The pre-season saw general manager Stanley Matthews injured in a car accident with a National Coal Board lorry on 29 July.

[1] Other new faces included winger Mick Mahon (Loughborough United); inside-forward Jimmy Goodfellow (Bishop Auckland); and Billy McCartney (Rangers).

[1] Financial difficulties made the atmosphere around Burslem quite gloomy, not helped by the news that former Valiant John Nicholson had been killed in a car crash.

[1] A 1–0 defeat at Gresty Road to Crewe Alexandra in front of an unruly crowd marked the first of a crucial seven-game sequence against the promotion hopefuls.

[1] A win over Barrow and a draw at Stockport County was succeeded by five straight defeats, killing Vale's promotion hopes dead.

[1] Nine players were released at the end of the season, most notably: Mel Charles (Oswestry Town); Ian Lawson and Brian Taylor (Barnsley); and untested reserve Ray Kennedy – who would take a break from football before returning to the game to play for Liverpool and England.

[1] Roddy Georgeson was also released at his own request to work in a bank,[1] though he soon turned out for Dundee before beginning a long career in Scottish football.