1971–72 Port Vale F.C. season
1971–72 season | ||
---|---|---|
Chairman | Graham Bourne (until January) Mark Singer (from January) | |
Manager | Gordon Lee | |
Stadium | Vale Park | |
Football League Third Division | 15th (41 Points) | |
FA Cup | Third Round (knocked out by Birmingham City) | |
League Cup | First Round (knocked out by Shrewsbury Town) | |
Player of the Year | Sammy Morgan | |
Top goalscorer | League: Bobby Gough (10) All: Bobby Gough (10) | |
Highest home attendance | 11,118 vs. Aston Villa, 6 November 1971 | |
Lowest home attendance | 2,475 vs. Rochdale, 12 May 1972 | |
Average home league attendance | 4,366 | |
Biggest win | 3–0 vs. Swansea City, 18 March 1972 | |
Biggest defeat | 0–3 (five games) | |
| ||
The 1971–72 season was Port Vale's 60th season of football in the Football League, and their second successive season (eighth overall) back in the Third Division.[1] Roy Sproson's 22-year career at the club came to an end, in what was an otherwise unremarkable campaign.
Overview
Third Division
The pre-season saw the arrival of left-half John Flowers from Doncaster Rovers and full-back Tony Loska from Shrewsbury Town for 'a small fee'.[1] Meanwhile, three players picked up injuries: John James (cartilage), Roy Sproson (ribs), and Stuart Sharratt (ankle); whilst Sammy Morgan threatened to quit altogether after falling out with manager Gordon Lee over his decision to remain resident in Great Yarmouth rather than moving nearer to Burslem.[1] Violence broke out in pre-season games, as the sport was in the grip of hooliganism.[1]
The season opened with a 1–1 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion in front of just 4,384 fans, causing Lee to warn that such low attendances would require him to sell off the club's best players.[1] By the end of September Vale were performing well on the pitch, and off it had sold the main car park to The Co-operative Group for £30,000.[1] Goals were at a premium despite a 4–3 win over York City and 4–4 draw with Aston Villa at Vale Park.[1] Sporadic violence continued to break out at many matches, as local businesses had their windows smashed, local residents were menaced and fights broke out.[1] In November, Clint Boulton was sold to Torquay United for £10,000.[1] The next month Lee brought Ray Harford from Mansfield Town for a £5,000 fee, as well as Keith Lindsey from Southend United for 'a small fee'.[1] Vale comfortable in the league, Chairman Graham Bourne resigned in January, along with colleague and fellow director George Sanders.[1] This left the Board of Directors with just two members, one of which, previous chairman Mark Singer, was re-elected as Chairman.[1] The Sentinel's Chris Harper stated that "Vale will never make progress while they are plagued by trouble at the top".[1] The team continued with good home form, but invariably lost away from Vale Park.[1] On 16 February, Sammy Morgan scored on his debut for Northern Ireland, and picked up six further caps whilst at the club.[1] On 4 March, only 2,809 bothered to turn out for a 1–0 home win over Mansfield Town in strong wind and snow, whilst rivals Stoke City won the 1972 League Cup Final in front of a crowd of nearly 100,000 at Wembley Stadium.[1] Vale went on to go ten games without a win, also scoring just one goal in a run of seven games, to the frustration of their supporters.[1] Despite this, the now annual 'Meet the Manager' evening 'warmed the heart' of Lee.[1] A 1–0 win over Barnsley at the end of April ensured the club's safety from the drop.[1] On 8 May, Sproson made his farewell competitive appearance for the club in front of only 2,743 supporters, in a 2–1 defeat to Rotherham United.[1] Lee angrily declared that "the attendance was nothing short of a disgrace to mark the end of a legend".[1] Four days later there was an even smaller turnout for a final day 1–1 draw with Rochdale.[1]
They finished in fifteenth place with 41 points, 30 of which were won at home.[1] With just 43 goals scored, they had the lowest goal tally outside of the bottom four.[1]
Finances
On the financial side, a drop in average home attendance of over a thousand failed to prevent a profit of £596.[1] This profit was due to a £10,000 transfer credit and £13,967 worth of donations from the Sportsmen's Association and the Development Fund.[1] The club's total debt stood at £100,130.[1] Four players were let go at the end of the campaign: Mick Morris (Stafford Rangers), Keith Ball (Stourport), Stuart Sharratt (retired), and John Flowers (Eastwood).[1] Sproson also retired as a player, but stayed on as a scout and coach.[1]
Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, Vale beat Blackburn Rovers 3–1 following a 1–1 draw at Ewood Park. A last-minute Sammy Morgan goal then defeated Fourth Division Darlington in the Second Round.[1] Vale then were defeated 3–0 at St Andrew's by Second Division Birmingham City.
