# 1944–45 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1944–45 season was Port Vale's second season of football in the wartime league system of World War II. First-team football was reinstated at the Old Recreation Ground for the first time since the 1939–40 season, however, success was limited as they finished in the lower reaches of the North Championship and the League North Cup.

## Overview

Port Vale resumed first-team football for the first time since the 1939–40 season, entering the North Championship of the war league, which contained 54 teams but required only 18 games to be played by each club. The junior team had been active since then, and the club hoped they could perform at a senior level, supplemented by guest players. A good crowd of 8,768 turned up at the Old Recreation Ground for the season-opener to Birmingham, and a 3–0 victory offered hope of a successful season. However, they lost the reverse fixture 4–0 and went on to pick up only one more point by the end of September. Their home performances were generally competent, but they ended the league with only one point on the road. Vale ended the league programme in 46th place, having accrued just 12 points from their 18 games.
A ten-game series for qualification to the League North Cup began in December. The club appointed David Pratt to manage the players, succeeding director Jack Diffin, though Pratt failed to gain clearance from the Royal Air Force and so never actually took charge of a game. Vale managed to win 3–2 away at Chester on 6 January but lost six games of the series, including heavy 8–1 and 6–2 defeats to Potteries derby rivals Stoke City. A seven games series of the North Championship followed, which attracted little interest as crowds dwindled. Though Vale managed to beat Stockport County 5–0, they lost five of their seven games, including two further poor defeats at the hands of Stoke City. The season concluded with four games of Midland Cup competition, of which Vale lost three. The opening game of the competition did, though, see a 3–2 win over Walsall; the Vale line-up included a 16-year-old Ronnie Allen and renowned Ireland international Peter Doherty. The club made a profit of £1,262 on the season, thanks to gate receipts of £11,200.

## Results

Port Vale's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### North First Championship
#### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 45 | Accrington Stanley | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 29 | 46 | 0.630 | 12 |
| 46 | Port Vale | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 36 | 0.611 | 12 |
| 47 | Bury | 18 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 28 | 48 | 0.583 | 12 |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 26 August 1944 | Birmingham | H | 3–0 | 8,768 | Kirkaldy (2), Bellis |
| 2 September 1944 | Birmingham | A | 0–4 | 5,970 | |
| 9 September 1944 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–2 | 7,760 | E.Prince |
| 16 September 1944 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0–0 | 8,134 | |
| 23 September 1944 | Northampton | A | 1–3 | 3,125 | E.Prince |
| 30 September 1944 | Northampton | H | 1–2 | 6,549 | B.Pointon |
| 7 October 1944 | Coventry City | H | 2–0 | 6,600 | Musgrave, E.Prince |
| 14 October 1944 | Coventry City | A | 3–4 | 5,000 | Pepper (2), E.Prince |
| 21 October 1944 | Leicester City | A | 1–4 | 5,770 | E.Prince |
| 28 October 1944 | Leicester City | H | 2–1 | 4,070 | Bellis, McDowell |
| 4 November 1944 | Aston Villa | H | 2–1 | 9,700 | Bellis, Pointon |
| 11 November 1944 | Aston Villa | A | 0–4 | 8,500 | |
| 18 November 1944 | Stoke City | A | 0–2 | 18,000 | |
| 25 November 1944 | Stoke City | H | 3–0 | 9,618 | McDowell, Bellis, P.Griffiths |
| 2 December 1944 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–3 | 7,500 | |
| 9 December 1944 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 0–2 | 8,493 | |
| 16 December 1944 | Walsall | A | 2–2 | 2,000 | Clunn, Bellis |
| 23 December 1944 | Walsall | H | 1–2 | 2,195 | McDowell |

### League North Cup
#### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 53 | Swansea Town | 20 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 42 | 63 | 0.667 | 13 |
| 54 | Port Vale | 21 | 5 | 2 | 14 | 27 | 60 | 0.450 | 12 |
| 55 | Mansfield Town | 12 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 22 | 38 | 0.579 | 11 |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 25 December 1944 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 1–3 | 5,500 | Ware |
| 30 December 1944 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–2 | 5,000 | McDowell |
| 6 January 1945 | Chester | A | 3–2 | 2,790 | Bellis (2), E.Prince |
| 13 January 1945 | Chester | H | 0–2 | 5,468 | |
| 30 January 1945 | Wrexham | A | 0–5 | 2,165 | |
| 3 February 1945 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 2–0 | 4,626 | McDowell, Booth |
| 10 February 1945 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 2–1 | 8,548 | Booth, Bellis |
| 17 February 1945 | Stoke City | A | 1–8 | 12,644 | Cardwell |
| 24 February 1945 | Stoke City | H | 2–6 | 17,040 | McShane, B.Pointon |
| 17 March 1945 | Wrexham | H | 1–1 | 3,089 | Bellis |

### North Second Championship

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 26 December 1944 | Wrexham | A | 0–4 | 7,668 | |
| 3 March 1945 | Stockport County | H | 5–0 | 3,200 | McShane (2), B.Pointon (2), Hall |
| 10 March 1945 | Stockport County | A | 0–3 | 2,000 | |
| 2 April 1945 | Wrexham | H | 2–2 | 6,079 | P.Griffiths (2) |
| 28 April 1945 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0–1 | small | |
| 5 May 1945 | Stoke City | A | 0–6 | 1,000 | |
| 9 May 1945 | Stoke City | H | 2–4 | 5,550 | Isherwood, H.Griffiths |

