1893–94 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1893–94 season was Burslem Port Vale's second consecutive season of football in the English Football League. Winning their opening seven league games, Vale seemed destined for First Division football, however they won just six of their final 22 games and ended up in mid-table.[1] Their remarkable start to the season has not been equalled by any Vale team to date, and counting the previous season's final game, which was a victory, their streak of eight league wins is still a club record. Vale had remedied their scoring trouble, with five players all besting the previous season's top scorer tally of five goals.

Burslem Port Vale
1893–94 season
StadiumAthletic Ground
Football League Second Division7th (30 Points)
FA CupFirst Qualifying Round
(knocked out by Burton Swifts)
Birmingham Senior CupSecond Round
(knocked out by West Bromwich Albion)
Staffordshire Senior CupSecond Round
(knocked out by Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Top goalscorerLeague: Billy Beats (16)
All: Billy Beats (20)
Highest home attendance5,000 vs Liverpool, 7 April 1894
Lowest home attendance500 vs Grimsby Town, 4 December 1893
Average home league attendance2,185+
Biggest win5–0 (twice) and 6–1
Biggest defeat1–8 vs. Manchester City, 7 October 1893
Vale official, and future chairman Sam Bennion was forced to take to the field when the club ran short of players.

One of the club's most successful seasons, only in 1930–31 did Port Vale finish higher than seventh in the second tier of the Football League. With 16 teams in the First Division, Vale finished in 23rd place overall, their highest ever ranking at the end of any season.

Overview

Second Division

Future England international goalkeeper, Tom Baddeley, made his debut in the league for Vale in this season.

September 1893 was a perfect month for the "Valeites", achieving as they did seven wins out of seven games, scoring 30 goals in the process.[1] Although two of these came against whipping boys Northwich Victoria, they did take apart eventual runners-up Small Heath 5–0. However this run came to an end with an 8–1 collapse at a highly physical Manchester City.[1] During this run, on 9 September 1893, Lewis Campbell became the first Vale player to score a hat-trick, and also four goals in one game, as his team brushed aside Walsall Town Swifts 5–0.[1]

They finished the season with a respectable 2–1 defeat to champions Liverpool at Anfield. Vale racked up 30 points, 10 points away from both the chance of promotion and the risk of relegation. Meshach Dean, Bob McCrindle, Billy Beats, and Alf Wood were all ever-presents, with Jimmy Scarratt and Lewis Campbell missing just one game each. At the end of the season McCrindle moved South, Campbell also left the area due to his wife not liking Burslem, though star striker Beats remained.[1]

Cup competitions

For the second successive season they exited the FA Cup at the first qualifying stage thanks to defeat at home to Burton Swifts. In the Staffordshire Senior Cup they exited in the Second Round to Wolverhampton Wanderers after a 6–4 loss – Billy Beats scored a hat-trick yet still finding himself on the losing side. In the Birmingham Senior Cup they left at the Second Round after a 3–1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion.

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GR Pts
5 Grimsby Town 28 15 2 11 71 58 1.224 32
6 Burton Swifts 28 14 3 11 79 61 1.295 31
7 Burslem Port Vale 28 13 4 11 66 64 1.031 30
8 Lincoln City 28 11 6 11 59 58 1.017 28
9 Woolwich Arsenal[lower-alpha 1] 28 12 4 12 52 55 0.945 28
Source:
Notes:
  1. New club in the league

