1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale
1972–73 season
ChairmanMark Singer
ManagerGordon Lee
StadiumVale Park
Football League Third Division6th (53 Points)
FA CupThird Round
(knocked out by West Ham United)
League CupSecond Round
(knocked out by Newcastle United)
Player of the YearRay Williams
Top goalscorerLeague: Sammy Morgan, Ray Williams (11 each)
All: Sammy Morgan, Ray Williams (11 each)
Highest home attendance20,619 vs. West Ham United, 13 January 1973
Lowest home attendance3,468 vs. Bristol Rovers, 2 September 1972
Average home league attendance5,429
Biggest win4–1 vs. Rotherham United, 26 February 1973
Biggest defeat0–7 vs. Rotherham United, 26 August 1972

The 1972–73 season was Port Vale's 61st season of football in the Football League, and their third-successive season (ninth overall) in the Third Division.[1] Under manager Gordon Lee and chairman Mark Singer, Vale delivered a commendable sixth-place finish, accumulating 53 points, yet ultimately missed out on promotion by four points behind third‑placed Notts County.

Fronted by strike duo Sammy Morgan and Ray Williams, both scored 11 goals in league and all competitions to emerge as joint top scorers, while Williams also earned the club's Player of the Year accolade. The campaign began explosively with six wins in eight league fixtures, although it included a heavy 7–0 defeat to Rotherham United in August; Vale rebounded with a strong nine‑game unbeaten run that kept them firmly among the promotion contenders into the spring.

In cup competitions, Vale reached the Third Round of the FA Cup, losing narrowly to West Ham United in front of a record crowd of 20,619 at Vale Park — an occasion marred by crowd trouble and critical remarks from West Ham manager Ron Greenwood about Vale's physical style. In the League Cup, Port Vale progressed to the Second Round, recording a win over Tranmere Rovers before exiting to Newcastle United in front of 10,370 supporters. Financially, the club posted a strong profit of £14,304, boosted by £16,029 in donations, with gate receipts rising from £36,323 to £67,202. Debt was reduced to £44,721, with an additional £57,860 owed to directors.

Overall, the 1972–73 season represented a return to stability under Lee — marked by an ambitious promotion push, solid league form, standout performers in Morgan and Williams, financial improvement, and growing local support, even amid growing concerns about crowd behaviour and the team's reputation for aggressive play.

Overview

Third Division

The pre-season saw Gordon Lee make several big signings.[1] The most significant was the signing of Ray Williams from Stafford Rangers, who had scored 47 goals for the non-League club the previous season.[1] Williams cost Vale £3,000 and was on a wage of £40 a week (plus incentives).[1] Also arriving was midfielder Freddie Goodwin (Southport); 'controversial' goalkeeper Alan Boswell (Bolton Wanderers); 21-year-old midfielder Colin Tartt (Alsager College); and trialist goalkeeper Reg Edwards (Nuneaton Borough).[1] Ticket prices were raised to between 40 and 60 pence, whilst season tickets were priced between £8 and £10.[1]

The season opened with six victories in eight league games, though the third match was a huge 7–0 defeat at Millmoor to Rotherham United – the defeat was blamed on Boswell.[1] Five straight wins followed. After mid-September, the "Valiants" struggled to score, and recorded six draws in eight games, though they remained in the top three.[1] On 23 September, a 2–0 defeat at third-placed Walsall saw seven bookings. The team then fell to a 4–0 defeat at Bournemouth three days later. The club spent £8,500 on new floodlights and a public address system; however, attendance dropped off from the crucial 6,000 break-even number.[1] Lee complained about the lack of support, and said "the people here are not genuinely interested in league football".[1] Offered the management position at Shrewsbury Town, he rejected the offer as he believed the club 'lacked potential' and that he had a 'feeling of loyalty towards the [Vale] players'.[1] The team went nine games unbeaten, a sequence which included a "splendid" 2–1 home victory over league leaders Bournemouth on 4 November. The run ended with a 2–0 loss at Charlton Athletic on 2 December after the team arrived at The Valley in taxis when their transport at Euston railway station failed to show up.[1]

