1905–06 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1905–06 season was Burslem Port Vale's eighth consecutive season (12th overall) of football in the English Football League.[1] It was another season spent struggling at the lower end of the league.

Burslem Port Vale
1905–06 season
ChairmanRobert Audley
ManagerTommy Clare
StadiumAthletic Ground
Football League Second Division17th (28 Points)
FA CupFirst Round
(knocked out by Gainsborough Trinity)
Birmingham Senior CupSemi-final
(knocked out by Birmingham)
Staffordshire Senior CupSemi-final
(knocked out by Burton United)
Top goalscorerLeague: Harry Mountford (15)
All: Harry Mountford (15)
Highest home attendance6,000 vs Chelsea, 30 October 1905
Lowest home attendance1,000 vs Chesterfield Town, 9 September 1905
Average home league attendance3,200
Biggest win5–0 vs. Stoke, 18 September 1905
Biggest defeat0–7 (twice)

On the pitch the team allowed goals and narrowly avoided the re-election zone. A poor season on the pitch was more than matched by a hopeless financial season off the pitch, with low attendance figures suggesting that the club could not sustain league football for much longer.[1]

Bert Eardley, was in his seventh season with Vale.
Club legend George Price was, as ever, a vital member of the first team.
Forward Adrian Capes was getting on in years.
Ageing Lucien Boullemier made one comeback appearance.
Half-back Harry Croxton.
Albert Cook as usual made only sporadic appearances.

Overview

Second Division

An expanded league saw an extra four new clubs added to the division, in addition to the replacement for Doncaster Rovers, who failed to gain re-election the previous season. This put the Vale up against Chelsea, Hull City, Leeds City, and Clapton Orient for the first time.

The first five games of the season saw a tally of just three points collected, with fourteen goals conceded. This was followed by four wins in five as the club surged up the league, this run included a 3–2 win over high-flying Chelsea, where an impressive 6,000 fans turned up.[1] Another barren spell followed, with just one point gained in the following nine games – in six of these the "Valeites" failed to score.[1] A rare win came on 30 December, with Harry Mountford scoring a hat-trick past Lincoln City – the first hat-trick a Vale player had scored in close to three years.[1] However the side then proceeded to lose all their matches in January. The last three months saw a revival, and the club managed to win six of their last fifteen games.[1]

The Vale finished just outside the re-election zone on goal average, if the ranking was based on goal difference then they would have finished below Chesterfield. Vale lost seventeen of their nineteen away games, never drawing a match away from home, and conceded more on their travels than any other side in the league. Overall the defence was the leakiest in the division, conceding 82 goals in 38 games.[1]

Harry Mountford was the club's top scorer with 15 goals, with Robert Carter, Philip Smith, George Price also contributing significantly to the scoring tally. Carter and Arthur Box missed just three matches; Mountford, Price, James Hamilton, and William Cope also hardly missed a game.

Finances

The financial outlook was bleak, poor runs of results saw already low attendance figures plummet. The club's directors therefore took the decision to sell right-half Harry Croxton and inspirational striker Adrian Capes to Stoke in November 1905.[1] There were rumours of the club winding up at the end of the season, though the club would continue in its current form for one more season.[1] Despite selling players and spending frugally the club lost a whopping £450, with gate receipts falling by £280 on the previous campaign. Sam Gleaves warned that if supporters failed to turn up for matches then the club would "inevitably cease to exist".

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale defeated amateur club Oxford City after Oxford failed to make the most of their shooting chances; the Second Round saw Vale eliminated by Gainsborough Trinity at home, despite having organized special training sessions beforehand.[1] In the County cups, Vale knocked out local rivals Stoke (Reserves) at home by 5–0 and 3–0 scorelines, before receiving 7–0 and 5–1 thumpings at Birmingham and Burton United respectively at the semi-final stages.[1]

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts Promotion
15 Gainsborough Trinity 38 12 4 22 44 57 0.772 28
16 Glossop 38 10 8 20 49 71 0.690 28
17 Burslem Port Vale 38 12 4 22 49 82 0.598 28
18 Chesterfield 38 10 8 20 40 72 0.556 28 Re-elected
19 Burton United 38 10 6 22 34 67 0.507 26
Source:

Results

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Second Division
Main article: 1905–06 Football League

