1959–60 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1958–59 season was Port Vale's 48th season of football in the English Football League, and their first season in the Third Division following their promotion from the Fourth Division.^[1] Under the stewardship of manager Norman Low and chairman Fred Burgess, Vale finished a solid 14th with 46 points from 46 matches, nestled mid-table and comfortably clear of both relegation and promotion zones. The attack produced 80 league goals, with Graham Barnett finishing as both league top scorer with 14 goals and season top scorer with 17 across all competitions.

In the FA Cup, Vale enjoyed their most successful run since 1953–54, reaching the Fifth Round, a journey which came to an end in a 2–1 home defeat to Aston Villa before a club record crowd of 49,768 at Vale Park on 20 February 1960. They also took part in the inaugural Supporters' Clubs' Trophy, narrowly losing the final to Potteries derby rivals Stoke City by 5–3 on aggregate. Support at Vale Park remained steady, with an average attendance of 10,733, though spectator interest varied significantly — from a season‑low 5,514 against Swindon Town on 30 April 1960, to the spectacular 49,768 in the cup tie with Villa. One of the season's standout league results was a 7–0 thrashing of Halifax Town on Boxing Day 1959, Vale's largest win of the campaign.

The squad underwent notable changes: new signings included Morgan Hunt, Stan March, Cliff Portwood, Peter Ford, and Harry Oscroft, while departures saw Jack Wilkinson, John Cunliffe, and eventual top scorer Graham Barnett move on during the season — reflecting Low's continued reshaping of the team. Overall, the 1959–60 season was marked by a competent return to Third Division football. Vale consolidated their position with mid-table stability, a memorable FA Cup run that broke attendance records, and some emphatic league victories — laying down a foundation for further progress under Norman Low.

The pre-season saw the arrival of Morgan Hunt from Norwich City for a four-figure fee, and outside-left Cliff Portwood from Preston North End for £750.^[1]

The season began with a 3–2 win over Reading at Elm Park, Norman Low having selected a first XI without any of the new signings.^[1] However, after a 1–0 win over Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic, Vale began to struggle, picking up just a point in their next six games.^[1] Low tried to sign Stanley Matthews, still going strong aged 44 for Blackpool, but a deal could not be reached.^[1] On 5 September, Tranmere Rovers beat Vale 6–0 at Prenton Park after Roy Sproson left the field in the first half with a gashed leg.^[1] Low then traded John Cunliffe and £2,000 to Stoke City in exchange for winger Harry Oscroft and centre-half Peter Ford.^[1] An improvement took place, and despite trouble in front of goal, the team won seven successive games at Burslem.^[1] In October, Jack Wilkinson was sold to Exeter City for £2,500, having lost his place in the starting eleven.^[1] On 28 December, Vale recorded a 7–0 win over Halifax Town, causing The Sentinel's "T.G.F." to remark that "rarely have the opposition been so completely outplayed".^[1]

In March, Graham Barnett was sold to Tranmere Rovers for £5,000, having lost his form.^[1] The "Valiants" continued to perform well at home but lost on their travels.^[1] The departure of top-scorer Barnett meant the club 'urgently needed a top-class inside-forward'.^[1] This was proven with a run of just four goals in seven matches, culminating in only two points and dashed hopes of promotion.^[1] On 12 March, Vale were beaten 4–1 at Chesterfield and both Peter Ford and Terry Miles suffered season-ending injuries. A 3–1 defeat at Bury saw Peter Ford play as the eighth different player of the season in the centre forward role. In danger of relegation, the players rallied to win seven points from the final five games.^[1] The penultimate match was a 6–3 loss to Mansfield Town at Field Mill, whilst Vale then won against Swindon Town 6–1 in a game that was alleged to have been fixed by Jimmy Gauld.^[1][2]

They finished in 14th spot with 46 points, a good finish for a club just promoted.^[1] Stan Steele had put in his third successive ever-present season, whilst Barnett was the top-scorer despite leaving in March.^[1] The club toured Czechoslovakia at the end of the season, due to Stoke-on-Trent's close relationship with the town of Lidice that developed from local MP Barnett Stross's Lidice Shall Live campaign.^[3] The team defeated Cottwaldov, Přerov, Karlovy Vary; drew with FK Teplice; and were beaten by Jihlava.^[4]

On the financial side, a £1,454 loss was announced despite a £10,352 donation from the Sportsmen's Association.^[1] Gate receipts had risen by £1,680 due to the Aston Villa game. However, average home attendance was down by around 2,000.^[1] Wages also increased by a more considerable £7,064, though there was a transfer credit of £3,500.^[1] There were 22 players retained, Roy Pritchard and Morgan Hunt were not amongst them, leaving for Wellington Town and Boston United respectively.^[1]

In May, the club took a five-match tour of Czechoslovakia.^[1] They experienced a culture shock, playing with a smaller, 'half-inflated' ball, and finding referees much more strict. However, the tour was a success and was much enjoyed by the players and their hosts.^[1]

In the FA Cup, Vale eased past Dorchester Town of the Western League 2–1 after Graham Barnett injured Dorchester's keeper.^[5] In the next round Vale beat Queens Park Rangers 2–1 in a replay,^[1] after a 50 yards (46 m) strike from David Raine helped them to a 3–3 draw in the original match.^[6] In the third round, they met Second Division high-flyers Cardiff City at Ninian Park, and were not concerned as Graham Barnett responded to Low's warning that the Wales captain faced them by saying "So fucking what? My mother could play for Wales".^[7] They beat Cardiff 2–0 with a solid performance.^[1] Drawn against Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park, 'the defence took the honours' in a 1–0 win.^[1] The fifth round draw saw Vale face a home tie with Aston Villa, another second-tier club. A still-standing club-record attendance of 49,768 turned up for the game on 20 February, resulting in £8,500 worth of gate receipts for the Vale.^[1] Vale sold tickets for the Villa game from kiosks inside the ground during a midweek home game against Grimsby Town, which saw a 12,000 higher-than-normal attendance as fans were so desperate to secure their tickets for the Villa game.^[8] Heavy snowfall preceded the match and 1,500 tonnes of snow were cleared off the pitch.^[8] Brian Jackson gave Vale a 36th-minute lead, but the "Villans" came back to win the match with six minutes to spare.^[1]

Vale lost to Stoke 5–3 on aggregate in the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy.^[1]

Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward

Specific

General

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