Third Division South

The pre-season saw the club attempt to sign Huddersfield Town's star forward Peter Doherty, when this failed Gordon Hodgson instead signed Liverpool left-wing duo Stan Palk and Mick Hulligan for £10,000.^[1] Striker Walter Aveyard was also signed from Birmingham City, despite his belief that a leg injury had finished him.^[1] Fans were convinced promotion to the Second Division was possible, and so there was a surge in season ticket sales.^[1]

The season started with seven points from the opening four games, leaving the club top of the table.^[1] The season-high 18,497 fans that turned up for a 3–0 win over Aldershot were impressed by the skill of the three new signings.^[1] The club's good form continued to the end of September, despite the sale of Walter Keeley to Accrington Stanley for £1,500 – who had found himself relegated to the sidelines by Hulligan's good performances.^[1] After this Hulligan broke his ankle, whilst other injuries also hit the squad.^[1] Six weeks of six defeats in seven games followed, leaving Vale sixth from bottom.^[1] During this spell Joe Dale was offloaded to Witton Albion, as Hodgson attempted to fill the gaps in the first-team with young reserves.^[1] Winning three games on the trot, the Vale put an end to this bad spell, also keeping three clean sheets.

Over the Christmas period talk was dominated by 'The Wembley of the North', which had been projected as an 80,000 capacity stadium, now it was planned as a 40,000 capacity ground with room for future expansion.^[1] Finding just fifty members for the '100 club', the financing was helped by a £8,000 grant from The Football Association.^[1] In January the club initiated a fire-sale of players: Bill Pointon went to Queens Park Rangers for a then-club record five-figure fee, whilst Harry Hubbick was sold to Rochdale for around £1,000.^[1] Meanwhile, the club transfer listed Palk, Aveyard, and Eric Eastwood (who all lived outside North Staffordshire); whilst Hulligan returned from injury.^[1] A two-month run without a win followed, in which Hodgson again experimented with the first XI.^[1] This run finally ended with a 1–0 win over Notts County on 9 April.^[1] Nine days later at Ashton Gate, keeper Harry Prince was given a chance in place of regular George Heppell, who embarrassed himself by attempting to punch a 40 yards (37 m) punt from Stone, only to miss the ball entirely and thereby concede the equaliser.^[1] Later in the month, Hodgson signed George King from Hull City for a four-figure fee.^[1] King scored twice in his debut against Torquay United.^[1]

They finished a disappointing thirteenth, boasting just 39 points.^[1] They had scored twelve fewer goals than the previous campaign, though their defensive record was identical.^[1] Harry Prince's move to Stafford Rangers was the only significant departure of the summer.^[1]

Finances

On the financial side, a large transfer credit helped the club record a gross profit of £7,120.^[1] Gate receipts had declined to £25,831, whilst wages had risen to £16,095.^[1] The Burslem Supporters Club put forward a donation of £600, and the club issued 22,000 new five shilling shares to help with the New Ground Fund.^[1]

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale were knocked out in the First Round by Notts County at Meadow Lane in front of 36,514 spectators.^[1]

Football League Third Division South

FA Cup

Appearances

More information Pos., Name ...

Pos.	Name	Football League		FA Cup		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	George Heppell	37	0	1	0	38	0
GK	Ray Hancock	3	0	0	0	3	0
GK	Harry Prince	2	0	0	0	2	0
DF	Basil Hayward	41	0	1	0	42	0
DF	Tommy Cheadle	22	2	1	0	23	2
DF	Garth Butler	33	0	1	0	34	0
DF	Harry Hubbick	20	1	1	0	21	1
DF	Reg Potts	19	0	0	0	19	0
DF	Jim Elsby	1	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Wilf Smith	1	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Jimmy Todd	11	0	0	0	11	0
MF	Alan Martin	42	6	1	1	43	7
MF	Bill McGarry	40	1	1	0	41	1
MF	Eric Eastwood	4	0	0	0	4	0
MF	Walter Keeley	2	0	0	0	2	0
MF	Joe Dale	6	1	0	0	6	1
MF	Mick Hulligan	28	5	0	0	28	5
MF	Alan Bennett	1	0	0	0	1	0
MF	Bernard Jones	6	0	1	0	7	0
FW	Bill Pointon	15	5	0	0	15	5
FW	Ronnie Allen	40	10	1	0	41	10
FW	Lewis White	1	0	0	0	1	0
FW	Pat Raftery	2	0	0	0	2	0
FW	John Sherratt	2	0	0	0	2	0
FW	George King	2	2	0	0	2	2
FW	George O'Neill	5	0	0	0	5	0
FW	Stan Palk	42	4	1	0	43	4
FW	Walter Aveyard	34	13	1	0	35	13

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Top scorers

More information Place, Position ...

Place	Position	Nation	Name	Third Division South	FA Cup	Total
1	FW	England	Walter Aveyard	13	0	13
2	FW	England	Ronnie Allen	10	0	10
3	MF	England	Alan Martin	6	1	7
4	FW	England	Bill Pointon	5	0	5
–	MF	England	Mick Hulligan	5	0	5
6	FW	England	Stan Palk	4	0	4
7	FW	England	George King	2	0	2
–	DF	England	Tommy Cheadle	2	0	2
9	FW	England	Harry Hubbick	1	0	1
–	MF	England	Bill McGarry	1	0	1
–	MF	England	Joe Dale	1	0	1
–	–	–	Own goals	1	0	1
			TOTALS	51	1	52

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Transfers in

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
May 1948	GK		Ray Hancock	Bury	Free transfer	[3]
June 1948	FW		Walter Aveyard	Birmingham City	Free transfer	[3]
July 1948	MF		Mick Hulligan	Liverpool	£10,000	[3]
July 1948	FW		Stan Palk	Liverpool	£10,000	[3]
October 1948	MF		Bernard Jones	Longport	Free transfer	[3]
November 1948	FW		George O'Neill	Ellesmere Port Town	Free transfer	[3]
November 1948	FW		Pat Raftery	Ravensdale	Free transfer	[3]
April 1949	FW		George King	Hull City	'four-figure fee'	[3]

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Transfers out

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
September 1948	MF		Walter Keeley	Accrington Stanley	£1,500	[3]
October 1948	MF		Joe Dale	Witton Albion	'Cheshire League record fee'	[3]
January 1949	DF		Harry Hubbick	Rochdale	£1,000	[3]
January 1949	FW		Bill Pointon	Queens Park Rangers	'club record five-figure fee'	[3]
May 1949	GK		Harry Prince	Stafford Rangers	Released	[3]
July 1949	DF		Bob Pursell	Winsford United	Free transfer	[3]
July 1949	FW		Lewis White	Winsford United	Free transfer	[3]
Summer 1949	FW		George O'Neill		Released	[3]
Summer 1949	FW		John Sherratt		Released	[3]

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