The 1946–47 season was Port Vale's 35th season of football in the English Football League, and their second full season in the Third Division South.^[1] It was their first full season following the outbreak of war in Europe, they thus continued where they left off in 1938–39, albeit after seven seasons of wartime football. Starting its post-war period modestly on the pitch with a tenth-place finish, the club still handed débuts to future legends Tommy Cheadle and Ronnie Allen, whilst work continued to complete 'The Wembley of the North'.

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Port Vale

1946–47 season
Chairman	William Holdcroft
Manager	Billy Frith (until October) Gordon Hodgson (from October)
Stadium	The Old Recreation Ground
Football League Third Division South	10th (43 Points)
FA Cup	Fourth Round (knocked out by Blackburn Rovers)
Top goalscorer	League: Morris Jones (23) All: Morris Jones (26)
Highest home attendance	14,490 vs. Exeter City, 7 September 1946
Lowest home attendance	4,928 vs. Bournemouth, 10 March 1947
Average home league attendance	10,582
Biggest win	5–1 (three games)
Biggest defeat	0–4 vs. Cardiff City, 12 October 1946
Home colours
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A club record was started on 19 October 1946, that would be completed on 13 March 1948, with a 33 long run of home games in which Vale's opposition failed to keep a clean sheet.

Two games into a standard 1939–40 season, Vale were bottom of the Third Division South, and when war was initiated on 1 September all sports gatherings were prohibited and the season was cancelled.^[1] A week later and Stoke-on-Trent was one of many places to be permitted to host football matches.^[1] However, almost all of the club's players volunteered or were conscripted to fight Nazi Germany.^[1] Vale played numerous friendlies, as well as taking part in the regional war leagues.^[1] They finished eighth in the West League in 1939–40.^[1] Unable to raise sufficient finances from 1940 onwards, they only put forward an amateur side filled with young players in the North Staffordshire League, also entering cup competitions such as The Sentinel Cup.^[1] They recorded some very one-sided victories over local amateur teams such as Shelton Labour, Hanley Deep Pit, and Northwood Mission.^[1] Some of Vale's top professionals signed to sides such as Stoke City, Crewe Alexandra, and Manchester United.^[1] Players that guested for the club included names such as Peter Doherty, Micky Fenton, Frank Soo and Dennis Wilshaw.^[1] Guest players often made up half of the first XI, filling the gaps left by Vale's players on active service.^[1]

The club came close to folding in summer 1943 when club president Mayor W.M.Huntbach died, leaving the club liable for £3,000 worth of debt, in addition to the £1,000 a year debit they were recording during the war.^[1] Appeals to The Football Association fell on deaf ears.^[1] The directors therefore agreed a £13,500 sale of The Old Recreation Ground to Stoke-on-Trent Corporation (the local council).^[1] Their application to the council to rent the stadium back was rejected.^[1] The sale was agreed without the support of shareholders, though the directors justified the sale by arguing that the stadium was a financial burden, especially as local vandals, hooligans and yobs regularly stole and trashed areas of the stadium.^[1] Nevertheless, Port Vale were then a club without any professional players and without a stadium.^[1] In October 1943 the council relented and allowed rent to be paid until April 1944.^[1] Then the council agreed to rent the stadium at a longer term for £400 a year.^[1]

The search for a new ground took them to Hamil Road, Burslem; opposite a site the club occupied between 1884 and 1886.^[1] The rough land used for fly-tipping was valued at £30,000, and the Brownhills Estates Company and the Supporters' Club launched a New Ground Appeal.^[1] In September 1944 the land was acquired, and work began on a 70,000 capacity 'Wembley of the North'.^[1] These were ambitious plans for a club that had in the past recorded attendances as low as 3,000 from fair-weather fans.^[1] In the meantime the club took part in the 1944–45 Football League North league.^[1] Club director and former Northern Ireland international Jack Diffin took the position of manager.^[1] He was replaced by David Pratt in December 1944.^[1] For the 1945–46 season they were placed in the Third Division South (North Region), with new manager Billy Frith.^[1] The Council agreed to allow the Vale to rent The Old Recreation Ground until 24 June 1950.^[1] Plans for the new stadium now were expanded to a massive 80,000 capacity.^[1]

Three former Port Vale players known to have been killed in the war were Tom Cooper, Haydn Dackins, and Sam Jennings. Meanwhile, Jack Roberts became a hero without losing his life, rising to the rank of Sergeant, he was captured in Tunisia, however, managed to escape from a prisoner-of-war camp to return home.^[2]

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