Second Division

The pre-season saw Brian Horton sign numerous bit-part players on free transfers: Ashley Dodd (Manchester United); Ian Armstrong (Liverpool); Phil Hardy (an eleven-year Wrexham veteran); Rae Ingram (Macclesfield Town); and Alex Gibson (Stoke City). He also signed Stephen McPhee from Coventry City, who would go on to become a key player for the club.

The season opened with six points from three games, though this was followed by just one point from six games. In September, after failing secure Paul Hall's signature, New Zealand international striker Chris Killen was signed on loan from Manchester City. Simon Osborn also joined from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a one-month contract,^[1] before he moved on to Gillingham. In October, Steve Torpey was allowed to join Scarborough on a one-month loan. Arriving in Burslem was Sean McClare, who joined on a one-month loan from Barnsley,^[2] before signing permanently when the loan deal finished. Frenchman Johan Gallon also had a trial at the club, but was not offered a contract. On 21 October, Vale played rivals Stoke City, and McPhee scored for Vale, before Chris Iwelumo buried a late equaliser for the "Potters".^[3] The next month Danny Webber was taken in on loan from Manchester United.^[4] Vale continued through the Christmas period in inconsistent form, despite the arrival of 36-year-old John Durnin.^[5] In January, Mvondo Atangana became the first Cameroonian to play for the Vale, when he joined on loan from Dundee United – he would only play two games before picking up a serious injury.^[6] Meanwhile, Richard Burgess was allowed to join Nuneaton Borough permanently. Vale then went on a sequence of seven wins in eight games to shoot up the table, including a 1–0 win over Stoke at the Britannia Stadium thanks to a Micky Cummins header,^[7] as Horton was named Manager of the Month.^[8] The 23,019 attendance at Stoke was the highest at any match in the division during the season, whereas the 2,379 that saw the 1–0 win at Cambridge United three days later was the lowest attendance figure.^[9] This run raised hopes of a play-off bid.^[10] It also encouraged chairman Bill Bell to offer new contracts to the management team (Horton, Grew, Foyle and Glover), as well as seven players. Horton was also awarded the Manager of the Month award for February. Vale finished in poor form however, winning just one of their final eleven games.

Vale finished in fourteenth place with 58 points, quite some distance from either the play-offs or the relegation zone. The team lost 14 of their 23 league games away from home. Stoke finished nine places and 22 points above the Vale, and won promotion via the play-offs, never to meet the Vale again for the rest of the decade. McPhee hit fourteen goals to become the club's top-scorer, with Brooker and Cummins close behind in the scoring charts. Cummins was also an ever-present. Overworked goalkeeper Mark Goodlad was voted Player of the Year.

At the end of the season numerous players were allowed to leave on a free transfers: Sagi Burton (Crewe Alexandra); George O'Callaghan (Cork City); Danny Maye (Southend United); Paul Donnelly (Stone Dominoes); Steve Torpey (Prescot Cables); and Phil Hardy. Durnin also turned his hand to coaching, and was appointed as the club's under-17 coach.^[11]

Finances

The collapse of ITV Digital cost the club £400,000 in revenue.^[12] Chairman Bill Bell announced a 30% cut in the players' wage budget at the end of the campaign.^[12] These ominous warnings belied a financial crisis that would hit the club hard the following season.^[12] In August, former chairman Jim Lloyd returned to the club as a director. The next month, Chief Executive Dave Jolley was sacked. A Charles Machin led consortium made a £1 million bid for the club in December, but were turned away by Bill Bell, who claimed that Valiant2001 "won't last three months". Later in the month former commercial director Neil Hughes was arrested for fraud for allegedly stealing £20,000 from the club; he denied the offence. The club's debt stood at £1.7 million in February. The next month the Football Association's compliance unit began an investigation into the club, but found no wrongdoing. The club's shirt sponsors were Tunstall Assurance.

Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale avoided losing to a non-League club for the second-successive season by beating Aylesbury United 3–0 at Vale Park.^[13] They had been held by the "Ducks" 0–0 at half-time, and the non-League side seemed to have taken the lead on 52 minutes until captain Scott Honeyball's headed goal was disallowed for an infringement; Burgess then put the Vale ahead two minutes later before Cummins and Brooker made the game safe.^[14] They exited at the second round after a 3–0 defeat to Cardiff City at Ninian Park.^[15]

In the League Cup, for the second consecutive season Vale faced Third Division Chesterfield in the first round, this time however, the two-legged format was scrapped in favour of a standard knock-out tournament structure. Vale progressed with a 2–1 win thanks to a brace from McPhee. It was a bad-tempered affair, with three sendings-off.^[16] Facing Premier League Charlton Athletic at The Valley in the second round, Alan Curbishley's men eliminated the Vale with a 2–0 win.

In the Football League Trophy, Vale advanced past Carlisle United and Rochdale to reach the Area Quarter-finals. where they faced Hull City at Boothferry Park. The "Tigers" eliminated the "Valiants" with a 2–1 win.^[17]

Football League Second Division

FA Cup

League Cup

Football League Trophy

Appearances

More information Pos., # ...

