The season started poorly, with the Vale picking up just one win in the opening eight games. On 5 September, Trevor Wood conceded a penalty at Vetch Field in an 'off the ball' incident with a Swansea player and was subsequently dropped in favour of Musselwhite, who remained an ever-present in the Vale side for the rest of the season. On 17 October, Vale won 4–0 at home to Plymouth Argyle.[2] From 12 September to 13 February, they went on a club-record streak of 22 games without failing to score – losing just two games in the process (one of these being a 2–1 defeat to Stoke City at the Victoria Ground). Overlapping this spell, from 1 January to 14 March they went on a club-record six straight home defeats. This was followed by two further club-records, as between 20 March and 24 April, they made five consecutive away wins, picking up clean sheets in all five games. The first encounter with Stoke came in the league at the Victoria Ground on 24 October, when Mark Stein converted a controversial penalty he had won following a foul by Musselwhite to give the home side a 2–1 win.[3]Mark Stein described an "electric" atmosphere, saying the hissing sound from the ground "was like something I had never known, I'd had derbies before for Luton against Watford, but Stoke–Vale was something different".[3] On 12 December, Vale recorded a 5–2 win away at Preston North End despite opposition manager John Beck having the ball boys emopty buckets of sand on to the corners of the Deepdale plastic pitch to hold the ball up.[4]
In January, Dean Stokes was signed from non-LeagueHalesowen Town for £5,000. The next month Peter Billing arrived on loan from Coventry City, and impressed enough to earn a permanent move three months later, at a fee of £35,000. Alex Mathie also arrived on loan from Greenock Morton, but failed to make an impact. Six straight league wins in the new year were followed by losses on the road at Stockport County and Rotherham United. In the driving snow, they returned to winning ways with a 2–1 home win over promotion rivals West Bromwich Albion.[5] The return league Potteries derby fixture was held at Vale Park on 31 March, with 20,373 fans turning out to see if the Vale could close the seven-point gap on league leaders Stoke City, who would virtually seal promotion with an away victory.[3] Stein opened the scoring with a volley on five minutes and Nigel Gleghornheaded in a corner kick on 64 minutes to seal a league double for the Potters over their city rivals.[3] They won four of their final five games, but this was not enough to gain them a promotion place, as Bolton won fifteen of their final eighteen games.[6]
They finished in third place with 89 points, one point short of promoted Bolton Wanderers and four points behind rivals Stoke City. Their two draws with Bolton and two defeats to Stoke proved fatal. They were a massive seventeen points clear of seventh place Leyton Orient, and so went into the play-offs. Facing the foes of their Football League Trophy final success, Stockport County, in the semi-finals, Vale drew 1–1 at Edgeley Park thanks to a Dean Glover goal.[7] They won the return leg in front of 12,689 fans with a Martin Foyle goal. In the final were the side that had knocked them out of the FA Cup semi-finals in 1954, West Bromwich Albion. The game was goalless until Peter Swan was dismissed for bringing down an advancing Bob Taylor. They tasted defeat at Wembley for the first time as a crowd of 53,471 witnessed three subsequent West Brom goals, scored by Andy Hunt, Nicky Reid, and Kevin Donovan.
The club's shirt sponsors were Tunstall Assurance.
Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, Vale were drawn against Stoke City. After a goalless draw at the Victoria Ground, some 19,810 turned up to see the replay at Vale Park. A 3–1 victory followed, with a Foyle brace and a third from Andy Porter; the game was best remembered for a patch of mud however, which stopped a certain goal from Dave Regis which would have levelled the score at 2–2.[8] The "Valiants" then easily dispatched non-league Altrincham with a 4–1 win at Moss Lane. Drawn against First DivisionNewcastle United at St James' Park in the Third Round, Vale were brushed aside 4–0 by the "Magpies".
In the League Cup, Vale faced a tricky encounter with league rivals Bolton Wanderers. Losing 2–1 at Burnden Park, a 1–1 draw in Burslem meant the "Trotters" advanced at the expense of the Vale.
In the Football League Trophy, Vale overcame Fulham with a 4–3 victory, despite going behind in extra time, Glover bagging a brace.[9] They then faced Third DivisionNorthampton Town, who they dispatched with a 4–2 win. Facing Stoke City once again in the Southern Section semi-finals, Robin van der Laan scored the only goal of the game at the Victoria Ground to take Vale into the Southern Area final.[10] They advanced past Exeter City with a 2–1 home win and a 1–1 draw at St James Park, with Slaven scoring the crucial third goal of the aggregate tie with 13 minutes left to play.[11] The league was the priority. Yet, Vale had made it into the Football League Trophy final. Stockport County were out for revenge after Vale had edged them out of the play-offs. Paul Kerr put the Vale ahead, before Bernie Slaven made it two before half-time. Giant striker Kevin Francis pulled one back, but Vale held on for the win.
