Port Vale F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Port Vale Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Valiants | |||
| Short name | Vale, PVFC | |||
| Founded | 1876 (disputed) 1879 (speculated) 1907 (reestablished) |
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| Ground | Vale Park, Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent | |||
| Capacity | 15,036 | |||
| Coordinates | 53°2′59″N 2°11′33″W / 53.04972°N 2.19250°W | |||
| Owner | Synsol Holdings Limited | |||
| Chairlady | Carol Shanahan | |||
| Manager | Darren Moore | |||
| League | League Two | |||
| 2018–19 | League Two, 20th of 24 | |||
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Port Vale Football Club is a professional football team from Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. They are known as "The Valiants" and currently play in League Two, which is the fourth level of English football.
The club is named after the valley of ports along the Trent and Mersey Canal. Port Vale has never played in the top division of English football. They hold the record for playing the most seasons (113) in the English Football League without reaching the very top tier.
After playing at different stadiums like the Athletic Ground and The Old Recreation Ground, the club moved back to Burslem in 1950. Their home stadium is now Vale Park. Outside the stadium, there is a statue of Roy Sproson, a legendary player who played 842 games for the club. Port Vale's biggest rivals are Stoke City, and their matches are called the Potteries derby.
Contents
Club History
Port Vale F.C. was likely started in 1879, though some say 1876. The club got its name from the valley of canal ports where the team played. In their early days, they played at different places like Limekiln Lane and Westport. In 1884, they moved to Burslem and changed their name to Burslem Port Vale.
In 1892, the club was invited to join the new Football League Second Division. They played there for 13 seasons. However, in 1907, the club faced money problems and had to close down.
But the name "Port Vale" didn't disappear! A smaller team called Cobridge Church took over the name. This new Port Vale team was successful enough to rejoin the Football League in 1919. They took the place of Leeds City, who had to stop playing due to money issues.
In 1929–30, Port Vale won the Third Division North title. The next season, 1930–31, they finished fifth in the second division. This was their highest league finish ever! They also beat Chesterfield 9–1 in 1932, which was a club record win.
In 1950, Port Vale moved into their new home, Vale Park. Three years later, manager Freddie Steele led the team to win the Third Division North title. His team was famous for its strong defence, known as the "Iron Curtain." They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup that season. In 1958–59, under manager Norman Low, they won the Fourth Division title, scoring a club record 110 goals.
The 1960s and 1970s were not as successful for the club. They even had to ask to be voted back into the Football League in 1968 after breaking some rules. However, Gordon Lee helped them get promoted back to the Third Division in 1969–70.
A very important manager for Port Vale was John Rudge. He led the club from 1983 to 1999. Under his leadership, Port Vale won promotions in 1985–86, 1988–89, and 1993–94. They also won the Football League Trophy in 1993. In 1996–97, they finished eighth in the second division, their best finish since 1931.
After John Rudge left, the club had some tough times. They dropped into the fourth division and faced financial difficulties twice, in 2003 and 2012. But in 2012–13, manager Micky Adams led them to promotion from League Two.
In 2019, Carol Shanahan bought the club, bringing new hope. Manager Darrell Clarke then led the team to promotion from the League Two play-offs in 2021–22. They won the final 3–0 against Mansfield Town. However, they were relegated back to League Two at the end of the 2023–24 season.
Club Identity
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| The kit used in Vale's first League season (1892) |
Around 1920, the club chairman Frank Huntbach gave the team the nickname "the Valiants." The next year, the club started using their famous white and black kit. Before that, they tried many different colors, including plain red, gold and black stripes, and even red and white stripes like their rivals Stoke City!
The club's badge has changed over the years. The first one was based on the coat of arms of Burslem. Later badges included symbols like the Staffordshire knot, which is linked to Stoke-on-Trent's pottery industry. The current badge, introduced in 2013, is a modern version of an older design from 1956. It includes local historical symbols like the Portland Vases and the Stafford knot.
Stadiums and Home Grounds
Port Vale has played at several home grounds throughout its history. When they joined the English Football League in 1892, they were already on their fourth stadium!
Their first grounds were in Longport and Westport. In 1884, they moved to the Burslem Football and Athletic ground. This ground was close to the Burslem railway station. The first match there was a 6–0 friendly win against Everton.
After that, Port Vale moved to the Athletic Ground. They played there for 27 years, including twelve seasons in the Football League. It was called the Athletic Ground because it also hosted other sports like athletics.
From 1913 to 1950, Vale's home was the Old Recreation Ground in Hanley. This area is now where the Potteries Shopping Centre's multi-storey car park is. During World War II, the club faced financial difficulties and had to sell the ground.
Vale Park has been Port Vale's home since 1950. It's located on Hamil Road in Burslem. When it was first planned, people dreamed of an 80,000-capacity stadium, calling it the "Wembley of the North." However, it opened with a capacity of 40,000, which was still very ambitious! The record attendance at Vale Park was 49,768 for an FA Cup game against Aston Villa in 1960. Outside the stadium, there's a statue of Roy Sproson, a club legend.
