1918–19 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1918–19 season was Port Vale's third season of football after going into abeyance during World War I.[1] They finished 12th in the Football League Lancashire Section, going on to finish bottom of their group in the Subsidiary Tournament. The club applied to join the Football League in March, but were unsuccessful.

Port Vale
1918–19 season
ChairmanFrank Huntbach
ManagerJock Cameron (until January)
Joe Schofield (January onwards)
StadiumOld Recreation Ground
Football League Lancashire Section12th (24 points)
Lancashire Section Subsidiary Tournament4th (3 points)
Top goalscorerLeague: Harry Howell (6)
All: Harry Howell (9)
Highest home attendance16,000 vs. Stoke, 28 April 1919
Lowest home attendance2,000 vs. Blackpool, 28 September 1918
Average home league attendance5,772
Biggest win4–1 vs. Stoke, 28 April 1919
Biggest defeat1–8 vs. Stoke, 12 October 1918

Overview

With Tom Holford largely unavailable, Jock Cameron was promoted to captain and team manager.[1] The squad had to be made up largely of players available and willing to play, with only the Pearson brothers (Harry and Albert) offering much in the way of continuity from the previous campaign.[1] The team started with a four-game unbeaten run, only to pick up one point from their next six games.[1] The poor run included an embarrassing 8–1 defeat by Stoke at the Old Recreation Ground.[1] The war was drawing to a close, ending on 11 November, but not before claiming the lives of Bob Suart and Jack Shelton.[1] Vale beat bottom-club Burnley 4–2 five days later, and began to be strengthened by first-team players who returned from their wartime duties – as were every other club however.[1] From this point Vale began winning their home games but losing their away matches, ending this run with a 2–0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale on 18 January – the first away win of the campaign.[1] A sign of things returning to normal was the sale of Albert Pearson to Liverpool in January.[1]

As players again started to be paid their regular wage, the Football League began a tax on rich clubs to support poorer clubs, which benefited Vale to the tune of £71.[1] Eager to win a place in the expanding Football League the following season, Vale appointed former England international Joe Schofield as team secretary in January.[1] Four straight wins around new year was followed by four straight defeats in February, though attendances began to rise again back to regular peacetime levels.[1] On 10 March the Football League held a vote on which clubs to admit for the 1919–20 season and Vale were disappointed to only tally 27 votes, leaving Stoke, West Ham United, South Shields, Rotherham County and Coventry City as the successful applicants.[1] Vale also ended the league programme with eight defeats in their last ten matches, losing heavily to Oldham Athletic, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers.[1] They ended the season 12th out of 16 teams, scoring 39 goals whilst conceding 77.[1] The club set up a Supporters' club in April with 220 members each contributing a shilling subscription.[1] Vale again fared poorly in the six game Subsidiary Tournament, losing four and winning only once.[1] They did end in positive fashion though, beating Potteries derby rivals Stoke 4–1 in front of a season-high crowd of 16,000.[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
11 Blackpool 30 10 5 15 45 61 0.738 25
12 Port Vale 30 10 4 16 39 77 0.506 24
13 Burnley 30 10 3 17 54 76 0.711 23

Matches

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
7 September 1918BuryA1–1Rogers
14 September 1918BuryH2–1McCarthy, Lyons
21 September 1918BlackpoolA1–1Davies
28 September 1918BlackpoolH1–12,000A.Pearson
5 October 1918StokeA2–3Foster (2)
12 October 1918StokeH1–8Davies
19 October 1918Stockport CountyA0–33,000
26 October 1918Stockport CountyH2–2Blood, H.Pearson
2 November 1918LiverpoolH0–25,000
9 November 1918LiverpoolA0–414,000
16 November 1918BurnleyH4–24,000H.Pearson, Salt, Cope, o.g.
23 November 1918BurnleyA1–44,000Fitchford
30 November 1918Southport VulcanH2–0Kelly, A.Pearson
7 December 1918Southport VulcanA0–4
14 December 1918Manchester UnitedH3–14,000Burgess, Garner, Brennan
21 December 1918Manchester UnitedA1–55,000H.Pearson (pen)
28 December 1918Bolton WanderersH3–15,000o.g., Fitchford, Asbury
11 January 1919Preston North EndH1–04,000Burgess
18 January 1919Preston North EndA2–0Cameron, Burgess
25 January 1919RochdaleH2–03,000Howell, Burgess
1 February 1919RochdaleA0–23,500
8 February 1919EvertonH0–110,000
15 February 1919EvertonA1–320,000Howell
22 February 1919Oldham AthleticA0–65,875
1 March 1919Oldham AthleticH3–15,301Brennan, Howell, Hill
8 March 1919Manchester CityA1–614,000Howell
15 March 1919Manchester CityH1–58,500Fitchford
22 March 1919Blackburn RoversH3–25,000Howell (2), Fitchford
29 March 1919Blackburn RoversA0–65,000
18 April 1919Bolton WanderersA1–220,000Hill (pen)

