# 1963–64 Port Vale F.C. season

The 1963–64 season was Port Vale's 52nd season of football in the English Football League, and their fifth season in the Third Division. Freddie Steele spent big on transfers, bringing in players such as Billy Bingham, Albert Cheesebrough, and Jackie Mudie. However, it was a disappointing season in the league and a disaster financially. The highlights of the season came in the FA Cup, where Vale beat top-flight Birmingham City at St Andrew's, and drew 0–0 with Liverpool at Anfield.

## Overview
### Third Division

The pre-season saw manager Freddie Steele spend unprecedented sums of money – though Vale's spending was insignificant to the standard of many of their rivals. Steele brought in Northern Ireland international Billy Bingham from Everton for £15,000; Albert Cheesebrough from Leicester City for another £15,000; as well as Walsall's Tim Rawlings for £4,000. Chairman Tom Talbot approved these signings despite the club's financial problems. The club also took a tour of Northern Ireland, though a friendly with Benfica (arranged to match rivals Stoke City's match with Real Madrid) was cancelled due to fixture congestion.
The season opened with a 1–0 defeat to Shrewsbury Town at Gay Meadow. This was followed with two victories, including a 4–1 win over Bristol City in which Tony Richards bagged a hat-trick. After another three poor away games came, followed by a 3–0 win over Brentford in which Cheesebrough scored a hat-trick, and a 4–0 win over nearby Crewe Alexandra in front of 17,118 fans. Richards sustained a bad leg injury in this win over Crewe. In the beginning of October, Steele bought winger Ron Smith from Crewe for £6,500. Vale improved as a consequence, and three successive victories followed, leaving Vale in fifth spot. However, with Richards' return came a downturn in form, as Vale's impressive strikers failed to find the net in a run of one win in nine league games. This one win was a 1–0 victory over struggling Barnsley at Vale Park. However, a subsequent pitch invasion by youths emphasised a growing hooligan culture that would plague the club and the sport itself for decades.
In November, Vale paid Stoke City £12,000 for both ex-Scotland striker Jackie Mudie and left-back Ron Wilson. The defeats kept coming, and so Steele experimented with a 4–2–4 formation, dropping Richards from the first XI. Vale then went six league games unbeaten, including a 4–4 draw with Bristol Rovers at the Eastville Stadium. However, a 1–0 home loss inflicted by Notts County sent Vale on a run of seven defeats and two draws in nine league games. By March, the club was in a relegation battle, though results then began to go Vale's way. Only one defeat in their final eleven games ensured safety, as the season ended with a 5–0 drubbing of relegated Wrexham.
They finished in thirteenth place with 46 points, a poor finish for the money spent on transfers. Only 53 goals were scored, as Richards and Cheeseborough were affected with injuries, and Bingham struggled to find his footing in the third tier. Their 49 goals conceded was an excellent record though.

### Finances

On the financial side, good attendance figures failed to prevent a massive loss of £42,650, resulting from a £45,567 deficit in transfer fees. A donation of £19,867 from the Sportsmen's Association and the social club could not disguise the disaster of poor finances. The wage bill had also risen by 20% to over £40,000. Leaving the club were Colin Grainger to Doncaster Rovers and Terry Harkin to Crewe Alexandra for a £3,000 fee.

### Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale conquered Fourth Division Bradford City with a 2–1 win at Valley Parade. They defeated Workington 2–1 in a 'slipshod affair'. The Third Round held First Division Birmingham City at St Andrew's. Three thousand of the 21,652 spectators were Vale fans, who 'sung and chanted their way through' a 2–1 victory. In the Fourth Round Vale were drawn against top-flight giants Liverpool at Anfield. The "Reds" had inflicted a 6–1 thrashing of Stoke on Boxing Day, in an ominous sign of the challenge the "Valiants" faced. Vale achieved a goalless draw in front of 52,327 fans – 8,000 of them Vale supporters – in a fantastic team performance. The replay at Vale Park ended in a 2–1 loss in front of 42,179 paying fans (as well as an additional 6,000 or so Liverpool supporters who 'mob stormed' the gates to enter the Railway Paddock). Crowd trouble ate into the £8,000 worth of gate receipts, and more significantly caused the death of a Leek man (Harold Birch), and saw serious injuries inflicted to Liverpool fans Harry Taylor and James McDonough, as well as Vale supporter Billy Poulson.
In the League Cup, a First Round exit came with a 2–1 defeat at Southend United's Roots Hall.

