1938–39 Port Vale F.C. season

(Redirected from Port Vale F.C. season 1938-39)

Port Vale 1938–39 football season

Port Vale

1938–39 season

Chairman

Frank Huntbach

Manager

Tom Morgan
(until March)

Stadium

The Old Recreation Ground

Football League Third Division South

18th (37 Points)

FA Cup

Second Round
(knocked out by Southend United)

Football League Third Division South Cup

Semi-finals
(knocked out by Queens Park Rangers)

Top goalscorer

League: Tom Nolan (17)
All: Tom Nolan (17)

Highest home attendance

12,521 vs. Cardiff City, 5 November 1938

Lowest home attendance

3,482 vs. Clapton Orient, 6 May 1939

Average home league attendance

7,587

Biggest win

4–0 (twice) and 5–1

Biggest defeat

0–4 (twice) and 1–5

Home colours

← 1937–38 1939–40 →

The 1938–39 season was Port Vale's 33rd season of football in the English Football League, and their first ever season in the Third Division South, having switched from the Third Division North in summer 1938. It was the club's last full season of football before the breakout of war in Europe. It was thus the last season of competitive football for many of the players, including Tom Nolan, who became the club's top scorer for the fourth and final time with seventeen goals. Progressing to the semi-final stage of the Football League Third Division South Cup, they could progress no further as the tournament was cancelled before its conclusion. Manager Tom Morgan shocked the club by leaving for another position in March.

Overview

Third Division South

The pre-season saw another reconstruction of the first XI, as eleven new signings arrived at The Old Recreation Ground, most notably: highly rated goalkeeper Arthur Jepson (Grantham Town); veteran left-back George Collin (Sunderland); right-half George Hannah (Derby County); left-half Sid Wileman (signed from Derby for 'a substantial fee'); and goalscoring winger John Callender (Lincoln City). Work at the stadium took place, as ground outside the stadium was prepared for car parking. The eclectic training schedule of the previous season was expanded, with bowls and cricket supplemented by games of tennis and baseball. Also on 20 August, a Football League Jubilee Fund match was played against nearby Crewe Alexandra, with the Vale picking up a 3–2 win, raising £243 in the process.

The season began with George Heppell in goal, as Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club at first refused to allow Jepson to play. With three defeats in the first four games, most new men were dropped as Morgan struggled to find consistency in his picks. It took until the end of October for the team to get into their stride, as their 5–1 win over Walsall was their fifth consecutive home win. They also travelled to St James Park to record a 3–1 win over Exeter City – their first away win since September 1937. Nottinghamshire CCC seemed justified in initially refusing Jepson permission to play, as he played seventy minutes of the game with his right hand strapped up, having dislocated his fingers. Ken Fish was then sold to BSC Young Boys of Switzerland, having fallen out of favour. Yet, the directors refused to hear offers for the rest of the team, determined as they were to strengthen the team. Despite stylish play, especially from Alf Bellis, the club then went from Guy Fawkes Night to New Year's Eve without a victory, their five defeats taking them to just two points clear of the re-election zone. Ending their run with a 4–0 win over Bristol City, they lost Jack Roberts to a dislocated shoulder.

Trying out new, young players in 1939, the club re-signed veteran forward Tommy Ward from Stoke City. A 4–0 hammering at Fellows Park from bottom-placed Walsall left Vale third-from-bottom by March. Disgruntled supporters turned against the team, as regular barracking was directed at the players. Roberts and Jepson struggled with injuries, but by March, the newcomers had finally gelled as a group, and results soon picked up. Yet manager Tom Morgan shocked the club by leaving for the vacant position at Wrexham, leaving the club somewhat rudderless. Despite receiving a 4–0 beating from Notts County at Meadow Lane, the players rallied to produce four points from their last three games. Two of these points came from a 2–0 win over champions Newport County at Somerton Park, making Vale the only team to have recorded the double over "Ironsides" that season.

They finished in eighteenth place with 37 points, then a club record low position. They were four points clear of having to petition for re-election, and eighteen points short of promotion. Their 52 goals scored was a poor record, though a total of 58 goals conceded was much improved on the previous campaign. Nolan's seventeen goals were the only major contribution in front of goal.

Finances

On the financial side, gate receipts had increased by £659. However, an overall loss was made of £1,723. The move to the southern division had cost a considerable amount in transfer fees, though home game income had improved by £676 to £6,403. Further financial worries were lessened by a transfer credit of £1,455. Despite the poor season, seventeen players were kept on, though promising teenage midfielder John Smith was sold to Chelsea. Other departures included Harry Davies (retired); Leonard Smart; Tommy Ward (Mansfield Town); Arthur Caldwell; Arthur Masters; George Collin (Burton Town); Sid Wileman (Hinckley United); and John Callender (Gateshead).

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale overcame Wrexham of the Third Division North 2–1 at the Racecourse Ground. However, they crashed out at the Second Round, losing 1–0 at home to league rivals Southend United. For both matches the players had relaxed beforehand with activities such as golf, country walks, and games of snooker.