Lancashire Section Subsidiary Tournament

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
2 Stoke 6 2 2 2 9 10 0.900 6
3 Manchester United 6 2 0 4 9 14 0.643 4
4 Port Vale 6 1 1 4 9 13 0.692 3

Matches

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
5 April 1919Manchester UnitedH1–36,000J.Parker
12 April 1919Manchester UnitedA1–28,000J.Parker
19 April 1919Manchester CityH0–18,000
21 April 1919StokeA2–2Briscoe, Brennan
26 April 1919Manchester CityA1–420,000Howell
28 April 1919StokeH4–116,000Howell (2), o.g., Joe Smith

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos. Name League Subsidiary Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK Jonathan Hammond 28060340
GK F Clements 100010
GK John Dennis 100010
DF Jock Cameron 710071
DF George Holmes 20000200
DF Tom Lyons 25150301
DF Harry Pearson 29360353
DF Edgar Bentley 11020130
DF W Dalton 100010
DF Eli Fletcher 001010
DF W Garner 110011
DF Harry Leese 105060
DF Ben Marsden 600060
DF Andie Newton 103040
DF Fred Parker 600060
DF J Taylor 801090
MF G Arrowsmith 11000110
MF Tom Holford 001010
MF Joe Daley 800080
MF James Hill 12240162
MF William Ashmole 001010
MF E Bell 100010
MF Albert Broadhouse 6040100
MF Sammy Brooks 100010
MF W Brooks 100010
MF Billy Fitchford 13430164
MF H Hale 200020
MF J Kelly 210021
MF F Langley 10010110
MF Arthur McGarry 7050120
MF J McGarry 100010
MF Walter Rowley 200020
MF Alf Smith 12000120
MF Jack Smith 500050
MF Walter Watson 001010
FW David Bowcock 100010
FW Tom Brennan 11221133
FW Billy Briscoe 103141
FW Jack Foster 14210152
FW Albert Pearson 19200192
FW Arthur Rogers 310031
FW J Asbury 210021
FW Bobby Blood 410041
FW J Bradbury 100010
FW David Brown 100010
FW Dick Burgess 740074
FW G Cooper 100010
FW A Cope 110011
FW Tom Davies 420042
FW Alex Donaldson 001010
FW A Floyd 002020
FW W Gould 100010
FW Harry Howell 9623119
FW F McCarthy 510051
FW J Parker 403272
FW A Salt 110011
FW Joe Smith 001111
FW Bob Whittingham 002020

Top scorers

Place Position Nation Name League Subsidiary Total
1FW EnglandHarry Howell639
2FW EnglandDick Burgess404
MF EnglandBilly Fitchford404
4FW EnglandHarry Pearson303
FW EnglandTom Brennan213
6FW EnglandTom Davies202
FW EnglandJack Foster202
MF EnglandJames Hill202
DF EnglandAlbert Pearson202
FW EnglandJ Parker022
11FW EnglandA Cope101
FW EnglandA Salt101
DF EnglandTom Lyons101
DF ScotlandJock Cameron101
FW EnglandBobby Blood101
FW EnglandArthur Rogers101
MF EnglandJ Kelly101
DF EnglandW Garner101
FW EnglandF McCarthy101
FW EnglandJoe Smith011
FW EnglandBilly Briscoe011
FW EnglandJ Asbury101
Own goals212
TOTALS 39 9 48

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
1918DFBen MarsdenFree transfer[2]
Summer 1918FWF McCarthyFree transfer[2]
Autumn 1918MFArthur McGarryFree transfer[2]
Autumn 1918DFJ TaylorFree transfer[2]
November 1918FWJ ParkerLongtonFree transfer[2]
December 1918FWDick BurgessFree transfer[2]
April 1919MFAndie NewtonManchester CityFree transfer[2]

Transfers out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
Autumn 1918MFJoe DaleyReleased[2]
October 1918FWF McCarthyStafford RangersFree transfer[2]
November 1918MFAlf SmithReleased[2]
1919FWTom DaviesReleased[2]
1919FWArthur RogersReleased[2]
January 1919FWAlbert PearsonLiverpoolTransfer[2]
February 1919FWDick BurgessArsenalFree transfer[2]
Summer 1919MFG ArrowsmithReleased[2]
Summer 1919GKJohn DennisReleased[2]
Summer 1919FWA FloydReleased[2]
Summer 1919FWJack FosterReleased[2]
Summer 1919DFGeorge Holmes Merthyr TydfilReleased[2]
Summer 1919DFHarry LeeseCrewe AlexandraReleased[2]
Summer 1919FWJ ParkerReleased[2]
Summer 1919MFJack SmithReleased[2]
Summer 1919DFJ TaylorReleased[2]

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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