1917–18 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1917–18 season was Port Vale's second season of football after going into abeyance during World War I.[1] Improving on the previous season, they managed to finish in 11th-place. The team managed a run of just one defeat in 11 games, though ended the league campaign with a run of six defeats in eight games.

Port Vale
1917–18 season
ChairmanFrank Huntbach
ManagerTom Holford
StadiumOld Recreation Ground
Football League Lancashire Section11th (26 points)
Lancashire Section Subsidiary Tournament4th (2 points)
Top goalscorerLeague: David Bowcock (7)
All: David Bowcock (7)
Highest home attendance10,000 vs. Stoke City, 29 September 1917
Lowest home attendance562 vs. Oldham Athletic, 1 December 1917
Average home league attendance3,507
Biggest win4–0 and 5–1
Biggest defeat0–7 vs. Everton, 9 March 1918

Overview

Port Vale had a difficult start to the season, losing key players to conscription and facing champions Liverpool home and away.[1] They actually led 2–0 at half-time in the season opener, though ended the match with a 3–2 defeat and then were beaten 4–0 at Anfield.[1] They picked up a draw and win over Southport Central, but were beaten home and away by Potteries derby rivals Stoke; the home tie with Stoke saw a season-high crowd of 10,000.[1] A 5–2 win over Burnley, in which David Bowcock scored a hat-trick, was the first of a five match unbeaten run, though they did draw the other four matches.[1] A 4–0 home defeat in which they were "outclassed" by Stockport County ruined this run, before they put together another five match unbeaten run.[1]

A 4–0 win over Blackpool on 26 January took Vale up to seventh-place. However they then suffered poor form until the end of the campaign, picking up just three points from their remaining eight matches.[1] This poor run of defeats included a heavy 7–0 loss at Everton, though they were comforted by their £60 share of the 15,000 crowd.[1] They picked up an expected two points away with a 5–1 win at rock-bottom Blackburn Rovers, but lost the final game of the season 2–0 at home to Rovers, which was only the away side's second victory of the season.[1] Around this time club nicknames were becoming popular, and The Staffordshire Sentinel reporter "The Wanderer" suggested "the Colliers", in reference to local coal mines, though the nickname failed to catch on.[1] They ended the season in a respectable 11th-place; David Bowcock's seven goals were enough to make him top-scorer as few attackers could manage to play in half the club's matches.[1] The six game Subsidiary Tournament was used as an exercise to blood young players, and they lost five of their games in a difficult group of Manchester City, Manchester United and Stoke.[1] Despite low costs the club announced a loss of £33 and the total debt reached £4,000, leaving directors grumbling about their financial responsibilities.[1]

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Lancashire Section

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
10 Preston North End 30 12 3 15 38 53 0.717 27
11 Port Vale 30 9 8 13 47 58 0.810 26
12 Blackpool 30 10 5 15 46 70 0.657 25

Matches

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
1 September 1917LiverpoolH2–34,000Worthy (2)
8 September 1917LiverpoolA0–412,000
15 September 1917Southport CentralH1–1Worthy
22 September 1917Southport CentralA4–21,000Lyons, Bowcock, A.Pearson, Edgeley
29 September 1917StokeH0–210,000
6 October 1917StokeA1–4Hill
13 October 1917BurnleyH5–2poorBowcock (3), Spooner, A.Pearson
20 October 1917BurnleyA2–2A.Pearson, Bowcock
27 October 1917Manchester UnitedA3–37,000Whittaker (2), A.Pearson
3 November 1917Manchester UnitedH2–24,000Edgeley, A.Pearson
10 November 1917Stockport CountyA2–22,000Whittaker, Edgeley
17 November 1917Stockport CountyH0–43,000
24 November 1917Oldham AthleticA1–11,203Hill
1 December 1917Oldham AthleticH2–0562Spooner, Malkin
8 December 1917BuryA2–02,000Spooner, Whittaker
15 December 1917BuryH2–21,000o.g., Whittaker
22 December 1917Bolton WanderersA2–01,000Bowcock (2)
29 December 1917Bolton WanderersH1–2few hundredDaley
5 January 1918Preston North EndA0–1
12 January 1918Preston North EndH3–0Brennan (2), H.Pearson
19 January 1918BlackpoolA1–07000Rogers
26 January 1918BlackpoolH4–0Brennan (2), Rogers (2)
2 February 1918Manchester CityA1–511,000Hill
9 February 1918Manchester CityH0–21,000
16 February 1918RochdaleH1–1Brennan
23 February 1918RochdaleA0–22,000
2 March 1918EvertonH0–1
9 March 1918EvertonA0–715,000
16 March 1918Blackburn RoversA5–1100Jolly (2), A.Pearson, Foster, J.Bennett
23 March 1918Blackburn RoversH0–2

