Port Vale 1939–40 football season
Port Vale1939–40 season |
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Chairman | Frank Huntbach |
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Stadium | The Old Recreation Ground |
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Football League Third Division South | 22nd (1 Point) – season abandoned |
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Football League West League | 8th (22 Points) |
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Football League War Cup | Preliminary Round (knocked out by Walsall) |
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Staffordshire Senior Cup | First Round (knocked out by West Bromwich Albion) |
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Top goalscorer | League: Jack Roberts (13) All: Jack Roberts (14) |
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Highest home attendance | 6,000 vs. Everton, 6 April 1940 |
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Lowest home attendance | 1,000 vs. New Brighton, 13 May 1940 |
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Average home league attendance | 2,568 |
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Biggest win | 6–1 vs. Crewe Alexandra, 21 October 1939 |
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Biggest defeat | 0–7 and 1–8 |
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The 1939–40 season was Port Vale's 34th season of football in the Football League, and second-successive season in the Third Division South.[1] All competitive football was suspended upon the breakout of war in Europe, just two games into the regular season. These two games were expunged from official records, and the Football League does not recognise the regional war leagues which replaced them and thus not included in official records. Port Vale finished eighth in the West League of the regional wartime league.
Overview
Having rebuilt the playing squad the previous season, the Port Vale management opted to supplement the relatively team with young signings; notable teenage arrivals were Scottish winger Murdoch Dickie from Crewe Alexandra and inside-forward Bert Flatley from York City. Ken Fish returned as an assistant trainer as well as a player, with the club deciding to do without a manager in favour of a selection committee. A goalless draw on the opening day down at Brighton & Hove Albion was followed by a 1–0 home defeat to Exeter City. Still, match number three against Northampton Town was cancelled after war was declared and the government prohibited all sports gatherings.[1] The Football League was formally cancelled, and the footballing authorities looked at alternative arrangements.[1] Permission was granted for football to take place in Stoke-on-Trent and friendlies took place as during this time.[1]
The Football League eventually decided upon regional leagues and placed Vale in the West Region, alongside the big clubs from Liverpool and Manchester. Attendances were low, with only the fixtures with Manchester United and Everton breaking the 4,000 mark at the Old Recreation Ground. They managed to beat Everton 2–1 in front on a season-high crowd of around 6,000, and also managed to pick up a 1–1 draw with Liverpool in front of just 4,000 spectators at Anfield. Vale suffered heavy defeats at Old Trafford, the Victoria Ground and Maine Road, as well as at home to Liverpool, but managed to record doubles against both Crewe Alexandra and Tranmere Rovers.[1] Despite fielding strong sides in the War Cup and Staffordshire Senior Cup they were eliminated in the opening rounds by Walsall and West Bromwich Albion respectively.[1] Jack Roberts finished as top-scorer with 14 goals in all competitions. The club could not afford to continue fielding a professional team and so fielded just a junior side until the 1944–45 season despite still losing vast sums of money maintaining the Old Recreation Ground.[1]
League table
Third Division South
Source: [citation needed]
West Regional Championship
Source: [citation needed]
Results
Port Vale's score comes first
Source: Statto
[2]A = Away;
H = Home;
W = Win;
D = Draw;
L = Loss
Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
21 October 1939 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 6–1 | 2,100 | P.Griffiths (2), Tunnicliffe (2), Nolan, Roberts |
28 October 1939 | Liverpool | A | 1–1 | 4,000 | Nolan |
11 November 1939 | Stockport County | A | 1–2 | 3,452 | P.Griffiths |
18 November 1939 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 6–2 | 1,745 | H.Griffiths (3 [2 pens]), P.Griffiths, Tunnicliffe, Nolan |
25 November 1939 | Manchester United | A | 1–8 | 1,500 | Tunnicliffe |
2 December 1939 | Wrexham | H | 1–0 | 1,456 | Higgins |
9 December 1939 | Everton | A | 1–3 | 1,000 | P.Griffiths |
6 January 1940 | New Brighton | A | 2–2 | 1,500 | Tunnicliffe, P.Griffiths |
10 February 1940 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 3–1 | 800 | Roberts (2), Cumberlidge |
24 February 1940 | Liverpool | H | 3–8 | 2,039 | Sproson, Roberts, P.Griffiths |
2 March 1940 | Chester | A | 3–0 | 1,000 | Higgins, Roberts, Tunnicliffe |
9 March 1940 | Stockport County | H | 6–2 | 1,787 | Higgins (2), Tunnicliffe (2), P.Griffiths, Roberts |
16 March 1940 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 5–1 | 2,000 | Tunnicliffe (2), Roberts (2), Higgins |
23 March 1940 | Manchester United | H | 1–3 | 4,127 | Higgins |
25 March 1940 | Stoke City | A | 1–5 | 9,450 | Roberts |
30 March 1940 | Wrexham | A | 0–1 | 2,000 | |
6 April 1940 | Everton | H | 2–1 | 6,000 | Griffiths, Higgins |
4 May 1940 | Chester | H | 3–1 | 1,170 | Roberts (2), Blunt |
6 May 1940 | Stoke City | H | 1–2 | 3,053 | Roberts |
11 May 1940 | Manchester City | H | 2–5 | 1,242 | Roberts, Bellis |
13 May 1940 | New Brighton | H | 3–0 | 1,000 | Triner (2), Bellis |
18 May 1940 | Manchester City | A | 0–7 | 2,000 | |
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
Preliminary | 13 April 1940 | Walsall | H | 2–2 | 4,403 | H.Griffiths, Roberts |
Replay | 15 April 1940 | Walsall | A | 0–6 | 883 | |
Staffordshire Senior Cup
Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
1 | 4 November 1939 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–2 | 2,000 | P.Griffiths |
Player statistics
Appearances
