List of Port Vale F.C. seasons

Port Vale F.C. is an English professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, playing in Football League One, the third level of the English football league system, as of the 2015–16 season. The club was probably formed in 1879[1] and in 1884 took the name Burslem Port Vale F.C. The club folded in 1907 and the new club dropped 'Burslem' from its name. They played their home matches at the Athletic Ground between 1886 and 1913, at The Old Recreation Ground between 1913 and 1950, and at Vale Park from 1950 to the present day. The club joined the Football League in 1892 as founder members of the Football League Second Division, resigning in 1907, only to return in 1919.

Twice in the 20th century Port Vale came close to winning promotion to the highest tier of English football, in 1930–31; they finished fifth, eight points from automatic promotion. In 1996–97 they finished eighth, four points away from sixth place Crystal Palace (who went on to win promotion to the Premier League in the play-offs). However a decline then set in and by 2008 the club had plummeted to the Football League's basement division.

First team matches were recorded for the first time in 1882, meaning records go back over 125 years, friendlies are not included in this data (including goal tallies). Port Vale have never played top-flight football, they have spent 43 seasons in the second tier, 43 seasons in the third tier, and 18 seasons in the fourth tier of the Football League. No team has played more second tier or Football League seasons without ever reaching the top-flight.

Seasons

Season League FA Cup League Cup[A] Other Top scorer[B]
Division P W D L F A Pts Pos
1882–83 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football NSCCC winners Enoch Hood 2
1883–84 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football SSC SF Charles Simpson 1
1884–85 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football BCC winners Ernie Payne 5
1885–86 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football R5 NSCCC runners-up Billy Reynolds 7
1886–87 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football R3 SSC SF 11
1887–88 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football 1Q SSC R3 Harry Cookson 23[E]
1888–89 The Combination 267415405722 2Q NSCCC SF Jimmy Ditchfield 8
1889–90 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football 2Q SSC SF Frank McGinnes 2
1890–91 Midland Football League 24113105949258th 2Q NSCCC winners 19
1891–92 2112185233253rd 1Q SCC winners 19
1892–93 Second Division 22631330571511th 1Q BSC 2R Meshach Dean 6
1893–94 28134116664307th 1Q SSC 2R Billy Beats 20
1894–95 30741939771815th 1Q SSC 2R Meshach Dean 8
1895–96 30741943781814th 2Q SSC 1R Ernest Beckett 8
1896–97 Midland Football League 28143116456317th 5Q SSCC winners Dick Evans
Danny Simpson
14
1897–98 2210374632235th R2 SSC winners 11
1898–99 Second Division 34175125634399th 5Q BSC runners-up James Peake 17
1899–00 341461439493411th 5Q BSC runners-up Howard Harvey 17
1900–01 341111124547339th R1 SSC QF Adrian Capes 11
1901–02 341091543592912th 5Q SSC SF 20
1902–03 34138135762349th 4Q SSC R1 18
1903–04 341091554522913th R1 SSC R1 17
1904–05 341071747722716th 6Q BSC SF Dick Allman 8
1905–06 381242249822817th R1 SSC SF Harry Mountford 15
1906–07 381271960833116th R2 SSC SF Billy Beats 15
1907–08 North Staffordshire Federation League 168353428195th NSFLC R6 Bert Beech 11
1908–09 North Staffordshire & District League 26113125751258th HC R2 17
1909–10 2621148925431st SJC winners Joe Brough 43
1910–11 2614395041314th NSNSC SF J. Tunnicliffe 11
1911–12 The Central League 3215125462342 2nd SSC winners Frank Cannon 18
1912–13 38197125538454th 3Q BSC winners Eli Adams 20
1913–14 381711107862454th R1 BSC runners-up Chris Young 37
1914–15 38253108442533rd 5Q NSIC winners 40
No competitive football was played for the 1914–1915 season due to the First World War.
1916–17 Lancashire Regional Section 30771650402115th ST 12th Jack Needham 12
1917–18 30981347552611th ST 14th David Bowcock 7
1918–19 301041639782412th ST 4th Harry Howell 9
1919–20 Second Division 421681859624013th R1 SSC winners Bobby Blood 26
1920–21 4211141743493617th 6Q NSIC runners-up 20
1921–22 421482043573618th R1 NSIC winners Tom Page 10
1922–23 421491939513717th 5Q NSIC runners-up Tom Butler 9
1923–24 4213121750663816th 5Q NSIC runners-up Billy Briscoe
Tom Page
10
1924–25 42178174856428th R1 Wilf Kirkham 33
1925–26 42196177969448th R3 35
1926–27 421613138878458th R4 NSRIC runners-up 41
1927–28 42188166857449th R5 14
1928–29 421542371863421st R3 15
