1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season

Overview

Third Division

The pre-season saw Gordon Lee make several big signings. The most significant was the signing of Ray Williams from Stafford Rangers, who had scored 47 goals for the non-League club the previous season. Williams cost Vale £3,000 and was on a wage of £40 a week (plus incentives). Also arriving was midfielder Freddie Goodwin (Southport); 'controversial' goalkeeper Alan Boswell (Bolton Wanderers); 21-year-old midfielder Colin Tartt (Alsager College); and trialist goalkeeper Reg Edwards (Nuneaton Borough). Ticket prices were raised to between 40 and 60 pence, whilst season tickets were priced between £8 and £10.

The season opened with six victories in eight league games, though the third match was a huge 7–0 defeat at Millmoor to Rotherham United – the defeat was blamed on Boswell. Five straight wins followed. After mid-September, the "Valiants" struggled to score, and recorded six draws in eight games, though they remained in the top three. On 23 September, a 2–0 defeat at third-placed Walsall saw seven bookings. The team then fell to a 4–0 defeat at AFC Bournemouth three days later. The club spent £8,500 on new floodlights and a public address system; however, attendance dropped off from the crucial 6,000 break-even number. Lee complained about the lack of support, and said "the people here are not genuinely interested in league football". Offered the management position at Shrewsbury Town, he rejected the offer as he believed the club 'lacked potential' and that he had a 'feeling of loyalty towards the [Vale] players'. The team went nine games unbeaten, a sequence which included a "splendid" 2–1 home victory over league leaders Bournemouth on 4 November. The run ended with a 2–0 loss at Charlton Athletic on 2 December after the team arrived at The Valley in taxis when their transport at Euston railway station failed to show up.

Going into the Christmas period, Brian Horton was sidelined with a hairline fracture in his leg, and the team struggled, falling down the league table with inconsistent play. A 2–0 loss at league leaders Bolton Wanderers on 23 December was followed three days later by a "disgraceful" 2–1 home defeat to Walsall who played with a man down since the 17th minute. On 30 January, Vale lost 4–1 at Bristol Rovers. Lee subsequently sold John James to Chester for £5,000, Ray Harford to Colchester United for £1,750, and Keith Lindsey to Gillingham for £750. They fell to a 5–0 defeat at Brentford after experimenting with an attacking style on 10 February. To keep up the promotion bid, in February Lee spent £2,250 to bring 'pacey' striker John Woodward from Walsall. Vale began to pick up wins, beating Rotherham United by four goals to one and Grimsby Town by a goal to nil, though their 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers led to them being branded by Rovers manager Ken Furphy as 'a brutal and physical side'.

In March, players were taken on a four-day special training and relaxation retreat in the North-East to recover mentally and physically. On 16 March, Roy Cross wrenched his knee in a 2–0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers, which ended his run of 134 consecutive appearances. On 27 March, Vale won 3–2 away at Shrewsbury Town after coming from two goals down in front of a season-high crowd of 4,419 at Gay Meadow. This lifted them into third place. On 14 April, Boswell was sent off for fighting with Wyndham Evans in a 1–0 win at Swansea City. Vale were out of the promotion race after a 'shattering' 5–0 defeat to Southend United at Roots Hall on 20 April. They beat Grimsby Town by three goals to nil the following day. Their final home game of the season was a 2–2 draw with champions Bolton Wanderers, in which 'frenzied scenes' included police dogs separating the two sets of fans at the Bycars End, two attempted pitch invasions, and the referee kicked to the ground at the final whistle. The 14,168 attendance was the highest since for a league match since March 1964. The season concluded with a 5–0 defeat at Wrexham on 27 April.

They finished in sixth spot with 53 points, four short of promoted Notts County. The tally of 69 goals conceded was higher than that of all but the bottom two clubs.

Finances

On the financial side, a £14,304 profit was made after donations of £16,029 from the Sportsmen's Association and the Development Fund. Gate receipts had risen massively from £36,323 to £67,202. The wage bill stood at £59,663, whilst the club's debt was at £44,721, along with £57,860 owed to the directors. At the end of the season, Freddie Goodwin was let go, and he joined Macclesfield Town.

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale progressed past Fourth Division side Southport with a 2–1 "tough thriller" at Vale Park. They got past Third Division Wrexham with a 1–0 home win following "a tense battle". In the third round, they faced West Ham United at Vale Park, where the "Hammers" won 'an epic battle' 1–0 in front of a season-best crowd of 20,619. West Ham's goal came when Bobby Moore's free kick to the far post was knocked down by Clyde Best to Pat Holland to score. The match raised £8,600, but also raised the issue of violence, as two Londoners were stabbed, two policemen seriously assaulted, and thirty fans were ejected from the stadium. West Ham manager Ron Greenwood claimed that the Vale players attempted 'the most blatant calculated intimidation I have ever seen anywhere in the world'.

In the League Cup, the club recorded their first-ever away victory in the competition with a 1–0 win over Tranmere Rovers at Prenton Park. The second round held a home tie with First Division club Newcastle United, and the "Magpies" left Stoke-on-Trent having won 3–1 in front of 10,370 spectators.

Results

Football League Third Division

Main article: 1972–73 Football League

League table

Results by matchday

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Matches

FA Cup

Main article: 1972–73 FA Cup

League Cup

Main article: 1972–73 Football League Cup

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

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

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Top scorers

Transfers

Transfers in

Transfers out

Loans out

References

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;General

References

1. Kent, Jeff. (1990). "The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale". Witan Books.
2. (26 March 2025). "Vale fail Barrow test". Valiant's Substack.
3. (15 January 2026). "Good news on the horizon". Valiant's Substack.
4. (17 November 2025). "Analysing attack and defence". Valiant's Substack.
5. [http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1972-1973/results Port Vale 1972–1973 : Results & Fixtures] {{Webarchive. link. (4 March 2016 . Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.)
6. Kent, Jeff. (1996). "Port Vale Personalities". Witan Books.