1928–29 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale
1928–29 season
Chairman	Frank Huntbach
Manager	Joe Schofield
Stadium	Old Recreation Ground
Football League Second Division	21st (34 Points)
FA Cup	Third Round; (knocked out by Manchester United)
Top goalscorer	League: Wilf Kirkham (15); All: Wilf Kirkham (15)
Highest home attendance	18,869 vs. Stoke City, 26 January 1929
Lowest home attendance	3,307 vs. Bristol City, 4 May 1929
Average home league attendance	10,207
Biggest win	8–1 vs. West Bromwich Albion, 9 March 1929
Biggest defeat	1–7 vs. Preston North End, 23 February 1929
	Home colours
	Home colours

The 1928–29 season was Port Vale's tenth consecutive season of football (23rd overall) in the English Football League.^[1] Managed by Joe Schofield and chaired by Frank Huntbach, Vale endured their first-ever relegation, finishing 21st with 34 points and dropping into the Third Division North.

Despite a club record sequence at home, 19 league games without a draw, they secured just one away league victory during the entire season, which sharply undermined survival chances. Their season highlights included an 8–1 demolition of West Bromwich Albion on 9 March 1929 (the biggest win in the division that year), and a damaging 7–1 loss at Preston North End in February. Season top scorer Wilf Kirkham led the line with 15 goals in league matches (and across all competitions). Vale finished the campaign having scored 71 goals, but leaked 86, a total matched by few others that season.

In the FA Cup, Vale reached the Third Round, where they were knocked out by Manchester United. The season also saw significant departures, most notably club legends Tom Page and Wilf Kirkham, with transfer income — including Kirkham’s £2,800 move to local rivals Stoke City — providing important financial relief in a difficult year.

Fenton-born Billy Briscoe added 24 league appearances to his ever-growing tally.

Chairman Frank Huntbach declared that "no efforts will be spared by the club to regain its lost status".^[1]

Right-back Jack Maddock played in 25 games.

Overview

Second Division

The pre-season saw only the addition of one major player – goalkeeper Jack Prince from Oldham Athletic.^[1] Otherwise, the club felt confident that they had a nice blend of youth and experience.^[1]

The season started with a 4–1 home defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, 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.^[1] 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.^[1] They also lost 2–1 at Stoke's Victoria Ground in front of 35,288 supporters.^[1] Wilf Kirkham found himself demoted to the reserves. A 2–1 defeat at bottom club Reading on 6 October was the hosts' first win of the season. Though the Vale followed this up with a 3–2 win over third-placed Preston North End.^[1] 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.^[1] The run of away losses was ended with an impressive 3–3 draw at Chelsea on 24 November. However, the next eight away games ended in defeat.^[1]

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.^[1] This run included defeats by a four-goal margin at both Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers. In January, the popular high-scoring Littlewood was traded to Oldham Athletic for veteran striker Albert Pynegar and £1,300.^[1] On 26 January, Stoke City inflicted a 2–1 defeat on the Vale in front of 18,869 supporters. Only a third of the supporters returned for the following week's 4–1 win over Hull City. The team then conceded four goals at White Hart Lane as they fell to a 4–2 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.^[1]

Falling down the table fast, in late February they were slaughtered 7–1 at Preston North End's Deepdale.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] They failed to score a goal in the three penultimate matches of the campaign, including a goalless home draw with Swansea Town; had the Vale scored then they would have ultimately secured safety at Swansea's expense. 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.^[1]

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).^[1] Scoring 71 goals was respectable. However, 86 goals conceded were the joint-worst in the league.^[1] 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.^[1] Vic Rouse, Alf Bennett, and David Rollo were let go, Rouse joining Crewe Alexandra.^[1] Club legend Tom Page also left the club after racking up 286 Football League appearances.^[1] 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).^[1]

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.^[1] The First Division club returned to Old Trafford with a 3–0 victory.^[1] The end-of-season North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary Cup was cancelled, with Vale seemingly too despondent to field a team.^[1]

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Promotion or relegation
18	Oldham Athletic	42	16	5	21	54	75	0.720	37
19	Swansea Town	42	13	10	19	62	75	0.827	36
20	Bristol City	42	13	10	19	58	72	0.806	36
21	Port Vale (R)	42	15	4	23	71	86	0.826	34	Relegation to the Third Division North
22	Clapton Orient (R)	42	12	8	22	45	72	0.625	32	Relegation to the Third Division South

