1949–50 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale
1949–50 season
Chairman William Holdcroft
Manager Gordon Hodgson
Stadium The Old Recreation Ground
Football League Third Division South 13th (41 Points)
FA Cup Fourth Round
Top goalscorer League: Cliff Pinchbeck (14)
All: Cliff Pinchbeck (16)
Highest home attendance 18,218 vs. Nottingham Forest (11 February 1950)
Lowest home attendance 8,496 vs. Torquay United (27 March 1950)
Average home league attendance 12,983
Home colours

The 1949–50 season was Port Vale's 38th season of football in the Football League, and their fifth full season in the Third Division South.[1] It was the last season to be played at The Old Recreation Ground – despite numerous clashes with the authorities over the construction of the new stadium. The sale of Ronnie Allen raised a massive £20,000.

Manager Gordon Hodgson during his playing days.

Overview

Third Division South

The pre-season saw the arrival of experienced full-back Lol Hamlett from Bolton Wanderers, and young keeper Ray King from Leyton Orient (brother of George).[1] On his arrival King stated that The Old Recreation Ground was like 'some shanty town out west' and compared the dressing room to 'a dungeon', despite which somehow he 'felt completely at home'.[1] The playing staff now stood at 59 amateurs and 27 full-time professionals.[1]

The season opened with a 1–0 win over Bristol Rovers, which was followed by a 1–0 reverse to Southend United at Roots Hall three days later.[1] This loss was thanks to an own goal from Garth Butler, who put the ball into his own net despite being some distance from any Southend players.[1] A seven match unbeaten run followed, built upon a defence that leaked just five goals, King and Hamlett settling in well.[1] Bad news off the field returned however, when Stoke-on-Trent City Council rejected the club's application to move two stands from The Old Rec to the new stadium.[1] As a result the club set up a 100,000 Shilling Fund to build the two stands from scratch.[1] On the pitch results began to turn against the "Valiants", and so striker Cliff Pinchbeck was signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for a £3,500 fee.[1] Pinchbeck marked his debut with a hat-trick over Millwall, receiving a standing ovation from his new fans.[1] More off-field stadium troubles came when the Regional Officer of the Minister of Works refused a license for the stadium on unspecified grounds.[1] Club officials were forced to travel to London to discuss the matter with the minister, eventually convincing him to change his mind.[1]

A successful Christmas period took Vale into sixth place by mid-February.[1] George King was then sold to Barrow for a four-figure fee, after which Pinchbeck was the only regular scorer.[1] Six games without a win followed, ending the club's hopes of opening the new stadium in the Second Division.[1] The Shilling Fund had only raised 17,738 shillings, and so Ronnie Allen was sold to top-flight West Bromwich Albion for a massive £20,000, smashing the club's transfer record.[1] Allen went on to play for England, whilst the fee went towards the new ground.[1] Back to the league, the Vale were seventh at the start of April, but six defeats in their final eight games saw them tumble down the table.[1]

They finished in thirteenth place with 41 points.[1] The defence was the third strongest in the division, however only Watford scored fewer goals.[1] Pinchbeck was the only goalscorer of any consistency.[1]

Finances

On the financial side, a profit of £10,671 was made, another record, this was due to the sale of Allen which gave them a transfer credit of £15,000.[1] The wage bill had risen by £6,000 to £22,333, whereas gate receipts had risen by around £3,000 to £29,050.[1] Eric Eastwood was the only major departure of the summer.[1] Trouble with the new ground continued, as the Regional Officer of the Ministry of Works refused to permit the transfer of the stand from the old to the new stadium, despite having approved similar procedures at Liverpool and Millwall.[1] Chairman William Holdcroft felt this was unfair, and was supported by Stoke-on-Trent North MP Albert Davies.[1] Despite this set-back the stadium was opened on 2 August in a ceremony attended by 12,000 rain-soaked people.[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale progressed past Athenian League amateurs Wealdstone and Tranmere Rovers of the Third Division North with 1–0 home wins. Beating Newport County at Somerton Park with a Ronnie Allen brace, they came up against First Division Burnley in the Fourth Round at Turf Moor. There they lost 2–1 in front of 49,692 spectators – 12,000 of which were Vale fans.[1]

