1985–86_Port_Vale_F.C._season
1985–86 Port Vale F.C. season
Port Vale 1985–86 football season
The 1985–86 season was Port Vale's 74th season of football in the English Football League, and second-successive (13th overall) season in the Fourth Division.[1] John Rudge achieved his first success as manager, leading Vale to promotion into the Third Division with a fourth-place finish. The club also reached the Second Round in both the FA Cup and League Cup, as well as the Northern Section Semi-finals of the Associate Members' Cup. Rudge signing Andy Jones excelled to become the club's top-scorer, whilst Robbie Earle had another impressive season. However, the promotion campaign was built on the strength of the Vale defence, and goalkeeper Jim Arnold was made Player of the Year.
| 1985–86 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Jim Lloyd | ||
| Manager | John Rudge | ||
| Stadium | Vale Park | ||
| Football League Fourth Division | 4th (79 Points) | ||
| FA Cup | Second Round (knocked out by Walsall) | ||
| League Cup | Second Round (knocked out by West Bromwich Albion) | ||
| Associate Members' Cup | Northern Section Semi-finalists (knocked out by Wigan Athletic) | ||
| Player of the Year | Jim Arnold | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Robbie Earle (15) All: Andy Jones (18) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 11,736 vs. Walsall, 8 December 1985 | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 1,584 vs. Blackpool, 10 February 1986 | ||
| Average home league attendance | 3,581 | ||
| Biggest win | 4–0 (three games) | ||
| Biggest defeat | 1–4 vs. Chester City, 1 January 1986 | ||
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Fourth Division
The pre-season saw John Rudge sign big defender John Williams from Tranmere Rovers for £12,000, and powerful Welsh striker Andy Jones from Northern Premier League side Rhyl for £3,000.[1] He also signed goalkeeper Jim Arnold (Everton); Paul Maguire (Tacoma Stars); Jeff Johnson (Gillingham); and Wayne Ebanks (West Bromwich Albion).[1] Meanwhile, new safety regulations reduced Vale Park's capacity down to 16,800, and later again to 16,300.[1] The club set a £10 bonus for clean sheets and also set bonuses for promotion. Another late addition was Jon Bowden from Oldham Athletic for £5,000.[1]
The season opened with a 1–0 defeat to Exeter City at St James Park.[1] Vale continued on indifferent form, and on 17 September played out a goalless draw with Aldershot at the Recreation Ground's lowest recorded Football League attendance of 1,027.[1] At the end of the month Vale went nine league games without a loss to fire the club into the promotion race, their run including three 4–0 wins in Burslem as they went clear at the top of the table.[1] With John Williams sidelined with an ankle injury, Vale's form suffered with just two wins in the following eleven games, and Vale fell to fifth place.[1] From 11 January to 26 April the "Valiants" hit a run of eighteen league games unbeaten (eight draws and ten wins), thus ensuring promotion.[1] This run was built on the striking partnership of Robbie Earle and Andy Jones, as well as a solid defence and consistent displays from keeper Arnold.[1] During this spell Rudge failed to re-sign Bob Newton from Chesterfield, though was cheered by completing the double over Dario Gradi's Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road.[1] One low point was an attack by a Stockport gang on Russell Bromage following a 2–1 win over Stockport County at Edgeley Park.[1] Vale broke into the top four for the first time with a 3–1 win over Aldershot on what was described as "a paddy-field of a pitch".[2] Promotion was ensured with a comfortable 1–0 win over bottom club Torquay United at Plainmoor, in which the majority of the crowd were Vale fans.[3] Promotion was celebrated with a dinner dance at Keele University.[4] However, with two defeats and a draw in their final three games, Rudge accused his players of lacking professionalism as they lost the chance to head into the Third Division as runners-up.[1]
They finished in fourth place with 79 points, seven points clear of Orient.[1] Preston North End were the only team to beat Vale on their ground in the league all season.[1] Their 37 goals conceded was the lowest total in the division and a record excelled only by Manchester United in the First Division.[1] Their 67 goals scored tally was not particularly impressive, though Earle and Jones' partnership provided almost half of these goals.[1] Phil Sproson was selected for the PFA Fourth Division Team of the Year.[1]
Finances
On the financial side, the season lost a disastrous sum of £79,474.[1] The promotion bonuses meant the wage bill totalled at £413,471.[1] Vale's average home attendance of 3,581 was the third-highest in the division.[1] The club's shirt sponsors were ECI. Three players transferred at the end of the season were Peter Griffiths (Salisbury United), Chris Pearce (Wrexham), and Jeff Johnson (Barrow).[1] Player of the Year Jim Arnold and Ally Brown retired, whilst Oshor Williams was sold to Preston North End for 'a small fee'.[1]
Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, Vale beat Mansfield Town 1–0 in a replay following a 1–1 draw at Field Mill. Vale Park saw a crowd of 11,736 for the Second Round goalless tie with Walsall, and were then eliminated following a 2–1 defeat at the Bescot Stadium.
