1894–95 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

Burslem Port Vale
1894–95 season
StadiumAthletic Ground
Football League Second Division15th (18 Points)
FA CupFirst Qualifying Round
(knocked out by Stourbridge)
Birmingham Senior CupSecond Round
(knocked out by Loughborough)
Staffordshire Senior CupSecond Round
(knocked out by Burton Wanderers)
Top goalscorerLeague: Meshach Dean (7)
All: Meshach Dean (8)
Highest home attendance2,500 vs Leicester Fosse, 23 March 1895
Lowest home attendance300 vs Woolwich Arsenal, 19 January 1895
Rotherham Town, 16 February 1895
Average home league attendance1,367+
Biggest win7–1 vs. Leicester Fosse, 23 March 1895
Biggest defeat0–10 vs. Notts County, 26 February 1895

The 1894–95 season was Burslem Port Vale's third consecutive season of football in the English Football League.[1] The progress of the previous season was lost, as 19 of the 30 league games ended in defeat. Only nearby Crewe Alexandra finished below the Vale; however, only Walsall Town Swifts failed to gain re-election – despite finishing two points ahead of Vale. As in 1892–93, the Vale found great difficulty in scoring goals, with only Crewe scoring fewer.

A season to forget, the club fared no better the following season and lost their Football League status between 1896 and 1898. Their 2–2 draw at Crewe on 5 January 1895 was their final away draw until 3 December 1898, as the team fared extremely poorly on the road, losing almost all their away games.

Overview

Second Division

Ever-present Tom Baddeley.

An opening day victory over Walsall Town Swifts betrayed what would be a difficult season for the "Valeites". Following the opening day, they won just one of their next 21 league games, with only four ending in a draw. During this streak, they lost 10–0 at Notts County on 26 February 1895, after three players failed to turn up, leaving reserve players to make up the numbers.[1] Seemingly destined for a rock-bottom finish, they rallied at the season's end to win five of their last seven games. One of these victories was a 7–1 demolition of Lincoln City, with big victories also coming over Grimsby Town and Crewe Alexandra. At the end of the season, the Vale were 30 points behind champions Bury and six points off safety but were re-elected to the league.[1]

Goalkeeper Tom Baddeley was the only ever-present throughout the season, with left-back Dick Ray missing just one game. Billy Beats, George Samuel Eccles, Meshach Dean, and Alf Wood, favourites of previous campaigns, rarely missed a match. At the end of the season, Wood left for Southampton, and Ray for Manchester City. With their places filled with reserves, the next season looked bleak.[1]

Finances

Financially, the club struggled, with attendance down due to continuing defeats, and the pay raises the players had for the good work the previous season damaged the budget.[1]

Cup competitions

For the fourth consecutive season they exited the FA Cup in the first round of qualification, for the second consecutive season they scored three goals in their defeat, this time Stourbridge scored five.

Key player Billy Beats.

League table

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts Qualification or relegation
12 Rotherham Town 30 11 2 17 55 62 0.887 24
13 Lincoln City 30 10 0 20 52 92 0.565 20 Re-elected
14 Walsall Town Swifts 30 10 0 20 47 92 0.511 20 Resigned from league
15 Burslem Port Vale 30 7 4 19 39 77 0.506 18 Re-elected
16 Crewe Alexandra 30 3 4 23 26 103 0.252 10
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results

Football League Second Division

Main article: 1894–95 Football League

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

Results by matchday

Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930
GroundHAHHAAHHAAHAHAAAHAHHHAAHAHAAHA
ResultWLLLLLDWLLLLLLLDLLLDDLLWLWLWWW
Position11114141516141314151515151515151515151515151515151515151415
Source: Statto[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
1 September 1894 Walsall Town Swifts H 1–0 2,000 Beats
8 September 1894 Manchester City A 1–4 2,000 Wood
15 September 1894 Bury H 1–2 1,500 Marple
17 September 1894 Notts County H 0–3 1,000
22 September 1894 Walsall Town Swifts A 0–2 3,000
29 September 1894 Burton Swifts A 0–1 1,000
6 October 1894 Newcastle United H 4–4 2,000 Scarratt, Wood, James Smith, Eccles
20 October 1894 Burton Wanderers H 1–0 1,500 Beats
27 October 1894 Darwen A 0–2 3,000
10 November 1894 Bury A 0–4 3,000
17 November 1894 Darwen H 0–3 2,000
8 December 1894 Lincoln City A 1–6 1,000 Dean
24 December 1894 Newton Heath H 2–5 1,000 Beats, McDonald
25 December 1894 Woolwich Arsenal A 0–7 8,000
1 January 1895 Newton Heath A 0–3 4,000
5 January 1895 Crewe Alexandra A 2–2 James Smith, Evans
19 January 1895 Woolwich Arsenal H 0–1 300
26 January 1895 Grimsby Town A 1–4 James Smith
2 February 1895 Manchester City H 1–2 1,500 Ray
16 February 1895 Rotherham Town H 1–1 300 James Smith
23 February 1895 Leicester Fosse H 1–1 Evans
26 February 1895 Notts County A 0–10 1,500
2 March 1895 Rotherham Town A 1–2 1,000 James Smith
4 March 1895 Burton Swifts H 2–0 Evans, Dean
9 March 1895 Burton Wanderers A 0–4 4,100
23 March 1895 Leicester Fosse H 7–1 2,500 Beats (2), unknown, Evans, Dean, J. Mason, Wood
26 March 1895 Lincoln City A 1–2 3,000 Evans
6 April 1895 Grimsby Town H 5–0 800 Dean (2), Beats, Evans, J. Mason
12 April 1895 Newcastle United A 2–1 3,000 Eardley (2)
20 April 1895 Crewe Alexandra H 4–0 Dean (2), Wood, Eardley
The Burslem Port Vale team in 1894.

