1925–26 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1925–26 season was Port Vale's seventh consecutive season of football (20th overall) in the English Football League.[1] They improved on their previous season's success by two points. They finished in a higher league position than rivals Stoke City for only the second time in their history, and with Stoke relegated in 21st place, they guaranteed playing in a higher league than Stoke for the first time in their history. With seven games left to play, April 1926 would be arguably the club's best ever chance at reaching the top flight; however, they tallied just two points from their remaining games to finish in eighth place. Despite all of this, the Vale board proposed a merger with Stoke City, and were forced to resign en-masse when the scheme failed.

Port Vale
1925–26 season
ChairmanSampson Walker
ManagerJoe Schofield
StadiumThe Old Recreation Ground
Football League Second Division8th (44 Points)
FA CupThird Round
(knocked out by Manchester United)
Top goalscorerLeague: Wilf Kirkham (35)
All: Wilf Kirkham (35)
Highest home attendance19,997 vs. Stoke City, 31 August 1925
Lowest home attendance5,207 vs. Nottingham Forest, 12 April 1926
Average home league attendance10,739
Biggest win5–0 and 6–1
Biggest defeat0–6 vs. Chelsea, 5 September 1925

A tale of two teams, their home record was the fourth strongest in the division; however, away from home they recorded just four victories. The key performer was Wilf Kirkham by quite some distance, who racked up a club record 35 Football League goal tally that only he himself would better.

Billy Briscoe was injured for some time after discovering he had played a whole match whilst suffering from appendicitis.[1]
Frank Huntbach returned as chairman after Sampson Walker led a failed bid to amalgamate with Stoke City.
Veteran Billy Tempest had his final season as a professional.
Right-back Jack Maddock put away five penalties in his thirty games.

Overview

Second Division

The pre-season was quiet, with all the club satisfied with the staff and players of the previous campaign.[1] The game itself was changed by the offside rule being modified so that two defenders, rather than three, had to be between the attackers and the goal in order to spring the offside trap – this would have significant beneficial consequences for young forward Wilf Kirkham.[1]

The season started with two wins, the second being a 3–0 home win over cross-town rivals Stoke.[1] This was followed by a demolition job by Chelsea, who adapted to the new offside rule with a new 'W formation' – to devastating effects.[1] The "Valiants" recovered quickly with another 3–0 win over Stoke – Kirkham scoring five of the six derby goals over the two matches.[1] Following a poor display against Hull City, the Vale changed their defensive formation to better combat the new tactics used to exploit the new offside rule.[1] They also dropped their short-passing attacking game in favour of a long ball system that utilized the wings, this resulted in a 6–1 rout of Darlington.[1] Offers came in for a number of Vale's talent, all of which were rejected.[1]

During the mid-season Vale suffered indifferent form, winning at home but losing away. The cold weather was blamed for the low crowds, and the selling of players was considered.[1] Kirkham's form also suffered, as Vale found difficulty in finding the net.[1] In January the club celebrated its Golden jubilee,[1] this established 1876 as their founding date despite some doubts over the exact year of the club's founding. On the pitch, the club went down 4–0 at Darlington. This defeat was followed by a sequence of seven wins in eight games, including a 5–0 win over Blackpool thanks to four goals from Alfred Strange.[1] The team also picked up two rare away wins, including a 2–0 victory at eventual champions The Wednesday.[1] However in March, young right-back Tom Cooper was sold to eventual promotion-winners Derby County for £2,500.[1] Cooper would later play for Liverpool and England.[1]

In fourth position, four points from the promotion zone, on a tremendous run of form, hopes were high for the club's first ever promotion to the top-flight.[1] This hope was crushed with two points from their final seven games, their 1–0 defeat at home Fulham would have significant consequences for neighbours Stoke, who would have avoided relegation if the Vale had recorded a draw.[1]

All positive thoughts were totally extinguished on 16 April 1926, when the Port Vale directors announced that they had agreed in principle to an amalgamation with Stoke City.[1] Chairman Walker stated that low attendances and high wages meant Port Vale had probably reached their zenith,[1] and a merger with City would allow one Stoke-on-Trent club to perform better than Port Vale ever could. Vale fans did not share his view, and organized themselves in Hanley and Burslem to deliver a message that they would not support the proposed new club.[1] On 19 May the Stoke directors backed out of the discussions, leaving the Vale directors and chairman to resign in failure.[1]

Finances

New chairman Frank Huntbach took over in May 1926 at a time of relative financial stability.[1] He discovered a £1,950 profit had been made on the season, though may have been concerned that gate receipts had fallen £1,302 despite a campaign that took the club close to promotion.[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale were handed a home tie in the third round against First Division Manchester United. A hard-fought contest, Vale lost 3–2 in front of a disappointing crowd of 14,841, raising £1,150 in gate receipts.[1] United would go on to the semi-finals, where they would lose 3–0 to derby rivals, and eventual runners-up, Manchester City.

