1928–29 Port Vale F.C. season explained

The 1928–29 season was Port Vale's tenth consecutive season of football (23rd overall) in the English Football League.^[1] For the first time in their history they suffered relegation. This was down to poor away form; at home, they went a club record 19 games without a draw, picking up all but five points in front of their home fans. The season also saw the departure of club legends Tom Page and Wilf Kirkham.

Overview

Second Division

The pre-season saw only the addition of one major player – goalkeeper Jack Prince from Oldham Athletic. Otherwise, the club felt confident that they had a nice blend of youth and experience.

The season started with a 4–1 home defeat to Wolves, yet two days later, the Vale travelled to The Dell, where they beat Southampton with two Stewart Littlewood goals – this would prove to be their only away victory of the season. Picking up just two wins in September (a 5–2 win over Millwall thanks to a Littlewood hat-trick, and a 2–1 win over Tottenham Hotspur), the club soon found themselves struggling. They also lost 2–1 at Stoke's Victoria Ground in front of 35,288 supporters. Heading into December they won six successive home games to take them into mid-table, including a four-goal haul from Jack Simms to see off Nottingham Forest. December would prove to be the month that killed the Vale. Oakes had a cartilage operation, Gillespie tore an elbow joint, and the team lost six of their seven festive games. In January the popular high-scoring Littlewood was traded to Oldham Athletic for veteran striker Albert Pynegar and £1,300. Falling down the table fast, in late February they were slaughtered 7–1 at Preston North End's Deepdale. Back at The Old Recreation Ground they managed to regularly pick up victories, most notably demolishing West Bromwich Albion 8–1 on 9 March – the biggest victory in the division that season, Pynegar scoring a hat-trick. Further good work picking up three points from Oldham Athletic and beating Chelsea was undone by a horrifying 6–0 defeat at fellow strugglers Barnsley. The "Valiants" beat Bristol City 5–0 in front of a miserable home turnout thanks to a four-goal effort from Pynegar, yet it was too little too late as the club were relegated.

They finished in 21st place with 34 points from 42 games, two points from safety, and suffered relegation for the first time in their history (they had previously failed re-elections). Scoring 71 goals was respectable. However, 86 goals conceded was the joint-worst in the league. Their awful away form was not unique; Vale was one of four teams with only one away win, though they conceded more on their travels than any other side.

Finances

On the financial side, plans of a new stadium were shelved as the directors channelled money into rebuilding their team. Vic Rouse, Alf Bennett, and David Rollo were let go, Rouse joining Crewe Alexandra. Club legend Tom Page also left the club after racking up 286 Football League appearances. With a £1,223 drop in gate receipts there were fears that the club might close, these fears were heightened when fellow legend Wilf Kirkham was sold to Stoke City for £2,800 (the second-highest transfer the club had ever received).

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, it was a repeat of the 1925–26 season as the club were drawn against Manchester United at home. The First Division club returned to Old Trafford with a 3–0 victory. The end-of-season North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary Cup was cancelled, with Vale seemingly too despondent to field a team.

League table

See main article: article and 1928–29 Football League.

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Second Division

Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
25 August 1928	Wolverhampton Wanderers	H	1–4	12,274	Fishwick (pen)
27 August 1928	Southampton	A	2–1	11,743	Littlewood (2)
1 September 1928	Notts County	A	0–3	15,314
8 September 1928	Millwall	H	5–2	10,578	Littlewood (3), Briscoe (2)
15 September 1928	Stoke City	A	1–2	35,288	Griffiths
22 September 1928	Hull City	A	0–2	11,728
24 September 1928	Southampton	H	1–2	7,344	Fishwick
29 September 1928	Tottenham Hotspur	H	2–1	12,502	Gillespie, Littlewood
6 October 1928	Reading	A	1–2	11,276	Simms
13 October 1928	Preston North End	H	3–2	12,098	Littlewood (2), Mandley
20 October 1928	Clapton Orient	H	3–0	10,007	Littlewood, Simms, Anstiss
27 October 1928	West Bromwich Albion	A	1–3	10,851	Anstiss
3 November 1928	Nottingham Forest	H	4–2	9,936	Simms (4)
10 November 1928	Grimsby Town	A	1–3	9,017	Kirkham
17 November 1928	Barnsley	H	3–0	7,417	Kirkham (2), Gillespie
24 November 1928	Chelsea	A	3–3	23,305	Kirkham (2), Simms
1 December 1928	Blackpool	H	1–0	8,244	Simms
8 December 1928	Swansea Town	A	0–2	8,968
15 December 1928	Bradford Park Avenue	H	0–1	7,339
22 December 1928	Bristol City	A	1–2	10,459	Simms
25 December 1928	Middlesbrough	A	1–5	21,977	Fishwick
26 December 1928	Middlesbrough	H	2–3	13,988	Fishwick, Mandley
29 December 1928	Wolverhampton Wanderers	A	0–4	11,426
5 January 1929	Notts County	H	3–0	7,475	Kirkham (2), Jones
19 January 1929	Millwall	A	1–2	20,056	Kirkham
26 January 1929	Stoke City	H	1–2	18,869	Mandley
2 February 1929	Hull City	H	4–1	6,065	Fishwick, Kirkham, o.g., Pynegar
9 February 1929	Tottenham Hotspur	A	2–4	21,342	Fishwick, Simms
23 February 1929	Preston North End	A	1–7	9,356	Kirkham
25 February 1929	Reading	H	4–0	4,303	Kirkham (3), Simms
2 March 1929	Clapton Orient	A	0–1	15,543
9 March 1929	West Bromwich Albion	H	8–1	11,539	Pynegar (3), Jones (2), Mandley, Simms, Kirkham
16 March 1929	Nottingham Forest	A	2–2	7,388	Kirkham, Jones
23 March 1929	Grimsby Town	H	0–3	13,085
29 March 1929	Oldham Athletic	H	2–1	17,697	Pynegar, Anstiss
30 March 1929	Barnsley	A	0–6	9,615
1 April 1929	Oldham Athletic	A	1–1	19,571	Mandley
6 April 1929	Chelsea	H	1–0	11,701	Pynegar
13 April 1929	Blackpool	A	0–4	8,696
20 April 1929	Swansea Town	H	0–0	8,587
27 April 1929	Bradford Park Avenue	A	0–2	9,132
4 May 1929	Bristol City	H	5–0	3,307	Pynegar (4), Griffiths