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts |
| 11 | Shrewsbury Town | 46 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 73 | 80 | 0.913 | 47 |
| 12 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 19 | 8 | 19 | 91 | 79 | 1.152 | 46 |
| 13 | Port Vale | 46 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 53 | 49 | 1.082 | 46 |
| 14 | Southend United | 46 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 77 | 78 | 0.987 | 45 |
| 15 | Queens Park Rangers | 46 | 18 | 9 | 19 | 76 | 78 | 0.974 | 45 |

## Results

Port Vale's score comes first

### Football League Third 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 | H | A | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | H | A | A | H |
| Result | L | W | W | L | D | L | W | W | L | W | D | L | W | W | W | L | D | D | L | W | L | D | D | D | W | D | W | L | L | L | L | D | L | L | L | D | W | D | D | W | W | D | W | L | D | W |
| Position | 21 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 16 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 13 |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 24 August 1963 | Shrewsbury Town | A | 0–1 | 9,710 | |
| 26 August 1963 | Mansfield Town | H | 1–0 | 14,451 | Richards |
| 31 August 1963 | Bristol City | H | 4–1 | 10,363 | Richards (3), Rowland |
| 7 September 1963 | Oldham Athletic | A | 0–1 | 14,730 | |
| 9 September 1963 | Mansfield Town | A | 1–1 | 12,064 | B.Hancock |
| 14 September 1963 | Notts County | A | 0–2 | 7,309 | |
| 16 September 1963 | Brentford | H | 3–0 | 11,539 | Cheesebrough (3) |
| 21 September 1963 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 4–0 | 17,118 | Cheesebrough, Bingham, Steele, Richards |
| 28 September 1963 | Crystal Palace | A | 0–2 | 15,044 | |
| 1 October 1963 | Brentford | A | 2–1 | 11,914 | Poole, Cheesebrough |
| 5 October 1963 | Walsall | H | 2–2 | 12,760 | Bingham, o.g. |
| 9 October 1963 | Luton Town | A | 0–1 | 5,914 | |
| 12 October 1963 | Southend United | H | 4–1 | 10,306 | Rowland, Smith, Harkin, Miles |
| 14 October 1963 | Luton Town | H | 1–0 | 11,449 | Rawlings |
| 19 October 1963 | Wrexham | A | 2–1 | 6,781 | Bingham (2) |
| 23 October 1963 | Reading | A | 0–1 | 8,731 | |
| 26 October 1963 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | H | 0–0 | 12,402 | |
| 28 October 1963 | Reading | H | 0–0 | 9,492 | |
| 2 November 1963 | Hull City | A | 1–4 | 8,460 | Richards |
| 9 November 1963 | Barnsley | H | 1–0 | 9,083 | Steele |
| 23 November 1963 | Colchester United | H | 0–2 | 11,108 | |
| 30 November 1963 | Watford | A | 1–1 | 9,890 | Poole |
| 14 December 1963 | Shrewsbury Town | H | 1–1 | 6,906 | Mudie |
| 21 December 1963 | Bristol City | A | 0–0 | 6,021 | |
| 26 December 1963 | Bristol Rovers | H | 1–0 | 11,442 | Mudie |
| 28 December 1963 | Bristol Rovers | A | 4–4 | 12,954 | Richards (2), Mudie (2) |
| 11 January 1964 | Oldham Athletic | H | 1–0 | 12,322 | Richards |
| 18 January 1964 | Notts County | H | 0–1 | 7,337 | |
| 31 January 1964 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 0–1 | 9,425 | |
| 8 February 1964 | Crystal Palace | H | 1–2 | 8,204 | Richards |
| 15 February 1964 | Walsall | A | 1–2 | 7,056 | Mudie |
| 22 February 1964 | Southend United | A | 1–1 | 7,612 | Smith |
| 29 February 1964 | Peterborough United | H | 1–2 | 6,613 | Poole |
| 7 March 1964 | Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic | A | 0–3 | 7,584 | |
| 16 March 1964 | Millwall | A | 1–3 | 8,312 | Mudie |
| 23 March 1964 | Peterborough United | A | 1–1 | 10,408 | Steele |
| 28 March 1964 | Millwall | H | 1–0 | 5,385 | Bingham |
| 30 March 1964 | Coventry City | H | 1–1 | 17,567 | Steele |
| 31 March 1964 | Coventry City | A | 1–1 | 29,641 | Smith |
| 4 April 1964 | Colchester United | A | 2–1 | 3,263 | Miles, Rowland |
| 6 April 1964 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–0 | 7,167 | Steele, Smith |
| 11 April 1964 | Watford | H | 0–0 | 7,698 | |
| 13 April 1964 | Hull City | H | 1–0 | 6,090 | Rowland |
| 18 April 1964 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 0–3 | 4,955 | |
| 20 April 1964 | Barnsley | A | 0–0 | 4,918 | |
| 25 April 1964 | Wrexham | H | 5–0 | 4,497 | Richards (2), Bingham (pen), Smith, Cheesebrough |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R1 | 16 November 1963 | Bradford City | A | 2–1 | 8,189 | Whalley, Richards |
| R2 | 7 December 1963 | Workington | H | 2–1 | 10,286 | Steele, Bingham |
| R3 | 4 January 1964 | Birmingham City | A | 2–1 | 21,652 | Sproson, Mudie |
| R4 | 25 January 1964 | Liverpool | A | 0–0 | 52,327 | |
| R4 Replay | 27 January 1964 | Liverpool | H | 1–2 | 42,179 | Cheesebrough |

