History of Port Vale F.C.

During the 1953–54 season, Vale secured the Third Division North title and a semi-final place in the FA Cup with manager Freddie Steele's "Iron Curtain" defence.

However, the 1960s proved to be a tough decade, particularly in 1968 after Stanley Matthews resigned as manager and the club was forced to apply for re-election to the Football League after illegal payments were made to players.

The 1879 theory suggests that Porthill Victoria players broke away to found Port Vale in 1879, having tired of travelling up the hill to Wolstanton from their workplaces to play their football.

They fared poorly, but as the Football League expanded for the 1898–99 season, Port Vale were re-elected – this came mostly thanks to their FA Cup victory over eventual First Division champions Sheffield United.

[10] In 1909–10, the club won the North Staffordshire & District League but lost key players such as Joe Brough (to Liverpool), Billy Cavenor (to Blackpool) and Bert Eardley (to Glossop).

As a result, fifteen players were let go, including Bill Cope, Jimmy McGrath and Len Armitage, Tabram was sold to Hull City for a good profit, as was Fred Mills and George Poyser to Leeds United and Brentford respectively.

[14] The 1953–54 saw Vale storming to the Third Division North title as well as reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing out to eventual winners West Brom in very controversial fashion, seeing an Albert Leake goal disallowed for offside.

The defence of Ray King, Stan Turner, Reg Potts, Albert Mullard, Tommy Cheadle and Roy Sproson was key to the "Valiants" success, missing just ten games between them.

[14] With five forwards hitting double figures, a profit being made and the gate receipts increasing optimism was high in Burslem, especially with the Bycars End terrace work being completed leading to an overall capacity of 50,000.

[14] On 9 January 1960, Port Vale gave 'one of the finest performances in their history', beating high-flying Second Division club Cardiff City 2–0 at Ninian Park, and 'thoroughly deserved' their Third Round victory.

[16] In February, the club admitted to the charges and were fined £2,000, later doubled, and told that irrespective of where they finished in the table, they would be made to apply for re-election to the Football League at the end of the season.

Football hooliganism started to take its grip on the game, and Vale's early experience of it consisted of witnessing the Chester City team coach smashed with bricks.

[19] A dire financial situation meant seven players were released for 1975–76: John Woodward, Tony Lacey, Roy Cross, Bill Summerscales, Frank Sharp and Reg Edwards.

Injury problems eventually made promotion unattainable, though 70 points and a 7th-place finish gave cause for optimism, despite a club record low attendance for a league game of 1,924 in a goalless draw with York City on 1 May.

[20] In the summer of 1986, new signings included Ipswich Town's reserve goalkeeper Mark Grew on a free, Aston Villa midfielder Ray Walker for £12,000, Sheffield United winger Paul Smith for £10,000 and Walsall striker Richard O'Kelly for £6,000.

Back in the Second Division for the first time in over twenty years, Rudge strengthened the side with £150,000 signing Neil Aspin from Leeds United, £125,000 striker Nicky Cross from Leicester City and veteran campaigner Ian Miller on a free.

They finished eleventh in the league, and the supporters were given much to cheer about as rivals Stoke City were relegated to the third tier, leaving Vale as 'the top team in the Potteries' for only the second time in their history.

Early home form was also the worst for years, and it took the Valiants until 2 December to finally notch a win at Vale Park, when Martin Foyle scored to beat Huddersfield Town 1–0.

Vale eventually won the tie on a freezing January night, with Ray Walker scoring the winner in extra time to seal a 4–3 win and set up a trip to cup-holders Everton in the fourth round.

The Valiants' cup exploits were to come to an end as Leeds won the replay 2–1, with Gary McAllister scoring twice in the closing stages despite Vale leading 1–0 at half-time through Tony Naylor.

Despite the sale of Steve Guppy to Leicester City for £800,000, Vale's form remained steady from then on, until five wins from six, from mid-March to mid-April, put them in with a chance of making the play-offs and, ultimately, a place in the Premiership.

With the concern of immediate extinction over and Horton's resourceful signing of experienced Adrian Littlejohn (who scored three goals), the final ten games saw an upturn in form, and Vale eventually finished in seventeenth place.

Horton left the team in seventh place, just outside the play-offs, and this was ultimately where the club would finish after a final day at Rushden & Diamonds' Nene Park.

However, it did not materialise, and Sinnott was sacked on 22 September 2008, after an unsuccessful start to their League Two campaign with the Valiants in 16th place, Dean Glover taking over as caretaker manager for the second time in twelve months.

After a period of three defeats in seven days, including being knocked out of the League Cup in the third round, Adams decided to place his whole squad on the transfer list, saying of his team's performance: "We looked like a woman who had a big fur coat on but underneath she’s got no knickers on".

[31] Vale lost ground during the transition phase, though hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons in February, after Gannon and assistant Geoff Horsfield had a bust-up during a pre-match coach trip, which resulted in both men leaving the bus to return to Burslem.

[39] However, it quickly emerged that the deal was in jeopardy due to unforeseen 'contractual issues',[40][41] and new chairman Peter Miller and CEO Perry Deakin came in for criticism from the fans after it was revealed that they had not purchased shares in the club as previously stated.

[44] Supporters showed their disapproval against the board by displaying red cards in the home fixture against Aldershot Town, a game in which loanee Guy Madjo scored a hat-trick.

[56] A virtually new squad of foreign recruits arrived and the result was relegation back into League Two at the end of the 2016–17 season under caretaker manager Michael Brown, who succeeded Ribeiro on Boxing day.

[69] Despite losing Clarke to bereavement leave for nearly three months, Port Vale finished fifth and qualified for the play-offs at the end of the 2021–22 season and defeated Swindon Town on penalties to progress through the semi-finals.