In the League Cup, Vale advanced past Third Division Wigan Athletic 3–2 on aggregate following at 2–0 win at Springfield Park. They were then knocked out by First Division West Bromwich Albion, losing 1–0 at The Hawthorns, before giving an excellent account of themselves by battling back from 2–0 down at Vale Park to draw 2–2.
In the Associate Members' Cup, Vale advanced through the group stage with a 1–1 draw with Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground and a 2–0 home win over Blackpool. The next stage saw Vale triumph over Scunthorpe United at Glanford Park with a 4–3 win on penalties following a 1–1 draw. In the Area Semi-finals they were then defeated by holders Wigan Athletic, though still earned £1,250 in prize money.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chester City | 46 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 83 | 50 | +33 | 84 | Promoted |
| 3 | Mansfield Town | 46 | 23 | 12 | 11 | 74 | 47 | +27 | 81 | |
| 4 | Port Vale | 46 | 21 | 16 | 9 | 67 | 37 | +30 | 79 | |
| 5 | Orient | 46 | 20 | 12 | 14 | 79 | 64 | +15 | 72 | |
| 6 | Colchester United | 46 | 19 | 13 | 14 | 88 | 63 | +25 | 70 |
Port Vale's score comes first
Football League Fourth 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 | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A |
| Result | L | D | W | D | L | W | D | W | L | W | W | W | W | D | W | W | D | D | L | D | W | L | W | L | L | D | D | W | W | W | D | D | D | W | D | W | D | D | W | W | W | W | W | L | D | L |
| Position | 16 | 18 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Matches
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 August 1985 | Exeter City | A | 0–1 | 2,868 | |
| 24 August 1985 | Mansfield Town | H | 0–0 | 2,930 | |
| 26 August 1985 | Burnley | A | 2–1 | 3,995 | Sproson, Griffiths |
| 31 August 1985 | Rochdale | H | 1–1 | 3,043 | Jones |
| 7 September 1985 | Orient | A | 0–1 | 2,455 | |
| 14 September 1985 | Cambridge United | H | 4–1 | 2,674 | Maguire (2 [2 pens]), Earle, Brown |
| 17 September 1985 | Aldershot | A | 0–0 | 1,027 | |
| 21 September 1985 | Halifax Town | H | 3–2 | 2,754 | Hunter (2), Maguire |
| 27 September 1985 | Colchester United | A | 0–1 | 3,110 | |
| 30 September 1985 | Hartlepool United | H | 4–0 | 3,015 | O.Williams, J.Williams, Jones, Maguire |
| 5 October 1985 | Wrexham | H | 4–0 | 3,351 | Maguire (2 [1 pen]), Johnson, o.g. |
| 12 October 1985 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–1 | 2,338 | Earle, Maguire |
| 19 October 1985 | Southend United | H | 4–0 | 4,736 | Jones (2), Webb, Earle |
| 22 October 1985 | Scunthorpe United | A | 0–0 | 1,888 | |
| 26 October 1985 | Swindon Town | H | 3–0 | 5,073 | O.Williams, Earle, Brown |
| 2 November 1985 | Preston North End | A | 1–0 | 4,536 | Maguire (pen) |
| 6 November 1985 | Hereford United | A | 1–1 | 3,308 | Sproson |
| 9 November 1985 | Stockport County | H | 1–1 | 5,248 | Bowden |
| 23 November 1985 | Peterborough United | A | 0–1 | 2,852 | |
| 14 December 1985 | Northampton Town | A | 2–2 | 3,259 | Sproson, Earle |
| 17 December 1985 | Torquay United | H | 1–0 | 3,421 | Hunter |
| 22 December 1985 | Mansfield Town | A | 1–2 | 3,730 | O.Williams |
| 26 December 1985 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 3–0 | 5,976 | Maguire, Brown, Earle |
| 1 January 1986 | Chester City | A | 1–4 | 5,323 | Earle |
| 4 January 1986 | Preston North End | H | 0–1 | 3,592 | |
| 11 January 1986 | Rochdale | A | 3–3 | 2,445 | Jones (2), Brown |
| 17 January 1986 | Exeter City | H | 0–0 | 3,385 | |
| 25 January 1986 | Cambridge United | A | 3–1 | 2,437 | J.Williams, Hunter, Earle |
| 1 February 1986 | Orient | H | 2–0 | 3,074 | Earle (2) |
| 3 February 1986 | Scunthorpe United | H | 3–1 | 2,977 | J.Williams, Jones (pen), Bromage |
| 24 February 1986 | Burnley | H | 1–1 | 3,030 | Banks |
| 1 March 1986 | Colchester United | H | 1–1 | 2,726 | Jones |
