Second Division

The pre-season saw Brian Horton make several free signings: Jon McCarthy (Birmingham City); Brett Angell (Rushden & Diamonds); Ian Brightwell (Walsall);^[1] Phil Charnock (Crewe Alexandra); Sam Collins (Bury);^[2][3] and Mark Boyd (Newcastle United).^[4] Midfielder Dean Keates had a trial at the club over the summer, but was not offered a contract.

The season started poorly with four straight defeats and only one goal scored from open play, causing fans to barrack Horton.^[5] Their form changed with a 1–0 win over Wigan Athletic at the JJB Stadium – the first in a sequence of five consecutive victories. Following this run victories were sparse for the Vale, and they picked up just four league victories until the beginning of March. The club agreed to sell Stephen McPhee to Wigan Athletic for £300,000, though the deal fell through over personal terms.^[6] In October, Lee Ashcroft arrived on loan from Wigan Athletic.^[7] Meanwhile, Jon McCarthy was released,^[8] and signed with Doncaster Rovers.^[9] The next month Brett Angell also departed after rejecting a new deal with the club,^[10] and instead joined Queens Park Rangers. A mini-revival began in the new year, as Vale were unbeaten in their three January league games. In February, defender Peter Clarke arrived on a three-month loan deal from Everton.^[11][12] Adrian Littlejohn also joined the club on a monthly contract,^[13] having left Lincoln City. There was a turnaround in form following a 1–0 win over Blackpool on 8 March, as eighteen points from the final twelve games of the season were enough to see off the fan's fears of relegation. Horton still remained unpopular with some sections of the Vale's supporters.^[14] On 12 April, Vale came from behind to beat Northampton Town at home after Horton angrily remonstrated with a supporter in the crowd who demanded his resignation whilst the club were a goal down.^[15] They finished in seventeenth place with 53 points, just five points above Cheltenham Town in the relegation zone. They finished 33 points and 15 places behind Crewe, who were promoted as runners-up. The end-of-season table was unusual, in that 15 points separated 7th and 8th, whilst 17 points separated 8th and 21st. Marc Bridge-Wilkinson was the club's top-scorer with just nine goals in all competitions.

At the end of the season a number of players left the club on free transfers: Matt Carragher (Macclesfield Town);^[16] Paul Byrne (Barry Town); Phil Charnock (Bury); Sean McClare (Rochdale); John Durnin (Accrington Stanley); and Rae Ingram (Bangor City).

Finances, administration & a change of ownership

Talks of Bell selling the club circulated at the start of the season,^[17] as Staffordshire Police were forced to write off £100,000 worth of debt.^[18] Meanwhile, Marketing executive Terry Smith resigned after just six weeks in the job. Bell told the press that the Lorne Street stand would be open at the start of the season, though work never got going on the project. Director Jim Lloyd resigned in September, leaving the club with just Bell and two directors (only one of whom was allowed to vote; Bell had the casting vote in the event of a tie). The club's financial crisis came to a head in the season, the club £2.4 million in debt and posting £500,000 a year losses.^[19] On 25 November, Bell put his shares up for sale at £10 each.^[20]

The club entered administration on 16 December,^[21] with £600,000 owed to Inland Revenue and the Customs & Excise;^[22] Birmingham-based administration firm Poppleton & Appleby took control. Assistant manager Mark Grew and Ray Williams were both laid off in order to save money.^[23] The club approached millionaire pop star and Vale fan Robbie Williams,^[24] who rejected the opportunity to invest in the club.^[25] Rumours circulated of a possible merger with rivals Stoke City and a ground-share at the Britannia Stadium,^[26] fuelled by the belief that a 'mystery bidder' was in fact the Icelandic owners of Stoke City.^[27] Stoke Holdings, the Icelandic company which owned Stoke City, offered Bill Bell £50,000 to buy his debt and thereby take control of the club by bypassing the administrators; however, Bell rejected the offer. Valiant2001 eventually agreed to rent the club shop off Bell as an incitement for him to accept their offer (his vote was needed as he was the club's biggest creditor). The administrators received a number of bids for the club,^[28] and received interest from Mo Chaudry (owner of WaterWorld), Summerbank Management (Tunstall based consultancy firm), and property developing duo Steve Ball and Iain McIntosh.^[29] A late bid from Gianni Paladini seemed likely to succeed,^[30] however, Bill Bratt's 'Valiant 2001' fan-based consortium's bid was accepted in March,^[31] and the group took control the following month.^[32] The group had had a £1 million bid rejected by Bell the previous year.^[33] The total cost of administration was £255,000, and Bratt said "It has been a ride of terror".^[34]

In May, the club announced a new two-year £200,000 shirt sponsorship deal with local mobile phone company Tricell, ending ten years of sponsorship from Tunstall Assurance.^[35] The new board also appointed former player Andy Porter as youth coach,^[36] and got the club's transfer embargo lifted in July.^[37]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale were knocked out by nearby Crewe Alexandra with a Dean Ashton goal.^[38]

In the League Cup, Crewe made the first of their three visits to Vale Park (all of which they won), and advanced with a 2–0 victory, both goals scored by Rodney Jack.^[39]

In the Football League Trophy, Vale advanced through the opening rounds with home wins over Hull City and Chesterfield (after a penalty shoot-out^[40]). In the Northern Section Quarter-Finals they faced Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow, and lost 2–1.

