1937–38 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale
1937–38 season
Chairman Frank Huntbach
Manager Tom Morgan
(from December)
Stadium The Old Recreation Ground
Football League Third Division North 15th (38 Points)
FA Cup First Round
Football League Third Division North Cup First Round
Top goalscorer League: Jack Roberts (28)
All: Jack Roberts (30)
Highest home attendance 10,984 vs. Hull City (15 April 1938)
Lowest home attendance 2,992 vs. Rochdale (30 April 1938)
Average home attendance 6,716
← 1936–37 1938–39 →

The 1937–38 season was Port Vale's thirty-second season of football in the Football League, and their second successive season (third overall) in the Third Division North.[1] With thirty goals, Jack Roberts was the division's top scorer. However the club managed only a mid-table finish, also exiting both cup competitions at the first stage.

Contents

Overview

Third Division North

The pre-season saw the arrival of goalkeepers James Nicholls and George Heppell (Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers); veteran right-back Johnny Rowe (Queen's Park Rangers); left-back Harry Johnson (Newcastle United); winger Charlie Rattray (Mansfield Town); experienced inside-right Arthur Masters (Nottingham Forest); and 'clever' inside-left William Price (Fulham).[1] Pre-season training included bowls, cricket, and practice with rubbers balls and rubber boots to improve ball control.[1] The fans were not optimistic for the campaign, and so ticket sales were low despite lowered prices.[1]

The season began with a 3–0 defeat at Oldham Athletic's Boundary Park.[1] Tom Nolan found himself dropped in favour of Jack Roberts, who immediately went on a run of three goals in three games.[1] The team went on to go six games unbeaten, including a 4–0 win over Barrow in which Roberts scored all four.[1] Their 5–1 win over Hartlepools United – in which Arthur Caldwell scored a hat-trick – took them into seventh in the table.[1] This run ended with a 5–0 drubbing at Valley Parade.[1] After this defeat to Bradford City the Vale signed forward Ken Fish from Aston Villa for 'a sizeable fee'.[1] In November, William Price was released from his contract.[1] The next month the side were on the end of a 7–2 beating by Chester at Sealand Road.[1] Soon after this Tom Morgan was re-appointed as manager, having being demoted to assistant-secretary in June 1932.[1] Immediately following this the club went on a run of one defeat in nine games.[1] During this run Roberts scored a hat-trick past Accrington Stanley in a 4–1 win.[1]

In February, Tommy Ward was traded to Stoke City in exchange for Harry Davies and a small fee.[1] On 5 March, Vale inflicted a 4–3 win over Bradford City, soon after which Sam Baum was signed from Bolton Wanderers just two minutes before the transfer deadline closed.[1] On 15 April, the club saw its first five-figure crowd of the season, as promotion-chasing Hull City took away both the points despite a brace from Roberts.[1] Revenge came at Anlaby Road three days later, when the "Valiants" held a clean sheet to damage the tiger's promotion prospects.[1] On the final home game of the season a seventeen year old Alf Bellis scored on his debut as Vale beat Rochdale 4–1.[1]

They finished fifteenth with 38 points, just six points clear of the re-election zone.[1] Away from The Old Recreation Ground the side struggled, managing just a single win.[1] Jack Roberts was the club's top goalscorer with 28 league strikes in 37 games – also making him the division's top scorer.[1]

Finances

On the financial side, a bare profit of some £300 was recorded, due to a transfer credit of £2,900.[1] The annual summer clear-out saw the departure of fourteen of the twenty-six players, including Sam Baum; Spencer Evans (Northwich Victoria); Roderick Welsh; Charlie Rattray (Accrington Stanley); Harry Johnson (Hartlepools United); Trevor Rhodes; and Fred Obrey (who was sold to Tranmere Rovers).[1] At the season's end the club were delighted to hear they had been transferred to the Third Division South, where gate receipts were higher.[1] On 27 June another meeting at the Grand Hotel (Hanley) saw the issue of a name change debated, where Stoke United and Stoke North End were again considered.[1] A change of name was advocated by every letter written in by supporters, however once again there was insufficient time to implement a name change before the upcoming season.[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, a First Round exit came at the hands of Midland League Gainsborough Trinity, after Trinity won the replay 2–1.[1] In the short-lived Football League Third Division North Cup, Vale went out in the First Round to Tranmere Rovers – a 1–1 stalemate at home was followed by a 2–0 defeat in the replay at Prenton Park.[1]