Results

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Second Division

Results by matchday

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728
GroundHAHHAHHAHAAHAHAHAAAHAHHAHAHA
ResultWWWWWWWLLLWWLWDWLLLWLDLDWLDL
Position5341111124444444444444456667
Source: Statto[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
2 September 1893Manchester CityH4–22,500Beats (2), Scarratt, Sands
9 September 1893Walsall Town SwiftsA5–02,000Campbell (4), Beats
16 September 1893Crewe AlexandraH4–22,000Wood (2), Beats, Campbell
18 September 1893Middlesbrough IronopolisH4–03,000Campbell, Beats, Dean, Wood
23 September 1893Northwich VictoriaA5–1Campbell (2), Dean, Scarratt, unknown
25 September 1893Small HeathH5–03,000Beats (3), Wood, Scarratt
30 September 1893Northwich VictoriaH3–22,500Wood (2), Beats
7 October 1893Manchester CityA1–86,000Wood
21 October 1893Rotherham TownH2–31,000Dean, Scarratt
26 October 1893Notts CountyA1–63,000Dean
28 October 1893Rotherham TownA1–02,000Beats
25 November 1893Notts CountyH1–01,000Wood
2 December 1893Grimsby TownA0–42,000
4 December 1893Grimsby TownH6–1500Beats (2), Scarratt (2), Elson, Corfield
9 December 1893Crewe AlexandraA1–1own goal
16 December 1893Burton SwiftsH3–1Campbell (2), Dean
25 December 1893Woolwich ArsenalA1–48,000Wood
30 December 1893Newcastle UnitedA1–23,000Beats
1 January 1894Middlesbrough IronopolisA1–34,000unknown
6 January 1894Woolwich ArsenalH2–1900Dean, Wood
13 January 1894Burton SwiftsA3–52,000Elson, Dean, Campbell
3 February 1894Newcastle UnitedH1–12,000Wood
10 February 1894Walsall Town SwiftsH1–23,000Beats
24 February 1894Lincoln CityA2–22,000Beats (2)
10 March 1894Lincoln CityH5–32,000Campbell (2), Edwards (2), Scarratt
24 March 1894Small HeathA0–64,000
7 April 1894LiverpoolH2–25,000Dean, Wood
14 April 1894LiverpoolA1–25,000Edwards
The Burslem Port Vale team in 1894.

FA Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultGoalscorers
1Q14 October 1893Burton SwiftsH3–4Beats, Dean, Campbell

Birmingham Senior Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
120 January 1894Redditch TownA4–21,350Scarratt (2), Campbell, Dean
212 February 1894West Bromwich AlbionA1–32,100Wood

Staffordshire Senior Cup

RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
25 March 1894Wolverhampton WanderersH4–62,000Beats (3), Wood

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos. Name League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Joe Frail 1001000110
GK Tom Baddeley 20001030
GK Hugh Mackay 1600020180
DF James Clutton 80100090
DF George Youds 2201000230
DFWilliam Corfield 31000031
DF G.S. Eccles 60003090
DF Sam Bennion 10000010
DF John Edwards 63002083
DFBob Ramsay 1600010170
DFWilliam Rhodes 10001020
MF Meshach Dean 28811323210
MF Billy Elson 2621020292
MFFred Farrington 40100050
MF Bob McCrindle 2801030320
MF Jimmy Scarratt 2771032319
MFJames Smith 1400000140
MF Alf Wood 281210323214
MF Joseph Boughey 50003080
MF Lewis Campbell 271311313115
MF Alex Sands 11000011
FW Billy Beats 281611333220
FW Dick Danks 10000010
Top scorer Billy Beats

Top scorers

Place Position Nation Name Second Division FA Cup Other Total
1FW EnglandBilly Beats161320
2MF ScotlandLewis Campbell131115
3MF EnglandAlf Wood120214
4MF EnglandMeshach Dean81110
5MF EnglandJimmy Scarratt7029
6DF EnglandJohn Edwards3003
7MF EnglandBilly Elson2002
8DFWilliam Corfield1001
MF ScotlandAlex Sands1001
Unknown2002
Own goals1001
TOTALS 66 3 9 78

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
June 1893DFGeorge Samuel EcclesMiddleportFree transfer[3]
October 1893MFLewis CampbellAston VillaFree transfer[3]
October 1893GKHugh MackayRotherham TownFree transfer[3]
October 1893DFBob RamsayNorthwich VictoriaFree transfer[3]

Transfers out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
September 1893MFAlex SandsReleased[3]
October 1893DFJames CluttonReleased[3]
May 1894GKHugh MackayWigan CountyReleased[3]
May 1894DFBob RamsayReleased[3]
Summer 1894DFSam BennionReleased[3]
Summer 1894MFLewis CampbellWalsall Town SwiftsReleased[3]
Summer 1894DFWilliam CorfieldReleased[3]
Summer 1894FWBilly ElsonWest ManchesterFree transfer[3]
Summer 1894MFDick DanksReleased[3]
Summer 1894MFFred FarringtonRetired[3]
Summer 1894MFBob McCrindleLuton TownFree transfer[3]

References

Specific
  1. Kent, Jeff (1990). "Trying to make the Grade (1888-1898)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 26–50. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. Port Vale 1893–1894 : Results & Fixtures Archived 29 May 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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