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List of Port Vale F.C. seasons

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Port Vale Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, who play in EFL League Two, as of the 2023–24 season. After becoming one of the more prominent football clubs in Staffordshire, Burslem Port Vale were invited to become founder members of the Football League Second Division in 1892. They spent 13 non-consecutive seasons in the division, punctuated by two seasons in the Midland League before they resigned due to financial difficulties and entered liquidation in 1907. The name of Port Vale continued in the North Staffordshire Federation League, and this new club were successful enough to be reinstated into the Football League in October 1919. They spent 16 non-consecutive seasons in the Second Division, punctuated by them winning the Third Division North title in 1929–30, before dropping back into the third tier for a much longer stay at the end of the 1935–36 campaign. The 1953–54 season saw manager Freddie Steele's "Iron Curtain" defence win both a Third Division North title and a semi-final place in the FA Cup. They failed to build on this success, however, though they went on to finish as champions of the first ever Fourth Division season under Norman Low's stewardship in 1958–59.

The club had little success throughout the 1960s and 1970s, despite being briefly managed by Stanley Matthews, and in fact, were forced to apply for re-election after breaking FA rules on illegal payments in 1968. Gordon Lee guided the club to promotion back to the Third Division the following season, where they would remain until relegation at the end of the 1977–78 campaign. John McGrath steered the club to promotion in 1982–83, though he departed after relegation became inevitable the following season. His assistant, John Rudge, became the club's longest-serving and most successful manager, leading the club from 1983 to 1999. Under his leadership Port Vale won promotions in 1985–86, 1988–89 and 1993–94, lifted the Football League Trophy in 1993 and reached a post-war record finish of eighth in the second tier in the 1996–97 season. After Rudge's reign ended, the club entered a decline, slipping into the fourth tier whilst twice entering administration in 2003 and 2012. The decline was arrested when Norman Smurthwaite brought the club out of administration in 2012 and manager Micky Adams achieved automatic promotion from League Two in the 2012–13 season, though they were relegated back into League Two at the end of the 2016–17 season after a failed experiment with a continental staff and playing style. Carol Shanahan bought the club in 2019 and manager Darrell Clarke secured promotion out of the League Two play-offs at the end of the 2021–22 season, though they were relegated back into League Two at the end of the 2023–24 season.

First-team matches were recorded for the first time in 1882, meaning records go back over 140 years. friendlies are not included in this data (including goal tallies). As of the 2024–25 season, Port Vale have never played top-flight football; they have spent 41 seasons in the second tier, 48 seasons in the third tier, 24 seasons in the fourth tier of the Football League, as well as 16 seasons in non-League football. No team has played more Football League seasons (113) without reaching the top-flight.

Key

Key to colours and symbols:

1st or W Champions / Winners
2nd or RU Runners-up
Promoted
Relegated
Play-off finalists
Play-off semi-finalists
Top league scorer in Vale's division

Key to league record:

  • P – Games played
  • W – Games won
  • D – Games drawn
  • L – Games lost
  • F – Goals for
  • A – Goals against
  • Pts – Points gained
  • Pos – final position
  • Ave – Average home league attendance

Key to rounds:

  • DNE – Did not enter
  • P – Preliminaries
  • 1Q – First qualifying round
  • 2Q – Second qualifying round, etc.
  • R1 – First round, etc.
  • QF – Quarter-final
  • SF – Semi-final
  • GS – Group stage
  • AQF – Area quarter-finals, etc.