Final league table

P WDLFAGAPts
1Notts County42258995501.90058
2Northampton Town4220111172501.44051
3Southend United4219131066481.37551
4Nottingham Forest422091367391.71849
5Torquay United4219101366631.04848
6Watford4216131345351.28645
7Crystal Palace4215141355541.01944
8Brighton & Hove Albion4216121457690.82644
9Bristol Rovers421951851511.00043
10Reading421781770641.09442
11Norwich City4216101665631.03242
12Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic4216101657561.01842
13Port Vale4215111647421.11941
14Swindon Town4215111659620.95241
15Bristol City4215101760610.98440
16Exeter City4214111763750.84039
17Ipswich Town4212111957860.66335
18Leyton Orient4212111953850.62435
19Walsall429161761620.98434
20Aldershot421382148600.80034
21Newport County421382167980.68434
22Millwall421442455630.87332

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GA = Goal average; Pts = Points

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss
Round123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839404142
GroundHAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHHAAHAHHAHAHAHHAAHHAHAA
Result W L D D W D W D L W W W L W L W D L L D W D W W L W D L D D L L W W L L L W D L L L
Position 1 9 12 8 7 5 8 8 9 9 7 5 7 5 9 8 7 8 10 10 7 9 8 7 8 6 5 6 9 6 8 10 8 6 7 9 10 9 7 10 11 13

Sourced from Statto.[2]

Football League Third Division South

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
20 August 1949 Bristol RoversH1–015,097Allen
23 August 1949 Southend UnitedA0–19,434
27 August 1949 Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticA2–219,101King (2)
29 August 1949 Southend UnitedH0–014,686
3 September 1949 Crystal PalaceH2–013,788Martin (2)
5 September 1949 Ipswich TownH2–212,297Martin, Cheadle
10 September 1949 WatfordA2–010,583King, Aveyard
17 September 1949 ReadingH1–112,948o.g.
24 September 1949 Leyton OrientA0–115,698
1 October 1949 Exeter CityH1–011,499Martin
8 October 1949 Norwich CityA1–026,831Allen
15 October 1949 Newport CountyH1–012,599Allen
22 October 1949 Bristol CityA0–219,855
29 October 1949 Brighton & Hove AlbionH3–011,189Aveyard, Allen, Barber
5 November 1949 WalsallA0–19,605
12 November 1949 MillwallH4–012,918Pinchbeck (3), Aveyard
19 November 1949 Swindon TownA0–09,039
3 December 1949 AldershotA0–14,043
17 December 1949 Bristol RoversA1–210,105Palk
24 December 1949 Bournemouth & Boscombe AthleticH1–113,092Pinchbeck
26 December 1949 Northampton TownH3–117,212Pinchbeck (2), Martin
27 December 1949 Northampton TownA1–119,263Martin
31 December 1949 Crystal PalaceA1–012,609Pinchbeck
14 January 1950 WatfordH2–017,387Allen, Pinchbeck
21 January 1950 ReadingA1–211,284Pinchbeck
4 February 1950 Leyton OrientH2–014,176Allen, Martin
11 February 1950 Nottingham ForestH1–118,218Pinchbeck
18 February 1950 Exeter CityA1–39,632Pinchbeck
25 February 1950 Norwich CityH2–211,204Hayward, Palk
4 March 1950 Newport CountyA1–18,762Aveyard
11 March 1950 Bristol CityH0–211,444
18 March 1950 Brighton & Hove AlbionA1–211,852Aveyard
25 March 1950 WalsallH2–09,763Aveyard, Pinchbeck
27 March 1950 Torquay UnitedH2–08,496Hulligan, Potts
1 April 1950 MillwallA0–318,088
7 April 1950 Notts CountyA1–332,097Palk
8 April 1950 Swindon TownH0–19,607
10 April 1950 Notts CountyH3–115,380Pinchbeck (2), Hulligan
15 April 1950 Torquay UnitedA0–08,037
22 April 1950 AldershotH0–19,645
29 April 1950 Nottingham ForestA0–25,906
6 May 1950 Ipswich TownA1–212,451McGarry