Pos.	#	Name	Football League		FA Cup		League Cup		Football League Trophy		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
GK	1	Mark Goodlad	43	0	2	0	2	0	3	0	50	0
DF	2	Matt Carragher	41	0	2	0	2	0	2	0	47	0
DF	3	Phil Hardy	8	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	10	1
MF	4	Sean McClare	23	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	25	1
DF	5	Michael Walsh	28	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	29	0
DF	6	Sagi Burton	37	0	2	0	1	0	2	1	42	1
MF	7	Neil Brisco	37	0	1	0	2	0	3	0	43	0
MF	8	Micky Cummins	46	8	2	1	2	0	3	0	53	9
FW	9	Steve Brooker	41	9	2	1	2	0	3	1	48	11
FW	10	Stephen McPhee	44	11	2	0	2	0	3	1	51	14
MF	11	Marc Bridge-Wilkinson	19	6	0	0	0	0	0	0	19	6
GK	12	Dean Delany	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
GK	13	Chris Gowan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DF	14	Rae Ingram	22	0	2	0	2	0	2	0	28	0
MF	16	Ashley Dodd	9	1	2	0	1	0	1	0	13	1
MF	17	Ian Armstrong	31	3	1	0	0	0	2	2	34	5
MF	18	George O'Callaghan	11	3	1	0	2	0	2	0	15	3
DF	19	Alex Gibson	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0
DF	20	Paul Donnelly	6	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	8	0
DF	21	Liam Burns	34	0	2	0	1	0	2	0	39	0
DF	22	Paul Taylor	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
DF	23	Steve Rowland	25	1	2	0	0	0	2	0	29	1
MF	24	Ben Simpson	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
MF	25	Danny Maye	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	0
FW	26	Billy Paynter	7	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
FW	27	Steve Torpey	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
MF	28	Chris Birchall	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0
MF	30	John Durnin	19	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	19	1
Players that left the club mid-season:
MF	4	Simon Osborn	7	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	8	0
FW	15	Richard Burgess	2	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	3	1
FW	15	Mvondo Atangana	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
FW	29	Chris Killen	9	6	0	0	0	0	1	0	10	6
FW	29	Danny Webber	4	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	5	0
DF	30	Paul Byrne	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	2	0

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Top scorers

More information Place, Position ...

Place	Position	Nation	Number	Name	Second Division	FA Cup	League Cup	Football League Trophy	Total
1	FW	Scotland	10	Stephen McPhee	11	0	2	1	14
2	FW	England	9	Steve Brooker	9	1	0	1	11
3	MF	Ireland	8	Micky Cummins	8	1	0	0	9
4	FW	New Zealand	29	Chris Killen	6	0	0	0	6
–	FW	England	#	Marc Bridge-Wilkinson	6	0	0	0	6
6	MF	England	17	Ian Armstrong	3	0	0	2	5
7	MF	Ireland	18	George O'Callaghan	3	0	0	0	3
8	DF	Wales	232	Steve Rowland	1	0	0	0	1
–	DF	Ireland	3	Phil Hardy	1	0	0	0	1
–	MF	England	4	Sean McClare	1	0	0	0	1
–	MF	England	30	John Durnin	1	0	0	0	1
–	MF	England	16	Ashley Dodd	1	0	0	0	1
–	DF	Saint Kitts	6	Sagi Burton	0	0	0	1	1
–	FW	England	15	Richard Burgess	0	1	0	0	1
–		–	–	Own goals	0	0	0	0	0
				TOTALS	51	3	2	5	61

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Transfers in

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Fee	Ref.
May 2001	MF		Ashley Dodd	Manchester United	Free transfer	[20]
June 2001	DF		Alex Gibson	Stoke City	Free transfer	[20]
June 2001	DF		Phil Hardy	Wrexham	Free transfer	[20]
June 2001	DF		Rae Ingram	Macclesfield Town	Free transfer	[20]
July 2001	FW		Stephen McPhee	Coventry City	Free transfer	[20]
August 2001	FW		Steve Torpey	Liverpool	Free transfer	[20]
Summer 2001	MF		Ian Armstrong	Liverpool	Free transfer	[20]
September 2001	MF		Simon Osborn	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Free transfer	[20]
29 November 2001	MF		Sean McClare	Barnsley	Free transfer	[20]
December 2001	MF		John Durnin	Rhyl	Free transfer	[20]

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Transfers out

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
October 2001	MF		Simon Osborn	Gillingham	Free transfer	[20]
January 2002	FW		Richard Burgess	Nuneaton Borough	Free transfer	[20]
April 2002	MF		Ashley Dodd	Moor Green	Free transfer	[20]
April 2002	DF		Phil Hardy		Released	[20]
May 2002	MF		George O'Callaghan	Cork City	Free transfer	[20]
May 2002	FW		Steve Torpey	Prescot Cables	Free transfer	[20]
June 2002	MF		Danny Maye	Southend United	Free transfer	[20]
July 2002	DF		Paul Donnelly	Stone Dominoes	Free transfer	[20]
July 2002	DF		Alex Gibson	Stafford Rangers	Free transfer	[20]
August 2002	DF		Sagi Burton	Crewe Alexandra	Free transfer	[20]

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Loans in

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	From	Date to	Ref.
23 September 2001	FW		Chris Killen	Manchester City	23 November 2001	[20]
19 October 2001	MF		Sean McClare	Barnsley	28 November 2001	[20]
23 November 2001	FW		Danny Webber	Manchester United	31 December 2001	[20]
18 January 2002	FW		Mvondo Atangana	Dundee United	18 February 2002	[20]

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Loans out

More information Date from, Position ...

Date from	Position	Nationality	Name	To	Date to	Ref.
15 October 2001	FW		Steve Torpey	Scarborough	15 November 2001	[20]

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