1960–61 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale

1960–61 season
Chairman	Jake Bloom
Manager	Norman Low
Stadium	Vale Park
Football League Third Division	7th (49 Points)
FA Cup	Third Round (knocked out by Swansea Town)
League Cup	Second Round (knocked out by Tranmere Rovers)
Supporters' Clubs' Trophy	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: Cliff Portwood (24) All: Cliff Portwood (26)
Highest home attendance	15,504 vs. Walsall, 20 August 1960
Lowest home attendance	4,068 vs. Bristol City, 22 April 1961
Average home league attendance	9,702
Biggest win	7–1 vs. Chesterfield, 3 September 1960
Biggest defeat	0–6 vs. Swindon Town, 1 October 1960
Home colours
← 1959–60 1961–62 →

The 1960–61 season was Port Vale's 49th season of football in the English Football League, and their second season in the Third Division.^[1] Aiming for promotion, the club were disappointed with their eventual seventh-place finish. The first season of the League Cup ended for Vale in the Second Round, whilst they exited the FA Cup in the Third Round. They did however, taste success in the second and last Supporters' Clubs' Trophy series, beating rivals Stoke City 1–0 in a replay.

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]

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]

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]

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts
5	Notts County	46	21	9	16	82	77	1.065	51
6	Grimsby Town	46	20	10	16	77	69	1.116	50
7	Port Vale	46	17	15	14	96	79	1.215	49
8	Barnsley	46	21	7	18	83	80	1.038	49
9	Halifax Town	46	16	17	13	71	78	0.910	49

Port Vale's score comes first

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
20 August 1960	Walsall	H	1–1	15,504	Poole
24 August 1960	Shrewsbury Town	A	1–1	9,022	Steele
27 August 1960	Bury	A	1–3	6,593	Fidler
29 August 1960	Shrewsbury Town	H	4–1	9,212	Steele (2), Fidler, Portwood
3 September 1960	Chesterfield	H	7–1	10,104	Calland (2), Jackson, Steele, Portwood, Miles, Fidler
5 September 1960	Watford	H	3–0	15,175	Portwood (2), o.g.
10 September 1960	Southend United	A	1–2	8,758	Portwood
13 September 1960	Watford	A	0–0	16,719
17 September 1960	Reading	H	1–1	11,521	Portwood
19 September 1960	Halifax Town	H	2–3	10,251	Steele, Fidler
24 September 1960	Torquay United	H	0–3	10,502
26 September 1960	Halifax Town	A	3–3	5,967	Portwood, Oscroft, Steele
1 October 1960	Swindon Town	A	0–6	11,960
3 October 1960	Brentford	H	3–2	6,843	Whalley (2), Portwood
8 October 1960	Bristol City	A	4–3	8,803	Portwood (2), Jackson (pen), Whalley
15 October 1960	Queens Park Rangers	H	0–1	8,802
22 October 1960	Notts County	A	2–2	10,725	Portwood, Miles
29 October 1960	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	H	3–0	7,752	Steele, Calland, Fidler
12 November 1960	Barnsley	H	2–0	10,760	Llewellyn, Fidler
3 December 1960	Grimsby Town	A	5–0	8,843	Portwood (2), o.g., Jackson, Fidler
10 December 1960	Hull City	H	4–1	9,006	Llewellyn (3), Jackson
17 December 1960	Walsall	A	2–6	8,381	Poole, Steele
26 December 1960	Tranmere Rovers	H	5–0	14,029	Portwood (3), Llewellyn, Fidler
27 December 1960	Tranmere Rovers	A	3–3	7,838	Llewellyn, Jackson (pen), Portwood
31 December 1960	Bury	H	4–3	14,453	Poole, Llewellyn, Jackson, Portwood
14 January 1961	Chesterfield	A	0–0	5,816
21 January 1961	Southend United	H	4–0	9,517	Llewellyn, Portwood, Jackson (pen), Oscroft
4 February 1961	Reading	A	1–2	6,394	Portwood
6 February 1961	Colchester United	H	3–0	6,504	Poole (2), Portwood
11 February 1961	Torquay United	A	1–1	5,606	Oscroft
13 February 1961	Newport County	A	1–2	5,107	Portwood
18 February 1961	Swindon Town	H	4–1	9,673	Llewellyn (3), Oscroft
25 February 1961	Grimsby Town	H	3–2	9,367	Llewellyn, Portwood, Steele
28 February 1961	Bradford City	A	3–3	6,883	Llewellyn (2), Steele
4 March 1961	Queens Park Rangers	A	0–1	12,711
11 March 1961	Notts County	H	1–3	10,931	Miles
18 March 1961	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	A	1–1	8,735	Portwood
25 March 1961	Bradford City	H	2–4	6,278	Poole, Llewellyn
31 March 1961	Coventry City	H	3–1	6,528	Llewellyn (2), Fidler
1 April 1961	Barnsley	A	1–5	5,680	Poole
4 April 1961	Coventry City	A	1–1	8,285	Jackson (pen)
8 April 1961	Newport County	H	3–1	6,302	Fidler, Oscroft, Llewellyn
15 April 1961	Colchester United	A	0–2	3,437
22 April 1961	Bristol City	H	1–1	4,068	Llewellyn
25 April 1961	Brentford	A	0–0	3,503
29 April 1961	Hull City	A	2–2	4,439	Llewellyn, Fidler

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1	5 November 1960	Chelmsford City	A	3–2	9,000	Portwood (2)
R2	26 November 1960	Carlisle United	H	2–1	12,113	Jackson, Fidler
R3	7 January 1961	Swansea Town	A	0–3	10,601

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1	17 October 1960	Queens Park Rangers	A	2–2	6,564	Steele (2)
R1 Replay	19 October 1960	Queens Park Rangers	H	3–1	6,829	Steele, Kinsey, Fidler
R2	24 October 1960	Tranmere Rovers	H	0–2	8,206

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
Final 1st Leg	10 October 1960	Stoke City	H	1–0	7,267	Steele
Final 2nd Leg	7 March 1961	Stoke City	A	0–1	9,605
Replay	24 April 1961	Stoke City	A	1–0	4,000	Own goal

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

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

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]

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]

Specific

General

• Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.