However, it was not a happy campaign; John Rudge was forced to deal with star players Darren Beckford and Robbie Earle being sold for combined fees of £1.7 million.

This money was raised through the sale of top-scorer Darren Beckford to Norwich City for £925,000 after a Football League tribunal (Vale had wanted £1.5 million).

As well as losing his star striker, Rudge had to deal with the departure of his midfield dynamo, Robbie Earle having been sold to Wimbledon for £775,000.

During this spell, Andy Williams played a handful of games after arriving on a loan deal from Leeds United.

They failed to escape the drop, however, losing both to Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium and to Grimsby Town at Vale Park.

At the end of the season, young right-back Paul West was permitted to join Bradford City on a free transfer.

[2] Robin van der Laan put the Vale ahead on seven minutes after heading past Bruce Grobbelaar from a Simon Mills corner.

Vale earned a replay on 73 minutes, when Martin Foyle hit the net from a Peter Swan header.

[2] In the short-lived Full Members Cup, Vale progressed past Blackburn Rovers with a 1–0 win through a Foyle goal.