Final league table

Main article: 1937–38 Football League
Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GA GD Pts
1 Tranmere Rovers 42 15 4 2 57 21 8 6 7 24 20 81 41 1.976 + 40 56
2 Doncaster Rovers 42 15 4 2 48 16 6 8 7 26 33 74 49 1.510 + 25 54
3 Hull City 42 11 8 2 51 19 9 5 7 29 24 80 43 1.860 + 37 53
4 Oldham Athletic 42 16 4 1 48 18 3 9 9 19 28 67 46 1.457 + 21 51
5 Gateshead 42 15 5 1 53 20 5 6 10 31 39 84 59 1.424 + 25 51
6 Rotherham United 42 13 6 2 45 21 7 4 10 23 35 68 56 1.214 + 12 50
7 Lincoln City 42 14 3 4 48 17 5 5 11 18 33 66 50 1.320 + 16 46
8 Crewe Alexandra 42 14 3 4 47 17 4 6 11 24 36 71 53 1.340 + 18 45
9 Chester 42 13 4 4 54 31 3 8 10 23 41 77 72 1.069 + 5 44
10 Wrexham 42 14 4 3 37 15 2 7 12 21 48 58 63 0.921 – 5 43
11 York City 42 11 4 6 40 25 5 6 10 30 43 70 68 1.029 + 2 42
12 Carlisle United 42 11 5 5 35 19 4 4 13 22 48 57 67 0.851 – 10 39
13 New Brighton 42 12 5 4 43 18 3 3 15 17 43 60 61 0.984 – 1 38
14 Bradford City 42 12 6 3 46 21 2 4 15 20 48 66 69 0.957 – 3 38
15 Port Vale 42 11 8 2 45 27 1 6 14 20 46 65 73 0.890 – 8 38
16 Southport 42 8 8 5 30 26 4 6 11 23 56 53 82 0.646 – 29 38
17 Rochdale 42 7 10 4 38 27 6 1 14 29 51 67 78 0.859 – 11 37
18 Halifax Town 42 9 7 5 24 19 3 5 13 20 47 44 66 0.667 – 22 36
19 Darlington 42 10 4 7 37 31 1 6 14 17 48 54 79 0.684 – 25 32
20 Hartlepools United 42 10 8 3 36 20 0 4 17 17 60 53 80 0.662 – 27 32
21 Barrow 42 9 6 6 28 20 2 4 15 13 51 41 71 0.577 – 30 32
22 Accrington Stanley 42 9 2 10 31 32 2 5 14 14 43 45 75 0.600 – 30 29

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against;
GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Third Division North