In the short-lived Football League Third Division South Cup, the "Valiants" progressed to the semi-finals at the expense of Walsall (4–0), Mansfield Town (3–1), and Ipswich Town (2–0). In the semis, they came to a goalless stalemate with Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road – the tournament was cancelled at this stage, and so no club would win it. The club had lost money in the much-maligned tournament, as atrocious attendances were not enough even to pay player bonuses. Port Vale and Queens Park Rangers protested in favour of cancelling the tournament due to the financial failure of the cup, and the Football League agreed with them to 'wash out' the competition.

League table

Main article: 1938–39 Football League

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts
16	Mansfield Town	42	12	15	15	44	62	0.710	39
17	Northampton Town	42	15	8	19	51	58	0.879	38
18	Port Vale	42	14	9	19	52	58	0.897	37
19	Torquay United	42	14	9	19	54	70	0.771	37
20	Clapton Orient	42	11	13	18	53	55	0.964	35

Source:
Notes:

Port Vale had been transferred from Third Division North for this season.

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Third Division South

Results by matchday

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42
Ground	H	H	A	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	H	A	H	H	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	A	H	H	A	H	A	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	A	A	A	H
Result	L	W	L	L	W	L	W	W	L	D	W	W	D	L	L	D	D	L	L	W	W	L	L	L	D	L	L	L	W	W	D	D	L	W	W	L	L	W	L	D	W	D
Position	18	10	16	18	16	20	14	14	16	15	11	9	8	9	10	13	14	16	16	14	12	14	15	18	18	18	19	21	19	19	19	19	19	19	17	19	19	19	19	19	19	18

Source: Statto
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
27 August 1938	Aldershot	H	1–3	10,036	Callender
29 August 1938	Newport County	H	2–1	6,240	O'Brien, Roberts
3 September 1938	Bristol City	A	1–5	16,975	Nolan
8 September 1938	Clapton Orient	A	0–1	4,399
10 September 1938	Crystal Palace	H	2–0	10,478	Nolan (2)
17 September 1938	Watford	A	0–2	9,503
24 September 1938	Mansfield Town	H	3–0	8,100	Masters (2), Bellis
1 October 1938	Swindon Town	H	2–0	10,082	Griffiths, Roberts
8 October 1938	Torquay United	A	0–1	3,382
15 October 1938	Queens Park Rangers	A	2–2	13,853	Nolan, Roberts
22 October 1938	Walsall	H	5–1	8,593	Davies (2), Nolan, Roberts, Masters
29 October 1938	Exeter City	A	3–1	6,885	Roberts (2), Bellis
5 November 1938	Cardiff City	H	1–1	12,521	Nolan
12 November 1938	Ipswich Town	A	0–2	13,637
19 November 1938	Reading	H	0–2	9,633
3 December 1938	Brighton & Hove Albion	H	1–1	8,015	Nolan
17 December 1938	Southend United	H	2–2	4,209	Masters, Roberts
26 December 1938	Northampton Town	A	0–2	4,734
27 December 1938	Northampton Town	H	0–2	10,717
31 December 1938	Bristol City	H	4–0	4,597	Nolan (2), Griffiths, Roberts
7 January 1939	Bristol Rovers	A	1–0	3,962	Nolan
14 January 1939	Crystal Palace	A	0–1	13,773
21 January 1939	Watford	H	1–2	5,204	Nolan
28 January 1939	Mansfield Town	A	0–2	3,742
4 February 1939	Swindon Town	A	1–1	8,823	Ward
11 February 1939	Torquay United	H	0–1	8,064
18 February 1939	Queens Park Rangers	H	1–2	7,210	Ward
25 February 1939	Walsall	A	0–4	5,749
4 March 1939	Exeter City	H	3–2	6,240	Nolan, Moreland, Masters
11 March 1939	Cardiff City	A	4–2	9,145	Smart (2), Ward, Nolan
15 March 1939	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	A	1–1	3,243	Ward
18 March 1939	Ipswich Town	H	0–0	6,361
25 March 1939	Reading	A	1–2	5,079	Moreland
1 April 1939	Bristol Rovers	H	2–1	5,634	Nolan, Smart
7 April 1939	Notts County	H	3–1	9,658	Smart, o.g., Nolan
8 April 1939	Brighton & Hove Albion	A	0–1	7,807
10 April 1939	Notts County	A	0–4	10,401
15 April 1939	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	H	2–0	3,902	Nolan, Moreland
19 April 1939	Aldershot	A	0–1	3,518
22 April 1939	Southend United	A	0–0	4,239
29 April 1939	Newport County	A	2–0	7,260	Smart, Bellis
6 May 1939	Clapton Orient	H	1–1	3,482	Nolan

FA Cup

Main article: 1938–39 FA Cup


Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1	26 November 1938	Wrexham	A	2–1	5,000	Roberts (2)
R2	10 December 1938	Southend United	H	0–1	7,993

Third Division South Cup


Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
1	26 September 1938	Walsall	H	4–0		Smith, Masters, Griffiths, Davies
2	13 February 1939	Mansfield Town	H	3–1		Ward (2), Smith
3	27 February 1939	Ipswich Town	H	2–0		Ward, Masters
SF	4 May 1939	Queens Park Rangers	A	0–0	300