In the League Cup, Vale made 'their annual early exist', losing 2–0 at home to Shrewsbury Town.[1]
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Aston Villa (C, P) | 46 | 32 | 6 | 8 | 85 | 32 | 2.656 | 70 | Promotion to the Second Division |
2 | Brighton & Hove Albion (P) | 46 | 27 | 11 | 8 | 82 | 47 | 1.745 | 65 | |
3 | Bournemouth | 46 | 23 | 16 | 7 | 73 | 37 | 1.973 | 62 | |
4 | Notts County | 46 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 74 | 44 | 1.682 | 62 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
5 | Rotherham United | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 69 | 52 | 1.327 | 55 | |
6 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 21 | 12 | 13 | 75 | 56 | 1.339 | 54 | Qualification for the Watney Cup |
7 | Bolton Wanderers | 46 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 51 | 41 | 1.244 | 50 | |
8 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 20 | 10 | 16 | 74 | 64 | 1.156 | 50 | |
9 | Walsall | 46 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 62 | 57 | 1.088 | 48 | |
10 | Blackburn Rovers | 46 | 19 | 9 | 18 | 54 | 57 | 0.947 | 47 | |
11 | Oldham Athletic | 46 | 17 | 11 | 18 | 59 | 63 | 0.937 | 45 | |
12 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 73 | 65 | 1.123 | 44 | |
13 | Chesterfield | 46 | 18 | 8 | 20 | 57 | 57 | 1.000 | 44 | |
14 | Swansea City | 46 | 17 | 10 | 19 | 46 | 59 | 0.780 | 44 | |
15 | Port Vale | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 43 | 59 | 0.729 | 41 | |
16 | Wrexham | 46 | 16 | 8 | 22 | 59 | 63 | 0.937 | 40 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
17 | Halifax Town | 46 | 13 | 12 | 21 | 48 | 61 | 0.787 | 38 | |
18 | Rochdale | 46 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 57 | 83 | 0.687 | 37 | |
19 | York City | 46 | 12 | 12 | 22 | 57 | 66 | 0.864 | 36 | |
20 | Tranmere Rovers | 46 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 50 | 71 | 0.704 | 36 | |
21 | Mansfield Town (R) | 46 | 8 | 20 | 18 | 41 | 63 | 0.651 | 36 | Relegation to the Fourth Division |
22 | Barnsley (R) | 46 | 9 | 18 | 19 | 32 | 64 | 0.500 | 36 | |
23 | Torquay United (R) | 46 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 41 | 69 | 0.594 | 32 | |
24 | Bradford City (R) | 46 | 11 | 10 | 25 | 45 | 77 | 0.584 | 32 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Results
Port Vale's score comes first
Football League Third Division
Results by matchday
Matches
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 August 1971 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | 1–1 | 4,384 | Horton (pen) |
21 August 1971 | Swansea City | A | 1–0 | 6,457 | Morris |
28 August 1971 | Chesterfield | H | 0–2 | 4,416 | |
30 August 1971 | Notts County | H | 0–3 | 5,298 | |
4 September 1971 | Wrexham | A | 2–1 | 7,407 | Brodie, Horton |
11 September 1971 | Plymouth Argyle | H | 0–0 | 3,707 | |
18 September 1971 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0–0 | 5,443 | |
25 September 1971 | Halifax Town | H | 1–0 | 3,724 | Gough |
27 September 1971 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 0–0 | 4,963 | |
2 October 1971 | Walsall | A | 0–2 | 4,642 | |
9 October 1971 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 1–1 | 6,394 | Horton (pen) |
16 October 1971 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | 1–1 | 9,007 | Mountford |
19 October 1971 | Bournemouth | A | 2–3 | 10,404 | Morgan, Gough |
23 October 1971 | York City | H | 4–3 | 4,484 | McLaren (2), Gough, Morgan |
30 October 1971 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–1 | 8,140 | |
6 November 1971 | Aston Villa | H | 4–4 | 11,118 | McLaren, Mountford, Morgan, Loska |
13 November 1971 | Mansfield Town | A | 1–0 | 5,996 | Mountford |
27 November 1971 | Torquay United | A | 0–3 | 3,710 | |
4 December 1971 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 2–1 | 3,701 | Morgan, McLaren |
18 December 1971 | Wrexham | H | 1–0 | 4,310 | Summerscales |
27 December 1971 | Bristol Rovers | A | 1–2 | 12,073 | McLaren |
1 January 1972 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 2–1 | 5,056 | Gough, Horton |
8 January 1972 | Chesterfield | A | 1–2 | 6,532 | Gough |
22 January 1972 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1–3 | 8,495 | Loska |
29 January 1972 | Bournemouth | H | 1–1 | 4,937 | Gough |
5 February 1972 | Bradford City | H | 1–0 | 3,715 | Lacey |
12 February 1972 | York City | A | 1–2 | 4,319 | Gough |
19 February 1972 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–0 | 4,506 | Morgan |
26 February 1972 | Aston Villa | A | 0–2 | 32,806 | |
4 March 1972 | Mansfield Town | H | 1–0 | 2,809 | Morgan |
11 March 1972 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 0–3 | 6,240 | |
13 March 1972 | Rochdale | A | 2–3 | 3,157 | James, o.g. |
18 March 1972 | Swansea City | H | 3–0 | 3,257 | Gough (2), Harford |
21 March 1972 | Barnsley | A | 0–0 | 4,048 | |
25 March 1972 | Plymouth Argyle | A | 0–0 | 8,801 | |
