# 1905–06 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1905–06 season was Burslem Port Vale's eighth consecutive season (12th overall) of football in the English Football League. It was another season spent struggling at the lower end of the league.
On the pitch the team allowed goals and narrowly avoided the re-election zone. A poor season on the pitch was more than matched by a hopeless financial season off the pitch, with low attendance figures suggesting that the club could not sustain league football for much longer.

## Overview
### Second Division

An expanded league saw an extra four new clubs added to the division, in addition to the replacement for Doncaster Rovers, who failed to gain re-election the previous season. This put the Vale up against Chelsea, Hull City, Leeds City, and Clapton Orient for the first time.
The season's first five games saw a tally of just three points collected, with fourteen goals conceded. This was followed by four wins in five as the club surged up the league. This run included a 3–2 win over high-flying Chelsea, where an impressive 6,000 fans turned up. Another barren spell followed, with just one point gained in the following nine games – in six of these the "Valeites" failed to score. A rare win came on 30 December, with Harry Mountford scoring a hat-trick past Lincoln City – the first hat-trick a Vale player had scored in close to three years. However, the side then proceeded to lose all their matches in January. The last three months saw a revival, and the club won six of their last fifteen games.
The Vale finished just outside the re-election zone on goal average, if the ranking was based on goal difference then they would have finished below Chesterfield. Vale lost seventeen of their nineteen away games, never drawing a match away from home, and conceded more on their travels than any other side in the league. Overall, the defence was the leakiest in the division, conceding 82 goals in 38 games.
Harry Mountford was the club's top scorer with 15 goals, with Robert Carter, Philip Smith, George Price also contributing significantly to the scoring tally. Carter and Arthur Box missed just three matches; Mountford, Price, James Hamilton, and William Cope also hardly missed a game.

### Finances

The financial outlook was bleak, and poor runs of results saw low attendance figures plummet. The club's directors, therefore, decided to sell right-half Harry Croxton and inspirational striker Adrian Capes to Stoke in November 1905. There were rumours of the club winding up at the end of the season, though the club would continue in its current form for one more season. Despite selling players and spending frugally, the club lost a whopping £450, with gate receipts falling by £280 on the previous campaign. Sam Gleaves warned that if supporters failed to turn up for matches, then the club would "inevitably cease to exist".

### Cup competitions

In the FA Cup, Vale defeated amateur club Oxford City after Oxford failed to make the most of their shooting chances; the Second Round saw Vale eliminated by Gainsborough Trinity at home, despite having organized special training sessions beforehand. In the County cups, Vale knocked out local rivals Stoke (Reserves) at home by 5–0 and 3–0 scorelines before receiving 7–0 and 5–1 thumpings at Birmingham and Burton United respectively at the semi-final stages.

## League table

| Pos | Team v t e | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Promotion |
| 15 | Gainsborough Trinity | 38 | 12 | 4 | 22 | 44 | 57 | 0.772 | 28 | |
| 16 | Glossop | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 49 | 71 | 0.690 | 28 | |
| 17 | Burslem Port Vale | 38 | 12 | 4 | 22 | 49 | 82 | 0.598 | 28 | |
| 18 | Chesterfield Town | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 40 | 72 | 0.556 | 28 | Re-elected |
| 19 | Burton United | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 34 | 67 | 0.507 | 26 | Re-elected |