### League Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| R2 | 25 September 1963 | Southend United | A | 1–2 | 6,126 | Harkin |

## Player statistics
### Appearances and goals

| Pos. | Name | Football League | Football League | FA Cup | FA Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Ken Hancock | 44 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
| GK | John Cooke | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Roy Sproson | 46 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 1 |
| DF | Selwyn Whalley | 41 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 47 | 1 |
| DF | Terry Lowe | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| DF | Terry Alcock | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | Ron Wilson | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| DF | John Nicholson | 46 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| MF | Terry Miles | 24 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 2 |
| MF | Colin Grainger | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Tim Rawlings | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| MF | Ron Smith | 34 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 5 |
| FW | Harry Poole | 26 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 3 |
| FW | Stan Steele | 44 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 6 |
| FW | Barry Hancock | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | John Rowland | 23 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 4 |
| FW | Tony Richards | 30 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 13 |
| FW | Terry Harkin | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | 2 |
| FW | Jackie Mudie | 18 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 7 |
| FW | Mick Porter | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FW | Billy Bingham | 35 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 7 |
| FW | Albert Cheesebrough | 25 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 7 |

### Top scorers

| Place | Position | Nation | Name | Third Division | FA Cup | League Cup | Total |
| 1 | FW | England | Tony Richards | 12 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| 2 | FW | Scotland | Jackie Mudie | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| – | FW | Northern Ireland | Billy Bingham | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| – | FW | England | Albert Cheesebrough | 6 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 5 | FW | England | Stan Steele | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 6 | MF | England | Ron Smith | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 7 | FW | England | John Rowland | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 8 | FW | England | Harry Poole | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | MF | England | Terry Miles | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | FW | Northern Ireland | Terry Harkin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 11 | FW | England | Barry Hancock | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | England | Tim Rawlings | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | Roy Sproson | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | Selwyn Whalley | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| – | – | – | Own goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | | | TOTALS | 53 | 7 | 1 | 61 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| June 1963 | MF | Tim Rawlings | Walsall | £4,000 |
| August 1963 | FW | Albert Cheesebrough | Leicester City | £20,000 |
| August 1963 | FW | Billy Bingham | Everton | £15,000 |
| October 1963 | MF | Ron Smith | Crewe Alexandra | £6,500 |
| November 1963 | FW | Jackie Mudie | Stoke City | £12,000 |
| November 1963 | DF | Ron Wilson | Stoke City | £12,000 |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| May 1964 | GK | John Cooke | Macclesfield Town | Free transfer |
| July 1964 | MF | Terry Harkin | Crewe Alexandra | £3,000 |
| July 1964 | MF | Jim Watton | Doncaster Rovers | Free transfer |
| Summer 1964 | FW | Barry Hancock | Crewe Alexandra | Released |