1978–79 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1978–79 season was Port Vale's 67th season of football in the Football League, and their first season (seventh overall) back in the Fourth Division following their relegation from the Third Division.^[1] Under manager Dennis Butler, who stepped up after Bobby Smith's departure and brought in Bernie Wright from Bradford City and the club-record signing Ken Todd from Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club aimed to rebuild.

However, on the pitch, Vale finished 16th, securing just 42 points from 46 matches. Their cup runs were short-lived — with exits in the first round of both the FA Cup (losing to Bradford City) and the League Cup (knocked out by Chester). Bernie Wright was the standout performer, finishing as top scorer with 15 goals in all competitions (14 in the league), and earning the Player of the Year accolade.

Off the pitch, the season was turbulent. There was unrest in the boardroom and among the fans, and Butler publicly expressed frustration at supporter abuse of the players. Financially, the club suffered a record loss of £52,000, despite generating significant commercial income and investing heavily in transfers (totalling well over £36,000 in net loss). In terms of support, Vale drew on average 3,287 fans to Vale Park, with the highest attendance being 5,226 against Barnsley on 14 April 1979, and the lowest just 2,160 against Hereford United on 1 May 1979. Their biggest win was an emphatic 5–1 away victory over Crewe Alexandra early in the season, and their heaviest defeats included two 4–0 drubbings and a 6–2 loss.

A season of financial strain and boardroom unrest underpinned a mid-table Fourth Division finish, with Bernie Wright's goals offering a rare spark during an otherwise turbulent campaign.

Before the season began, Bobby Smith left to manage Swindon Town, with Vale being paid a compensation fee of £10,500. He denied "leaving a sinking ship". His assistant, Dennis Butler, turned down the chance to go as Smith's assistant to instead take over as Port Vale's new manager manager. Butler promoted Graham Hawkins to a first-team coach and then to assistant manager. Butler signed sign big striker Bernie Wright from Bradford City for £9,000 and right-back Neil Wilkinson on a free transfer from Blackburn Rovers.^[1] He also took the team on a three-match tour of Scotland.^[1] Just before the start of the season, Ken Todd was signed for a club-record fee of £37,000, despite having only made a handful of appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers.^[1] On 23 July, former Valiant Tommy McLaren committed suicide, friend and teammate Ray Williams said 'leaving the club shattered him'.^[1] On 2 October, a Memorial Fund match was played, raising £3,000.^[1]

The season opened with just two victories in eleven league games, as both Todd and keeper John Connaughton were sidelined with injuries in the defeat at Wimbledon on 22 August.^[1] The two wins came away from home, 5–1 over rivals Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road (Wright scoring a hat-trick) and 3–1 at Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium.^[1] Butler then threw himself into the transfer market, selling John Froggatt to Northampton Town for £8,000, and then Mick Moore and Terry Bailey to Wigan Athletic and Northwich Victoria respectively, both for £2,000.^[1] Another 'shrewd piece of business' came when star forward Ken Beamish was sold to Bury for £35,000, whilst Gerry Keenan moved the other way for £15,000.^[1] On the pitch, Trevor Dance saved a penalty only to later gift a goal to Portsmouth in a 2–0 loss at Fratton Park on 16 September.^[1]

In October, Felix Healy was signed from Finn Harps for £8,000, and Neil Wilkinson and £3,000 were traded to Crewe in exchange for outside-right Kevin Tully.^[1] Winning five games in a sequence of eight, Todd was still a disappointment to fans, who began getting 'on his back'.^[1] Butler's signings did not stop, however, and instead he sold John Ridley to Leicester City for a club-record £55,000.^[1] He then signed Andy Proudlove from Buxton for £1,000 – despite interest from Stafford Rangers.^[1] Then in came midfielder Peter Farrell from Bury for a new club-record £40,000.^[1] The 2–0 victory over Hartlepool United was the club's first win in 14 games at Vale Park.^[1] Butler defended his transfer activity by saying the team he had inherited was not good enough.^[1]

Going into December four games unbeaten, Butler then splashed out £30,000 on Chester's Bob Delgado.^[1] Despite this, Vale were thumped 6–2 by Barnsley in front of 10,532 at Oakwell.^[1] In January, legendary England goalkeeper Gordon Banks was appointed as coach, and results began to pick up as Vale were lifted into eighth spot.^[1] Healy quit the club in February, only to return two weeks later.^[1] Behind the scenes, there was trouble when Arthur McPherson ruled that club shares could only be transferable to a male relation, in order 'to safeguard plans by the current directors'.^[1] More defeats came, and the big money signings were targeted by fans for abuse.^[1] Butler reacted by switching to a 4–4–2 formation and calling the fans 'a bunch of yobs'.^[1] From mid-March, Vale went seven games with only one victory and one goal scored.^[1]

On 21 March, violence returned to Vale Park, when Portsmouth keeper Peter Mellor saved a penalty, floored Peter Farrell and made an 'assortment of gestures' to the Bycars End – he found himself attacked by a Vale fan on the pitch for his efforts.^[1] On 13 April, Vale surrendered a three-goal lead at Springfield Park to lose 5–3 to fifth-placed Wigan Athletic.^[1] Only 2,160 attended a 1–1 draw at home with Hereford United on 1 May. Danger of ending up in the re-election zone was ended with a late four-game unbeaten spell, despite heavy defeats from Reading and York City.^[1]

They finished in 16th place with 42 points, with an awful defensive record of seventy goals conceded.^[1] Despite this, their scoring tally away from Burslem was the highest in the Football League, and they were given £2,125 as a reward.^[1] Player of the Year Bernie Wright secured 15 goals in what was a poor season for the club.^[1]

On the financial side, a record £52,000 loss was made despite a remarkable £225,000 income from the club's commercial department.^[1] Butler's transfer dealings had lost the club £36,000, whilst wages more than doubled from £113,000 to £259,000.^[1] The club's liabilities stood at £187,000.^[1] Despite all of this, the club made 'surprisingly sparing use of the pruning knife', letting go of just four players, most significantly David Harris (Halifax Town) and Andy Proudlove (Stafford Rangers).^[1] Behind the scenes, long-time club servant and president Mark Singer resigned from the board and was later sacked. However, club chairman Arthur McPherson did not comment to the press.^[1]

In the FA Cup, a week of preparation in Blackpool failed to prevent Vale from exiting at the first round with a 1–0 defeat to Bradford City at Valley Parade.^[1]

In the League Cup, Third Division side Chester knocked the Vale out 4–1 on aggregate. Teenage midfielder Ged Stenson was described as "the only glimmer of light" from the encounter.^[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.