FA Cup

See main article: article and 1928–29 FA Cup.

!Round!!Date!!Opponent!!Venue!!Result!!Attendance!!Goalscorers

R3

12 January 1929

Manchester United

H

0–3

17,519

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

Pos.	Name	Football League		FA Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Alf Bennett	11	0	0	0	11	0
GK	Jack Prince	31	0	1	0	32	0
GK	Jim McKenna	0	0	0	0	0	0
GK	Thomas Sproson	0	0	0	0	0	0
DF	Jimmy Oakes	26	0	0	0	26	0
DF	Jack Maddock	24	0	1	0	25	0
DF	Billy Wootton	6	0	0	0	6	0
DF	George Shenton	10	0	0	0	10	0
MF	Bob Connelly	42	0	1	0	43	0
MF	Roger Jones	18	4	1	0	19	4
MF	Herbert Smith	23	0	1	0	24	0
MF	George Whitcombe	12	0	0	0	12	0
MF	Vic Rouse	28	0	1	0	29	0
MF	Jack Simms	34	12	1	0	35	12
MF	Phil Griffiths	6	2	0	0	6	2
MF	Bert Fishwick	14	6	1	0	15	6
MF	Jack Mandley	35	5	1	0	36	5
MF	Frank Williams	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	Tom Page	17	0	0	0	17	0
FW	Wilf Kirkham	31	15	1	0	32	15
FW	Billy Briscoe	24	2	1	0	25	2
FW	Stewart Littlewood	10	9	0	0	10	9
FW	Harry Anstiss	17	3	0	0	17	3
FW	Robert Gillespie	14	2	0	0	14	2
FW	Albert Pynegar	18	10	0	0	18	10
FW	Frank Allen	0	0	0	0	0	0

Top scorers

width=60	Place	width=60	Position	width=180	Nation	width=150	Name	width=80	Second Division	width=80	FA Cup	width=80	Total
1	FW		Wilf Kirkham	15	0	15
2	MF		Jack Simms	12	0	12
3	FW		Albert Pynegar	10	0	10
4	FW		Stewart Littlewood	9	0	9
5	MF		Bert Fishwick	6	0	6
6	MF		Jack Mandley	5	0	5
7	MF		Roger Jones	4	0	4
8	FW		Harry Anstiss	3	0	3
9	FW		Billy Briscoe	2	0	2
–	MF		Phil Griffiths	2	0	2
–	FW		Robert Gillespie	2	0	2
–	–	–	Own goals	1	0	1
			TOTALS	71	0	71

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
May 1928	GK				Free transfer	[2]
January 1929	FW			Oldham Athletic	Exchange

Transfers out

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
January 1929	FW				Exchange + £1,300
May 1929	GK				Released
May 1929	DF			Fleetwood Windsor Villa	Free transfer
May 1929	MF				Free transfer
May 1929	MF				Free transfer
Summer 1929	FW				Free transfer
Summer 1929	FW				£2,800
Summer 1929	FW				Released
Summer 1929	MF				Released

References

Specific

General

• Book: Kent, Jeff. The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. 1993. 0-9508981-9-8.

Notes and References

1. Book: Kent, Jeff. The Valiants' Years The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. 1990. 98–123. Keeping in Good Company (1919-1929). 0-9508981-4-7.
2. Book: Kent, Jeff. Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. 1996. 0-9529152-0-0.