Third Division

The pre-season saw the club's management attempt to build a squad capable of promotion, this meant recruiting former Wales international inside-right Noel Kinsey from Birmingham City as a player-coach, and 21-year-old outside-left Dennis Fidler from the Manchester City Reserves.^[1] It also meant a concerted effort to sign a star forward, a £10,000 offer for Aston Villa's Gerry Hitchens was rejected, and the club's interest in Ronnie Allen also went nowhere.^[1] Instead 'bustling' Ted Calland was signed on a free transfer from Exeter City.^[1] Fred Donaldson was sold to Exeter for £2,000.^[1] Vale Park was also improved, with yet more new drains installed to help ease the winter mud spots.^[1]

The season opened with a Harry Poole goal fifty seconds into an eventual 1–1 draw with Walsall in front of a season-best attendance of 15,504 on 20 August.^[1] Vale's campaign got going nine days later, however, with three consecutive victories.^[1] This included a 7–1 'annihilation' of Chesterfield.^[1] Seven games without a win followed, ending with a collapse to an impressive Swindon Town side at The County Ground on 1 October.^[1] Vale were much improved after this, recording six wins from eight games. The following month, Norman Low signed Bert Llewellyn from Crewe Alexandra for £7,000.^[1] Llewellyn scored past Barnsley in his debut game on 12 November and scored a hat-trick past Hull City the next month.^[1] This win over the "Tigers" came a week after a 5–0 win over high-flying Grimsby Town at Blundell Park, in what Roy Sproson later described as his 'greatest memory' and 'one of their finest hours'.^[1] The performance was so impressive they received 'a standing ovation' from the home crowd, as the "Valiants" finished the game 'rolling the ball about like a game of chess'.^[1]

In sixth place, a 6–2 hammering from Walsall at Fellows Park on 17 December set them back.^[1] The goals continued, this time in Vale's favour, with a 5–0 win and 3–3 draw with Tranmere Rovers, and a 4–1 victory over Bury.^[1] In January, Albert Leake was transferred to Macclesfield Town, leaving Sproson as the only survivor of the legendary 1953–54 club.^[1] Vale continued to entertain and win games, as The Sentinel's Jon Abberley described Harry Poole as 'one of the best wing-halves ever produced in the Potteries.^[1] By 11 February, Vale were four points from second place, as Vale battled to a 1–1 draw with Torquay United in 'a sea of mud' at Plainmoor.^[1] A week later Llewellyn scored a hat-trick past Swindon Town.^[1] However, on 4 March QPR ended their promotion hopes with a 1–0 win at Loftus Road, the second of a streak of five games without a win for Vale.^[1] The next week Notts County easily beat Vale 3–1, in a game for which Stan Steele was rested after 195 consecutive appearances.^[1] Steele immediately handed in a transfer request and got picked up by West Bromwich Albion for a £10,000 fee.^[1] Vale's season then petered out, ending with an attendance of only 4,088 for a 1–1 draw with Bristol City at Vale Park, followed by two away draws.^[1]

They finished in seventh place with 49 points, with their tally of 96 goals bettered only by the two promoted clubs.^[1] The season was a disappointment, and their away record of two wins in twelve games was put to blame for killing their promotion hopes.^[1] Cliff Portwood scored an impressive 26 goals, followed closely by Bert Llewellyn on 20 (who had also scored 10 for Crewe).^[1]

Finances

On the financial side, a disappointing home attendance average of 9,702 was a concern, though a profit of £4,253 was recorded.^[1] This was down to a £9,501 donation from the Sportsmen's Association and a slashing of the wage bill by around £4,000 to £29,915.^[1] The management decided to cut the playing staff and increase the wage budget.^[1] Eleven players were let go, crucially: Harry Oscroft (Brantham Athletic), Ted Calland (Lincoln City), John Poole (Macclesfield Town), and Peter Hall (Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic).^[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale were superior to non-League Chelmsford City, winning 3–2 in the First Round clash.^[1] Fourth Division Carlisle United were Vale's Second Round opponents, who Vale dispatched 2–1. Struggling Second Division side Swansea Town bettered Vale on a mud-filled and hole-ridden Vetch Field.^[1]

In the League Cup, they bettered Queens Park Rangers in a replay following a 2–2 draw at Loftus Road. The next round held Tranmere Rovers, who eliminated Vale with a 2–0 win.