Going into the Christmas period, Brian Horton was sidelined with a hairline fracture in his leg, and the team struggled, falling down the league table with inconsistent play.[1] A 2–0 loss at league leaders Bolton Wanderers on 23 December was followed three days later by a "disgraceful" 2–1 home defeat to Walsall who played with a man down since the 17th minute. On 30 January, Vale lost 4–1 at Bristol Rovers. Lee subsequently sold John James to Chester for £5,000, Ray Harford to Colchester United for £1,750, and Keith Lindsey to Gillingham for £750.[1] They fell to a 5–0 defeat at Brentford after experimenting with an attacking style on 10 February. To keep up the promotion bid, in February Lee spent £2,250 to bring 'pacey' striker John Woodward from Walsall.[1] Vale began to pick up wins, beating Rotherham United by four goals to one and Grimsby Town by a goal to nil, though their 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers led to them being branded by Rovers manager Ken Furphy as 'a brutal and physical side'.[1]

In March, players were taken on a four-day special training and relaxation retreat in the North-East to recover mentally and physically. On 16 March, Roy Cross wrenched his knee in a 2–0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers, which ended his run of 134 consecutive appearances. On 27 March, Vale won 3–2 away at Shrewsbury Town after coming from two goals down in front of a season-high crowd of 4,419 at Gay Meadow.[2] This lifted them into third place. On 14 April, Boswell was sent off for fighting with Wyndham Evans in a 1–0 win at Swansea City. Vale were out of the promotion race after a 'shattering' 5–0 defeat to Southend United at Roots Hall on 20 April.[1] They beat Grimsby Town by three goals to nil the following day. Their final home game of the season was a 2–2 draw with champions Bolton Wanderers, in which 'frenzied scenes' included police dogs separating the two sets of fans at the Bycars End, two attempted pitch invasions, and the referee kicked to the ground at the final whistle.[1] The 14,168 attendance was the highest since for a league match since March 1964. The season concluded with a 5–0 defeat at Wrexham on 27 April.[1]

They finished in sixth spot with 53 points, four short of promoted Notts County. The tally of 69 goals conceded was higher than that of all but the bottom two clubs.[1]

Finances

On the financial side, a £14,304 profit was made after donations of £16,029 from the Sportsmen's Association and the Development Fund.[1] Gate receipts had risen massively from £36,323 to £67,202.[1] The wage bill stood at £59,663, whilst the club's debt was at £44,721, along with £57,860 owed to the directors.[1] At the end of the season, Freddie Goodwin was let go, and he joined Macclesfield Town.[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale progressed past Fourth Division side Southport with a 2–1 "tough thriller" at Vale Park. They got past Third Division Wrexham with a 1–0 home win following "a tense battle". In the third round, they faced West Ham United at Vale Park, where the "Hammers" won 'an epic battle' 1–0 in front of a season-best crowd of 20,619.[1] The match raised £8,600, but also raised the issue of violence, as two Londoners were stabbed, two policemen seriously assaulted, and thirty fans ejected from the stadium.[1] West Ham manager Ron Greenwood claimed that the Vale players attempted 'the most blatant calculated intimidation I have ever seen anywhere in the world'.[1]

In the League Cup, the club recorded their first-ever away victory in the competition with a 1–0 win over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park.[1] The second round held a home tie with First Division club Newcastle United, and the "Magpies" left Stoke-on-Trent having won 3–1 in front of 10,370 spectators.[1]

League table

Main article: 1972–73 Football League

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Promotion or relegation
4 Oldham Athletic 46 19 16 11 72 54 1.333 54
5 Bristol Rovers 46 20 13 13 77 56 1.375 53 Qualified for the Watney Cup[a]
6 Port Vale 46 21 11 14 56 69 0.812 53
7 Bournemouth 46 17 16 13 66 44 1.500 50
8 Plymouth Argyle 46 20 10 16 74 66 1.121 50 Qualified for the Watney Cup[a]
Source: rsssf.com
Notes:
  1. ^ a b The two teams who scored the most goals in each division, and did not qualify for Europe and were not promoted, qualified for the Watney Cup.