Seasons

List of seasons, including league division and statistics, cup results, top scorer and average league attendance
Season Division P W D L F A Pts Pos FA Cup
EFL Cup
Competition Result Name Goals Average
attendance
League Other Top scorer
1882–83 Port Vale did not play league football DNE Staffordshire Cup
NS Charity Cup
  • R2
  • W
Enoch Hood 2
1883–84 Port Vale did not play league football DNE Staffordshire Cup SF Charles Simpson 1
Port Vale F.C. renamed to Burslem Port Vale F.C.
1884–85 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football DNE Staffordshire Cup
NS Charity Cup
Burslem Cup
  • R2
  • W
  • W
Ernie Payne 5
1885–86 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football R5 Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
NS Charity Cup
  • SF
  • R3
  • RU
Billy Reynolds 7
1886–87 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football R3 Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • SF
  • SF
Billy Reynolds 11
1887–88 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football 1Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • R2
  • R3
n/a
1888–89 The Combination 26 7 4 15 40 57 22 2Q Staffordshire Cup
NS Charity Cup
  • R4
  • SF
Jimmy Ditchfield 8 2,200
1889–90 Burslem Port Vale did not play league football 2Q Staffordshire Cup SF Frank McGinnes 2
1890–91 Midland League 24 11 3 10 59 49 25 8th 2Q Staffordshire Cup
NS Charity Cup
  • R2
  • W
Frank McGinnes 19 1,429
1891–92 Midland League 21 12 1 8 52 33 25 3rd 1Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
S Charity Cup
  • R1
  • SF
  • W
Frank McGinnes 19 1,394
1892–93 Second Division 22 6 3 13 30 57 15 11th 1Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • R2
  • R1
Meshach Dean 6 1,344
1893–94 Second Division 28 13 4 11 66 64 30 7th 1Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • R2
  • R2
Billy Beats 20 2,185
1894–95 Second Division 30 7 4 19 39 77 18 15th 1Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • R2
  • R2
Meshach Dean 8 1,367
1895–96 Second Division 30 7 4 19 43 78 18 14th 2Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • R1
  • R1
Ernest Beckett 8 1,771
Burslem Port Vale failed re-election to the Football League and instead entered the Midland League.
1896–97 Midland League 28 14 3 11 64 56 31 7th 5Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
Wellingboro' Cup
S Charity Cup
  • R1
  • P
  • SF
  • W
Dick Evans
Danny Simpson
14 967
1897–98 Midland League 22 10 3 7 46 32 23 5th R2 Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • R2
  • W
Dick Evans
Danny Simpson
11 1,400
Burslem Port Vale won re-election back into the Football League.
1898–99 Second Division 34 17 5 12 56 34 39 9th 5Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • RU
  • RU
James Peake 17 4,500
1899–1900 Second Division 34 14 6 14 39 49 34 11th 5Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • RU
  • RU
Howard Harvey 17 1,518
1900–01 Second Division 34 11 11 12 45 47 33 9th R1 Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • QF
  • QF
Adrian Capes 11 2,087
1901–02 Second Division 34 10 9 15 43 59 29 12th 5Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • SF
  • SF
Adrian Capes 20 2,931
1902–03 Second Division 34 13 8 13 57 62 34 9th 4Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
Bass Charity Vase
  • R1
  • R1
  • R1
Adrian Capes 18 2,250
1903–04 Second Division 34 10 9 15 54 52 29 13th R1 Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • R1
  • R1
Adrian Capes 17 2,250
1904–05 Second Division 34 10 7 17 47 72 27 16th 6Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • SF
  • R1
Dick Allman 8 2,536
1905–06 Second Division 38 12 4 22 49 82 28 17th R1 Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • SF