1929–30 Third Division North 42307510337671st R2 NSRIC runners-up Sam Jennings 21
1930–31 Second Division 42215166761475th R4 17
1931–32 421372258893320th R4 NSRIC runners-up Tom Nolan 11
1932–33 4214101866793817th R3 Wilf Kirkham 15
1933–34 42197166055458th R3 Tom Nolan 22
1934–35 4211121955743418th R3 16
1935–36 4212822561063221st R4 Jack Roberts 12
1936–37 Third Division North 4217101558644411thR3 NSC SF Tommy Ward 18
1937–38 4212141665733815th R1 NSC R1 Jack Roberts 28
1938–39 Third Division South 421491952583718th R2 SoSC SF Tom Nolan 17
1939–40[D] 2011011 P FLWRT 8th Jack Roberts 13
No competitive football was played between 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War.
1944–45 Football League North 18521122361245th FLN2C 54th Alf Bellis 10
1945–46 Third Division (South) North Region 209653425243rd R3 TDSRC 8th Bill Pointon 19
1946–47 Third Division South 421791668634310th R4 Morris Jones 26
1947–48 421611156354438th R1 Ronnie Allen 13
1948–49 4214111751543913th R1 Walter Aveyard 13
1949–50 4215111647424113th R4 Cliff Pinchbeck 16
1950–51 4616131760654512th R3 19
1951–52 4614151750664313th R1 Albert Mullard 13
1952–53 Third Division North 46201886735582nd R2 CC runners-up Basil Hayward 22
1953–54 46261737421691st SF 25
1954–55 Second Division 4212111948713517th R4 Cyril Done 13
1955–56 4216131360584512th R4 Len Stephenson 14
1956–57 428628571012222nd R3 Cyril Done 9
1957–58 Third Division South 4616102067584215th R2 Stan Steele 22
1958–59 Fourth Division 422612811058641st R1 22
1959–60 Third Division 461981980794614th R5 SCT runners-up Graham Barnett 17
1960–61 461715149679497th R3 R2 SCT winners Cliff Portwood 26
1961–62 4617111865584512th R5 R1 Bert Llewellyn
Arthur Longbottom
20
1962–63 46238177258543rd R4 R2 Tony Richards 13
1963–64 4616141653494613th R4 R2 13
1964–65 469142341763222nd R2 R1 Albert Cheesebrough 7
1965–66 Fourth Division 461592248593919th R3 R1 John Rowland 23
1966–67 4614151755584313th R2 R1 Mick Cullerton 12
1967–68 4612151961723918th R1 R2 Roy Chapman 25
1968–69 4616141646464613th R3 R1 12
1969–70 46201976133594th R2 R1 John James 17
1970–71 Third Division 4615121952594217th R1 R1 15
1971–72 4613151843594115th R3 R1 Bobby Gough 10
1972–73 462111145669536th R3 R2 Sammy Morgan
Ray Williams
11
1973–74 4614141852584220th R3 R1 John Woodward 18
1974–75 461815136154516th R1 R1 Terry Bailey
Ray Williams
14
1975–76 4615161555544612th R2 R1 Mick Cullerton 21
1976–77 4611161947713819th R5 R1 DC runners-up Ken Beamish 18
1977–78 468201846673621st R2 R1 16
1978–79 Fourth Division 4614141857704216th R1 R1 Bernie Wright 15
1979–80 4612122256703620th R1 R1 Neville Chamberlain 11
1980–81 4612151957703919th R3 R1 13
1981–82 461816125649707th R3 R2 Ernie Moss 17
1982–83 462610106734883rd R1 R1 Robert Newton 20
1983–84 Third Division 4611102551834323rd R1 R2 FLT R2 Eamonn O'Keefe 11
1984–85 Fourth Division 4614181461596012th R3 R2 FLT R2 Alistair Brown 21
1985–86 46211696737794th R2 R2 FLT ASF Andy Jones 18
1986–87 Third Division 4615121976705712th R2 R2 FLT AQF 37
1987–88 4618111758566511th R5 R1 FLT R1 Darren Beckford
David Riley
10
1988–89 462412107848843rd R3 R2 FLT P Darren Beckford 23
1989–90 Second Division 4615161562576111th R4 R2 FMC R2 21
1990–91 4615121956645715th R4 R2 FMC R1 23
1991–92 4610152742594524th R3 R3 FMC R2 Martin Foyle 16
1992–93 46261197944893rd R3 R1 FLT winners Ian Taylor 19
1993–94 462610107946882nd R4 R1 FLT AQF Martin Foyle 18
1994–95 First Division 4615131858645817th R2 R2 20
1995–96 4615151659666012th R5 R1 AIC runners-up Tony Naylor 12
1996–97 461716135855678th R3 R3 20
1997–98 4613102356554919th R3 R1 Lee Mills 16
1998–99 461382545754721st R3 R1 Martin Foyle 9
1999–00 467152448693623rd R3 R1 Tony Rougier 9
2000–01 Second Division 4616141655496211th R1 R1 FLT winners Tony Naylor 21
2001–02 4616102051625814th R2 R2 FLT AQF Stephen McPhee 14
2002–03 4614112154705317th R1 R1 FLT AQF Marc Bridge-Wilkinson 9
2003–04 462110157362737th R2 R1 FLT AR1 Stephen McPhee 27
2004–05 League One 461752449595618th R2 R1 FLT AR2 Billy Paynter 13
2005–06 4616121849546013th R4 R1 FLT AR2 Leon Constantine 12
2006–07 461862264656012th R2 R4 FLT AR2 26
2007–08 469112647813823rd R2 R1 FLT P Luke Rodgers 12
2008–09 League Two 461392444664818th R2 R1 FLT R1 Marc Richards 11
2009–10 4617171261506810th R2 R3 FLT R3 23
2010–11 4617141554496511th R3 R2 FLT R2 20
2011–12 462091768605912th R1 R1 FLT R1 17
2012–13 462115118752783rd R2 R1 FLT R3 Tom Pope 33
2013–14 League One 46187215973619th R4 R1 FLT R2 16
2014–15 461592255655418th R1 R2 FLT R2 12
2015–16 4618111756586512th R2 R2 FLT R2 AJ Leitch-Smith 13