FA Cup

Main article: 1894–95 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Goalscorers
1Q 13 October 1894 Stourbridge A 3–5 Beats, Dean, unknown

Birmingham Senior Cup

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
2 9 February 1895 Loughborough H 0–1 1,000

Staffordshire Senior Cup

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
1 31 January 1895 Leek A 5–1 unknown
2 25 February 1895 Burton Wanderers A 3–5 600+ Wood (2), James Smith

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

Pos. Name League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK England Tom Baddeley 30 0 1 0 3 0 34 0
GK England Albert Boardman 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF England G.S. Eccles 27 1 1 0 3 0 31 1
DF England John Edwards 6 0 1 0 0 0 7 0
DF England Frank Haslam 8 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
DF England Teddy Morse 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DF England Dick Ray 29 1 1 0 2 0 32 1
DF Jim Beech 14 0 1 0 1 0 16 0
MF England Meshach Dean 28 7 1 1 1 0 30 8
MF England Jimmy Scarratt 12 1 1 0 0 0 13 1
MF Jack Smith 8 0 0 0 1 0 9 0
MF England Alf Wood 28 4 1 0 2 2 31 6
MF England Joseph Boughey 6 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
MF England James Holdcroft 12 0 0 0 2 0 14 0
MF England Frederick Marple 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
MF Ted McDonald 19 1 0 0 2 0 21 1
MF England Jos Randles 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
MF Eric Regan 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
MF Scotland James Smith 20 5 1 0 2 1 23 6
MF England Fred Belfield 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
MF Walter Wilson 5 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
FW England Billy Beats 28 6 1 1 1 0 31 7
FW Charlie Mason 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
FW Jim Mason 10 2 0 0 1 0 11 2
MF England Billy Eardley 8 3 0 0 1 0 9 3
FW England Dick Evans 16 6 0 0 3 0 19 6

Top scorers

Place Position Nation Name Second Division FA Cup Other Total
1 MF  England Meshach Dean 7 1 0 8
2 FW  England Billy Beats 6 1 0 7
3 FW  England Dick Evans 6 0 0 6
– MF  Scotland James Smith 5 0 1 6
– MF  England Alf Wood 4 0 2 6
6 FW  England Billy Eardley 3 0 0 3
7 FW Jim Mason 2 0 0 2
8 DF  England George Eccles 1 0 0 1
– MF  England Frederick Marple 1 0 0 1
– MF Ted McDonald 1 0 0 1
– DF  England Dick Ray 1 0 0 1
– MF  England Jimmy Scarratt 1 0 0 1
– – – Unknown 1 0 0 1
TOTALS 39 2 3 44

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
Summer 1894 DF England Dick Ray Macclesfield Free transfer [3]
May 1894 DF England Jim Beech Smallthorne Albion Free transfer [3]
May 1894 DF England Frank Haslam Mansfield Town Free transfer [3]
July 1894 MF England Ted McDonald Stoke Free transfer [3]
July 1894 MF Walter Wilson Mansfield Town Free transfer [3]
August 1894 MF England Eric Regan Ardwick Free transfer [3]
September 1894 MF Scotland James Smith Scotland Kilmarnock Free transfer [3]
November 1894 FW England Dick Evans Newcastle White Star Free transfer [3]

Transfers out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
October 1894 GK England Joe Frail Gorton Villa Free transfer [3]
November 1894 MF England John Edwards Stockport County Free transfer [3]
December 1894 MF Walter Wilson Nelson Free transfer [3]
March 1895 DF England Frank Haslam Notts County Free transfer [3]
March 1895 MF Scotland James Smith Preston North End Released [3]
June 1895 FW England Billy Beats Wolverhampton Wanderers £80 [3]
Summer 1895 FW England Billy Eardley Newcastle Swifts Free transfer [3]
Summer 1895 MF England Frederick Marple Released [3]
Summer 1895 DF England Dick Ray Crewe Alexandra Free transfer [3]
Summer 1895 MF England Jimmy Scarratt Released [3]
Summer 1895 MF Jack Smith Released [3]

References

Specific
  1. ^ a b c d e Kent, Jeff (1990). "Trying to make the Grade (1888-1898)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 26–50. ISBN 978-0-9508981-4-8.
  2. ^ Port Vale 1894–1895 : Results & Fixtures Archived 7 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
General