Source:
(R) Relegated

Results

Football League Second Division

Results by matchday

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42
Ground	H	A	A	H	A	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	H	A	H
Result	L	W	L	W	L	L	L	W	L	W	W	L	W	L	W	D	W	L	L	L	L	L	L	W	L	L	W	L	L	W	L	W	D	L	W	L	D	W	L	D	L	W
Position	18	14	17	13	13	18	18	16	19	17	15	17	16	17	14	13	12	13	15	16	17	19	19	19	19	20	19	20	21	20	21	21	20	20	20	21	21	21	21	21	21	21
Points	0	2	2	4	4	4	4	6	6	8	10	10	12	12	14	15	17	17	17	17	17	17	17	19	19	19	21	21	21	23	23	25	26	26	28	28	29	31	31	32	32	34

Source: Statto^[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

25 August 1928 1	Port Vale	1–4	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Hanley
	Fishwick pen'			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 12,274

27 August 1928 2	Southampton	1–2	Port Vale	Southampton
			Littlewood	Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 11,743

1 September 1928 3	Notts County	3–0	Port Vale	Nottingham
				Stadium: Meadow Lane Attendance: 15,314

8 September 1928 4	Port Vale	5–2	Millwall	Hanley
	Littlewood Briscoe			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 10,578

15 September 1928 5	Stoke City	2–1	Port Vale	Stoke-upon-Trent
			Griffiths	Stadium: Victoria Ground Attendance: 35,288

22 September 1928 6	Hull City	2–0	Port Vale	Kingston upon Hull
				Stadium: Anlaby Road Attendance: 11,728

24 September 1928 7	Port Vale	1–2	Southampton	Hanley
	Fishwick			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 7,344

29 September 1928 8	Port Vale	2–1	Tottenham Hotspur	Hanley
	Gillespie Littlewood			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 12,502

6 October 1928 9	Reading	2–1	Port Vale	Reading, Berkshire
			Simms	Stadium: Elm Park Attendance: 11,276

13 October 1928 10	Port Vale	3–2	Preston North End	Hanley
	Littlewood Mandley			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 12,098

20 October 1928 11	Port Vale	3–0	Clapton Orient	Hanley
	Littlewood Simms Anstiss			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 10,007

27 October 1928 12	West Bromwich Albion	3–1	Port Vale	West Bromwich
			Anstiss	Stadium: The Hawthorns Attendance: 10,851

3 November 1928 13	Port Vale	4–2	Nottingham Forest	Hanley
	Simms			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 9,936

10 November 1928 14	Grimsby Town	3–1	Port Vale	Cleethorpes
			Kirkham	Stadium: Blundell Park Attendance: 9,017

17 November 1928 15	Port Vale	3–0	Barnsley	Hanley
	Kirkham Gillespie			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 7,417

24 November 1928 16	Chelsea	3–3	Port Vale	Fulham, West London
			Kirkham Simms	Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 23,305

1 December 1928 17	Port Vale	1–0	Blackpool	Hanley
	Simms			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,244

8 December 1928 18	Swansea Town	2–0	Port Vale	Swansea
				Stadium: Vetch Field Attendance: 8,968

15 December 1928 19	Port Vale	0–1	Bradford (Park Avenue)	Hanley
				Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 7,339

22 December 1928 20	Bristol City	2–1	Port Vale	Ashton Gate, Bristol
			Simms	Stadium: Ashton Gate Attendance: 10,459

25 December 1928 21	Middlesbrough	5–1	Port Vale	Middlesbrough
			Fishwick	Stadium: Ayresome Park Attendance: 21,977

26 December 1928 22	Port Vale	2–3	Middlesbrough	Hanley
	Fishwick Mandley			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 13,988

29 December 1928 23	Wolverhampton Wanderers	4–0	Port Vale	Wolverhampton
				Stadium: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 11,426

5 January 1929 24	Port Vale	3–0	Notts County	Hanley
	Kirkham Jones			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 7,475

19 January 1929 25	Millwall	2–1	Port Vale	New Cross, Lewisham
			Kirkham	Stadium: The Den Attendance: 20,056

26 January 1929 26	Port Vale	1–2	Stoke City	Hanley
	Mandley			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 18,869

2 February 1929 27	Port Vale	4–1	Hull City	Hanley
	Fishwick Kirkham o.g. Pynegar			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 6,065

9 February 1929 28	Tottenham Hotspur	4–2	Port Vale	Tottenham
			Fishwick Simms	Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 21,342

23 February 1929 29	Preston North End	7–1	Port Vale	Preston, Lancashire
			Kirkham	Stadium: Deepdale Attendance: 9,356

25 February 1929 30	Port Vale	4–0	Reading	Hanley
	Kirkham Simms			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 4,303