Football League Second Division

FA Cup

League Cup

Football League Trophy

Appearances

More information Pos., # ...

Pos.	#	Name	Football League		FA Cup		League Cup		Football League Trophy		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	1	Mark Goodlad	37	0	1	0	1	0	3	0	42	0
DF	2	Matt Carragher	35	0	1	0	1	0	3	1	40	1
DF	3	Rae Ingram	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
MF	4	Sean McClare	17	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	20	0
DF	5	Michael Walsh	17	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	18	1
DF	6	Sam Collins	44	5	1	0	1	0	3	0	49	5
MF	7	Neil Brisco	24	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	24	1
MF	8	Micky Cummins	30	4	1	0	1	0	3	0	35	4
FW	9	Steve Brooker	26	5	1	0	1	0	2	0	30	5
FW	10	Stephen McPhee	40	3	1	0	1	0	3	0	45	3
MF	11	Marc Bridge-Wilkinson	31	9	0	0	1	0	1	0	33	9
GK	12	Dean Delany	10	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	10	0
MF	13	Levi Reid	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
MF	14	Mark Boyd	20	3	1	0	1	0	2	1	24	4
MF	15	Ian Armstrong	29	7	1	0	1	0	3	1	34	8
DF	16	Steve Rowland	25	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	27	0
DF	17	Paul Byrne	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
FW	18	Billy Paynter	31	5	1	0	0	0	2	0	34	5
MF	19	Phil Charnock	18	1	1	0	0	0	3	0	22	1
MF	20	John Durnin	28	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	31	1
DF	21	Liam Burns	16	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	19	0
DF	22	Ryan Brown	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
DF	23	Ian Brightwell	35	0	1	0	1	0	1	0	38	0
MF	25	Chris Birchall	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
FW	26	Simon Eldershaw	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
MF	27	Adrian Littlejohn	13	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	3
Players that left the club mid-season:
FW	22	Brett Angell	15	5	0	0	1	0	1	2	17	7
MF	24	Jon McCarthy	8	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	9	0
FW	24	Lee Ashcroft	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	4	0
DF	24	Peter Clarke	13	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	1

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Top scorers

More information Place, Position ...

Place	Position	Nation	Number	Name	Second Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Football League Trophy	Total
1	MF	England	11	Marc Bridge-Wilkinson	9	0	0	0	9
2	MF	England	15	Ian Armstrong	7	1	0	0	8
3	FW	England	22	Brett Angell	5	2	0	0	7
4	DF	England	6	Sam Collins	5	0	0	0	5
–	FW	England	18	Billy Paynter	5	0	0	0	5
–	FW	England	9	Steve Brooker	5	0	0	0	5
7	MF	Ireland	8	Micky Cummins	4	0	0	0	4
–	MF	England	14	Mark Boyd	3	1	0	0	4
9	FW	England	10	Stephen McPhee	3	0	0	0	3
–	MF	England	27	Adrian Littlejohn	3	0	0	0	3
11	DF	England	5	Michael Walsh	1	0	0	0	1
–	DF	England	24	Peter Clarke	1	0	0	0	1
–	MF	England	7	Neil Brisco	1	0	0	0	1
–	MF	England	20	John Durnin	1	0	0	0	1
–	MF	England	19	Phil Charnock	1	0	0	0	1
–	DF	England	2	Matt Carragher	0	1	0	0	1
				TOTALS	54	5	0	0	59

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Transfers in

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
May 2002	MF		Mark Boyd	Newcastle United	Free transfer	[42]
June 2002	DF		Sam Collins	Bury	Free transfer	[42]
August 2002	FW		Brett Angell	Rushden & Diamonds	Free transfer	[42]
August 2002	DF		Ian Brightwell	Stoke City	Free transfer	[42]
August 2002	MF		Phil Charnock	Crewe Alexandra	Free transfer	[42]
August 2002	MF		Jon McCarthy	Birmingham City	Free transfer	[42]
February 2003	MF		Adrian Littlejohn	Sheffield United	Free transfer	[42]

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Transfers out

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
October 2002	MF		Jon McCarthy	Doncaster Rovers	Released	[42]
November 2002	FW		Brett Angell	Queens Park Rangers	Free transfer	[42]
May 2003	DF		Matt Carragher	Stafford Rangers	Released	[42]
May 2003	MF		John Durnin	Accrington Stanley	Released	[42]
May 2003	DF		Rae Ingram	Bangor City	Released	[42]
May 2003	MF		Sean McClare	Rochdale	Released	[42]
July 2003	MF		Paul Byrne	Barry Town	Free transfer	[42]
August 2003	MF		Phil Charnock	Bury	Free transfer	[42]

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Loans in

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Date to	Ref.
11 October 2002	FW		Lee Ashcroft	Wigan Athletic	27 October 2002	[42]
20 February 2003	DF		Peter Clarke	Everton	4 May 2003	[42]

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