The 2005–06 season was Port Vale's 94th season of football in the English Football League, and second-successive season in League One. Under manager Martin Foyle, the club delivered a mid‑table campaign, finishing 13th with 60 points, after 16 wins, 12 draws and 18 defeats, and netting 49 goals while conceding 54. Foyle's recruitment of striker Leon Constantine helped bolster the attack, though the sales of Sam Collins and Billy Paynter dampened promotion ambitions.
Cup competition results were mixed. Vale made a spirited FA Cup run to the Fourth Round, where they were eliminated 3–1 by Premier League side Aston Villa, generating crucial income and fan interest. They exited the League Cup at the First Round to Rotherham United and bowed out of the Football League Trophy in the Second Round, losing to Hereford United. Off the pitch, the club made significant financial strides. Operating losses were dramatically reduced from £500,000 to just £50,000, though the club took out a £2.25 million council loan, incurring monthly repayments of around £19,000. A major record shirt‑sponsorship deal was secured with BGC Gas, and celebrity fan Robbie Williams purchased £240,000 worth of shares — helping stabilise ownership under the Valiant 2001 consortium led by chairman Bill Bratt, with George Pilkington named Player of the Year and Leon Constantine top scorer with 12 in all competitions.
Overview
League One The pre-season saw Martin Foyle sign Micky Bell and Hector Sam on free transfers from Bristol City and Wrexham respectively. He also took in promising young striker Chris Cornes on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who would impress in a Vale shirt.
The season started with 14 points from seven games to launch the club's promotion bid. After three defeats, the Vale entered a long period of inconsistent form. In September, Darrell Clarke joined on loan from Hartlepool United, though he would play just the one game for the club. Gary Mulligan also arrived on loan from Sheffield United, and would find greater success in Burslem. The next month Foyle added to the squad by signing Michael Husbands from Walsall. Vale lost 1–0 to Yeovil Town, who had Steve Thompson in his first match in caretaker charge and suummer signing Matt Harrold scoring his first goal for the club.
In November, Sam Togwell joined on loan from Scunthorpe United in an initial six-week deal that was extended until the end of the season. Another long-term loan deal was struck with Leyton Orient for big defender Clayton Fortune, who would later turn down a permanent transfer to Vale Park after failing to agree on personal terms. Foyle also made possibly the best signing of his spell in charge at Vale, bringing striker Leon Constantine in from Torquay United for a £20,000 fee. However, Foyle lost two big players, when key defender Sam Collins and promising striker Billy Paynter were sold to Hull City for £65,000 and £150,000 respectively, the pair leaving on loan deals until the January transfer window (when they would leave permanently). The club had previously threatened to report Plymouth Argyle to the FA after an alleged illegal approach for the duo. Four straight defeats followed this, emphasising the sales' effect on the club's promotion bid.
In January, Bell moved on to Cheltenham Town, and Hector Sam joined Walsall. In came Jason Talbot on loan from Mansfield Town, who joined the club permanently at the end of the season. Foyle also signed defender Mark McGregor from Blackpool, and midfielder Sean Doherty from ADO Den Haag. Vale avenged their loss to Yeovil by winning one goal to nil at home. A sequence of two points in five games killed off the Vale's promotion hopes by April.
They finished in 13th place with sixty points, some distance from promotion and relegation. Only the four relegated teams scored fewer goals than Vale, and Constantine was the club's top-scorer with twelve goals, closely followed by Cummins with eleven.
At the end of the season nine players departed the club: Lee Matthews (Crewe Alexandra); Hector Sam (Walsall); Steve Rowland (Southport); Tony Dinning (Stockport County); Micky Cummins (Darlington); Jonny Brain (Macclesfield Town); Mark Innes (Hyde United); Sean Doherty (Accrington Stanley); and Craig James (Darlington). Andy Porter retired to concentrate on his coaching. With Dinning's departure, George Pilkington was appointed club captain. World Cup international winger Chris Birchall was also sold to Coventry City for £325,000.
Finances On the financial side, Bill Bratt's cost-cutting measures had reduced the club's operating losses from £500,000 to £50,000. Despite this, the club took out a £2.25 million loan from the local council, with monthly repayments of around £19,000. Bratt continued to try and woo elderly North American millionaires, but Steve Stavro did not follow up his initial interest with any investment. In October 2005, the club turned down an investment group that wished to appoint Paul Gascoigne as manager. Foyle said "We need a cup run, or an investor, to give us a kick-start because we aren't doing too badly". He got his wish with an expected income of £250,000 from the Villa game. In February, lifelong fan Robbie Williams bought £240,000 of the £250,000 worth of available shares in the club."Robbie buys into Vale", BBC Stoke & Staffordshire, 27 February 2006 In April, the club announced a new record-breaking shirt sponsorship deal with BGC Gas. The club also announced Bill Bratt would now be a paid chief executive.