Key

Winners Runners up Promoted Relegated

Key to league record:
P – games played
W – games won
D – games drawn
L – games lost
F – goals for
A – goals against
Pts – points
Pos – final position

Key to rounds:
P – Preliminaries
1Q – first qualifying round
2Q – second qualifying round
3Q – third qualifying round
4Q – fourth qualifying round
5Q – fifth qualifying round
6Q – sixth qualifying round
R1 – first round
R2 – second round
R3 – third round
R4 – fourth round
R5 – fifth round
R6 – sixth round
QF – quarter-final
SF – semi-final
Grp – group stage
AQF – Area quarter-finals
ASF – Area semi-finals
AF – Area final

Key to cups:
AIC – Anglo-Italian Cup ASP – Associate Members' Cup
BSC – Birmingham Senior Cup
BBC – Burslem Challenge Cup
CC – Coronation Cup
DC – Debenhams Cup
FLT – Football League Trophy
FLWRT – Football League Western Regional Tournament
FMC – Full Members Cup
HC – Hanley Cup
NSC – Northern Section Cup
SJC – Staffordshire Junior Cup
NSFLC – North Staffordshire Federation League Cup
NSIC/NSRIC – North Staffordshire (Royal) Infirmary Cup
NSNSC – North Staffordshire Nursing Society's Cup
SCT – Supporters' Clubs' Trophy
SoSC – Southern Section Cup
SSC – Staffordshire Senior Cup
SSCC – Staffordshire Senior Charity Cup
ST – Subsidiary Tournament (to league)
TDSRC – Third Division (South) North Region Cup

Notes

A. ^ The Football League Cup competition did not start until the 1960–61 season.
B. ^ Other than where stated, includes all senior competitive first-team matches.
C. ^ The Second Division was renamed Football League One as part of a new sponsorship deal in the 2004–05 season.
D. ^ League abandoned due to WW2.
E. ^ Friendly matches are the only recorded matches for this season

References

  1. The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale, ISBN 0-9508981-4-7, 1990, pages 4-13, The Port Vale Record 1879-1993, ISBN 0-9508981-9-8, 1993, page 4, and What If There Had Been No Port In The Vale?: Startling Port Vale Stories, ISBN 978-0-952915-28-7, 2011, pages 18-33, all by Kent, Jeff.
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