1993–94 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale
1993–94 season
Chairman Bill Bell
Manager John Rudge
Stadium Vale Park
Football League Second Division 2nd (88 Points)
FA Cup Fourth Round
League Cup First Round
League Trophy Area Quarter-finalists
Player of the Year Neil Aspin
Top goalscorer League: Martin Foyle (17)
All: Martin Foyle (18)
Highest home attendance 12,042 vs. Southampton (18 January 1994)
Lowest home attendance 5,175 vs. Lincoln City (17 August 1993)
Average home attendance 8,351
Home colours

The 1993–94 season was Port Vale's eighty-second season of football in the Football League, and fifth successive (thirty-seventh overall) season in the Second Division. They won promotion to the First Division as the division's runners-up, just one point away from champions Reading. In the FA Cup, John Rudge's men caused an upset by defeating top-flight Southampton, before they exited at the Fourth Round. Vale were knocked out of the League Cup at the First Round, and the League Trophy at the Area Quarter-finals.

Contents

Overview

Second Division

The pre-season saw John Rudge sign left-back Allen Tankard from Wigan Athletic for £87,500. Experienced forward Keith Houchen was allowed to join Hartlepool United on a free transfer, and Paul Kerr signed with Leicester City.

The season opened with a 2–1 defeat to Burnley at the Underhill Stadium. Though the season really got going for the Vale with their opening home game, as they recorded a 6–0 win over Barnet, both Martin Foyle and Bernie Slaven bagging hat-tricks. This however would be the only victory in the first seven league games. In September, Steve Livingstone joined the club on loan from Chelsea. Then in October, Canadian Ollie Heald signed from Norvan, having impressed whilst on trial. Vale shot up the table with eight victories in ten games. In January, Aidan Newhouse arrived on loan from Wimbledon, but only played two games. In February, Bernie Slaven left the club for Darlington. The next month Rudge brought Joe Allon to the club after Allon left Brentford. He also signed winger David Lowe on loan from Leicester City. Vale picked up four clean sheets in the first five games of March, but ended the month with two defeats. They had a solid April, winning six of their eight games, with Foyle scoring a hat-trick past Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road on 4 April. Two victories from their final two games of the season ensured promotion.

They finished in second-placed with 88 points, despite having finished third the previous season with 89 points. Top-scorer was Martin Foyle with eighteen goals, though Ian Taylor and Nicky Cross also hit double figures.

At the end of the season, star midfielder Ian Taylor was sold to Sheffield Wednesday for £1 million (plus add-ons). The club also sold Peter Swan to Plymouth Argyle for £300,000. Also leaving the club were Nicky Cross and Trevor Wood, who joined Hereford United and Walsall respectively.

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale brushed aside Blackpool (2–0) and Huddersfield Town (1–0). Drawn against Premier League Southampton in the Third Round, the "Valiants" earned a 1–1 draw at The Dell with an Andy Porter goal. Back at Burslem, Vale achieved a giantkilling with a Bernie Slaven goal. In the Fourth Round they faced First Division Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, and were defeated 2–0.

In the League Cup, Vale exited at the First Round to Third Division Lincoln City on away goals, having drawn 2–2 at Vale Park and 0–0 at Sincil Bank.

In the League Trophy, Vale reached the Area Quarter-finalists. They would not enter the competition again until 2000–01.

Final league table

Pos. Team Pld W D L GF GA Pts
1. Reading 46 26 11 9 81 44 89
2. Port Vale 46 26 10 10 79 46 88
3. Plymouth Argyle 46 25 10 11 88 56 85
4. Stockport County 46 24 13 9 74 44 85
5. York City 46 21 12 13 64 40 75
6. Burnley 46 21 10 15 79 58 73
7. Bradford City 46 19 13 14 61 53 70
8. Bristol Rovers 46 20 10 16 60 59 70
9. Hull City 46 18 14 14 62 54 68
10. Cambridge United 46 19 9 18 79 73 66
11. Huddersfield Town 46 17 14 15 58 61 65
12. Wrexham 46 17 11 18 66 77 62
13. Swansea City 46 16 12 18 56 58 60
14. Brighton & Hove Albion 46 15 14 17 60 67 59
15. Rotherham United 46 15 13 18 63 66 58
16. Brentford 46 13 19 14 57 55 58
17. Bournemouth 46 14 15 17 51 59 57
18. Leyton Orient 46 14 14 18 57 71 56
19. Cardiff City 46 13 15 18 66 79 54
20. Blackpool 46 16 5 25 63 75 53
21. Fulham 46 14 10 22 50 63 52
22. Exeter City 46 11 12 23 52 83 45
23. Hartlepool United 46 9 9 28 41 87 36
24. Barnet 46 5 13 28 41 86 28

