Home Away green2 Win yellow2 Draw red2 Loss green1 red1 StattoPort Vale 1928–1929 : Results & Fixtures https://web.archive.org/web/20160304042103/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1928-1929/results 4 March 2016 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012. Matches 1 25 August 1928 Port Vale 1–4 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-wolverhampton-wanderers-25-august-1928-98587/ Wolverhampton Wanderers Fishwick pen. Old Recreation Ground Hanley 12,274 2 27 August 1928 Southampton 1–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/southampton-v-port-vale-27-august-1928-98598/ Port Vale Taylor Littlewood The Dell Southampton 11,743 3 1 September 1928 Notts County 3–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/notts-county-v-port-vale-01-september-1928-98608/ Port Vale Meadow Lane Nottingham 15,314 4 8 September 1928 Port Vale 5–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-millwall-08-september-1928-98628/ Millwall Littlewood Briscoe Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,578 5 15 September 1928 Stoke City 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/stoke-city-v-port-vale-15-september-1928-98642/ Port Vale Davies Bussey Griffiths Victoria Ground Stoke-upon-Trent 35,288 6 22 September 1928 15:00 BST Hull City 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/hull-city-v-port-vale-22-september-1928-98647/ Port Vale Walsh 17 McDonald 76 Anlaby Road Kingston upon Hull 11,728 7 24 September 1928 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-southampton-24-september-1928-98656/ Southampton Fishwick Mackie Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,344 8 29 September 1928 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-tottenham-hotspur-29-september-1928-98664/ Tottenham Hotspur Gillespie Littlewood Osborne Old Recreation Ground Hanley 12,502 9 6 October 1928 Reading 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/reading-v-port-vale-06-october-1928-98675/ Port Vale Simms Elm Park Reading, Berkshire 11,276 10 13 October 1928 Port Vale 3–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-preston-north-end-13-october-1928-98687/ Preston North End Littlewood Mandley Old Recreation Ground Hanley 12,098 11 20 October 1928 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-leyton-orient-20-october-1928-98695/ Clapton Orient Littlewood Simms Anstiss Old Recreation Ground Hanley 10,007 12 27 October 1928 West Bromwich Albion 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/west-bromwich-albion-v-port-vale-27-october-1928-98711/ Port Vale Anstiss The Hawthorns West Bromwich 10,851 13 3 November 1928 15:00 GMT Port Vale 4–2 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-nottingham-forest-03-november-1928-98717/ Nottingham Forest Simms Jennings 30 77 Old Recreation Ground Hanley ER Westwood 9,936 14 10 November 1928 Grimsby Town 3–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/grimsby-town-v-port-vale-10-november-1928-98728/ Port Vale Kirkham Blundell Park Cleethorpes 9,017 15 17 November 1928 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-barnsley-17-november-1928-98739/ Barnsley Kirkham Gillespie Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,417 16 24 November 1928 14:30 GMT Chelsea 3–3 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/chelsea-v-port-vale-24-november-1928-98749/ Port Vale Biswell 16 30 Thain 18 Kirkham 15 31 Simms 86 Stamford Bridge Fulham, West London William Thomas 23,305 17 1 December 1928 Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-blackpool-01-december-1928-98761/ Blackpool Simms Old Recreation Ground Hanley 8,244 18 8 December 1928 Swansea Town 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/swansea-town-v-port-vale-08-december-1928-98776/ Port Vale Vetch Field Swansea 8,968 19 15 December 1928 Port Vale 0–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bradford-park-avenue-15-december-1928-98782/ Bradford (Park Avenue) Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,339 20 22 December 1928 Bristol City 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bristol-city-v-port-vale-22-december-1928-98791/ Port Vale Simms Ashton Gate Ashton Gate, Bristol 10,459 21 25 December 1928 Middlesbrough 5–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/middlesbrough-v-port-vale-25-december-1928-98803/ Port Vale Camsell Bruce Pease Williams Fishwick Ayresome Park Middlesbrough 21,977 22 26 December 1928 Port Vale 2–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-middlesbrough-26-december-1928-98816/ Middlesbrough Fishwick Mandley Camsell Pease Old Recreation Ground Hanley 13,988 23 29 December 1928 Wolverhampton Wanderers 4–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/wolverhampton-wanderers-v-port-vale-29-december-1928-98831/ Port Vale Molineux Stadium Wolverhampton 11,426 24 5 January 1929 Port Vale 3–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-notts-county-05-january-1929-98841/ Notts County Kirkham Jones Old Recreation Ground Hanley 7,475 25 19 January 1929 Millwall 2–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/millwall-v-port-vale-19-january-1929-98850/ Port Vale Kirkham The Den New Cross, Lewisham 20,056 26 26 January 1929 Port Vale 1–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-stoke-city-26-january-1929-98858/ Stoke City Mandley Shirley Old Recreation Ground Hanley 18,869 27 2 February 1929 15:00 GMT Port Vale 4–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-hull-city-02-february-1929-98869/ Hull City