The season opened with a 2–2 draw at crisis club Middlesbrough, who were forced to play the fixture at Hartlepool, after finding themselves kicked out of Ayresome Park.[1] Vale also drew their opening home match the following week against Rotherham United, and Grew was forced off with a knee injury and Alan Webb split his shinbone.[1]Jim Arnold agreed to return to the club on non-contract terms to replace the injured Grew.[1] Playing a 'fluent, passing game', Vale defeated bogey-team Walsall, who had maintained a 21-game unbeaten league run against the "Valiants" since 1965.[1] Ageing Arnold failed to maintain his fitness and Vale struggled around the foot of the table.[1] Rudge signed 'giant' Alex Williams on loan from Manchester City.[1] Despite Andy Jones leading the scoring charts, Vale still suffered. Rudge's attempts to sign Steve Bull from West Bromwich Albion failed.[1] On 9 November, Vale Park hosted an American football match, in which Locomotive Derby beat the Stoke Spitfires 13–8.[1] By the end of the month, Vale were cut four points adrift at the bottom of the league.[1] The next month John Williams was sold to Bournemouth for £30,000, having been in poor form for Vale.[1] Rudge then splashed out £5,000 on Bristol City's Gary Hamson.[1] He also brought Bob Hazell in from Reading on a free transfer.[1]
Hazell successfully shored up the Vale defence, as in his first three games, the Vale kept three clean sheets.[1] O'Kelly required a knee operation in January, but good news came as Alex Williams was signed permanently for £10,000.[1] On 27 January, Robbie Earle made his 142nd consecutive appearance in a 1–1 draw with Rotherham United at Millmoor, picking up a groin injury that put him into the treatment room.[1] The next week, a 4–2 win over Doncaster Rovers was the last of a streak of six games unbeaten that took the Vale up to fourteenth in the table.[1] Rudge attempted to sign Don Goodman, who was transfer listed at Bradford City, but ended his interest after being quoted £100,000.[2] A bad February ended with a 6–1 capitulation at home to Blackpool, Vale's biggest home defeat since March of the disastrous 1956–57 season.[1] Vale picked up eleven of a possible eighteen points in March, with Rudge also signing Darren Beckford on loan from Manchester City.[1] On 28 March, the club recorded their biggest ever away win by thumping Fulham 6–0 at Craven Cottage, with Jones bagging a hat-trick.[1] On 1 April, Jones was selected for the Wales squad, and scored past Finland.[3] Vale lost five of their seven April games, but ensured their safety by ripping apart Newport County on 4 May, with Jones hitting five goals.[1]
They finished in twelfth spot with 57 points, twelve points clear of Bolton Wanderers.[1] Andy Jones scored 37 goals in all competitions.[1]
Finances
On the financial side, a loss was made of £53,373.[1] Match receipts earned £228,422, whilst the market rents raised £100,614.[1] The bank overdraft stood at £216,453, whilst the club's total debts were £363,878.[1] The club's shirt sponsors were Browns Transport. Both Geoff Hunter and Wayne Ebanks left on free transfers, Hunter joining Wrexham.[1] Chairman Jim Lloyd also resigned due to his deteriorated relationship with the board.[1] He was replaced by garage owner Bill Bell, who was one of many men to have worked on building Vale Park in the 1940s.[1] Bell stated that he was unafraid to cut loose any deadwood.[1]
Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, the First Round tie with non-League neighbours Stafford Rangers attracted a healthy crowd of 5,738 (the second-highest attendance of the season), and Vale advanced with a 1–0 win. Travelling to Walsall for the Second Round, they were on the end of a 5–0 drubbing at the Bescot Stadium. Jim Lloyd called the 'tame surrender' a 'disgrace', and Rudge ordered extra training for the players.[1]
In the Associate Members' Cup, the opening match against Fourth DivisionHereford United set a club-record for the lowest-ever attendance for a competitive first-team game, as only 994 fans turned up at Vale Park on 22 December to witness Vale win through a Jones goal.[1] The missing fans only missed 'a long yawn in freezing conditions'.[1] A 2–1 defeat to Newport County at Somerton Park failed to prevent Vale from advancing to the First Round. Vale then eliminated Exeter City with a 1–0 win at St James Park. However, Gillingham defeated Vale 4–3 on penalties after a 3–3 draw in Burslem.