| 5 March 1986 | Hartlepool United | A | 1–1 | 2,550 | Bowden |
| 8 March 1986 | Wrexham | A | 3–1 | 2,614 | Shankland, Earle, Jones (pen) |
| 15 March 1986 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0–0 | 3,527 | |
| 18 March 1986 | Aldershot | H | 3–1 | 2,461 | Bowden, Hunter, Earle |
| 23 March 1986 | Swindon Town | A | 0–0 | 10,147 | |
| 29 March 1986 | Chester City | H | 1–1 | 4,490 | Sproson |
| 31 March 1986 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–0 | 4,986 | Earle |
| 5 April 1986 | Hereford United | H | 1–0 | 3,344 | Jones (pen) |
| 11 April 1986 | Stockport County | A | 2–1 | 4,691 | Maguire, Brown |
| 19 April 1986 | Peterborough United | H | 2–0 | 3,765 | Jones (2 [1 pen]) |
| 26 April 1986 | Torquay United | A | 1–0 | 1,898 | Earle |
| 29 April 1986 | Halifax Town | A | 0–2 | 1,389 | |
| 3 May 1986 | Northampton Town | H | 0–0 | 3,873 | |
| 5 May 1986 | Southend United | A | 1–2 | 1,687 | Earle |
FA Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 16 November 1985 | Mansfield Town | A | 1–1 | 5,207 | Earle |
| R1 Replay | 18 November 1985 | Mansfield Town | H | 1–0 | 6,749 | Maguire (pen) |
| R2 | 8 December 1985 | Walsall | H | 0–0 | 11,736 | |
| R2 Replay | 10 December 1985 | Walsall | A | 1–2 | 5,671 | Brown |
League Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 1st Leg | 20 August 1985 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–2 | 2,620 | Sproson |
| R1 2nd Leg | 2 September 1985 | Wigan Athletic | A | 2–0 | 2,772 | Jones, Earle |
| R2 1st Leg | 24 September 1985 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 0–1 | 6,218 | |
| R2 2nd Leg | 7 October 1985 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 2–2 | 7,985 | Jones, Maguire |
Associate Members' Cup
| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | 21 January 1986 | Wrexham | A | 1–1 | 992 | Jones (pen) |
| R1 | 10 February 1986 | Blackpool | H | 3–1 | 1,584 | Maguire, Hunter, Jones |
| NSQF | 10 March 1986 | Scunthorpe United | A | 1–1 (4-3 pens) | 1,415 | Jones (pen) |
| NSSF | 26 March 1986 | Wigan Athletic | H | 1–2 | 4,832 | Jones (pen) |
Appearances
| Pos. | Name | Football League | FA Cup | League Cup | Associate Members' Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| GK |  Chris Pearce |
5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| GK |  Jim Arnold |
41 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| DF | Phil Sproson |
44 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 54 | 5 |
| DF | Alan Webb |
39 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| DF | Wayne Ebanks |
12 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| DF | Chris Banks |
19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| DF | John Williams |
36 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 3 |
| DF | Russell Bromage |
40 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 1 |
| MF | Geoff Hunter |
45 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 57 | 6 |
| MF |  Robbie Earle |
46 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 58 | 17 |
| MF | Peter Griffiths |
5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| MF |  Paul Maguire |
45 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 57 | 13 |
| MF | Jeff Johnson |
10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| MF | Oshor Williams |
32 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 3 |
| MF | Jon Bowden |
36 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 44 | 3 |
| MF | Eric Mountford |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | Ally Brown |
27 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 6 |
| FW | Mick Perry |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Andy Shankland |
2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| FW | Andy Jones |
41 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 52 | 18 |