FA Cup

Main article: 1949–50 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
R126 November 1949 WealdstoneH1–014,935Pinchbeck
R210 December 1949 Tranmere RoversH1–014,716Pinchbeck
R37 January 1950 Newport CountyA2–117,781Allen (2)
R428 January 1950 BurnleyA1–249,692Martin

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos. Name Football League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland George Heppell 300030
GKEngland Ray King 39040430
DFEngland Basil Hayward 110011
DFEngland Tommy Cheadle 42140461
DFEngland Garth Butler 39040430
DFEngland Reg Potts 310031
DFEngland Jim Elsby 200020
DFEngland Lol Hamlett 40040440
MFNorthern Ireland Jimmy Todd 37040410
MFEngland Alan Martin 24741288
MFEngland Bill McGarry 42140461
MFEngland Mick Hulligan 38240422
MFEngland Alan Bennett 10000100
MFEngland Norman Hallam 100010
MFEngland Colin Askey 400040
FWEngland Ronnie Allen 27642318
FWEngland Pat Raftery 300030
FWEngland George King 830083
FWEngland Stan Palk 42340463
FWEngland Walter Aveyard 23600236
FWEngland Cliff Pinchbeck 2714423116
FWEngland Ken Griffiths 200020
FWEngland Len Barber 510051

Scorers

All competitions

Scorer Goals
England Cliff Pinchbeck 16
England Alan Martin 8
England Ronnie Allen
England Walter Aveyard 6
England Stan Palk 3
England George King
England Mick Hulligan 2
England Len Barber 1
England Basil Hayward
England Reg Potts
England Tommy Cheadle
England Bill McGarry

League

Scorer Goals
England Cliff Pinchbeck 14
England Alan Martin 7
England Walter Aveyard 6
England Ronnie Allen
England Stan Palk 3
England George King
England Mick Hulligan 2
England Len Barber 1
England Basil Hayward
England Reg Potts
England Tommy Cheadle
England Bill McGarry

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
1949 FW England Derek Tomkinson Free transfer [3]
May 1949 DF England John Abbotts Ravenscliffe Free transfer [3]
May 1949 GK England Ray King Ashington Free transfer [3]
May 1949 DF England Lol Hamlett Bolton Wanderers Free transfer [3]
May 1949 DF England Frank Wintle Free transfer [3]
July 1949 DF England Roy Sproson Stoke City Free transfer [3]
October 1949 MF England Colin Askey Free transfer [3]
November 1949 FW England Cliff Pinchbeck Brighton & Hove Albion £3,500 [3]
February 1950 FW England Ken Griffiths Northwood Mission Free transfer [3]
February 1950 MF England Albert Leake Stoke City Free transfer [3]
March 1950 FW England Roland Lewis Congleton Town Free transfer [3]

Transfers out

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
November 1949 MF England Bernard Jones Winsford United Free transfer [3]
February 1950 FW England George King Barrow 'four-figure fee' [3]
February 1950 FW England Pat Raftery Wellington Town Free transfer [3]
March 1950 FW England Ronnie Allen West Bromwich Albion £20,000 [3]
April 1950 DF England Eric Eastwood Released [3]
April 1950 MF England Wilf Smith Buxton Free transfer [3]

References

Specific
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 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.
  2. Port Vale 1949–1950 : Results & Fixtures. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
General
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.