Lancashire Section Subsidiary Tournament

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
2 Manchester United 6 3 1 2 6 7 0.857 7
3 Stoke 6 2 2 2 10 5 2.000 6
4 Port Vale 6 1 0 5 4 15 0.267 2

Matches

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
29 March 1918StokeH0–2
30 March 1918Manchester CityH1–48,000Brennan
1 April 1918StokeA0–6
6 April 1918Manchester CityA0–11,000
13 April 1918Manchester UnitedA0–23,000
20 April 1918Manchester UnitedH3–04,000Foster (2), Daley

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos. Name League Subsidiary Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Teddy Bateup 500050
GK John Powell 500050
GK Jonathan Hammond 20050250
DF Jim Bennett 15140191
DF Jock Cameron 27050320
DF Ted Collins 200020
DF John Griffiths 200020
DF George Holmes 13040170
DF Willie Hawley 001010
DF Tom Lyons 30140341
DF Harry Pearson 24120261
DF B Phillips 14000140
DF Bill Taylor 001010
MF G Arrowsmith 23050280
MF Tom Holford 200020
MF George Shelton 200020
MF Billy Spooner 26310273
MF Joe Daley 312152
MF Harold Edgeley 14300143
MF James Hill 15300153
MF J Lawton 300030
MF W Malkin 112031
MF W Pepper 101020
MF Herbert Bennett 100010
FW Joe Brough 100010
FW Jack Shelton 100010
FW David Bowcock 10700107
FW Tom Brennan 11551166
FW Billy Briscoe 100010
FW Jack Foster 514293
FW Jack Jolly 721082
FW A MacKenzie 001010
FW G Maddock 100010
FW Albert Pearson 28650336
FW Arthur Rogers 633063
FW J Wellings 001010
FW Sam Whittaker 650065
FW S Worthy 530053

Top scorers

Place Position Nation Name League Subsidiary Total
1FW EnglandDavid Bowcock707
2FW EnglandAlbert Pearson606
FW EnglandTom Brennan516
4FW EnglandSam Whittaker505
5FW EnglandS Worthy303
MF EnglandBilly Spooner303
MF EnglandHarold Edgeley303
MF EnglandJames Hill303
FW EnglandArthur Rogers303
FW EnglandJack Foster123
11FW EnglandJack Jolly202
MF EnglandJoe Daley112
13DF EnglandJim Bennett101
DF EnglandTom Lyons101
DF EnglandHarry Pearson101
MF EnglandW Malkin101
Own goals101
TOTALS 47 4 51

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
1917MFJoe DaleyFree transfer[2]
1917MFW PepperFree transfer[2]
1917FWArthur RogersFree transfer[2]
Summer 1917FWDavid BowcockFree transfer[2]
Summer 1917MFJames HillFree transfer[2]
Autumn 1917MFW MalkinFree transfer[2]
September 1917DFHarry PearsonBuryFree transfer[2]
November 1917FWJack FosterFree transfer[2]
November 1917MFJ LawtonFree transfer[2]
January 1918FWBilly BriscoeLeek UnitedFree transfer[2]
February 1918FWJack JollyFree transfer[2]

Transfers out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
1918GKTeddy BateupRetired[2]
1918MFJ LawtonReleased[2]
1918MFW PepperReleased[2]
1918FWS WorthyReleased[2]
April 1918MFW MalkinReleased[2]
Summer 1918DFJim BennettReleased[2]
Summer 1918FWJack JollyReleased[2]
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References

Specific
  1. Kent, Jeff (1990). "The Hard Road Back (1907–1919)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 71–97. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. 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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