The 1930–31 season was Port Vale's 25th season of football in the English Football League, and their 34th in the Second Division following their promotion from the Third Division North the previous season. The club achieved its highest league finish to date, placing fifth in the Second Division with 47 points from 42 matches, conceding only 61 goals and scoring 67.

Manager Tom Morgan strengthened the squad over the summer with the signings of Harry Roberts, Arthur Slater, and Clarence Spencer. Veteran striker Sam Jennings finished as the club's top scorer with 17 goals, while Phil Griffiths (13 goals) and Harry Roberts (11 goals) were also consistent contributors. League highlights included a stunning 3–2 win at Everton in front of over 27,000 spectators, followed by a remarkable 8–2 demolition of Bradford Park Avenue, with Jennings netting four. Notable matches in the run‑in saw victories over West Bromwich Albion (1–0) and Tottenham Hotspur (3–0), keeping promotion hopes alive until late April.

In the FA Cup, Port Vale progressed to the Fourth Round, beating amateur side Corinthians 3–1 in the Third Round before being eliminated by First Division Birmingham at St Andrew's, drawing a crowd of 44,119, which raised £2,763 for the club. Off the field, £10,000 in mortgage debentures were issued to fund ground improvements, including 3,500 seats on the Bryan Street stand, though the club made an overall financial loss of £800 on the season.

Overview

Second Division The pre-season saw the arrival of goalscoring forward Harry Roberts from Lincoln City; big goalkeeper Arthur Slater from Clapton Orient; and young outside-left Clarence Spencer from Birmingham.

The season started with a stylish 5–2 victory over Barnsley in front of a disappointingly low attendance of under 10,000. Two defeats followed, and Albert Pynegar put in a transfer request after being dropped from the first team. Bob Connelly picked up an injury and so Jack Round was signed from Bolton Wanderers. On 20 September, they travelled to Goodison Park to triumph over previously undefeated league leaders Everton 3–2 in front of 27,142 spectators. Two days later, they tore Bradford Park Avenue apart 8–2, with a four-goal haul from Sam Jennings. On 4 October they travelled to Home Park, where they lost 2–1 to Plymouth Argyle; later in the day a horrific tragedy almost killed many of the Vale players – they had hired a speedboat at Devon resort which burst into flames whilst at sea, fortunately the pilot managed to extinguish the flames and returned them safely to harbour.

Wins over Burnley and Preston North End took the Vale within two points of a promotion place. Pynegar left the club in October following rumours of a rift with teammate Jennings. He signed with Chesterfield of the Third Division North. Bert Fishwick was a more than able deputy. The defensive duo of Jimmy Oakes and Shino Shenton also proved formidable at the back. On 29 November, promotion dreams took a knock at White Hart Lane, Spurs picking up a 5–0 win. Despite competing at the top end of the table the Old Recreation Ground rarely saw much more than 10,000 spectators. In December, reserve half-back George Whitcombe was sold to Notts County for 'a substantial amount'; the money went towards ground improvements. On 13 December, Vale lost 1–0 at Potteries derby rivals Stoke City. The following month, £10,000 worth of mortgage debenture bonds were released to the same ends. The Football Association rejected the club's ground improvement scheme without giving a reason. On 26 January, they fell to a fourth defeat in five games as league leaders Everton inflicted a 3–1 defeat after Clarence Spencer left the pitch with a broken ankle.

As the season entered its final stretch, top-scorer Jennings was dropped from the squad. Joseph Chell cut his artery in his second game, and in desperation Jimmy Oakes ended up being played at centre-forward. No adequate replacement was found until Stewart Littlewood was re-signed from Oldham Athletic, with Fishwick sold to Tranmere Rovers to meet Oldham's demands. In early April, the "Valiants" beat high-flying West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham Hotspur, thereby keeping hopes of promotion high. West Brom won the return leg at The Hawthorns to put daylight between the two clubs. In late April, Vale travelled to the Netherlands for a short tour, beating a Dutch Southern XI 5–1 and Zwaluwen 2–0.

They finished fifth with 47 points, making it the most successful season in the club's history regarding league position. They were seven points short of second placed West Bromwich Albion. Only 61 goals were conceded, a record bettered only by West Brom and Spurs. However, the 67 goals scored tally was almost half that of the champions Everton. Sam Jennings finished with 17 goals, and Phil Griffiths and Harry Roberts were the only other major contributors. The ground improvements paid for were 3,500 seats on the Bryan Street stand, with a covered terrace.

Finances On the financial side, an £800 loss was made, with the weather blamed for an average gate figure of 10,537. Numerous players were released, including Billy Briscoe, Frank Watkin, and Jack Maddock. Harry Roberts was also sold to Millwall. Meanwhile, Stewart Littlewood was also selected by the FA for a summer tour of Canada.

FA Cup In the FA Cup, Vale overcame amateur side Corinthians 3–1 in the third round but then found themselves eliminated by First Division Birmingham at St Andrew's in the fourth round. The 44,119 attendance raised £2,763 for the club.

Results

League table

Football League Second Division Results by matchday

Matches

FA Cup

Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; FB – Full back; HB – Half back; FW – Forward

|colspan="14"|Players who featured but departed the club during the season:

Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameSecond DivisionFA CupTotal1FWSam Jennings161172FWPhil Griffiths130133FWHarry Roberts92114FWHarry Anstiss6065FWBert Fishwick4046FWAlbert Pynegar3037FWTom Baxter202–FWHarry Marshall202–HBJack Round202–FWStewart Littlewood202–FWJames Henshall20212FBJimmy Oakes101–HBRoger Jones101–FWClarence Spencer101–FWHarry Rowbotham101–FWJoseph Chell101–––Own goals101TOTALS67370

Transfers

Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. June 1930 FW Harry Roberts Lincoln City £100 June 1930 GK Arthur Slater Clapton Orient Free transfer March 1931 FW Stewart Littlewood Oldham Athletic Undisclosed club record April 1931 FW Harry Rowbotham Cheddleton Mental Hospital Free transfer

Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. October 1930 FW Albert Pynegar Chesterfield £200 December 1930 HB George Whitcombe Notts County 'Substantial' March 1931 FW Bert Fishwick Tranmere Rovers Undisclosed April 1931 FW Harry Roberts Millwall Undisclosed April 1931 FW Frank Watkin Congleton Town Free transfer May 1931 FW Harry Anstiss Swansea Town Free transfer May 1931 FW Billy Briscoe Congleton Town Free transfer May 1931 FW Phil Griffiths Everton £6,000 May 1931 FW Jack Simms Swansea Town Free transfer July 1931 FB Jack Maddock Crewe Alexandra Free transfer August 1931 FW Henry O'Grady Southampton Free transfer

References Specific

General