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Port Vale

1972–73 season
Chairman	Mark Singer
Manager	Gordon Lee
Stadium	Vale Park
Football League Third Division	6th (53 Points)
FA Cup	Third Round (knocked out by West Ham United)
League Cup	Second Round (knocked out by Newcastle United)
Player of the Year	Ray Williams
Top goalscorer	League: Sammy Morgan, Ray Williams (11 each) All: Sammy Morgan, Ray Williams (11 each)
Highest home attendance	20,619 vs. West Ham United, 13 January 1973
Lowest home attendance	3,468 vs. Bristol Rovers, 2 September 1972
Average home league attendance	5,429
Biggest win	4–1 vs. Rotherham United, 26 February 1973
Biggest defeat	0–7 vs. Rotherham United, 26 August 1972
Home colours
← 1971–721973–74 →

The 1972–73 season was Port Vale's 61st season of football in the Football League, and their third-successive season (ninth overall) in the Third Division. Their promotion efforts ended with a sixth-place finish, whilst in the two cup competitions they lost out to Newcastle United and West Ham United. Opposition managers condemned the players as overly physical, whilst off the pitch there were sporadic scenes of violence as football hooliganism gripped the club, and the sport in general.

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); young 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. After mid-September the "Valiants" struggled to score, and recorded six draws in eight games, though they remained in the top three. The club spent £8,500 on new floodlights and a public address system, however, attendances 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 players'. Going into the Christmas period Brian Horton was struck by injury, and the team struggled, heading down the league with inconsistent play. In January, Lee sold John James to Chester for £5,000, Ray Harford to Colchester United for £1,750, and Keith Lindsey to Gillingham for £750. To keep up the promotion bid, in February he spent £2,250 to bring 'pacey' striker John Woodward from Walsall. Vale began to pick up wins, though their 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers led to them being branded by Rovers manager Ken Furphy as 'a brutal and physical side'. Vale lifted themselves into third place, though were out of the race after a 'shattering' 5–0 defeat to Southend United at Roots Hall. 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.

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 Southport and then Third Division Wrexham with home victories. 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. The match raised £8,600, but also the issue of violence, as two Londoners were stabbed, two policemen seriously assaulted, and thirty fans 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 Newcastle United, and the "Magpies" left Stoke-on-Trent having won 3–1 in front of 10,370 spectators.

League table

1. ^ The two teams who scored the most goals in each division, and did not qualify for Europe and were not promoted, qualified for the Watney Cup.

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Third Division

Results by matchday

Matches

FA Cup

League Cup

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

Pos.	Name	Football League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Alan Boswell	44	0	3	0	2	0	49	0
GK	Reg Edwards	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
DF	Bill Summerscales	45	2	3	0	2	1	50	3
DF	Roy Cross	35	0	3	0	2	0	40	0
DF	John Brodie	35	0	3	1	0	0	38	1
DF	Keith Lindsey	8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0
DF	Tony Loska	41	3	2	0	1	0	44	3
MF	Tommy McLaren	41	3	2	0	2	0	45	3
MF	Brian Horton	39	6	2	1	2	0	43	7
MF	Tony Lacey	25	0	3	0	1	0	29	0
MF	Ray Harford	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Freddie Goodwin	27	2	1	0	2	0	30	2
MF	Colin Tartt	29	0	3	0	0	0	32	0
FW	John James	16	3	2	1	2	0	20	4
FW	Bobby Gough	27	2	2	0	0	0	29	2
FW	Sammy Morgan	39	11	3	0	2	0	44	11
FW	Bob Mountford	17	2	1	0	2	0	20	2
FW	John Woodward	17	9	0	0	0	0	17	9
FW	Ray Williams	44	11	3	0	2	0	49	11

Top scorers

Place	Position	Nation	Name	Third Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Total
1	FW	England	Ray Williams	11	0	0	11
–	FW	Northern Ireland	Sammy Morgan	11	0	0	11
3	FW	England	John Woodward	9	0	0	9
4	MF	England	Brian Horton	6	1	0	7
5	FW	England	John James	3	1	0	4
6	DF	England	Tony Loska	3	0	0	3
–	MF	Scotland	Tommy McLaren	3	0	0	3
–	DF	England	Bill Summerscales	2	0	1	3
9	MF	England	Freddie Goodwin	2	0	0	2
–	FW	England	Bob Mountford	2	0	0	2
–	FW	England	Bobby Gough	2	0	0	2
12	DF	England	John Brodie	0	1	0	1
–	–	–	Own goals	2	0	1	3
			TOTALS	56	3	2	61

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
July 1972	GK		Alan Boswell	Bolton Wanderers	Free transfer
July 1972	MF		Freddie Goodwin	Southport	Free transfer
July 1972	FW		Ray Williams	Stafford Rangers	£3,000
September 1972	GK		Reg Edwards	Nuneaton Borough	Free transfer
February 1973	FW		John Woodward	Walsall	£2,250

Transfers out

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
January 1973	DF		Keith Lindsey	Gillingham	£500
February 1973	DF		Ray Harford	Colchester United	£1,750
February 1973	FW		John James	Chester	£5,000
May 1973	MF		Freddie Goodwin	Macclesfield Town	Free transfer
May 1973	MF		Bob Peyton		Released

Loans out

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Date to	Ref.
December 1972	DF		Keith Lindsey	Gillingham	January 1973

References

Specific

1. ^ Kent, Jeff (1990). "Surviving on a Shoestring (1969–1979)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 227–257. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
2. Port Vale 1972–1973 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
3. ^ Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.

General

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

• Port Vale F.C. seasons
• English football clubs 1972–73 season