  • SF
Harry Mountford 15 3,200
1906–07 Second Division 38 12 7 19 60 83 31 16th R2 Staffordshire Cup SF Billy Beats 15 4,147
Burslem Port Vale F.C. liquidated and reformed as Port Vale F.C.
1907–08 North Staffordshire Federation League 16 8 3 5 34 28 19 5th DNE May Bank
NS League Cup
  • R2
  • R6
Bert Beech 11 600
1908–09 North Staffordshire & District League 26 11 3 12 57 51 25 8th DNE Staffs Junior Cup
Hanley Cup
May Bank
Burslem Cup
  • R1
  • R2
  • R2
  • R2
Bert Beech 17
1909–10 North Staffordshire & District League 26 21 1 4 89 25 43 1st DNE Staffs Junior Cup
Hanley Cup
May Bank
Burslem Cup
  • W
  • RU
  • R3
  • R2
Joe Brough 43 5,250
1910–11 North Staffordshire & District League 26 14 3 9 50 41 31 4th DNE Staffs Junior Cup
Hanley Cup
May Bank
Burslem Cup
NS Nursing Cup
  • R3
  • R3
  • R3
  • R2
  • SF
J. Tunnicliffe 11 7,000
1911–12 The Central League 32 15 12 5 46 23 42 2nd DNE Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • SF
  • W
Frank Cannon 18 5,346
1912–13 The Central League 38 19 7 12 55 38 45 4th 3Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • W
  • R1
Eli Adams 20 5,500
1913–14 The Central League 38 17 11 10 78 62 45 4th R1 Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
  • RU
  • R1
Chris Young 37 9,348
1914–15 The Central League 38 25 3 10 84 42 53 3rd 5Q Birmingham Cup
Staffordshire Cup
NS Infirmary Cup
  • R3
  • SF
  • W
Chris Young 40 7,250
No competitive football was played in the 1914–1915 season due to the First World War.
1916–17 Lancashire Section 30 7 7 16 50 40 21 15th Subsidiary 12th Jack Needham 12 5,386
1917–18 Lancashire Section 30 9 8 13 47 55 26 11th Subsidiary 14th David Bowcock 7 3,507
1918–19 Lancashire Section 30 10 4 16 39 78 24 12th Subsidiary 4th Harry Howell 9 5,772
Port Vale were elected to the Football League in October 1919, taking on Leeds City's league record and remaining fixtures mid-season.
1919–20 Second Division 42 16 8 18 59 62 40 13th R1 Staffordshire Cup
NS Infirmary Cup
  • W
  • W
Bobby Blood 26 11,247
1920–21 Second Division 42 11 14 17 43 49 36 17th 6Q NS Infirmary Cup
  • RU
Bobby Blood 20 14,143
1921–22 Second Division 42 14 8 20 43 57 36 18th R1 NS Infirmary Cup
  • W
Tom Page 10 11,619
1922–23 Second Division 42 14 9 19 39 51 37 17th 5Q NS Infirmary Cup
  • RU
Tom Butler 9 10,204
1923–24 Second Division 42 13 12 17 50 66 38 16th 5Q NS Infirmary Cup
  • RU
Billy Briscoe
Tom Page
10 8,489
1924–25 Second Division 42 17 8 17 48 56 42 8th R1 Wilf Kirkham 33 10,769
1925–26 Second Division 42 19 6 17 79 69 44 8th R3 Wilf Kirkham 35 10,739
1926–27 Second Division 42 16 13 13 88 78 45 8th R4 NS Infirmary Cup
  • RU
Wilf Kirkham 41 10,736
1927–28 Second Division 42 18 8 16 68 57 44 9th R5 Wilf Kirkham 14 11,127
1928–29 Second Division↓ 42 15 4 23 71 86 34 21st R3 Wilf Kirkham 15 10,207
1929–30 Third Division North 42 30 7 5 103 37 67 1st R2 NS Infirmary Cup
  • RU
Sam Jennings 21 9,176
1930–31 Second Division 42 21 5 16 67 61 47 5th R4 Sam Jennings 17 10,445
1931–32 Second Division 42 13 7 22 58 89 33 20th R4 NS Infirmary Cup
  • RU
Tom Nolan 11 9,564
1932–33 Second Division 42 14 10 18 66 79 38 17th R3 Wilf Kirkham 15 8,876
1933–34 Second Division 42 19 7 16 60 55 45 8th R3 Welsh Cup SF Tom Nolan 22 10,051
1934–35 Second Division 42 11 12 19 55 74 34 18th R3 Tom Nolan 16 8,463
1935–36 Second Division↓ 42 12 8 22 56 106 32 21st R4 Jack Roberts 12 7,787
1936–37 Third Division North 42 17 10 15 58 64 44 11th R3 Northern Cup SF Tommy Ward 18 7,298
1937–38 Third Division North 42 12 14 16 65 73 38 15th R1 Northern Cup R1 Jack Roberts 28 ♦ 6,716
1938–39 Third Division South 42 14 9 19 52 58 37 18th R2 Southern Cup SF Tom Nolan 17 7,587
1939–40 Third Division South
Western Region
2
22
0
10
1
2
