The pre-season saw John Rudge follow up a recommendation by signing young Irish forward Derek Swan from Bohemians for £15,000.

With police bills set to spiral upwards, a record five-figure shirt sponsorship deal was struck with Kalamazoo (a business systems company).

Guy Whittingham put the visitors ahead following a mistake from Trevor Wood, then Neil Aspin scored his first goal for the club to equalise.

All of the money raised from Jepson's sale went on bringing Dutchman Robin van der Laan to Burslem from Wageningen.

Also of note during this spell was a hat-trick for Beckford in a 3–0 win over Blackburn Rovers on 9 March, and a run of four goals in the final four games for Robbie Earle.

[6] Striker Brian Mills made his debut in a final day win over Swindon Town, and would later be picked for the England squad for the 1991 FIFA World Youth Championship.

In the FA Cup, Vale advanced into the Fourth Round with a 2–1 victory over Fourth Division side Peterborough United amidst stormy conditions at Vale Park after Mick Halsall had put the visitors ahead on four minutes – Rudge said "it was a scrap, not a classic" as a Walker penalty and Beckford header secured the victory.

In the short-lived Full Members' Cup, Vale lost 1–0 to Notts County at Meadow Lane to exit the competition at the first stage.