Rivalries and Supporters
Port Vale has a strong rivalry with Stoke City, as both clubs are from Stoke-on-Trent. Their matches are known as the Potteries derby. The two teams first played each other in 1882.
Since Stoke City moved to a higher league, Port Vale's rivalry with Crewe Alexandra has become more important. Studies have even ranked the Port Vale-Crewe Alexandra game as a bigger rivalry than the Port Vale-Stoke City one in recent years. Vale also has rivalries with Shrewsbury Town and Walsall.
Port Vale supporters are very passionate. They produce fanzines (fan magazines) like The Vale Park Beano and Derek I'm Gutted!. There's also a large independent fansite called OneValeFan. The Ale and the Vale podcast even won an award in 2023!
The club's most famous supporter is the singer Robbie Williams, who grew up in Stoke-on-Trent. He even bought shares in the club in 2006, and a restaurant at Vale Park is named after him. For the FIFA 2000 video game, Robbie Williams made sure Port Vale was included in the game as part of his theme song deal! His best friend, TV presenter Jonathan Wilkes, is also a big Vale fan.
Other famous supporters include darts legend Phil Taylor and singer Simon Webbe, who used to play in the club's youth team. The children's author and illustrator Bob Wilson is also a fan. His Stanley Bagshaw books are set in a town like Stoke, and the main character supports a team very similar to Port Vale.
Club Records and Statistics
Port Vale's highest league finish was fifth place in the Second Division (the second tier of English football) in 1930–31. Their best performance in the FA Cup was reaching the semi-finals in 1953–54. In the 2023–24 season, they reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup for the first time.
The club's biggest league win was 9–1 against Chesterfield in 1932. Their heaviest league loss was 10–0 to Sheffield United in 1892.
The record for the most games played for Port Vale belongs to Roy Sproson, with 842 matches. His nephew, Phil Sproson, also played 500 games. Wilf Kirkham is the club's top goalscorer with 164 goals. He also holds the record for most goals in a single season, with 41 goals in 1926–27.
The highest transfer fee Port Vale has ever received for a player was £2,000,000 for Gareth Ainsworth in 1998. Ainsworth was also the most expensive player they bought, costing £500,000 in 1997.
Port Vale is the only club in the top four divisions of English football to have beaten all other 91 clubs in the Football League and Premier League in a competitive league game.
Cup Records
- Best FA Cup performance: Semi-finals, 1953–54
- Best EFL Cup performance: Quarter-finals, 2023–24
- Best EFL Trophy performance: Winners, 1992–93, 2000–01
Players
Current Squad
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Out on Loan
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Women's Team
Port Vale Ladies started in 2017 and won their league in their first season! They are now called Port Vale F.C. Women and play in the West Midlands Premier Division. The club also has girls' teams for different age groups, from under-9 to under-16.
Club Management
Boardroom and Backroom Staff
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Manager: | Darren Moore |  Jamaican |
| Assistant Manager: | Wayne Jacobs |  English |
| Lead First Team Coach: | Jamie Smith | English |
| First Team Coach: | Lee Bradbury | English |
| Goalkeeping Coach: | Gary Walsh | English |
| Player Development Phase Coach: | Matt Done | English |
| Club President: | John Rudge | English |
| Club President: | Robbie Williams | English |
- Source
- Port Vale F.C.
Managerial History
Many managers have helped Port Vale achieve success. Tom Morgan was the first to win a league title in 1929–30. Freddie Steele won another title in 1953–54 and led the team to the FA Cup semi-finals. Norman Low won the Fourth Division title in 1958–59.
Other managers who achieved promotions include Gordon Lee (1969–70), John McGrath (1982–83), Micky Adams (2012–13), and Darrell Clarke (2021–22).
John Rudge is the most successful manager, leading the club to three promotions and winning the Football League Trophy in 1993. His successor, Brian Horton, also won the Football League Trophy in 2001.
Club Honours
League Titles
- Third Division North / Third Division / Second Division (level 3)
- Champions: 1929–30, 1953–54
- Promoted (2nd place): 1993–94
- Play-off winners: 1989
- Fourth Division / League Two (level 4)
- Champions: 1958–59
- Promoted (3rd place): 1982–83, 2012–13
- Promoted (4th place): 1969–70, 1985–86
- Play-off winners: 2022
Cup Wins
- Football League Trophy
- Winners: 1992–93, 2000–01
Images for kids
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Chart showing Port Vale's league positions over the years.
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Striker Tom Pope helped the club get promoted in 2012–13.
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Vale Park, Port Vale's home ground since 1950.
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Average home attendances from 1892–93 to 2009–10.
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Robbie Williams warming up for a charity football match.
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Gareth Ainsworth was Port Vale's most expensive player to buy and sell.
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Club mascot Boomer.
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Port Vale Women's captain Meg Baldwin.
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Former manager Andy Crosby.
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The 2022 EFL League Two play-off trophy.
See also
In Spanish: Port Vale Football Club para niños