1
10
0
52
1
56
1
22
22nd
8th
FL War Cup
Staffordshire Cup
P
R1
Jack Roberts 13 2,568
No competitive football was played between 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War.
1944–45 FL North 1
FL North 2
18
21
5
5
2
2
11
14
22
27
36
60
12
12
46th
54th
FL North Cup
Midland Cup
48th
P
Alf Bellis 10 5,969
1945–46 Third Division (South) North 20 9 6 5 34 25 24 3rd R3 FL North Cup 8th Bill Pointon 19 7,212
1946–47 Third Division South 42 17 9 16 68 63 43 10th R4 Morris Jones 26 10,582
1947–48 Third Division South 42 16 11 15 63 54 43 8th R1 Ronnie Allen 13 13,569
1948–49 Third Division South 42 14 11 17 51 54 39 13th R1 Walter Aveyard 13 12,069
1949–50 Third Division South 42 15 11 16 47 42 41 13th R4 Cliff Pinchbeck 16 12,983
1950–51 Third Division South 46 16 13 17 60 65 45 12th R3 Cliff Pinchbeck 19 10,832
1951–52 Third Division South 46 14 15 17 50 66 43 13th R1 Albert Mullard 13 11,225
1952–53 Third Division North 46 20 18 8 67 35 58 2nd R2 Coronation Cup
  • RU
Basil Hayward 22 14,504
1953–54 Third Division North↑ 46 26 17 3 74 21 69 1st SF Basil Hayward 25 16,653
1954–55 Second Division 42 12 11 19 48 71 35 17th R4 Cyril Done 13 20,869
1955–56 Second Division 42 16 13 13 60 58 45 12th R4 Len Stephenson 14 18,985
1956–57 Second Division↓ 42 8 6 28 57 101 22 22nd R3 Cyril Done 9 14,046
1957–58 Third Division South 46 16 10 20 67 58 42 15th R2 Stan Steele 22 10,457
The Third Division North and Third Division South were reorganised into the Third Division and Fourth Division.
1958–59 Fourth Division 42 26 12 8 110 58 64 1st R1 Stan Steele 22 12,757
1959–60 Third Division 46 19 8 19 80 79 46 14th R5 Supporters' Club
  • RU
Graham Barnett 17 10,733
1960–61 Third Division 46 17 15 14 96 79 49 7th R3 R2 Supporters' Club
  • W
Cliff Portwood 26 9,702
1961–62 Third Division 46 17 11 18 65 58 45 12th R5 R1 Bert Llewellyn
Arthur Longbottom
20 8,993
1962–63 Third Division 46 23 8 17 72 58 54 3rd R4 R2 Tony Richards 13 8,130
1963–64 Third Division 46 16 14 16 53 49 46 13th R4 R2 Tony Richards 13 10,056
1964–65 Third Division↓ 46 9 14 23 41 76 32 22nd R2 R1 Albert Cheesebrough 7 5,508
1965–66 Fourth Division 46 15 9 22 48 59 39 19th R3 R1 John Rowland 23 6,015
1966–67 Fourth Division 46 14 15 17 55 58 43 13th R2 R1 Mick Cullerton 12 5,114
1967–68 Fourth Division 46 12 15 19 61 72 39 18th R1 R2 Roy Chapman 25 4,886
1968–69 Fourth Division 46 16 14 16 46 46 46 13th R3 R1 Roy Chapman 12 4,361
1969–70 Fourth Division↑ 46 20 19 7 61 33 59 4th R2 R1 John James 17 6,894
1970–71 Third Division 46 15 12 19 52 59 42 17th R1 R1 John James 15 5,437
1971–72 Third Division 46 13 15 18 43 59 41 15th R3 R1 Bobby Gough 10 4,366
1972–73 Third Division 46 21 11 14 56 69 53 6th R3 R2 Sammy Morgan
Ray Williams
11 5,429
1973–74 Third Division 46 14 14 18 52 58 42 20th R3 R1 John Woodward 18 3,959
1974–75 Third Division 46 18 15 13 61 54 51 6th R1 R1 Terry Bailey
Ray Williams
14 4,346
1975–76 Third Division 46 15 16 15 55 54 46 12th R2 R1 Mick Cullerton 21 4,133
1976–77 Third Division 46 11 16 19 47 71 38 19th R5 R1 Debenhams Cup
  • RU
Ken Beamish 18 4,356
1977–78 Third Division↓ 46 8 20 18 46 67 36 21st R2 R1 Ken Beamish 16 3,947
1978–79 Fourth Division 46 14 14 18 57 70 42 16th R1 R1 Bernie Wright 15 3,287
1979–80 Fourth Division 46 12 12 22 56 70 36 20th R1 R1 Neville Chamberlain 11 3,462
1980–81 Fourth Division 46 12 15 19 57 70 39 19th R3 R1 Neville Chamberlain 13 2,738
1981–82 Fourth Division 46 18 16 12 56 49 70 7th R3 R2 Ernie Moss 17 3,639
1982–83 Fourth Division↑ 46 26 10 10 67 34 88 3rd R1 R1 Robert Newton 20 4,806
1983–84 Third Division↓ 46 11 10 25 51 83 43 23rd R1 R2 Members' Cup R2 Eamonn O'Keefe 11 4,023
1984–85 Fourth Division 46 14 18 14 61 59 60 12th R3 R2 Members' Cup R2 Alistair Brown 21 3,267