2 March 1929 31	Clapton Orient	1–0	Port Vale	Leyton, East London
				Stadium: Lea Bridge Stadium Attendance: 15,543

9 March 1929 32	Port Vale	8–1	West Bromwich Albion	Hanley
	Pynegar Jones Mandley Simms Kirkham			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 11,539

16 March 1929 33	Nottingham Forest	2–2	Port Vale	West Bridgford
			Kirkham Jones	Stadium: City Ground Attendance: 7,388

23 March 1929 34	Port Vale	0–3	Grimsby Town	Hanley
				Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 13,085

29 March 1929 35	Port Vale	2–1	Oldham Athletic	Hanley
	Pynegar Anstiss			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 17,697

30 March 1929 36	Barnsley	6–0	Port Vale	Barnsley
				Stadium: Oakwell Attendance: 9,615

1 April 1929 37	Oldham Athletic	1–1	Port Vale	Oldham
			Mandley	Stadium: Boundary Park Attendance: 19,571

6 April 1929 38	Port Vale	1–0	Chelsea	Hanley
	Pynegar			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 11,701

13 April 1929 39	Blackpool	4–0	Port Vale	Blackpool
				Stadium: Bloomfield Road Attendance: 8,696

20 April 1929 40	Port Vale	0–0	Swansea Town	Hanley
				Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,587

27 April 1929 41	Bradford (Park Avenue)	2–0	Port Vale	Bradford
				Stadium: Park Avenue Attendance: 9,132

4 May 1929 42	Port Vale	5–0	Bristol City	Hanley
	Pynegar Griffiths			Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 3,307

FA Cup

12 January 1929 R3	Port Vale	0–3	Manchester United	Hanley
				Stadium: Old Recreation Ground Attendance: 17,519

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward

Pos.	Name	Football League		FA Cup		Total
Pos.	Name	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
FB	Jimmy Oakes	26	0	0	0	26	0
FB	Jack Maddock	24	0	1	0	25	0
FB	Billy Wootton	6	0	0	0	6	0
FB	George Shenton	10	0	0	0	10	0
FB	Jack Mandley	35	5	1	0	36	5
HB	Bob Connelly	42	0	1	0	43	0
HB	Roger Jones	18	4	1	0	19	4
HB	Herbert Smith	23	0	1	0	24	0
HB	George Whitcombe	12	0	0	0	12	0
HB	Vic Rouse	28	0	1	0	29	0
FW	Jack Simms	34	12	1	0	35	12
FW	Phil Griffiths	6	2	0	0	6	2
FW	Bert Fishwick	14	6	1	0	15	6
FW	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

Place	Position	Nation	Name	Second Division	Total
1	FW	England	Wilf Kirkham	15	15
2	FW	England	Jack Simms	12	12
3	FW	England	Albert Pynegar	10	10
4	FW	England	Stewart Littlewood	9	9
5	FW	England	Bert Fishwick	6	6
6	FB	England	Jack Mandley	5	5
7	HB	England	Roger Jones	4	4
8	FW	England	Harry Anstiss	3	3
9	FW	England	Billy Briscoe	2	2
–	FW	Wales	Phil Griffiths	2	2
–	FW	England	Robert Gillespie	2	2
–	–	–	Own goals	1	1
			TOTALS	71	71

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
May 1928	GK		Jack Prince	Oldham Athletic	Free transfer	^[3]
January 1929	FW		Albert Pynegar	Oldham Athletic	Exchange	^[3]

Transfers out

Date from	Position	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
January 1929	FW	Stewart Littlewood	Oldham Athletic	Exchange + £1,300	^[3]
May 1929	GK	Alf Bennett		Released	^[3]
May 1929	HB	David Rollo	Fleetwood Windsor Villa	Free transfer	^[3]
May 1929	HB	Vic Rouse	Crewe Alexandra	Free transfer	^[3]
May 1929	FW	Frank Williams	Oswestry Town	Free transfer	^[3]
Summer 1929	FW	Robert Gillespie	Wrexham	Free transfer	^[3]
Summer 1929	FW	Wilf Kirkham	Stoke City	£2,800	^[3]
Summer 1929	FW	Tom Page	New Brighton	Released	^[3]
Summer 1929	HB	Herbert Smith	Stafford Rangers	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 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.
^ Port Vale 1928–1929 : 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.

[Kent-1] ^ ^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 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 1928–1929 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.

[transfers-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.

[1]

[2]

[3]

Port Vale F.C. seasons
1880–81 1881–82 1882–83 1883–84 1884–85 1885–86 1886–87 1887–88 1888–89 1889–90
1890–91 1891–92 1892–93 1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–00
1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10
1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20
1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1929–30
1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40
1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50
1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60
1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70
1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00
2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20
2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27 2027–28 2028–29 2029–30