# 1918–19 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1918–19 season was Port Vale's third season of football after going into abeyance during World War I. They finished 12th in the Football League Lancashire Section, going on to finish bottom of their group in the Subsidiary Tournament. The club applied to join the Football League in March but were unsuccessful.

## Overview

With Tom Holford largely unavailable, Jock Cameron was promoted to captain and team manager. The squad had to be made up largely of players available and willing to play, with only the Pearson brothers (Harry and Albert) offering much in the way of continuity from the previous campaign. The team started with a four-game unbeaten run, only to pick up one point from their next six games. The poor run included an embarrassing 8–1 defeat by Stoke at the Old Recreation Ground. The war was drawing to a close, ending on 11 November, but not before claiming the lives of Bob Suart and Jack Shelton. Vale beat bottom-club Burnley 4–2 five days later, and began to be strengthened by first-team players who returned from their wartime duties – as were every other club however. From this point, Vale began winning their home games but losing their away matches, ending this run with a 2–0 win over Preston North End at Deepdale on 18 January – the first away win of the campaign. A sign of things returning to normal was the sale of Albert Pearson to Liverpool in January.
As players again started to be paid their regular wage, the Football League began a tax on rich clubs to support poorer clubs, which benefited Vale to the tune of £71. Eager to win a place in the expanding Football League the following season, Vale appointed former England international Joe Schofield as team secretary in January. Four straight wins around the new year were followed by four straight defeats in February, though attendance began to rise back to regular peacetime levels. On 10 March, the Football League held a vote on which clubs to admit for the 1919–20 season and Vale were disappointed only to tally 27 votes, leaving Stoke, West Ham United, South Shields, Rotherham County and Coventry City as the successful applicants. Vale also ended the league programme with eight defeats in their last ten matches, losing heavily to Oldham Athletic, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers. They ended the season 12th out of 16 teams, scoring 39 goals whilst conceding 77. The club set up a Supporters' club in April with 220 members each contributing a shilling subscription. Vale again fared poorly in the six-game Subsidiary Tournament, losing four and winning only once. They did end positively, though, beating Potteries derby rivals Stoke 4–1 in front of a season-high crowd of 16,000.

## Results

Port Vale's score comes first

### Legend

| Win | Draw | Loss |

### Football League Lancashire Section
#### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 11 | Blackpool | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 45 | 61 | 0.738 | 25 |
| 12 | Port Vale | 30 | 10 | 4 | 16 | 39 | 77 | 0.506 | 24 |
| 13 | Burnley | 30 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 54 | 76 | 0.711 | 23 |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 7 September 1918 | Bury | A | 1–1 | | Rogers |
| 14 September 1918 | Bury | H | 2–1 | | McCarthy, Lyons |
| 21 September 1918 | Blackpool | A | 1–1 | | Davies |
| 28 September 1918 | Blackpool | H | 1–1 | 2,000 | A.Pearson |
| 5 October 1918 | Stoke | A | 2–3 | | Foster (2) |
| 12 October 1918 | Stoke | H | 1–8 | | Davies |
| 19 October 1918 | Stockport County | A | 0–3 | 3,000 | |
| 26 October 1918 | Stockport County | H | 2–2 | | Blood, H.Pearson |
| 2 November 1918 | Liverpool | H | 0–2 | 5,000 | |
| 9 November 1918 | Liverpool | A | 0–4 | 14,000 | |
| 16 November 1918 | Burnley | H | 4–2 | 4,000 | H.Pearson, Salt, Cope, o.g. |
| 23 November 1918 | Burnley | A | 1–4 | 4,000 | Fitchford |
| 30 November 1918 | Southport Vulcan | H | 2–0 | | Kelly, A.Pearson |
| 7 December 1918 | Southport Vulcan | A | 0–4 | | |
| 14 December 1918 | Manchester United | H | 3–1 | 4,000 | Burgess, Garner, Brennan |
| 21 December 1918 | Manchester United | A | 1–5 | 5,000 | H.Pearson (pen) |
| 28 December 1918 | Bolton Wanderers | H | 3–1 | 5,000 | o.g., Fitchford, Asbury |
| 11 January 1919 | Preston North End | H | 1–0 | 4,000 | Burgess |
| 18 January 1919 | Preston North End | A | 2–0 | | Cameron, Burgess |
| 25 January 1919 | Rochdale | H | 2–0 | 3,000 | Howell, Burgess |
| 1 February 1919 | Rochdale | A | 0–2 | 3,500 | |
| 8 February 1919 | Everton | H | 0–1 | 10,000 | |
| 15 February 1919 | Everton | A | 1–3 | 20,000 | Howell |
| 22 February 1919 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–6 | 5,875 | |
| 1 March 1919 | Oldham Athletic | H | 3–1 | 5,301 | Brennan, Howell, Hill |
| 8 March 1919 | Manchester City | A | 1–6 | 14,000 | Howell |
| 15 March 1919 | Manchester City | H | 1–5 | 8,500 | Fitchford |
| 22 March 1919 | Blackburn Rovers | H | 3–2 | 5,000 | Howell (2), Fitchford |
| 29 March 1919 | Blackburn Rovers | A | 0–6 | 5,000 | |
| 18 April 1919 | Bolton Wanderers | A | 1–2 | 20,000 | Hill (pen) |