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Third Division

Results by matchday

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546
GroundAHAHHAHHAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAHAHHAAHHAAHHA
ResultDWLWWWWWLLWLDWDDDWDDLWLLDWLWLWWLWWLWDWLWDWLWDL
Position1041565111243543323233335761010910109995978466445456
Points13357911131313151516181920212324252527272728303032323436363840404243454547485050525353
Source: Statto[3]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
12 August 1972 Rochdale A 0–0 2,661
19 August 1972 York City H 2–1 4,112 Horton, Goodwin
26 August 1972 Rotherham United A 0–7 4,788
28 August 1972 Wrexham H 3–2 3,885 Mountford, James, Morgan
2 September 1972 Bristol Rovers H 2–1 3,468 Goodwin, Horton (pen)
9 September 1972 Chesterfield A 2–1 7,854 Loska, Horton (pen)
16 September 1972 Brentford H 1–0 4,663 Williams
18 September 1972 Halifax Town H 2–1 5,715 Morgan, Loska
23 September 1972 Walsall A 0–2 8,159
26 September 1972 Bournemouth A 0–4 12,145
30 September 1972 Southend United H 3–1 4,005 Gough, Morgan, Williams (pen)
7 October 1972 Oldham Athletic H 0–2 5,352
10 October 1972 Watford A 1–1 5,556 Morgan
14 October 1972 Blackburn Rovers A 1–0 6,500 Morgan
21 October 1972 Tranmere Rovers H 0–0 4,007
23 October 1972 Shrewsbury Town H 1–1 5,213 James
28 October 1972 Notts County A 1–1 8,544 Horton (pen)
4 November 1972 Bournemouth H 2–1 6,414 Morgan (2)
11 November 1972 Halifax Town A 2–2 2,026 Williams, Horton
25 November 1972 Plymouth Argyle H 1–1 3,881 McLaren
2 December 1972 Charlton Athletic A 0–2 4,391
16 December 1972 Scunthorpe United H 2–0 3,833 o.g., McLaren
23 December 1972 Bolton Wanderers A 0–2 12,643
26 December 1972 Walsall H 1–2 6,787 Mountford (pen)
30 December 1972 York City A 0–0 3,589
27 January 1973 Chesterfield H 2–1 3,806 James, McLaren
30 January 1973 Bristol Rovers A 1–4 10,009 Loska
3 February 1973 Watford H 1–0 3,987 Williams
10 February 1973 Brentford A 0–5 6,694
24 February 1973 Scunthorpe United A 1–0 2,734 Summerscales
26 February 1973 Rotherham United H 4–1 4,433 o.g., Gough, Woodward, Williams
3 March 1973 Oldham Athletic A 0–1 6,998
6 March 1973 Grimsby Town A 1–0 14,092 Williams
10 March 1973 Blackburn Rovers H 2–1 7,854 Woodward (2)
16 March 1973 Tranmere Rovers A 0–2 5,346
19 March 1973 Swansea City H 3–1 5,104 Morgan (2), Summerscales
24 March 1973 Notts County H 1–1 8,920 Williams
27 March 1973 Shrewsbury Town A 3–2 4,419 Woodward (2), Williams
31 March 1973 Plymouth Argyle A 1–2 9,416 Williams
7 April 1973 Charlton Athletic H 3–1 5,076 Williams, Morgan, Woodward
9 April 1973 Rochdale H 0–0 6,413
14 April 1973 Swansea City A 1–0 2,594 Morgan
20 April 1973 Southend United A 0–5 9,395
21 April 1973 Grimsby Town H 3–0 3,772 Woodward (2), Williams
23 April 1973 Bolton Wanderers H 2–2 14,168 Horton (pen), Woodward
27 April 1973 Wrexham A 0–5 3,543