1985–86 Fourth Division↑ 46 21 16 9 67 37 79 4th R2 R2 Members' Cup ASF Andy Jones 18 3,581
1986–87 Third Division 46 15 12 19 76 70 57 12th R2 R2 Members' Cup AQF Andy Jones 37 ♦ 3,312
1987–88 Third Division 46 18 11 17 58 56 65 11th R5 R1 Members' Cup R1 Darren Beckford
David Riley
10 3,847
1988–89 Third Division↑ 46 24 12 10 78 48 84 3rd R3 R2 Members' Cup
Play-offs
P
Darren Beckford 23 6,731
1989–90 Second Division 46 15 16 15 62 57 61 11th R4 R2 Members' Cup R2 Darren Beckford 21 8,978
1990–91 Second Division 46 15 12 19 56 64 57 15th R4 R2 Members' Cup R1 Darren Beckford 23 8,092
1991–92 Second Division↓ 46 10 15 27 42 59 45 24th R3 R3 Members' Cup R2 Martin Foyle 16 7,382
The creation of the Premier League resulted in the First Division, Second Division and Third Division becoming the second, third and fourth tier respectively
1992–93 Second Division 46 26 11 9 79 44 89 3rd R3 R1 FL Trophy
Play-offs
Ian Taylor 19 8,092
1993–94 Second Division↑ 46 26 10 10 79 46 88 2nd R4 R1 FL Trophy AQF Martin Foyle 18 8,377
1994–95 First Division 46 15 13 18 58 64 58 17th R2 R2 Martin Foyle 20 9,218
1995–96 First Division 46 15 15 16 59 66 60 12th R5 R1 Anglo-Italian Cup Tony Naylor 12 8,217
1996–97 First Division 46 17 16 13 58 55 67 8th R3 R3 Tony Naylor 20 7,840
1997–98 First Division 46 13 10 23 56 55 49 19th R3 R1 Lee Mills 16 8,263
1998–99 First Division 46 13 8 25 45 75 47 21st R3 R1 Martin Foyle 9 6,991
1999–2000 First Division↓ 46 7 15 24 48 69 36 23rd R3 R1 Tony Rougier 9 5,906
2000–01 Second Division 46 16 14 16 55 49 62 11th R1 R1 FL Trophy Tony Naylor 21 4,458
2001–02 Second Division 46 16 10 20 51 62 58 14th R2 R2 FL Trophy AQF Stephen McPhee 14 5,210
2002–03 Second Division 46 14 11 21 54 70 53 17th R1 R1 FL Trophy AQF Marc Bridge-Wilkinson 9 4,436
2003–04 Second Division 46 21 10 15 73 62 73 7th R2 R1 FL Trophy AR1 Stephen McPhee 27 ♦ 5,810
The First Division, Second Division and Third Division were renamed as the Championship, League One and League Two respectively.
2004–05 League One 46 17 5 24 49 59 56 18th R2 R1 FL Trophy AR2 Billy Paynter 13 4,973
2005–06 League One 46 16 12 18 49 54 60 13th R4 R1 FL Trophy AR2 Leon Constantine 12 4,666
2006–07 League One 46 18 6 22 64 65 60 12th R2 R4 FL Trophy AR2 Leon Constantine 26 4,726
2007–08 League One↓ 46 9 11 26 47 81 38 23rd R2 R1 FL Trophy P Luke Rodgers 12 4,417
2008–09 League Two 46 13 9 24 44 66 48 18th R2 R1 FL Trophy R1 Marc Richards 11 5,522
2009–10 League Two 46 17 17 12 61 50 68 10th R2 R3 FL Trophy R3 Marc Richards 23 4,939
2010–11 League Two 46 17 14 15 54 49 65 11th R3 R2 FL Trophy R2 Marc Richards 20 5,533
2011–12 League Two 46 20 9 17 68 60 59 12th R1 R1 FL Trophy R1 Marc Richards 17 4,820
2012–13 League Two↑ 46 21 15 11 87 52 78 3rd R2 R1 FL Trophy R3 Tom Pope 33 ♦ 5,727
2013–14 League One 46 18 7 21 59 73 61 9th R4 R1 FL Trophy R2 Tom Pope 16 6,249
2014–15 League One 46 15 9 22 55 65 54 18th R1 R2 FL Trophy R2 Tom Pope 12 5,290
2015–16 League One 46 18 11 17 56 58 65 12th R2 R2 FL Trophy R2 A-Jay Leitch-Smith 12 4,993
2016–17 League One↓ 46 12 13 21 45 70 49 21st R3 R1 EFL Trophy GS Alex Jones 10 4,813
2017–18 League Two 46 11 14 21 49 67 47 20th R1 R1 EFL Trophy R2 Tom Pope 19 4,583
2018–19 League Two 46 13 13 20 40 54 52 20th R1 R1 EFL Trophy QF Tom Pope 14 4,431
2019–20 League Two 37 14 15 8 50 44 57 8th R3 R1 EFL Trophy R3 Tom Pope 10 4,862
2020–21 League Two 46 17 9 20 57 57 60 13th R1 R2 EFL Trophy R3 Devante Rodney 12 0
2021–22 League Two↑ 46 22 12 12 67 46 78 5th R3 R2 EFL Trophy
Play-offs
R2
James Wilson 15 6,103
2022–23 League One 46 13 10 23 48 71 49 18th R1 R1 EFL Trophy R3 Ellis Harrison 11 7,681
2023–24 League One↓ 46 10 11 25 41 74 41 23rd R2 QF EFL Trophy R2 Ben Garrity 12 6,600