Pos. | Name | Football League | War League | Cups | Total |
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
GK | Arthur Jepson | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
GK | Jack Moore | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DF | Harry Griffiths | 2 | 0 | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 20 | 3 |
DF | Johnny Rowe | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
DF | Edwin Blunt | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
DF | Jack Griffiths | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
DF | Jimmy Oakes | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
DF | Fred Obrey | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
DF | Bob Pursell | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
DF | Charlie Scrimshaw | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
DF | Jess Sproson | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
MF | Wilf Smith | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
MF | Arthur Cumberlidge | 2 | 0 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
MF | Alf Bellis | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
MF | Don Triner | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
MF | George Hannah | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
MF | Ronald Beresford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
MF | Murdoch Dickie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
MF | Phil Griffiths | 0 | 0 | 22 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 10 |
MF | Billy Tunnicliffe | 0 | 0 | 17 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 20 | 10 |
FW | Jack Roberts | 2 | 0 | 16 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 14 |
FW | Tom Nolan | 0 | 0 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 |
FW | John Sanderson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
FW | Bert Flatley | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
FW | Dennis Higgins | 0 | 0 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 7 |
FW | George Morrey | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
FW | Harry Ware | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
FW | Ken Fish | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Top scorers
Place | Position | Nation | Name | West (War) League | War Cup | Staffs Cup | Total |
1 | FW | England | Jack Roberts | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
2 | MF | England | Billy Tunnicliffe | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
– | MF | Wales | Phil Griffiths | 9 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
4 | FW | England | Dennis Higgins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
5 | FW | England | Harry Griffiths | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
6 | FW | England | Tom Nolan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
7 | MF | England | Alf Bellis | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
– | MF | England | Don Triner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
9 | DF | England | Edwin Blunt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | MF | England | Arthur Cumberlidge | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | DF | England | Jess Sproson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
– | – | – | Own goals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 52 | 2 | 1 | 55 |
Transfers
Transfers in
Transfers out
Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
December 1939 | MF | ![England](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png) | Murdoch Dickie | | Contract cancelled | [3] |
February 1940 | FW | ![England](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/be/Flag_of_England.svg/23px-Flag_of_England.svg.png) | Tom Nolan | Retired | [3] |
References
- Specific
- ^ a b c d e f g Kent, Jeff (1990). "Creating Sunshine from the Shadows (1939–1950)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 151–171. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
- ^ Port Vale 1939–1940 : Results & Fixtures [dead link]. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
- General
- Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.
Port Vale F.C. seasons |
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- 1880–81
- 1881–82
- 1882–83
- 1883–84
- 1884–85
- 1885–86
- 1886–87
- 1887–88
- 1888–89
- 1889–90
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FA competitions | - FA Cup (Qualifying rounds
- Final)
- FA Charity Shield
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Football League | |
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Lower leagues | |
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Related to national team | |
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Wartime League | |
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Club seasons | First Division | |
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Second Division | - Barnsley
- Birmingham
- Bradford Park Avenue
- Burnley
- Bury
- Chesterfield
- Coventry City
- Fulham
- Leicester City
- Luton Town
- Manchester City
- Millwall
- Newcastle United
- Newport County
- Nottingham Forest
- Plymouth Argyle
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Southampton
- Swansea Town
- Tottenham Hotspur
- West Bromwich Albion
- West Ham United
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Third Division | North | - Accrington Stanley
- Barrow
- Bradford City
- Carlisle United
- Chester
- Crewe Alexandra
- Darlington
- Doncaster Rovers
- Gateshead
- Halifax Town
- Hartlepools United
- Hull City
- Lincoln City
- New Brighton
- Oldham Athletic
- Rochdale
- Rotherham County
- Southport
- Stockport County
- Tranmere Rovers
- Wrexham
- York City
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South | - Aldershot
- Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic
- Brighton & Hove Albion
- Bristol City
- Bristol Rovers
- Cardiff City
- Clapton Orient
- Crystal Palace
- Exeter City
- Ipswich Town
- Mansfield Town
- Northampton Town
- Norwich City
- Notts County
- Port Vale
- Queens Park Rangers
- Reading
- Southend United
- Swindon Town
- Torquay United
- Walsall
- Watford
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Other | |
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