The reported history and responsibilities of the club's management position remained sketchy and vague until Joe Schofield was appointed secretary in March 1920.
His successor, a long-time backroom staff member Tom Morgan, was the first appointment to be referred to solely as the club's manager.
Freddie Steele was one of four men to have had two spells as manager, and in his first tenure, led the club to the Third Division North title and FA Cup semi-finals in 1953–54.
[1] Port Vale reformed in the obscurity of the North Staffordshire Federation League, and it was Harry Myatt who was next recorded as first-team manager in October 1913.
[1] Vale's first major success was with Tom Morgan, who managed the club to the Third Division North title in the 1929–30 season.
[1] Morgan was replaced by former manager Tom Holford in June 1932, who led the club to a record-high finish of eighth in the Second Division in 1933–34.
[1] Freddie Steele would be the man who unlocked the potential of the young squad at his disposal, leading them to the Third Division North title and the semi-finals of the FA Cup in 1953–54 with an "Iron Curtain" defence.
[1] Football and Potteries icon, Ballon d'Or winner Stanley Matthews was made Port Vale manager in May 1967.
[1] A disastrous 1967–68 season and financial scandal involving players' pay led to his resignation in May 1968, and he vowed never to work in management again.
[1] Lee guided the club to promotion out of the Fourth Division at the end of the 1969–70 season, before he left to manage Blackburn Rovers in January 1974.
[1] Club legend and record appearance holder Roy Sproson took charge in January 1974, only to leave in acrimonious circumstances in October 1977.
[1] Bobby Smith was appointed as manager the following month and, despite overseeing a relegation at the Vale, was hired as Swindon Town's new boss in May 1978.
[1] Butler left by mutual consent in August 1979 and Stoke City legend Alan Bloor took the reins, only to resign four months later after finding that management was not for him.
[1] Though relegation came in 1991–92, he rebuilt and led the club to the Football League Trophy in 1993 and promotion back into the second tier at the end of the 1993–94 season.
[7] Vale were relegated at the end of the 2007–08 season and manager Dean Glover was given the job initially on a caretaker basis in September 2008.
[21] Clarke returned to lead Vale to promotion with a 3–0 victory over Mansfield Town in the League Two play-off final,[22] but was replaced by Crosby in April 2023 following a poor run of results in the calendar year.