Cup competitions In the FA Cup, Vale advanced past Wrexham to reach a second round encounter with Bristol Rovers. A late equaliser from Constantine earned Vale a replay, and a Chris Birchall strike gave the "Valiants" victory at the Memorial Stadium. They then made it to the fourth round after a 2–1 win over Doncaster Rovers thanks to a brace from loanee Sam Togwell. They faced a trip to Villa Park to face Premier League Aston Villa, where they were defeated 3–1 after a brace from Milan Baroš. A 7,500 strong contingent of Vale fans travelled to see the game and reworked the song (Is This the Way to) Amarillo into "Show me the way to Aston Villa" to mark the occasion. This was the club's largest away following in 15 years.
In the League Cup, Vale were knocked out 3–1 by Rotherham United at the Don Valley Stadium, with Hector Sam breaking his leg during the game.
In the Football League Trophy, Vale received a bye in the first round, but in the second round were embarrassed to lose 2–1 to Conference club Hereford United at Edgar Street, after a Tamika Mkandawire header in extra time.
Results Football League One League table
Results by matchday
Matches
5
FA Cup
League Cup
Football League Trophy
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 PlacePositionNationNumberNameLeague OneFA CupLeague CupFootball League TrophyTotal1FW33Leon Constantine10200122MF8Micky Cummins10010113FW9Nathan Lowndes510064FW30Michael Husbands410055FW27Chris Cornes40004–DF34Sam Togwell220047DF2George Pilkington20002–FW10Billy Paynter20002–MF12Tony Dinning20002–MF17Chris Birchall11002–MF11Jeff Smith10012–DF20Micky Bell20002–DF6Clayton Fortune2000214MF4Danny Sonner10001–FW19Gary Mulligan10001TOTALS4971158
Transfers
Transfers in Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref. May 2005 MF Tony Dinning Bristol City Free transfer June 2005 FW Hector Sam Wrexham Free transfer June 2005 MF Danny Sonner Peterborough United Free transfer July 2005 DF Micky Bell Bristol City Free transfer October 2005 FW Michael Husbands Walsall Free transfer January 2006 FW Leon Constantine Torquay United £20,000 January 2006 MF Sean Doherty ADO Den Haag Free transfer January 2006 DF Mark McGregor Blackpool Free transfer
Transfers out Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref. January 2006 DF Micky Bell Cheltenham Town Mutual agreement January 2006 DF Sam Collins Hull City £65,000 January 2006 FW Billy Paynter Hull City £150,000 May 2006 MF Micky Cummins Darlington Free transfer May 2006 MF Tony Dinning Stockport County Free transfer May 2006 MF Sean Doherty Accrington Stanley Free transfer May 2006 DF Mark Innes Hyde United Free transfer June 2006 GK Jonny Brain Macclesfield Town Free transfer July 2006 FW Hector Sam Walsall Free transfer August 2006 MF Chris Birchall Coventry City £300,000 August 2006 DF Craig James Darlington Free transfer August 2006 FW Lee Matthews Crewe Alexandra Free transfer August 2006 DF Steve Rowland Southport Free transfer Summer 2006 MF Andy Porter Alsager Town Retired
Loans in Date from Position Nationality Name From Date to Ref. 29 August 2005 FW Chris Cornes Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 December 2005 28 September 2005 MF Darrell Clarke Hartlepool United 28 October 2005 22 September 2005 FW Gary Mulligan Sheffield United 22 December 2005 4 November 2005 FW Leon Constantine Torquay United 1 January 2006 9 November 2005 DF Clayton Fortune Bristol City End of season 10 November 2005 MF Sam Togwell Crystal Palace End of season 31 January 2006 DF Jason Talbot Mansfield Town End of season
Loans out Date from Position Nationality Name To Date to Ref. 17 November 2005 GK Joe Anyon Harrogate Town ? 4 November 2005 DF Sam Collins Hull City 2 January 2006 17 November 2005 FW Billy Paynter Hull City 1 January 2006 24 February 2006 GK Joe Anyon Harrogate Town 12 April 2006
References Specific
General Soccerbase