1972–73 Port Vale F.C. season

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.^[1] Their promotion efforts ended with a sixth-place finish, whilst in the two cup competitions they lost out to Newcastle United and West Ham United. Opposition managers condemned the players as overly physical, whilst off the pitch there were sporadic scenes of violence as football hooliganism gripped the club, and the sport in general.

Port Vale

1972–73 season
Chairman	Mark Singer
Manager	Gordon Lee
Stadium	Vale Park
Football League Third Division	6th (53 Points)
FA Cup	Third Round (knocked out by West Ham United)
League Cup	Second Round (knocked out by Newcastle United)
Player of the Year	Ray Williams
Top goalscorer	League: Sammy Morgan, Ray Williams (11 each) All: Sammy Morgan, Ray Williams (11 each)
Highest home attendance	20,619 vs. West Ham United, 13 January 1973
Lowest home attendance	3,468 vs. Bristol Rovers, 2 September 1972
Average home league attendance	5,429
Biggest win	4–1 vs. Rotherham United, 26 February 1973
Biggest defeat	0–7 vs. Rotherham United, 26 August 1972
Home colours
← 1971–72 1973–74 →

Overview

Third Division

The pre-season saw Gordon Lee make a number of big signings.^[1] 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.^[1] Williams cost Vale £3,000 and was on a wage of £40 a week (plus incentives).^[1] Also arriving was midfielder Freddie Goodwin (Southport); 'controversial' goalkeeper Alan Boswell (Bolton Wanderers); young midfielder Colin Tartt (Alsager College); and trialist goalkeeper Reg Edwards (Nuneaton Borough).^[1] Ticket prices were raised to between 40 and 60 pence, whilst season tickets were priced between £8 and £10.^[1]

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.^[1] After mid-September the "Valiants" struggled to score, and recorded six draws in eight games, though they remained in the top three.^[1] The club spent £8,500 on new floodlights and a public address system, however, attendances dropped off from the crucial 6,000 break-even number.^[1] Lee complained about the lack of support, and said "the people here are not genuinely interested in league football".^[1] 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'.^[1] Going into the Christmas period Brian Horton was struck by injury, and the team struggled, heading down the league with inconsistent play.^[1] In January, Lee sold John James to Chester for £5,000, Ray Harford to Colchester United for £1,750, and Keith Lindsey to Gillingham for £750.^[1] To keep up the promotion bid, in February he spent £2,250 to bring 'pacey' striker John Woodward from Walsall.^[1] Vale began to pick up wins, though their 2–1 win over Blackburn Rovers led to them being branded by Rovers manager Ken Furphy as 'a brutal and physical side'.^[1] Vale lifted themselves into third place, though were out of the race after a 'shattering' 5–0 defeat to Southend United at Roots Hall.^[1] 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.^[1]

They finished in sixth spot with 53 points, four short of promoted Notts County. The 69 goals conceded tally was higher than that of all but the bottom two clubs.^[1]

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.^[1] Gate receipts had risen massively from £36,323 to £67,202.^[1] The wage bill stood at £59,663, whilst the club's debt was at £44,721, along with £57,860 owed to the directors.^[1] At the end of the season Freddie Goodwin was let go, and he joined Macclesfield Town.^[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale progressed past Fourth Division Southport and then Third Division Wrexham with home victories. 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.^[1] The match raised £8,600, but also the issue of violence, as two Londoners were stabbed, two policemen seriously assaulted, and thirty fans ejected from the stadium.^[1] West Ham manager Ron Greenwood claimed that the Vale players attempted 'the most blatant calculated intimidation I have ever seen anywhere in the world'.^[1]

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.^[1] The Second Round held a home tie with First Division Newcastle United, and the "Magpies" left Stoke-on-Trent having won 3–1 in front of 10,370 spectators.

League table

Main article: 1972–73 Football League

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Promotion or relegation
4	Oldham Athletic	46	19	16	11	72	54	1.333	54
5	Bristol Rovers	46	20	13	13	77	56	1.375	53	Qualified for 1973 Watney Cup^[a]
6	Port Vale	46	21	11	14	56	69	0.812	53
7	AFC Bournemouth	46	17	16	13	66	44	1.500	50
8	Plymouth Argyle	46	20	10	16	74	66	1.121	50	Qualified for 1973 Watney Cup^[a]

Source: rsssf.com
Notes:

1. The two teams who scored the most goals in each division, and did not qualify for Europe and were not promoted, qualified for the Watney Cup.