Player statistics

Appearances and goals

Pos.	Name	Football League		FA Cup		Total
Pos.	Name	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	George Heppell	3	0	0	0	3	0
GK	Arthur Jepson	39	0	2	0	45	0
DF	Harry Griffiths	33	2	2	0	37	3
DF	Johnny Rowe	35	0	2	0	40	0
DF	Roger Whittle	4	0	0	0	4	0
DF	Roy Felton	10	0	0	0	12	0
DF	George Collin	1	0	0	0	1	0
DF	Tom Clark	0	0	0	0	0	0
MF	Arthur Caldwell	4	0	0	0	6	0
MF	Tommy Ward	12	4	0	0	15	7
MF	Wilf Smith	37	0	2	0	40	0
MF	Arthur Cumberlidge	35	0	2	0	41	0
MF	Alf Bellis	26	3	2	0	31	3
MF	Sid Wileman	4	0	1	0	6	0
MF	Don Triner	3	0	0	0	4	0
MF	Leonard Smart	13	5	0	0	13	5
MF	John Smith	13	0	1	0	18	2
MF	George Hannah	42	0	2	0	48	0
MF	Bill Booth	9	0	0	0	10	0
MF	John Callender	3	1	0	0	4	1
FW	Jack Roberts	20	8	1	2	21	10
FW	Tom Nolan	39	17	2	0	41	17
FW	Arthur Masters	33	5	2	0	37	7
FW	Harry Davies	29	2	1	0	34	3
FW	Joe Wheatley	2	0	0	0	3	0
FW	John Sanderson	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	Geoffrey Moreland	7	3	0	0	9	3
FW	William O'Brien	4	1	0	0	4	1
FW	Richard Fuller	1	0	0	0	1	0

Top scorers

Place	Position	Nation	Name	Third Division North	FA Cup	Southern Cup	Total
1	FW	England	Tom Nolan	17	0	0	17
2	FW	England	Jack Roberts	8	2	0	10
3	FW	England	Arthur Masters	5	0	2	7
–	MF	England	Tommy Ward	4	0	3	7
5	MF	England	Leonard Smart	5	0	0	5
6	FW	England	Geoffrey Moreland	3	0	0	3
–	MF	England	Alf Bellis	3	0	0	3
–	FW	England	Harry Davies	2	0	1	3
–	DF	England	Harry Griffiths	2	0	1	3
10	MF	England	John Smith	0	0	2	2
11	MF	England	John Callender	1	0	0	1
–	FW	Scotland	William O'Brien	1	0	0	1
–	–	–	Own goals	1	0	0	1
			TOTALS	52	2	9	61

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from	Position	Name	From	Fee
May 1938	MF	John Callender	Lincoln City	Free transfer
May 1938	FW	Richard Fuller	Stockport County	Free transfer
May 1938	DF	William O'Brien	Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic	Free transfer
June 1938	DF	George Collin	Sunderland	Free transfer
June 1938	DF	Roy Felton	Everton	Free transfer
June 1938	MF	George Hannah	Derby County	Free transfer
June 1938	GK	Arthur Jepson	Grantham Town	Free transfer
June 1938	FW	John Sanderson	Newcastle United	Free transfer
June 1938	MF	Sid Wileman	Derby County	'Substantial'
November 1938	FW	Geoffrey Moreland	Birmingham	Free transfer
December 1938	MF	Don Triner	Downing's Tileries	Free transfer
February 1939	DF	Bill Booth	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Free transfer
February 1939	MF	Tommy Ward	Stoke City	Free transfer
March 1939	MF	Leonard Smart	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Free transfer

Transfers out

Date from	Position	Name	To	Fee
October 1938	FW	Ken Fish	Young Boys	Free transfer
April 1939	MF	John Callender	Gateshead	Free transfer
April 1939	DF	George Collin	Burton Town	Free transfer
April 1939	FW	Harry Davies	Retired
April 1939	FW	Richard Fuller	Darlington	Free transfer
April 1939	DF	William O'Brien	Watford	Free transfer
May 1939	MF	John Smith	Chelsea	Free transfer
June 1939	MF	Tommy Ward	Mansfield Town	Free transfer
August 1938	MF	Sid Wileman	Hinckley United	Free transfer
Summer 1939	DF	Bill Booth	Cardiff City	Free transfer
Summer 1939	FW	Arthur Masters		Released

References

Specific

^ Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Glory to Despair (1929–1939)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 124–150. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
Port Vale 1938–1939 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
^ 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.

v t e Port Vale F.C. seasons
1880–81 1881–82 1882–83 1883–84 1884–85 1885–86 1886–87 1887–88 1888–89 1889–90
1890–91 1891–92 1892–93 1893–94 1894–95 1895–96 1896–97 1897–98 1898–99 1899–00
1900–01 1901–02 1902–03 1903–04 1904–05 1905–06 1906–07 1907–08 1908–09 1909–10
1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20
1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30
1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40
1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50
1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60
1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70
1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80
1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90
1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–00
2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10
2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20
2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2025–26 2026–27 2027–28 2028–29 2029–30

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