FA Cup

Main article: 1972–73 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 20 November 1972 Southport H 2–1 4,624 James, Horton
R2 9 December 1972 Wrexham H 1–0 5,980 Brodie
R3 13 January 1973 West Ham United H 0–1 20,619

League Cup

Main article: 1972–73 Football League Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 16 August 1972 Tranmere Rovers A 1–0 4,003 o.g.
R2 5 September 1972 Newcastle United H 1–3 10,370 Summerscales

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward
Pos. Name Football League FA Cup League Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Alan Boswell 44 0 3 0 2 0 49 0
GK England Reg Edwards 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
DF England Bill Summerscales 45 2 3 0 2 1 50 3
DF England Roy Cross 35 0 3 0 2 0 40 0
DF England John Brodie 35 0 3 1 0 0 38 1
DF England Keith Lindsey 8 0 0 0 1 0 9 0
DF England Tony Loska 41 3 2 0 1 0 44 3
MF Scotland Tommy McLaren 41 3 2 0 2 0 45 3
MF England Brian Horton 39 6 2 1 2 0 43 7
MF England Tony Lacey 25 0 3 0 1 0 29 0
MF England Ray Harford 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MF England Freddie Goodwin 27 2 1 0 2 0 30 2
MF England Colin Tartt 29 0 3 0 0 0 32 0
FW England John James 16 3 2 1 2 0 20 4
FW England Bobby Gough 27 2 2 0 0 0 29 2
FW Northern Ireland Sammy Morgan 39 11 3 0 2 0 44 11
FW England Bob Mountford 17 2 1 0 2 0 20 2
FW England John Woodward 17 9 0 0 0 0 17 9
FW England Ray Williams 44 11 3 0 2 0 49 11

Top scorers

Place Position Nation Name Third Division FA Cup League Cup Total
1 FW  England Ray Williams 11 0 0 11
– FW  Northern Ireland Sammy Morgan 11 0 0 11
3 FW  England John Woodward 9 0 0 9
4 MF  England Brian Horton 6 1 0 7
5 FW  England John James 3 1 0 4
6 DF  England Tony Loska 3 0 0 3
– MF  Scotland Tommy McLaren 3 0 0 3
– DF  England Bill Summerscales 2 0 1 3
9 MF  England Freddie Goodwin 2 0 0 2
– FW  England Bob Mountford 2 0 0 2
– FW  England Bobby Gough 2 0 0 2
12 DF  England John Brodie 0 1 0 1
– – – Own goals 2 0 1 3
TOTALS 56 3 2 61

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
July 1972 GK England Alan Boswell Bolton Wanderers Free transfer [4]
July 1972 MF England Freddie Goodwin Southport Free transfer [4]
July 1972 FW England Ray Williams Stafford Rangers £3,000 [4]
September 1972 GK England Reg Edwards Nuneaton Borough Free transfer [4]
February 1973 FW England John Woodward Walsall £2,250 [4]

Transfers out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
January 1973 DF England Keith Lindsey Gillingham £500 [4]
February 1973 DF England Ray Harford Colchester United £1,750 [4]
February 1973 FW England John James Chester £5,000 [4]
May 1973 MF England Freddie Goodwin Macclesfield Town Free transfer [4]
May 1973 MF England Bob Peyton Released [4]

Loans out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Date to Ref.
December 1972 DF England Keith Lindsey Gillingham January 1973 [4]

References

Specific
  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 aa ab ac 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.
  2. ^ Baggaley, Mike (26 March 2025). "Vale fail Barrow test". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  3. ^ Port Vale 1972–1973 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  4. ^ 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.
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