Notes

  1. Beginning with the 1925–26 season, the FA Cup was structured so that the third round proper contained 64 teams. Prior to that date, the structure had varied, so rounds are not directly comparable to the round of the same name after 1925.
  2. The EFL Cup competition started as the Football League Cup in the 1960–61 season.
  3. League matches only (excluding play-offs). Sourced from Kent (1993), The Port Vale Record 1879–1993 up to and including the 1992–93 season, from the English National Football Archive (subscription required) thereafter.
  4. Sourced from Kent (1993), The Port Vale Record 1879–1993 and from 1992–93 onwards sourced to Football Club History Database.
  5. All first-team competitive tournaments are included, where applicable. Sourced from Kent (1993), The Port Vale Record 1879–1993 and from 1992–93 onwards sourced to Soccerbase.
  6. Includes goals scored in all first-team competitions listed in the season, excluding friendlies. Sourced from Sourced from Kent (1993), The Port Vale Record 1879–1993, English National Football Archive (subscription required) and from 2010–11 onwards sourced to Soccerbase.
  7. An attempt was made to set up a league called The Combination involving clubs not invited to join the Football League. Lack of proper organisation meant it was wound up in April 1889 with many fixtures still outstanding.
  8. ^ This was a wartime league with no promotion or relegation where appearances and goals were not included in official statistics.
  9. The 1939–40 Football League season was abandoned after three matches and the records expunged.
  10. Port Vale were forced to apply for re-election at the end of the 1967–68 season after being expelled for making illegal payments to their players.
  11. The 2019–20 season was ended early with nine fixtures left to play due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.
  12. The 2020–21 season was played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom.

References

General
Specific
  1. Turianski, Bill. "All-time Second Division – Clubs with most seasons in the 2nd Level of English Football". billsportsmaps.com. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  2. "The FA Cup Past Results". The Football Association. Retrieved 7 May 2018. Individual seasons accessed via dropdown menu.
  3. "1892–93 FA Cup" and "1925–26 FA Cup". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  4. "Port Vale football club complete match record". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  5. "History of the Football League". The Football League. 22 September 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2013.
  6. ^ "Port Vale". Football Club History Database. Richard Rundle. Retrieved 7 May 2016. Select season required via dropdown menu.
  7. "Port Vale: Player Appearances". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 9 May 2017. Select season required via dropdown menu.
  8. Shury, Alan & Landamore, Brian (2005). The Definitive Newton Heath F.C. (2nd ed.). Nottingham: SoccerData. p. 11. ISBN 1-899468-16-1.
  9. Kent, Jeff (1990). "Flattering Only to Deceive (1960–1969)". The Valiants' Years: The Story of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 196–226. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  10. Baggaley, Michael (15 May 2020). "Port Vale give up promotion hopes to try to avert League Two financial crisis". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  11. Watson, Chris (26 October 2020). "EFL hits out at Government position on fans in stadiums". GrimsbyLive. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
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