Fishwick Kirkham og. Pynegar Walsh 81 Old Recreation Ground Hanley 6,065 28 9 February 1929 Tottenham Hotspur 4–2 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/tottenham-hotspur-v-port-vale-09-february-1929-98882/ Port Vale Barnett Jimmy Dimmock Osborne Fishwick Simms White Hart Lane Tottenham 21,342 29 23 February 1929 Preston North End 7–1 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/preston-north-end-v-port-vale-23-february-1929-98898/ Port Vale Kirkham Deepdale Preston, Lancashire 9,356 30 25 February 1929 Port Vale 4–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-reading-25-february-1929-98904/ Reading Kirkham Simms Old Recreation Ground Hanley 4,303 31 2 March 1929 Clapton Orient 1–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/leyton-orient-v-port-vale-02-march-1929-98911/ Port Vale Lea Bridge Stadium Leyton, East London 15,543 32 9 March 1929 Port Vale 8–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-west-bromwich-albion-09-march-1929-98921/ West Bromwich Albion Pynegar Jones Mandley Simms Kirkham Old Recreation Ground Hanley 11,539 33 16 March 1929 15:00 GMT Nottingham Forest 2–2 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/nottingham-forest-v-port-vale-16-march-1929-98937/ Port Vale Jennings 20 Heslop 47 Kirkham Jones City Ground West Bridgford ER Westwood 7,388 34 23 March 1929 Port Vale 0–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-grimsby-town-23-march-1929-98946/ Grimsby Town Old Recreation Ground Hanley 13,085 35 29 March 1929 Port Vale 2–1 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-oldham-athletic-29-march-1929-98958/ Oldham Athletic Pynegar Anstiss Old Recreation Ground Hanley 17,697 36 30 March 1929 Barnsley 6–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/barnsley-v-port-vale-30-march-1929-98961/ Port Vale Oakwell Barnsley 9,615 37 1 April 1929 Oldham Athletic 1–1 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/oldham-athletic-v-port-vale-01-april-1929-98977/ Port Vale Mandley Boundary Park Oldham 19,571 38 6 April 1929 15:30 GMT Port Vale 1–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-chelsea-06-april-1929-98989/ Chelsea Pynegar 21 Old Recreation Ground Hanley William Thomas 11,701 39 13 April 1929 Blackpool 4–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/blackpool-v-port-vale-13-april-1929-98997/ Port Vale Bloomfield Road Blackpool 8,696 40 20 April 1929 Port Vale 0–0 D https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-swansea-town-20-april-1929-99014/ Swansea Town Old Recreation Ground Hanley 8,587 41 27 April 1929 Bradford (Park Avenue) 2–0 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/bradford-park-avenue-v-port-vale-27-april-1929-99023/ Port Vale Park Avenue Bradford 9,132 42 4 May 1929 Port Vale 5–0 W https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-bristol-city-04-may-1929-99037/ Bristol City Pynegar Griffiths Old Recreation Ground Hanley 3,307 FA Cup 1928–29 FA Cup R3 12 January 1929 Port Vale 0–3 L https://www.11v11.com/matches/port-vale-v-manchester-united-12-january-1929-207674/ Manchester United Hanson Taylor Spence Old Recreation Ground Hanley 17,519 thumb|right|Club record goalscorer Wilf Kirkham. thumb|Scottish midfielder Bob Connelly. thumb|Inside-forward Albert Pynegar. Squad statistics thumb|400px|Team photo taken in 1928. Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward Second Division FA Cup GK ENG Alf Bennett 11 0 0 0 GK ENG Jim McKenna 0 0 0 0 GK ENG Jack Prince 31 0 1 0 GK ENG Thomas Sproson 0 0 0 0 FB ENG Jack Maddock 24 0 1 0 FB ENG Jack Mandley 35 5 1 0 FB ENG Jimmy Oakes 26 0 0 0 FB ENG George Shenton 10 0 0 0 FB ENG Billy Wootton 6 0 0 0 HB SCO Bob Connelly 42 0 1 0 HB ENG Roger Jones 18 4 1 0 HB ENG Vic Rouse 28 0 1 0 HB ENG Herbert Smith 23 0 1 0 HB WAL 1807 George Whitcombe 12 0 0 0 FW ENG Frank Allen 0 0 0 0 FW ENG Harry Anstiss 17 3 0 0 FW ENG Billy Briscoe 24 2 1 0 FW ENG Bert Fishwick 14 6 1 0 FW ENG Robert Gillespie 14 2 0 0 FW WAL 1807 Phil Griffiths 6 2 0 0 FW ENG Wilf Kirkham 31 15 1 0 FW ENG Tom Page 17 0 0 0 FW ENG Albert Pynegar 18 10 0 0 FW ENG Jack Simms 34 12 1 0 FW WAL 1807 Frank Williams 1 0 0 0 |- |colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season: FW ENG Stewart Littlewood 10 9 0 0 |} Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameSecond DivisionFA CupTotal1FWEnglandWilf Kirkham150152FWEnglandJack Simms120123FWEnglandAlbert Pynegar100104FWEnglandStewart Littlewood9095FWEnglandBert Fishwick6066FBEnglandJack Mandley5057HBEnglandRoger Jones4048FWEnglandHarry Anstiss3039FWEnglandBilly Briscoe202–FWWales 1807Phil Griffiths202–FWEnglandRobert Gillespie202–––Own goals101TOTALS71071 Transfers Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. May 1928 GK ENG Jack Prince Oldham Athletic Free transfer Kent Jeff Port Vale Personalities Witan Books 1996 0-9529152-0-0 January 1929 FW ENG Albert Pynegar Oldham Athletic Exchange Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. January 1929 FW ENG Stewart Littlewood Oldham Athletic Exchange + £1,300 May 1929 GK ENG Alf Bennett Released May 1929 HB IRE 1783 David Rollo Fleetwood Windsor Villa Free transfer May 1929 HB ENG Vic Rouse Crewe Alexandra Free transfer May 1929 FW WAL 1807 Frank Williams WAL 1807 Oswestry Town Free transfer Summer 1929 FW ENG Robert Gillespie Wrexham Free transfer Summer 1929 FW ENG Wilf Kirkham Stoke City £2,800 Summer 1929 FW ENG Tom Page New Brighton Released Summer 1929 HB ENG Herbert Smith Stafford Rangers 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