Results

Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Third Division

Results by matchday

Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46
Ground	A	H	A	H	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	H	A	A	H	A	A	H	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	A	A	H	H	A
Result	D	W	L	W	W	W	W	W	L	L	W	L	D	W	D	D		W	D	D	L	W	L	L	D	W	L	W	L	W	W	L	W	W	L	W	D	W	L	W	D	W	L	W	D	L
Position	10	4	15	6	5	1	1	1	2	4	3	5	4	3	3	2	3	2	3	3	3	3	5	7	6	10	10	9	10	10	9	9	9	5	9	7	8	4	6	6	4	4	5	4	5	6

Source: Statto^[2]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Scorers
12 August 1972	Rochdale	A	0–0	2,661
19 August 1972	York City	H	2–1	4,112	Horton, Goodwin
26 August 1972	Rotherham United	A	0–7	4,788
28 August 1972	Wrexham	H	3–2	3,885	Mountford, James, Morgan
2 September 1972	Bristol Rovers	H	2–1	3,468	Goodwin, Horton (pen)
9 September 1972	Chesterfield	A	2–1	7,854	Loska, Horton (pen)
16 September 1972	Brentford	H	1–0	4,663	Williams
18 September 1972	Halifax Town	H	2–1	5,715	Morgan, Loska
23 September 1972	Walsall	A	0–2	8,159
26 September 1972	Bournemouth	A	0–4	12,145
30 September 1972	Southend United	H	3–1	4,005	Gough, Morgan, Williams (pen)
7 October 1972	Oldham Athletic	H	0–2	5,352
10 October 1972	Watford	A	1–1	5,556	Morgan
14 October 1972	Blackburn Rovers	A	1–0	6,500	Morgan
21 October 1972	Tranmere Rovers	H	0–0	4,007
23 October 1972	Shrewsbury Town	H	1–1	5,213	James
28 October 1972	Notts County	A	1–1	8,544	Horton (pen)
4 November 1972	Bournemouth	H	2–1	6,414	Morgan (2)
11 November 1972	Halifax Town	A	2–2	2,026	Williams, Horton
25 November 1972	Plymouth Argyle	H	1–1	3,881	McLaren
2 December 1972	Charlton Athletic	A	0–2	4,391
16 December 1972	Scunthorpe United	H	2–0	3,833	o.g., McLaren
23 December 1972	Bolton Wanderers	A	0–2	12,643
26 December 1972	Walsall	H	1–2	6,787	Mountford (pen)
30 December 1972	York City	A	0–0	3,589
27 January 1973	Chesterfield	H	2–1	3,806	James, McLaren
30 January 1973	Bristol Rovers	A	1–4	10,009	Loska
3 February 1973	Watford	H	1–0	3,987	Williams
10 February 1973	Brentford	A	0–5	6,694
24 February 1973	Scunthorpe United	A	1–0	2,734	Summerscales
26 February 1973	Rotherham United	H	4–1	4,433	o.g., Gough, Woodward, Williams
3 March 1973	Oldham Athletic	A	0–1	6,998
6 March 1973	Grimsby Town	A	1–0	14,092	Williams
10 March 1973	Blackburn Rovers	H	2–1	7,854	Woodward (2)
16 March 1973	Tranmere Rovers	A	0–2	5,346
19 March 1973	Swansea City	H	3–1	5,104	Morgan (2), Summerscales
24 March 1973	Notts County	H	1–1	8,920	Williams
27 March 1973	Shrewsbury Town	A	3–2	4,419	Woodward (2), Williams
31 March 1973	Plymouth Argyle	A	1–2	9,416	Williams
7 April 1973	Charlton Athletic	H	3–1	5,076	Williams, Morgan, Woodward
9 April 1973	Rochdale	H	0–0	6,413
14 April 1973	Swansea City	A	1–0	2,594	Morgan
20 April 1973	Southend United	A	0–5	9,395
21 April 1973	Grimsby Town	H	3–0	3,772	Woodward (2), Williams
23 April 1973	Bolton Wanderers	H	2–2	14,168	Horton (pen), Woodward
27 April 1973	Wrexham	A	0–5	3,543