| FW | Steve Cammack |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | Steve Biggins |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Top scorers
| Place | Position | Nation | Name | Fourth Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Associate Members' Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | England | Andy Jones | 12 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 18 |
| 2 | MF | Jamaica | Robbie Earle | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 17 |
| 3 | MF | Scotland | Paul Maguire | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 13 |
| 4 | FW | Scotland | Ally Brown | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| – | MF | England | Geoff Hunter | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| 6 | DF | England | Phil Sproson | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | MF | England | Jon Bowden | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| – | DF | England | John Williams | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| – | MF | England | Oshor Williams | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | DF | England | Alan Webb | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | Chris Banks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | England | Peter Griffiths | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | Wales | Jeff Johnson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Andy Shankland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | Russell Bromage | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | – | Own goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| TOTALS | 67 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 81 | |||
Transfers in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1985 | FW | | Andy Jones | Rhyl | £3,000 | [6] |
| June 1985 | DF | | Wayne Ebanks | West Bromwich Albion | Free transfer | [6] |
| June 1985 | MF | | Jeff Johnson | Gillingham | Free transfer | [6] |
| June 1985 | MF | | Paul Maguire |  Tacoma Stars | Free transfer | [6] |
| July 1985 | DF | | John Williams | Tranmere Rovers | £12,000 | [6] |
| August 1985 | GK | | Jim Arnold | Everton | Free transfer | [6] |
| September 1985 | MF | | Jon Bowden | Oldham Athletic | £5,000 | [6] |
| October 1985 | FW | | Mick Perry | Torquay United | Trial | [6] |
Transfers out
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 1986 | FW | | Mick Perry | Stafford Rangers | Trial ended | [6] |
| May 1986 | FW | | Alistair Brown | Retired | [6] | |
| May 1986 | MF | | Peter Griffiths |  Salisbury United | Free transfer | [6] |
| May 1986 | MF | | Jeff Johnson | Barrow | Free transfer | [6] |
| May 1986 | GK | | Chris Pearce | Wrexham | Free transfer | [6] |
| May 1986 | FW | | Andy Shankland | Released | [6] | |
| Summer 1986 | MF | | Oshor Williams | Preston North End | £2,000 | [6] |
Loans in
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Date to | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 1985 | FW | | Steve Cammack | Scunthorpe United | January 1986 | [6] |
| 1986 | FW | | Steve Biggins | Derby County | 1986 | [6] |
- Specific
- Kent, Jeff (1990). "From Rags to Riches (1979–1990)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 258–290. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
- Baggaley, Mike (18 March 2024). "Analysing the Vale as odds mount against great escape". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
- Baggaley, Michael (26 April 2020). "Victory at Torquay clinches John Rudge's first promotion as Port Vale manager". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
- Baggaley, Mike (25 February 2024). "Vale slide closer to relegation with Lincoln loss". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- Port Vale 1985–1986 : Results & Fixtures Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
- 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.