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. Under manager Gordon Lee and chairman Mark Singer, Vale delivered a commendable sixth-place finish, accumulating 53 points, yet ultimately missed out on promotion by four points behind third‑placed Notts County.

Fronted by strike duo Sammy Morgan and Ray Williams, both scored 11 goals in league and all competitions to emerge as joint top scorers, while Williams also earned the club's Player of the Year accolade. The campaign began explosively with six wins in eight league fixtures, although it included a heavy 7–0 defeat to Rotherham United in August; Vale rebounded with a strong nine‑game unbeaten run that kept them firmly among the promotion contenders into the spring.

In cup competitions, Vale reached the Third Round of the FA Cup, losing narrowly to West Ham United in front of a record crowd of 20,619 at Vale Park — an occasion marred by crowd trouble and critical remarks from West Ham manager Ron Greenwood about Vale's physical style. In the League Cup, Port Vale progressed to the Second Round, recording a win over Tranmere Rovers before exiting to Newcastle United in front of 10,370 supporters. Financially, the club posted a strong profit of £14,304, boosted by £16,029 in donations, with gate receipts rising from £36,323 to £67,202. Debt was reduced to £44,721, with an additional £57,860 owed to directors.

Overall, the 1972–73 season represented a return to stability under Lee — marked by an ambitious promotion push, solid league form, standout performers in Morgan and Williams, financial improvement, and growing local support, even amid growing concerns about crowd behaviour and the team's reputation for aggressive play.

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); 21-year-old 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. Five straight wins followed. After mid-September, the "Valiants" struggled to score, and recorded six draws in eight games, though they remained in the top three. On 23 September, a 2–0 defeat at third-placed Walsall saw seven bookings. The team then fell to a 4–0 defeat at AFC Bournemouth three days later. The club spent £8,500 on new floodlights and a public address system; however, attendance 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 [Vale] players'. The team went nine games unbeaten, a sequence which included a "splendid" 2–1 home victory over league leaders Bournemouth on 4 November. The run ended with a 2–0 loss at Charlton Athletic on 2 December after the team arrived at The Valley in taxis when their transport at Euston railway station failed to show up.

Going into the Christmas period, Brian Horton was sidelined with a hairline fracture in his leg, and the team struggled, falling down the league table with inconsistent play. A 2–0 loss at league leaders Bolton Wanderers on 23 December was followed three days later by a "disgraceful" 2–1 home defeat to Walsall who played with a man down since the 17th minute. On 30 January, Vale lost 4–1 at Bristol Rovers. Lee subsequently sold John James to Chester for £5,000, Ray Harford to Colchester United for £1,750, and Keith Lindsey to Gillingham for £750. They fell to a 5–0 defeat at Brentford after experimenting with an attacking style on 10 February. To keep up the promotion bid, in February Lee spent £2,250 to bring 'pacey' striker John Woodward from Walsall. Vale began to pick up wins, beating Rotherham United by four goals to one and Grimsby Town by a goal to nil, though their 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers led to them being branded by Rovers manager Ken Furphy as 'a brutal and physical side'.

In March, players were taken on a four-day special training and relaxation retreat in the North-East to recover mentally and physically. On 16 March, Roy Cross wrenched his knee in a 2–0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers, which ended his run of 134 consecutive appearances. On 27 March, Vale won 3–2 away at Shrewsbury Town after coming from two goals down in front of a season-high crowd of 4,419 at Gay Meadow. This lifted them into third place. On 14 April, Boswell was sent off for fighting with Wyndham Evans in a 1–0 win at Swansea City. Vale were out of the promotion race after a 'shattering' 5–0 defeat to Southend United at Roots Hall on 20 April. They beat Grimsby Town by three goals to nil the following day. 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. The 14,168 attendance was the highest since for a league match since March 1964. The season concluded with a 5–0 defeat at Wrexham on 27 April.

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 side Southport with a 2–1 "tough thriller" at Vale Park. They got past Third Division Wrexham with a 1–0 home win following "a tense battle". 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. West Ham's goal came when Bobby Moore's free kick to the far post was knocked down by Clyde Best to Pat Holland to score. The match raised £8,600, but also raised the issue of violence, as two Londoners were stabbed, two policemen seriously assaulted, and thirty fans were 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 club Newcastle United, and the "Magpies" left Stoke-on-Trent having won 3–1 in front of 10,370 spectators.

Results Football League Third Division

League table

Results by matchday

Matches

FA Cup

League Cup

Squad statistics Appearances and goals Key to positions: GK – Goalkeeper; DF – Defender; MF – Midfielder; FW – Forward

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

Top scorers PlacePositionNationNameThird DivisionFA CupLeague CupTotal1FWRay Williams110011–FWSammy Morgan1100113FWJohn Woodward90094MFBrian Horton61075FWJohn James31046DFTony Loska3003–MFTommy McLaren3003–DFBill Summerscales20139MFFreddie Goodwin2002–FWBob Mountford2002–FWBobby Gough200212DFJohn Brodie0101–––Own goals2013TOTALS563261

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

General