1973–74 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1973–74 season was Port Vale's 62nd season of football in the Football League, and their fourth-successive season (tenth overall) in the Third Division.^[1] After a poor first half, the club narrowly avoided relegation, finishing 20th with 42 points, seven points clear of the drop zone after manager Gordon Lee departed in January, succeeded by club legend Roy Sproson.

In cup competitions, Vale made it to the Third Round of the FA Cup, where they were eliminated by Luton Town, and exited the League Cup at the First Round after defeat to Stockport County. John Woodward was the club's top scorer, netting 16 goals in the league and 18 in all competitions, while defender David Harris was awarded Player of the Year for his breakthrough performances after joining from the youth ranks in 1973.

Attendance figures dipped: the highest home gate was 8,505 against Bristol Rovers on 17 February 1974, while the lowest came in at 2,556 versus Charlton Athletic on 27 April, with an average of 3,959 fans per league match. The team's biggest wins were 3–0, achieved twice, and their heaviest defeats were by 3–0, also occurring twice.

Overall, the 1973–74 season was a near miss as Vale fought a relegation battle, navigated mid‑season managerial upheaval, and relied on individual standouts like Woodward and Harris to keep them in the Third Division.

The pre-season saw Sammy Morgan sold to Aston Villa for £22,222 (plus top-up fees).^[1] Gordon Lee drafted in tall young players David Harris and John Ridley from the youth set-up, as well as versatile Keith Chadwick from Crewe Alexandra.^[1] The club also erected a 2.5 feet (0.76 m) high steel fence around the Bycars End to help combat hooliganism.^[1] The team competed in a pre-season tournament in Spain, recording victories over Lloret and Ajax B.^[2]

The season opened with four games unbeaten, though Tommy McLaren soon damaged his ligaments, and the team suffered in his absence.^[1] The team achieved a "convincing" 3–0 win over Shrewsbury Town on the opening day, though only 3,717 attended Vale Park. Just over 5,000 turned up to the next home game to see Vale "romp" to a 4–2 victory over Huddersfield Town. Tony Lacey was selected as the first Player of the Month, winning a £20 prize for his efforts. On 1 October, Vale beat Wrexham 1–0 in an 'ugly' game that saw five players booked and Colin Tartt and opposition player Arfon Griffiths separated by police following a scrap in the tunnel.^[1] Later in the month, Roy Cross badly injured his knee and would later have to leave the professional game due to the injury.^[1]

On 24 October, Vale lost a two-goal lead to lose 4–2 at Cambridge United in a night where "almost everything went wrong", culminating in the team coach windows being smashed by vandals.^[1] Lee then took out 'burly' striker Keith Leonard on loan from Aston Villa, and bought "strong and forceful" 22-year-old left-back Neil Griffiths from Chester for £5,000 plus Tony Loska.^[1] He also changed the formation from 4–4–2 to 4–3–3, hoping to give Brian Horton more room in the centre of the park.^[1] Vale slipped down the league, and by Christmas they were sixth from bottom, with only John Woodward in good form.^[1] On 22 December, only 2,916 turned out at Vale Park to witness a 1–0 defeat to Chesterfield.^[1] After an upturn in form in the new year, Bill Summerscales broke his neck, and Lee departed for the management position at Blackburn Rovers.^[1] Lee had been seen to have done an excellent job with little money.^[1]

Club legend Roy Sproson was appointed as caretaker manager, who advocated an 'entertaining' style of play as opposed to battling for every point.^[1] Winning his first match 1–0 at Shrewsbury Town, he cracked his head on the concrete trainer's box after leaping up to celebrate McLaren's goal.^[1] On 2 February, John Woodward was sent off after abusing referee Peter Willis in a 2–1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion. On 17 February, 8,505 turned up at Vale Park to witness a 3–1 win over high-flying Bristol Rovers in an experimental Sunday game.^[1] Later, Leonard returned to Villa Park at the end of his loan deal, and £5,000 was not enough to tempt Villa to part with his services permanently.^[1] On 10 March, Vale won 2–1 at home to Plymouth Argyle after the visitors were reduced to eight men; match reporter Chris Harper wrote that "just as Davey had earlier struck Tartt, the lanky Provan felled David Harris while Saxton dropped Bobby Gough with a boot in the lower regions".^[3] Plymouth boss Tony Waiters blamed the referee for losing control of the game for his team becoming the first in Football Leageu history to have three players sent of in one match.^[4]

Vale then went eleven games without a win, and on 25 March they could have ended this run, but 'a shocking mistake' from Alan Boswell handed Walsall an equaliser as he palmed a header into his own net.^[1] The team continued to rack up yellow cards, and following a warning from The Football Association, Sproson arranged for local referee Roy Capey to lecture the players on sportsmanship.^[1] Regardless, four more bookings came in a 1–1 draw at Blackburn Rovers on 6 April. Sproson was given the management job on a permanent basis, despite his team falling to fifth from bottom.^[1] Sproson stated that he was 'calculated' and 'controlled', compared to Lee, who 'fizzes like a bottle of pop'.^[1] By the time they broke their poor run with a 2–1 home win over managerless Charlton Athletic, other results had already ensured their safety from the drop.^[1]

They finished in twentieth position with 42 points, though this meant they were seven points clear of relegated Cambridge United in 21st place.^[1]

On the financial side, an average home attendance of under 4,000 failed to prevent a profit of £17,831.^[1] This profit came from the early sale of Morgan and donations of £16,443 from the Sportsmen's Association and the Development Fund.^[1] The club's total debt stood at £121,647, as Chairman Singer warned of more player sales to balance the books.^[1] Two players leaving for free at the end of the season were Bobby Gough (Southport) and Alan Boswell (Oswestry Town) – Boswell was described as 'capable of brilliant saves and conceding soft goals'.^[1]

In the FA Cup, Vale won away at Stockport County 1–0 before advancing past Northern Premier League side Scarborough in the second round after Woodward scored four minutes from time. After they conceded an equalising goal with six minutes to go in a 1–1 draw in Burslem with Second Division club Luton Town, they lost the replay at Kenilworth Road four days later by four goals to two and conceding twice in the final four minutes.^[1]

In the League Cup, Vale exited at the first stage with a 2–0 defeat at Edgeley Park to Fourth Division side Stockport County.^[1]

Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

Specific

General

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