In the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy, the two-leg game with rivals Stoke City came to a 1–1 draw, and so a replay was held at the Victoria Ground on 24 April, which Vale won 1–0 thanks to an own goal.^[1]

Football League Third Division

FA Cup

League Cup

Supporters' Clubs' Trophy

Appearances

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Football League		FA Cup		League Cup		Supporters' Club's Trophy		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Ken Hancock	39	0	3	0	3	0	2	0	47	0
GK	John Poole	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
GK	John Cooke	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
DF	Roy Sproson	43	0	3	0	3	0	3	0	52	0
DF	David Raine	38	0	3	0	3	0	1	0	46	0
DF	Selwyn Whalley	13	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	14	3
DF	Terry Lowe	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0
MF	Terry Miles	46	3	3	0	3	0	3	0	55	3
MF	Peter Hall	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
MF	Brian Jackson	43	8	3	2	1	0	2	0	49	10
MF	Harry Oscroft	21	5	0	0	0	0	1	0	22	5
MF	Cliff Portwood	41	24	3	2	3	0	2	0	49	26
MF	Peter Ford	41	0	3	0	3	0	3	0	50	0
MF	Colin Davies	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
MF	Dennis Fidler	34	11	3	1	2	1	2	0	41	13
MF	Roy Gater	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	0
MF	Colin Corbishley	3	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	6	0
FW	Harry Poole	45	7	3	0	3	0	2	0	54	7
FW	Stan Steele	35	10	3	0	3	3	2	1	43	14
FW	Noel Kinsey	3	0	0	0	3	1	0	0	6	1
FW	John Archer	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
FW	Bert Llewellyn	28	20	2	0	0	0	0	0	32	20
FW	Barry Hancock	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	0
FW	Ted Calland	12	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	13	3

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Top scorers

More information Place, Position ...

Place	Position	Nation	Name	Third Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Other	Total
1	MF	England	Cliff Portwood	24	2	0	0	26
2	FW	England	Bert Llewellyn	20	0	0	0	20
3	FW	England	Stan Steele	10	0	3	1	14
4	MF	England	Dennis Fidler	11	1	1	0	13
5	MF	England	Brian Jackson	8	2	0	0	10
6	FW	England	Harry Poole	7	0	0	0	7
7	MF	England	Harry Oscroft	5	0	0	0	5
8	FW	England	Ted Calland	3	0	0	0	3
–	MF	England	Terry Miles	3	0	0	0	3
–	DF	England	Selwyn Whalley	3	0	0	0	3
11	FW	Wales	Noel Kinsey	0	0	1	0	1
–	–	–	Own goals	2	0	0	1	3
			TOTALS	98	4	5	2	109

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Transfers in

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
1960	FW		Derek Edge	Stoke City	Free transfer	[3]
May 1960	MF		Dennis Fidler	Manchester City	Free transfer	[3]
June 1960	DF		Terry Lowe	Stoke City	Free transfer	[3]
August 1960	FW		Ted Calland	Exeter City	Free transfer	[3]
November 1960	FW		Bert Llewellyn	Everton	£7,000	[3]

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Transfers out

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
January 1961	MF		Albert Leake	Macclesfield Town	Free transfer	[3]
March 1961	FW		Stan Steele	West Bromwich Albion	£10,000	[3]
May 1961	FW		John Archer	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	Free transfer	[3]
May 1961	FW		Dennis Bailey		Released	[3]
May 1961	DF		Colin Davies	Stourbridge	Free transfer	[3]
May 1961	MF		Peter Hall	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	Free transfer	[3]
May 1961	MF		Harry Oscroft	Brantham Athletic	Free transfer	[3]
May 1961	GK		John Poole	Macclesfield Town	Free transfer	[3]
July 1961	FW		Ted Calland	Lincoln City	Free transfer	[3]
July 1961	MF		Cliff Portwood	Grimsby Town	£6,000	[3]

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