### Midland Cup
#### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 47 | Southport | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 19 | 40 | 0.475 | 7 |
| 48 | Port Vale | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 30 | 0.433 | 7 |
| 49 | Bath City | 10 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 28 | 34 | 0.824 | 6 |

#### Matches

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| Q | 24 March 1945 | Walsall | H | 3–2 | 5,870 | Clunn (2), Bellis |
| Q | 31 March 1945 | Walsall | A | 0–2 | 1,592 | |
| Q | 7 April 1945 | Notts County | H | 1–4 | 5,790 | F.Pointon |
| Q | 14 April 1945 | Notts County | A | 1–2 | 3,000 | Gregory |

## Player statistics
### Appearances and goals

| Pos. | Name | North Championship | North Championship | League North Cup | League North Cup | Midland Cup | Midland Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Arthur Jepson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GK | Albert Hankey | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| GK | Ron Mawson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GK | Harry Prince | 23 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| DF | Harry Griffiths | 22 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| DF | Edwin Blunt | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Jack Griffiths | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| DF | Bob Pursell | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DF | Jess Sproson | 22 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| DF | Arthur Bateman | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DF | Harry Betmead | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Louis Cardwell | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| DF | Stephen Hughes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Jock Lowe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | John Mills | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Cyril Johnson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Wilf Smith | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| MF | Alf Bellis | 13 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 25 | 10 |
| MF | George Hannah | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Murdoch Dickie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Phil Griffiths | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| MF | James Tunnicliffe | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Bob Allen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Arthur Bailey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Kenneth Banks | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | William Birks | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Jackie Bray | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Billy Buckley | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| MF | Jack Clunn | 7 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 3 |
| MF | Arthur Cooper | 17 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| MF | Bertie Duffy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Harold Jervis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Jack Kirkaldy | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| MF | Frank Marsh | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Alan Martin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | John Maund | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Harry McShane | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| MF | Roy Meredith | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | David Muir | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Jonty Musgrave | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| MF | Robert Pepper | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| MF | Frank Pointon | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| MF | Sid Prince | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Joe Wheatley | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | John Sanderson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | George Morrey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Harry Ware | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| FW | Cecil Booth | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| FW | Peter Doherty | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Micky Fenton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Jack Gallon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Ralph Gregory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Albert Hall | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Leonard Howell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Dennis Isherwood | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Harry Lane | 10 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| FW | Richard Maudsley | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | Isaac McDowell | 11 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 5 |
| FW | Bill McKay | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | James Mee | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Roy Meiklem | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | George Morrey | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | George Moses | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Edward Nutting | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| FW | Bill Pointon | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| FW | Eric Prince | 13 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 6 |
| FW | Richard Roberts | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | John Roden | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| FW | Dennis Spender | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Dennis Wilshaw | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Bert Wright | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| FW | Dick Yates | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

### Top scorers

| Place | Position | Nation | Name | North First Championship | League North Cup | North Second Championship | Midland Cup | Total |
| 1 | MF | England | Alf Bellis | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| 2 | FW | England | Eric Prince | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 3 | FW | Scotland | Isaac McDowell | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 4 | FW | England | Bill Pointon | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | MF | Scotland | Harry McShane | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| – | MF | Wales | Phil Griffiths | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| – | MF | England | Jack Clunn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 8 | MF | England | Jack Kirkaldy | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | MF | England | Robert Pepper | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | FW | England | Cecil Booth | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | MF | England | Frank Pointon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | Harry Griffiths | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | Louis Cardwell | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | England | Jonty Musgrave | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Harry Ware | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Ralph Gregory | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| – | FW | Wales | Albert Hall | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Dennis Isherwood | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | TOTALS | 22 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 49 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| July 1944 | MF | Kenneth Banks | | Free transfer |
| August 1944 | MF | William Birks | | Free transfer |
| August 1944 | FW | Ralph Gregory | | Free transfer |
| August 1944 | MF | Harold Jervis | Stoke City | Free transfer |
| August 1944 | FW | James Mee | | Free transfer |
| August 1944 | MF | Frank Pointon | Endon | Free transfer |
| August 1944 | GK | Harry Prince | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Free transfer |
| September 1944 | MF | Jonty Musgrave | Hartlepools United | Free transfer |
| September 1944 | MF | Robert Pepper | Stafford Boys' Club | Free transfer |
| September 1944 | FW | Eric Prince | Ipstones | Free transfer |
| October 1944 | MF | Murdoch Dickie | Port Vale | Free transfer |
| October 1944 | MF | Isaac McDowell | Cowdenbeath | Free transfer |
| October 1944 | MF | Roy Meredith | | Free transfer |
| December 1944 | FW | Jack Clunn | Michelin | Free transfer |
| December 1944 | MF | Sid Prince | Michelin | Free transfer |
| December 1944 | FW | Dennis Spender | Radway | Free transfer |
| February 1945 | FW | Cecil Booth | | Free transfer |
| March 1945 | FW | Leonard Howell | | Free transfer |
| March 1945 | FW | John Roden | | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| 1945 | MF | Kenneth Banks | | Released |
| 1945 | MF | Roy Meredith | | Released |
| 1945 | MF | Jonty Musgrave | | Released |
| 1945 | FW | Dennis Spender | | Released |
| 1945 | MF | James Tunnicliffe | | Released |
| Summer 1945 | DF | Phil Griffiths | | Released |
| Summer 1945 | FW | Leonard Howell | | Released |
| Summer 1945 | MF | Sid Prince | Ipstones | Free transfer |