1991–92 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1991–92 season was Port Vale's 80th season of football in the English Football League, and third successive (35th overall) season in the Second Division. For only the third time in their history, they competed in a division above rivals Stoke City. Under manager John Rudge and chairman Bill Bell, the club endured a dismal campaign and finished bottom of the table with 45 points, falling five points short of safety and suffering relegation.

In response to the departures of star forwards Darren Beckford and Robbie Earle — sold for a combined £1.7 million — Rudge reinvested £375,000 in Martin Foyle, who swiftly proved his worth by becoming the season's top scorer with 11 league goals and 16 in all competitions. The reliable goalkeeper Mark Grew earned the Player of the Year award for his consistently solid performances between the posts. Cup runs offered little solace: in the FA Cup, Vale bowed out in the Third Round, eliminated by Sunderland; in the League Cup, they earned a memorable 2–2 draw at Anfield with Liverpool, only to suffer defeat in the replay; and their Full Members' Cup campaign ended in the Second Round against Leicester City.

Attendance figures reflected the season's inconsistent fortunes: the highest home crowd peaked at 18,725 against Liverpool on 20 November 1991, while the lowest was just 4,722 against Notts County on 24 September, culminating in an average home league attendance of 7,382. Vale's biggest wins were slim – 2–0 victories recorded twice – while their most significant loss came in a heavy 4–0 defeat to Leicester City on 23 October 1991.

Vale's third-tier survival proved elusive, as the loss of key players and mounting inconsistency culminated in relegation despite Foyle's goals and Grew's heroic displays.

The pre-season saw John Rudge sign aged striker Keith Houchen from Hibernian for £100,000. He also spent £300,000 on Hull City defender Peter Swan. This money was raised through the sale of top-scorer Darren Beckford to Norwich City for £925,000 after a Football League tribunal (Vale had wanted £1.5 million). As well as losing his star striker, Rudge had to deal with the departure of his midfield dynamo, Robbie Earle having been sold to Wimbledon for £775,000. To replace Beckford, Rudge signed Martin Foyle from Oxford United for a fee of £375,000. The transfers of both Beckford and Foyle were club-records.

The season started positively, with new man Foyle getting both goals in a 2–1 win over his former employers Oxford. In September, Houchen suffered a tear in his hamstring and struggled to regain his place upon his recovery. To replace him, Jason Beckford, younger brother of Darren, was brought in on loan from Manchester City. He proved somewhat less prolific than his sibling. The Vale only picked up one victory in nine league games, Houchen bagging a brace in a 2–0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Heading into December, they had lost just three games in a sequence of ten league matches. Yet from 7 December to 21 March, they went on a club-record 17 games without a win (recording ten defeats). During this spell, Andy Williams played a handful of games after arriving on a loan deal from Leeds United. Colin West then joined the club on loan from West Bromwich Albion. In February, Rudge took forward Joe Allon on loan from Chelsea. The next month, winger David Lowe arrived on loan from Ipswich Town. Out went Ryan Kidd, signing for Preston North End on a free transfer. At the end of March, victories over Plymouth Argyle and Blackburn Rovers raised hopes of a last-minute escape. Picking up five points in the first four games of April, their fate rested in their hands. They failed to escape the drop, however, losing both to Cambridge United at the Abbey Stadium and to Grimsby Town at Vale Park. The final day defeat to Grimsby proved inconsequential as Oxford United picked up a result to leave them five points clear of the Vale at the final whistle.^[1]

They finished at the bottom of the table with 45 points, five points short of the safety of Oxford United. With 42 goals scored, Vale had the lowest tally in the division, along with Plymouth, although their 59 goals conceded were a respectable total. Foyle was the top scorer with eleven league goals and 16 in all competitions. At the end of the season, young right-back Paul West was permitted to join Bradford City on a free transfer. The team were judged to have a strong core of players regardless of relegation.^[1]

The club's shirt sponsors were Kalamazoo.

In the FA Cup, Vale were easily dispatched by Sunderland, who recorded a 3–0 victory at Roker Park.

In the League Cup, Vale advanced past Notts County on away goals with a 2–1 win at Vale Park and a 3–2 defeat at Meadow Lane. Facing First Division Liverpool in the third round, the "Valiants" achieved a 2–2 draw at Anfield against a first XI of eight internationals.^[2] Robin van der Laan put the Vale ahead on seven minutes after heading past Bruce Grobbelaar from a Simon Mills corner.^[2] Steve McManaman equalized three minutes later from a Mark Walters assist, and Liverpool took the lead on 65 minutes after Ian Rush headed in a McManaman flick on. Vale earned a replay on 73 minutes, when Martin Foyle hit the net from a Peter Swan header.^[2] Rudge said: "It was a night on which to be proud to be a Port Vale supporter and I am proud to be the manager".^[3] Yet they were knocked out of the competition as the "Reds" recorded a 4–1 win in Burslem in front of an 18,725 strong crowd.^[2]

In the short-lived Full Members Cup, Vale progressed past Blackburn Rovers with a 1–0 win through a Foyle goal. They were then eliminated in the next round with a 4–0 defeat to Leicester City at Filbert Street.

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.