FA Cup

Main article: 1972–73 FA Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1	20 November 1972	Southport	H	2–1	4,624	James, Horton
R2	9 December 1972	Wrexham	H	1–0	5,980	Brodie
R3	13 January 1973	West Ham United	H	0–1	20,619

League Cup

Main article: 1972–73 Football League Cup

Round	Date	Opponent	Venue	Result	Attendance	Goalscorers
R1	16 August 1972	Tranmere Rovers	A	1–0	4,003	o.g.
R2	5 September 1972	Newcastle United	H	1–3	10,370	Summerscales

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos.	Name	Football League		FA Cup		League Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	Alan Boswell	44	0	3	0	2	0	49	0
GK	Reg Edwards	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
DF	Bill Summerscales	45	2	3	0	2	1	50	3
DF	Roy Cross	35	0	3	0	2	0	40	0
DF	John Brodie	35	0	3	1	0	0	38	1
DF	Keith Lindsey	8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0
DF	Tony Loska	41	3	2	0	1	0	44	3
MF	Tommy McLaren	41	3	2	0	2	0	45	3
MF	Brian Horton	39	6	2	1	2	0	43	7
MF	Tony Lacey	25	0	3	0	1	0	29	0
MF	Ray Harford	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Freddie Goodwin	27	2	1	0	2	0	30	2
MF	Colin Tartt	29	0	3	0	0	0	32	0
FW	John James	16	3	2	1	2	0	20	4
FW	Bobby Gough	27	2	2	0	0	0	29	2
FW	Sammy Morgan	39	11	3	0	2	0	44	11
FW	Bob Mountford	17	2	1	0	2	0	20	2
FW	John Woodward	17	9	0	0	0	0	17	9
FW	Ray Williams	44	11	3	0	2	0	49	11

Top scorers

Place	Position	Nation	Name	Third Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Total
1	FW	England	Ray Williams	11	0	0	11
–	FW	Northern Ireland	Sammy Morgan	11	0	0	11
3	FW	England	John Woodward	9	0	0	9
4	MF	England	Brian Horton	6	1	0	7
5	FW	England	John James	3	1	0	4
6	DF	England	Tony Loska	3	0	0	3
–	MF	Scotland	Tommy McLaren	3	0	0	3
–	DF	England	Bill Summerscales	2	0	1	3
9	MF	England	Freddie Goodwin	2	0	0	2
–	FW	England	Bob Mountford	2	0	0	2
–	FW	England	Bobby Gough	2	0	0	2
12	DF	England	John Brodie	0	1	0	1
–	–	–	Own goals	2	0	1	3
			TOTALS	56	3	2	61

Transfers

Transfers in

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
July 1972	GK		Alan Boswell	Bolton Wanderers	Free transfer	^[3]
July 1972	MF		Freddie Goodwin	Southport	Free transfer	^[3]
July 1972	FW		Ray Williams	Stafford Rangers	£3,000	^[3]
September 1972	GK		Reg Edwards	Nuneaton Borough	Free transfer	^[3]
February 1973	FW		John Woodward	Walsall	£2,250	^[3]

Transfers out

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
January 1973	DF		Keith Lindsey	Gillingham	£500	^[3]
February 1973	DF		Ray Harford	Colchester United	£1,750	^[3]
February 1973	FW		John James	Chester	£5,000	^[3]
May 1973	MF		Freddie Goodwin	Macclesfield Town	Free transfer	^[3]
May 1973	MF		Bob Peyton		Released	^[3]

Loans out

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Date to	Ref.
December 1972	DF		Keith Lindsey	Gillingham	January 1973	^[3]

References

Specific

1. Kent, Jeff (1990). "Surviving on a Shoestring (1969–1979)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 227–257. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
2. Port Vale 1972–1973 : Results & Fixtures 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
3. Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.

General

• Kent, Jeff (1993). The Port Vale Record 1879-1993. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9508981-9-8.