### Lancashire Section Subsidiary Tournament
#### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 2 | Stoke | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 10 | 0.900 | 6 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 14 | 0.643 | 4 |
| 4 | Port Vale | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 0.692 | 3 |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 5 April 1919 | Manchester United | H | 1–3 | 6,000 | J.Parker |
| 12 April 1919 | Manchester United | A | 1–2 | 8,000 | J.Parker |
| 19 April 1919 | Manchester City | H | 0–1 | 8,000 | |
| 21 April 1919 | Stoke | A | 2–2 | | Briscoe, Brennan |
| 26 April 1919 | Manchester City | A | 1–4 | 20,000 | Howell |
| 28 April 1919 | Stoke | H | 4–1 | 16,000 | Howell (2), o.g., Joe Smith |

## Player statistics
### Appearances and goals

| Pos. | Name | League | League | Subsidiary | Subsidiary | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Jonathan Hammond | 28 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| GK | F Clements | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| GK | John Dennis | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Jock Cameron | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| DF | George Holmes | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| DF | Tom Lyons | 25 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| DF | Harry Pearson | 29 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 35 | 3 |
| DF | Edgar Bentley | 11 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DF | W Dalton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Eli Fletcher | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | W Garner | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| DF | Harry Leese | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Ben Marsden | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Andie Newton | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DF | Fred Parker | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | J Taylor | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| MF | G Arrowsmith | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| MF | Tom Holford | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Joe Daley | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| MF | James Hill | 12 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 2 |
| MF | William Ashmole | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | E Bell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Albert Broadhouse | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| MF | Sammy Brooks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | W Brooks | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Billy Fitchford | 13 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| MF | H Hale | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | J Kelly | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| MF | F Langley | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| MF | Arthur McGarry | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| MF | J McGarry | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Walter Rowley | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Alf Smith | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| MF | Jack Smith | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| MF | Walter Watson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | David Bowcock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Tom Brennan | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 3 |
| FW | Billy Briscoe | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | Jack Foster | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 2 |
| FW | Albert Pearson | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| FW | Arthur Rogers | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| FW | J Asbury | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| FW | Bobby Blood | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| FW | J Bradbury | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | David Brown | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Dick Burgess | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| FW | G Cooper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | A Cope | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Tom Davies | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| FW | Alex Donaldson | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | A Floyd | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | W Gould | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Harry Howell | 9 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 9 |
| FW | F McCarthy | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | J Parker | 4 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| FW | A Salt | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Joe Smith | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| FW | Bob Whittingham | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

### Top scorers

| Place | Position | Nation | Name | League | Subsidiary | Total |
| 1 | FW | England | Harry Howell | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| 2 | FW | England | Dick Burgess | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| – | MF | England | Billy Fitchford | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | FW | England | Harry Pearson | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| – | FW | England | Tom Brennan | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 6 | FW | England | Tom Davies | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| – | FW | England | Jack Foster | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| – | MF | England | James Hill | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| – | DF | England | Albert Pearson | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| – | FW | England | J Parker | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | FW | England | A Cope | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | A Salt | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | Tom Lyons | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | Scotland | Jock Cameron | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Bobby Blood | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Arthur Rogers | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | England | J Kelly | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | W Garner | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | F McCarthy | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Joe Smith | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Billy Briscoe | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | J Asbury | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | – | – | Own goals | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| | | | TOTALS | 39 | 9 | 48 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| 1918 | DF | Ben Marsden | | Free transfer |
| Summer 1918 | FW | F McCarthy | | Free transfer |
| Autumn 1918 | MF | Arthur McGarry | | Free transfer |
| Autumn 1918 | DF | J Taylor | | Free transfer |
| November 1918 | FW | J Parker | Longton | Free transfer |
| December 1918 | FW | Dick Burgess | | Free transfer |
| April 1919 | MF | Andie Newton | Manchester City | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| Autumn 1918 | MF | Joe Daley | | Released |
| October 1918 | FW | F McCarthy | Stafford Rangers | Free transfer |
| November 1918 | MF | Alf Smith | | Released |
| 1919 | FW | Tom Davies | | Released |
| 1919 | FW | Arthur Rogers | | Released |
| January 1919 | FW | Albert Pearson | Liverpool | Transfer |
| February 1919 | FW | Dick Burgess | Arsenal | Free transfer |
| Summer 1919 | MF | G Arrowsmith | | Released |
| Summer 1919 | GK | John Dennis | | Released |
| Summer 1919 | FW | A Floyd | | Released |
| Summer 1919 | FW | Jack Foster | | Released |
| Summer 1919 | DF | George Holmes | Merthyr Tydfil | Released |
| Summer 1919 | DF | Harry Leese | Crewe Alexandra | Released |
| Summer 1919 | FW | J Parker | | Released |
| Summer 1919 | MF | Jack Smith | | Released |
| Summer 1919 | DF | J Taylor | | Released |