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
28 August 1937 Oldham Athletic A 0–3 5,781
30 August 1937 Gateshead H 2–2 6,699 Caldwell, Roberts
4 September 1937 Darlington H 1–0 7,233 Roberts
8 September 1937 Gateshead A 1–2 9,641 Roberts
11 September 1937 Doncaster Rovers A 2–3 11,538 Price, Caldwell
13 September 1937 New Brighton H 3–2 4,257 Caldwell, Roberts, Masters
18 September 1937 Crewe Alexandra A 2–1 5,888 Price, Roberts
25 September 1937 Barrow H 4–0 7,416 Roberts (4)
2 October 1937 Wrexham A 0–0 5,364
9 October 1937 Hartlepools United H 5–1 7,951 Caldwell (3), Ward (2)
16 October 1937 Southport H 1–1 8,151 Masters
23 October 1937 Bradford City A 0–5 3,176
30 October 1937 York City H 3–2 5,139 Masters (2), Caldwell
6 November 1937 Tranmere Rovers A 1–2 7,597 Masters
13 November 1937 Halifax Town H 0–2 6,579
20 November 1937 Carlisle United A 1–3 4,959 Fish
4 December 1937 Chester A 2–7 3,849 Roberts (2 [1 pen])
18 December 1937 Rochdale A 1–1 3,560 Roberts (pen)
27 December 1937 Lincoln City A 0–1 13,354
28 December 1937 Lincoln City H 1–0 5,740 Roberts (pen)
1 January 1938 Oldham Athletic H 2–2 6,878 Roberts, Ward
3 January 1938 Rotherham United H 0–0 3,604
8 January 1938 Accrington Stanley H 4–1 5,443 Roberts (3), Masters
15 January 1938 Darlington A 2–2 2,330 Roberts, Ward
22 January 1938 Doncaster Rovers H 1–1 7,153 Caldwell
29 January 1938 Crewe Alexandra H 1–1 5,851 Caldwell
5 February 1938 Barrow A 0–3 5,759
12 February 1938 Wrexham H 2–0 7,861 Davies, Caldwell
19 February 1938 Hartlepools United A 1–2 4,483 Roberts
26 February 1938 Southport A 0–1 3,797
5 March 1938 Bradford City H 4–3 8,022 Nolan (2), Davies, Roberts
12 March 1938 York City A 2–2 7,319 Roberts (2)
19 March 1938 Tranmere Rovers H 1–0 9,916 Nolan
26 March 1938 Halifax Town A 1–2 4,363 Roberts
2 April 1938 Carlisle United H 2–2 6,463 Rattray, Roberts
9 April 1938 Accrington Stanley A 1–2 2,990 Nolan
15 April 1938 Hull City H 2–4 10,984 Roberts (2)
16 April 1938 Chester H 2–2 6,695 Nolan (2)
18 April 1938 Hull City A 0–0 13,564
23 April 1938 Rotherham United A 2–3 5,346 Roberts, Nolan
30 April 1938 Rochdale H 4–1 2,992 Masters (2), Roberts, Bellis
7 May 1938 New Brighton A 1–1 3,259 Griffiths

FA Cup

Main article: 1937–38 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 27 November 1937 Gainsborough Trinity H 1–1 6,772 Roberts
R1 Replay 1 December 1937 Gainsborough Trinity A 1–2 4,220 Roberts

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos. Name Football League FA Cup Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK George Heppell 25 0 1 0 27 0
GK James Nicholls 17 0 1 0 19 0
DF Trevor Rhodes 13 0 0 0 14 0
DF Roderick Welsh 27 0 2 0 31 0
DF Harry Griffiths 27 1 1 0 28 1
DF Johnny Rowe 37 0 2 0 40 0
DF Harry Johnson 19 0 0 0 21 0
MF Arthur Caldwell 35 10 1 0 37 10
MF Tommy Ward 11 4 1 0 14 4
MF Billy Tunnicliffe 1 0 1 0 2 0
MF Wilf Smith 21 0 0 0 22 0
MF Fred Obrey 16 0 2 0 18 0
MF Spencer Evans 34 0 2 0 37 0
MF Arthur Cumberlidge 23 0 1 0 26 0
MF Arthur Whittaker 0 0 0 0 1 0
MF Charlie Rattray 22 1 1 0 24 2
MF William Price 13 2 0 0 14 2
MF Stanley Dimbleby 1 0 0 0 2 0
MF Sam Baum 3 0 0 0 3 0
MF Alf Bellis 1 1 0 0 1 1
MF Frank Briggs 8 0 0 0 8 0
FW Jack Roberts 37 28 2 2 40 30
FW Tom Nolan 18 7 1 0 20 7
FW Arthur Masters 33 8 2 0 35 8
FW Ken Fish 5 1 1 0 6 1
FW Harry Davies 15 2 0 0 15 2

Scorers

All competitions

Scorer Goals
Jack Roberts 30
Arthur Caldwell 10
Arthur Masters 8
Tom Nolan 7
Tommy Ward 4
Charlie Rattray 2
William Price
Harry Davies
Ken Fish 1
Harry Griffiths
Alf Bellis

League

Scorer Goals
Jack Roberts 28
Arthur Caldwell 10
Arthur Masters 8
Tom Nolan 7
Tommy Ward 4
William Price 2
Harry Davies
Ken Fish 1
Harry Griffiths
Alf Bellis
Charlie Rattray

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad 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. 
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