1 April 1972 | Bristol Rovers | H | 0–0 | 3,823 | |
3 April 1972 | Walsall | H | 1–1 | 5,250 | Gough |
4 April 1972 | Halifax Town | A | 0–2 | 3,319 | |
8 April 1972 | Bradford City | A | 0–0 | 2,969 | |
15 April 1972 | Torquay United | H | 0–0 | 2,737 | |
18 April 1972 | Rotherham United | A | 0–3 | 4,161 | |
21 April 1972 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–3 | 3,544 | McLaren, o.g. |
26 April 1972 | Notts County | A | 1–2 | 9,033 | Morgan |
29 April 1972 | Barnsley | H | 1–0 | 2,614 | Morris |
8 May 1972 | Rotherham United | H | 1–2 | 2,743 | Morris |
12 May 1972 | Rochdale | H | 1–1 | 2,475 | Horton (pen) |
FA Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | 20 November 1971 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 1–1 | 6,947 | Horton |
R1 Replay | 22 November 1971 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 3–1 | 5,717 | Horton (2 [1 pen]), Morgan |
R2 | 11 December 1971 | Darlington | H | 1–0 | 5,402 | Morgan |
R3 | 15 January 1972 | Birmingham City | A | 0–3 | 32,937 |
League Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
R1 | 18 August 1971 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 0–2 | 4,638 |
Player statistics
Appearances
Pos. | Name | Football League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
GK | ![]() |
31 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
GK | ![]() |
15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
24 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
DF | ![]() |
46 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
37 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 1 |
DF | ![]() |
16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
DF | ![]() |
30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
MF | ![]() |
45 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 6 |
MF | ![]() |
42 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 8 |
MF | ![]() |
31 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
MF | ![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
MF | ![]() |
19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
FW | ![]() |
14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
FW | ![]() |
31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 3 |
FW | ![]() |
42 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 10 |
FW | ![]() |
36 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 9 |
FW | ![]() |
21 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 3 |
Top scorers
Place | Position | Nation | Name | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | FW | ![]() |
Bobby Gough | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
2 | FW | ![]() |
Sammy Morgan | 7 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
– | MF | ![]() |
Tommy McLaren | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
4 | MF | ![]() |
Brian Horton | 5 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
5 | FW | ![]() |
Mick Morris | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
6 | FW | ![]() |
Bob Mountford | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
7 | DF | ![]() |
Tony Loska | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
– | MF | ![]() |
Ray Harford | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | DF | ![]() |
John Brodie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | DF | ![]() |
Bill Summerscales | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | MF | ![]() |
Tony Lacey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | FW | ![]() |
John James | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | – | – | Own goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
TOTALS | 43 | 5 | 0 | 48 |
Transfers
Transfers in
Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 1971 | DF | ![]() |
Tony Loska | Southend United | Free transfer | [3] |
August 1971 | MF | ![]() |
John Flowers | Doncaster Rovers | 'small' | [3] |
December 1971 | DF | ![]() |
Ray Harford | Mansfield Town | £5,000 | [3] |
December 1971 | DF | ![]() |
Keith Lindsey | Southend United | 'small' | [3] |
January 1972 | MF | ![]() |
Bob Peyton | Chelmsley Town | Free transfer | [3] |
Transfers out
Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 1971 | DF | ![]() |
Clint Boulton | Torquay United | £10,000 | [3] |
May 1972 | GK | ![]() |
Keith Ball | Stourport | Free transfer | [3] |
May 1972 | MF | ![]() |
John Flowers | Eastwood | Free transfer | [3] |
May 1972 | FW | ![]() |
Mick Morris | Stafford Rangers | Free transfer | [3] |
May 1972 | DF | ![]() |
Roy Sproson | Retired | [3] | |
May 1972 | GK | ![]() |
Stuart Sharratt | Released | [3] |
References
- Specific
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae Kent, Jeff (1990). "Surviving on a Shoestring (1969–1979)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 227–257. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
- ^ Port Vale 1971–1972 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k 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.