P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; Pts = Points

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss

Football League Second Division

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
14 August 1993 Burnley A 1–2 12,592 Taylor
21 August 1993 Barnet H 6–0 7,538 Foyle (3), Slaven (3)
28 August 1993 Plymouth Argyle A 0–2 6,072
31 August 1993 Cambridge United H 2–2 6,484 Cross, Kerr
4 September 1993 Cardiff City H 2–2 8,140 Slaven (2)
11 September 1993 Bristol Rovers A 0–2 4,908
14 September 1993 Huddersfield Town A 1–1 5,154 Slaven
18 September 1993 Hartlepool United H 1–0 7,279 Kerr
25 September 1993 Brentford A 2–1 5,106 Cross, van der Laan
2 October 1993 Wrexham H 3–0 8,722 Cross (2), Kerr
9 October 1993 Hull City H 2–1 9,459 Cross (2)
16 October 1993 Blackpool A 3–1 8,969 Cross (2), Taylor
23 October 1993 Reading H 0–4 9,252
30 October 1993 Rotherham United A 2–0 4,786 Foyle, Taylor
6 November 1993 Swansea City H 3–0 7,854 Own goal, Glover, Taylor
20 November 1993 Exeter City A 1–1 3,908 van der Laan
27 November 1993 Brighton & Hove Albion H 4–0 7,261 Cross, Foyle (2), Taylor
7 December 1993 Bournemouth A 1–2 2,954 Jeffers
11 December 1993 Barnet A 3–2 3,100 Foyle, Kerr, Taylor
18 December 1993 Burnley H 1–1 10,710 Slaven
27 December 1993 Fulham A 0–0 5,760
29 December 1993 Leyton Orient H 2–1 8,978 van der Laan (2)
1 January 1994 York City A 0–1 5,903
15 January 1994 Blackpool H 2–0 7,915 Cross (2)
22 January 1994 Hull City A 0–0 6,918
5 February 1994 Reading A 2–1 7,645 Foyle, Kent
12 February 1994 Stockport County H 1–1 10,628 Foyle
19 February 1994 Plymouth Argyle H 2–1 9,093 Lowe, Taylor
22 February 1994 Cambridge United A 0–1 2,543
1 March 1994 Bradford City H 0–0 7,294
5 March 1994 Bristol Rovers H 2–0 8,682 Taylor (2)
12 March 1994 Hartlepool United A 4–1 1,798 Aspin, Cross, Lowe
15 March 1994 Huddersfield Town H 1–0 7,010 Kent
19 March 1994 Brentford H 1–0 8,269 Taylor
26 March 1994 Wrexham A 1–2 7,202 van der Laan
29 March 1994 Bradford City A 1–2 5,776 Foyle
2 April 1994 Fulham H 2–2 7,380 Allon
4 April 1994 Leyton Orient A 3–2 3,412 Foyle (3)
12 April 1994 Rotherham United H 2–1 6,804 Griffiths
16 April 1994 Bournemouth H 2–1 7,603 Cross, Taylor
19 April 1994 Stockport County A 1–2 5,910 Lowe
21 April 1994 York City H 2–1 8,703 Glover, Lowe
26 April 1994 Swansea City A 1–0 4,252 Taylor
30 April 1994 Exeter City H 3–0 10,377 Foyle (2), Kent
3 May 1994 Cardiff City A 3–1 4,705 Kent, Lowe, Taylor
7 May 1994 Brighton & Hove Albion A 3–1 15,423 Foyle (2), Glover

FA Cup

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 13 November 1993 Blackpool H 2–0 8,211 Foyle, Kerr
R2 3 December 1993 Huddersfield Town H 1–0 8,602 Tankard
R3 8 January 1994 Southampton A 1–1 11,086 Porter
R3 Replay 18 January 1994 Southampton H 1–0 12,042 Slaven
R4 29 January 1994 Wolverhampton Wanderers A 0–2 21,999

League Cup

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
R1 1st Leg 17 August 1993 Lincoln City H 2–2 5,175 Slaven, Taylor
R1 2nd Leg 24 August 1993 Lincoln City A 0–0 3,642

League Trophy

Player statistics

Appearances

Scorers

All competitions

Scorer Goals
Martin Foyle 18
Ian Taylor 14
Nicky Cross 12
Bernie Slaven 9
David Lowe 5
Paul Kerr
Robin van der Laan 4
Kevin Kent
Dean Glover 3
Joe Allon 2
Gareth Griffiths
Neil Aspin 1
John Jeffers
Allen Tankard
Andy Porter

League

Scorer Goals
Martin Foyle 17
Ian Taylor 13
Nicky Cross 12
Bernie Slaven 7
David Lowe 5
Paul Kerr 4
Robin van der Laan
Kevin Kent
Dean Glover 3
Joe Allon 2
Gareth Griffiths
Neil Aspin 1
John Jeffers

References