Results by matchday
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHA
ResultLWLDLWWWLWLLLDLLLLLWLLLWDLWLWLWLDWLLWL
Position1313141317149612810141413151717171715161719161818161717171618171516161517
Source: Statto[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
2 September 1905Lincoln CityA1–33,000o.g.
9 September 1905ChesterfieldH4–31,000Capes (2), Smith, Crombie
11 September 1905BlackpoolH1–2Carter
16 September 1905Grimsby TownH2–22,000Smith (2)
23 September 1905BarnsleyA0–43,000
30 September 1905Clapton OrientH2–1Mountford, Cook (pen)
7 October 1905BurnleyA3–13,000Mountford (2), Price
14 October 1905Leeds CityH2–01,500Mountford, Carter
21 October 1905Burton UnitedA0–13,000
30 October 1905ChelseaH3–26,000Price, Croxton, Carter
4 November 1905Gainsborough TrinityA0–4
11 November 1905Bristol CityH0–13,000
18 November 1905Manchester UnitedA0–38,000
25 November 1905GlossopH3–3Mountford, Cook, Holyhead
2 December 1905Stockport CountyA0–3
16 December 1905Bradford CityA0–29,000
23 December 1905West Bromwich AlbionH0–13,500
25 December 1905Hull CityH1–34,000Cook
26 December 1905Leicester FosseA1–210,000Mountford
30 December 1905Lincoln CityH3–13,000Mountford (3)
6 January 1906ChesterfieldA0–210,000
20 January 1906Grimsby TownA0–53,000
27 January 1906BarnsleyH1–2Smith
3 February 1906Clapton OrientA3–1Smith (2), Carter
10 February 1906BurnleyH2–2Mountford, Smith
17 February 1906Leeds CityA1–39,000Mountford
24 February 1906Burton UnitedH4–1Carter, Mountford, Price, Grant
3 March 1906ChelseaA0–710,000
10 March 1906Gainsborough TrinityH1–0Eardley
17 March 1906Bristol CityA0–410,000
24 March 1906Manchester UnitedH1–03,000Box (pen)
31 March 1906GlossopA2–33,000o.g., Mountford
7 April 1906Stockport CountyH0–0
13 April 1906Leicester FosseH2–05,000Carter, Mountford
14 April 1906BlackpoolA1–22,000Carter
16 April 1906Hull CityA2–37,000Mountford, Carter
21 April 1906Bradford CityH2–1Walley, Smith
28 April 1906West Bromwich AlbionA1–45,000Holyhead

FA Cup
Main article: 1905–06 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
IR9 December 1905Oxford CityA1–03,000Price
1R13 January 1906Gainsborough TrinityH0–31,500

Birmingham Senior Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
118 September 1905StokeH3–02,500Croxton, unknown
SF1 November 1905BirminghamA0–7100

Staffordshire Senior Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
125 September 1905StokeH5–0Price (2), Crombie, Smith, Carter
SF13 April 1906Burton UnitedA1–5

Player statistics

Appearances
Pos. Name League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Arthur Box 3512030401
GK George Boote 30000030
DF James Hamilton 3402020380
DF William Cope 3402020380
DFArthur Shelley 10000010
DF Samuel Ashworth 40200060
DFGeorge Aytoun 40000040
DF Lucien Boullemier 10000010
DFWilliam Jones 40002060
MF Bert Eardley 1710000171
MF Harry Croxton 1110031142
MF Sam Whittingham 3100020330
MF William Bradbury 40001050
MF Joseph Holyhead 2822000302
MF Vic Horrocks 1902010220
MF Albert Cook 832000103
MF Robert Carter 3582031409
MFHugh Walley 91000091
MF Alex Crombie 1712031221
MF Ebenezer Grant 51000051
MF Billy Dorrell 00000000
FW George Price 3431132386
FW Adrian Capes 1220020142
FW Harry Mountford 331510203715
FW William Thomas 900010100
FW Philip Smith 2581031299
FWAlfred Hall 10000010

Top scorers
Place Position Nation Name Second Division FA Cup Other Total
1FW EnglandHarry Mountford150015
2MF EnglandRobert Carter8019
–FW EnglandPhilip Smith8019
4FW EnglandGeorge Price3126
5MF EnglandAlbert Cook3003
6FW EnglandAdrian Capes2002
–MF EnglandJoseph Holyhead2002
–MF EnglandAlex Crombie1012
–MF EnglandHarry Croxton1012
10MFHugh Walley1001
–GK EnglandArthur Box1001
–MF EnglandBert Eardley1001
–MF EnglandEbenezer Grant1001
–––Own goals2002
–––Unknown0011
TOTALS 49 1 7 57

Transfers

Transfers in
Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
July 1905DFGeorge Aytoun ClydebankFree transfer[3]
July 1905MFAlex CrombieReadingFree transfer[3]
July 1905DFArthur ShelleyChestertonFree transfer[3]
August 1905FWPhilip SmithKnuttonFree transfer[3]
October 1905DFSamuel AshworthEvertonFree transfer[3]
October 1905DFSam BaddeleyNortonFree transfer[3]
November 1905GKGeorge BooteSilverdale TownFree transfer[3]
November 1905DFLucien BoullemierNorthampton TownFree transfer[3]
January 1906MFEbenezer GrantTunstall ParkFree transfer[3]

Transfers out
Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
November 1905DFLucien BoullemierNorthern NomadsFree transfer[3]
November 1905FWAdrian CapesStokeFree transfer[3]
November 1905DFHarry CroxtonStokeunknown[3]
February 1906MFAlbert CookStokeFree transfer[3]
Summer 1906DFSamuel AshworthNorth Staffs NomadsReleased[3]
Summer 1906DFGeorge AytounReleased[3]
Summer 1906GKGeorge BooteKnutton RoversReleased[3]
Summer 1906MFAlex CrombieReleased[3]
Summer 1906FWW. EdwardsCrewe AlexandraReleased[3]
Summer 1906FWAlfred HallReleased[3]
Summer 1906MFBen JonesAlsagers Bank ChurchFree transfer[3]
Summer 1906DFWilliam JonesReleased[3]
Summer 1906FWPhilip SmithCrewe AlexandraReleased[3]
Summer 1906FWWilliam ThomasEvertonFree transfer[3]
Summer 1906MFSam WhittinghamCrewe AlexandraFree transfer[3]
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References
Specific
  1. Kent, Jeff (1990). "The Hopeless Struggle (1898-1907)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 50–70. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. Port Vale 1905–1906 : Results & Fixtures Archived 6 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  3. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
General
  • Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.
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