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
6 Blackpool 42 17 11 14 76 69 1.101 45
7 Oldham Athletic 42 18 8 16 74 62 1.194 44
8 Port Vale 42 19 6 17 79 69 1.145 44
9 South Shields 42 18 8 16 74 65 1.138 44
10 Middlesbrough 42 21 2 19 77 68 1.132 44
Source:

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Second Division
Main article: 1925–26 Football League

Results by matchday
Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundAHHAAHHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHA
ResultWWLWLWWDDLLWLWLWLWDWLLLWLWLWWWDWWWWLLDDLLL
Position637565355710799106878679991099878855455555578
Source: Statto[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches
DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
29 August 1925Clapton OrientA2–116,854Kirkham (2)
31 August 1925Stoke CityH3–019,997Kirkham (2 [1 pen]), Strange
5 September 1925ChelseaH0–612,801
7 September 1925Stoke CityA3–021,869Kirkham (3)
12 September 1925Hull CityA0–312,523
14 September 1925BarnsleyH3–07,277Strange, Kirkham (pen), Briscoe
19 September 1925DarlingtonH6–15,841Kirkham (4), Strange, Briscoe
26 September 1925BlackpoolA2–29,502Briscoe, Maddock (pen)
3 October 1925SouthamptonH1–112,589Kirkham
10 October 1925Nottingham ForestA0–210,642
17 October 1925Oldham AthleticA2–37,924Page, Kirkham
24 October 1925Stockport CountyH2–09,954Maddock (pen), Kirkham
31 October 1925Swansea TownA0–115,612
7 November 1925The WednesdayH4–36,862Kirkham (2), Strange, Lowe
14 November 1925Preston North EndA0–417,681
21 November 1925MiddlesbroughH4–09,336Kirkham (3), Strange
28 November 1925PortsmouthA2–312,198Tempest (2)
5 December 1925Wolverhampton WanderersH3–08,364Kirkham (2), Page
12 December 1925FulhamA3–311,452Connelly, Page, Strange
19 December 1925South ShieldsH2–08,794Strange, Maddock (pen)
25 December 1925Derby CountyH0–115,355
26 December 1925Derby CountyA0–223,784
1 January 1926BarnsleyA0–36,804
2 January 1926Clapton OrientH4–28,070Strange (3), Maddock (pen)
16 January 1926ChelseaA1–315,568Page
23 January 1926Hull CityH3–17,579Lowe, Connelly, Kirkham
30 January 1926DarlingtonA0–48,791
6 February 1926BlackpoolH5–09,027Strange (4), Page
13 February 1926SouthamptonA3–210,865Page, Strange, Kirkham
27 February 1926Oldham AthleticH3–011,719Kirkham (2), Page
6 March 1926Stockport CountyA2–27,889Page, Kirkham
13 March 1926Swansea TownH3–019,030Kirkham, Page, Strange
20 March 1926The WednesdayA2–024,965Strange, Kirkham
27 March 1926Preston North EndH3–013,531Kirkham (3)
2 April 1926Bradford CityH2–015,984Kirkham, Lowe
3 April 1926MiddlesbroughA1–310,231Lowe
5 April 1926Bradford CityA0–29,281
10 April 1926PortsmouthH1–18,932Kirkham
12 April 1926Nottingham ForestH1–15,207Lowe
17 April 1926Wolverhampton WanderersA1–310,549Briscoe
24 April 1926FulhamH0–19,262
1 May 1926South ShieldsA2–53,027Kirkham, Oakes

FA Cup
Main article: 1925–26 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R39 January 1926Manchester UnitedH2–314,841Maddock (pen), Page

Player statistics

Appearances
Pos. Name Football League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Sidney Brown 400040
GK Tom Fern 38010390
DF Jimmy Oakes 41110421
DF Jack Maddock 29411305
DF Tom Cooper 11000110
DF Billy Wootton 300030
MF Ernest Collinge 13010140
MF Bob Connelly 38210392
MF Roger Jones 800080
MF Jack Lowe 42510435
MF Arden Maddison 30000300
MF Alfred Strange 4117104217
MF Billy Tempest 16200162
MF Sidney Blunt 25010260
MF Herbert Smith 800080
MF Fred Smith 200020
MFHarold Salt 501060
MF John McDougall 000000
FW Tom Page 369113710
FW Tom Reid 100010
FW Wilf Kirkham 4035104135
FW Billy Briscoe 26400264
FW Joe Pointon 400040
FW Arthur Ecclestone 100010
FW Billy Cotton 000000

Top scorers
Place Position Nation Name Second Division FA Cup Total
1FW EnglandWilf Kirkham35035
2MF EnglandAlfred Strange17017
3FW EnglandTom Page9110
4DF EnglandJack Maddock415
–MF EnglandJack Lowe505
6FW EnglandBilly Briscoe404
7MF ScotlandBob Connelly202
–MF EnglandBilly Tempest202
9DF EnglandJimmy Oakes101
TOTALS 79 2 81

Transfers

Transfers in
Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
June 1925DFBilly WoottonCongleton TownFree transfer[3]
August 1925MFHerbert SmithLittleworthFree transfer[3]
December 1925MFHarold SaltRavensdaleFree transfer[3]

Transfers out
Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
March 1926DFTom CooperDerby County£2,500[3]
Summer 1926MFErnest CollingeReleased[3]
Summer 1926FWJoe PointonLuton TownReleased[3]
Summer 1926MFHarold SaltReleased[3]
Summer 1926MFBilly TempestRetired[3]
Summer 1926GKRobert WallisReleased[3]

References
Specific
  1. Kent, Jeff (1990). "Keeping in Good Company (1919-1929)". The Valiants' Years The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 98–123. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. Port Vale 1925–1926 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 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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