## Results

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

### Football League Second 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 |
| Ground | A | H | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A |
| Result | L | W | L | D | L | W | W | W | L | W | L | L | L | D | L | L | L | L | L | W | L | L | L | W | D | L | W | L | W | L | W | L | D | W | L | L | W | L |
| Position | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 17 |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 2 September 1905 | Lincoln City | A | 1–3 | 3,000 | o.g. |
| 9 September 1905 | Chesterfield | H | 4–3 | 1,000 | Capes (2), Smith, Crombie |
| 11 September 1905 | Blackpool | H | 1–2 | | Carter |
| 16 September 1905 | Grimsby Town | H | 2–2 | 2,000 | Smith (2) |
| 23 September 1905 | Barnsley | A | 0–4 | 3,000 | |
| 30 September 1905 | Clapton Orient | H | 2–1 | | Mountford, Cook (pen) |
| 7 October 1905 | Burnley | A | 3–1 | 3,000 | Mountford (2), Price |
| 14 October 1905 | Leeds City | H | 2–0 | 1,500 | Mountford, Carter |
| 21 October 1905 | Burton United | A | 0–1 | 3,000 | |
| 30 October 1905 | Chelsea | H | 3–2 | 6,000 | Price, Croxton, Carter |
| 4 November 1905 | Gainsborough Trinity | A | 0–4 | | |
| 11 November 1905 | Bristol City | H | 0–1 | 3,000 | |
| 18 November 1905 | Manchester United | A | 0–3 | 8,000 | |
| 25 November 1905 | Glossop | H | 3–3 | | Mountford, Cook, Holyhead |
| 2 December 1905 | Stockport County | A | 0–3 | | |
| 16 December 1905 | Bradford City | A | 0–2 | 9,000 | |
| 23 December 1905 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 0–1 | 3,500 | |
| 25 December 1905 | Hull City | H | 1–3 | 4,000 | Cook |
| 26 December 1905 | Leicester Fosse | A | 1–2 | 10,000 | Mountford |
| 30 December 1905 | Lincoln City | H | 3–1 | 3,000 | Mountford (3) |
| 6 January 1906 | Chesterfield | A | 0–2 | 10,000 | |
| 20 January 1906 | Grimsby Town | A | 0–5 | 3,000 | |
| 27 January 1906 | Barnsley | H | 1–2 | | Smith |
| 3 February 1906 | Clapton Orient | A | 3–1 | | Smith (2), Carter |
| 10 February 1906 | Burnley | H | 2–2 | | Mountford, Smith |
| 17 February 1906 | Leeds City | A | 1–3 | 9,000 | Mountford |
| 24 February 1906 | Burton United | H | 4–1 | | Carter, Mountford, Price, Grant |
| 3 March 1906 | Chelsea | A | 0–7 | 10,000 | |
| 10 March 1906 | Gainsborough Trinity | H | 1–0 | | Eardley |
| 17 March 1906 | Bristol City | A | 0–4 | 10,000 | |
| 24 March 1906 | Manchester United | H | 1–0 | 3,000 | Box (pen) |
| 31 March 1906 | Glossop | A | 2–3 | 3,000 | o.g., Mountford |
| 7 April 1906 | Stockport County | H | 0–0 | | |
| 13 April 1906 | Leicester Fosse | H | 2–0 | 5,000 | Carter, Mountford |
| 14 April 1906 | Blackpool | A | 1–2 | 2,000 | Carter |
| 16 April 1906 | Hull City | A | 2–3 | 7,000 | Mountford, Carter |
| 21 April 1906 | Bradford City | H | 2–1 | | Walley, Smith |
| 28 April 1906 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 1–4 | 5,000 | Holyhead |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| IR | 9 December 1905 | Oxford City | A | 1–0 | 3,000 | Price |
| 1R | 13 January 1906 | Gainsborough Trinity | H | 0–3 | 1,500 | |

### Birmingham Senior Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1 | 18 September 1905 | Stoke | H | 3–0 | 2,500 | Croxton, unknown |
| SF | 1 November 1905 | Birmingham | A | 0–7 | 100 | |

### Staffordshire Senior Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1 | 25 September 1905 | Stoke | H | 5–0 | | Price (2), Crombie, Smith, Carter |
| SF | 13 April 1906 | Burton United | A | 1–5 | | |

## Player statistics
### Appearances and goals

| Pos. | Name | League | League | FA Cup | FA Cup | Other | Other | Total | Total |
| Pos. | Name | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| GK | Arthur Box | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 1 |
| GK | George Boote | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| DF | James Hamilton | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| DF | William Cope | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 |
| DF | Arthur Shelley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Samuel Ashworth | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | George Aytoun | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| DF | Lucien Boullemier | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | William Jones | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| MF | Bert Eardley | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| MF | Harry Croxton | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 2 |
| MF | Sam Whittingham | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| MF | William Bradbury | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| MF | Joseph Holyhead | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| MF | Vic Horrocks | 19 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| MF | Albert Cook | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 |
| MF | Robert Carter | 35 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 40 | 9 |
| MF | Hugh Walley | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| MF | Alex Crombie | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 1 |
| MF | Ebenezer Grant | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| MF | Billy Dorrell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | George Price | 34 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 38 | 6 |
| FW | Adrian Capes | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| FW | Harry Mountford | 33 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 15 |
| FW | William Thomas | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| FW | Philip Smith | 25 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 9 |
| FW | Alfred Hall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |

### Top scorers

| Place | Position | Nation | Name | Second Division | FA Cup | Other | Total |
| 1 | FW | England | Harry Mountford | 15 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| 2 | MF | England | Robert Carter | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| – | FW | England | Philip Smith | 8 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 4 | FW | England | George Price | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 5 | MF | England | Albert Cook | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 6 | FW | England | Adrian Capes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | MF | England | Joseph Holyhead | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | MF | England | Alex Crombie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| – | MF | England | Harry Croxton | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 10 | MF | | Hugh Walley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | GK | England | Arthur Box | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | England | Bert Eardley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | England | Ebenezer Grant | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | – | – | Own goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | – | – | Unknown | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | | | TOTALS | 49 | 1 | 7 | 57 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| July 1905 | DF | George Aytoun | Clydebank Juniors | Free transfer |
| July 1905 | MF | Alex Crombie | Reading | Free transfer |
| July 1905 | DF | Arthur Shelley | Chesterton | Free transfer |
| August 1905 | FW | Philip Smith | Knutton | Free transfer |
| October 1905 | DF | Samuel Ashworth | Everton | Free transfer |
| October 1905 | DF | Sam Baddeley | Norton | Free transfer |
| November 1905 | GK | George Boote | Silverdale Town | Free transfer |
| November 1905 | DF | Lucien Boullemier | Northampton Town | Free transfer |
| January 1906 | MF | Ebenezer Grant | Tunstall Park | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| November 1905 | DF | Lucien Boullemier | Northern Nomads | Free transfer |
| November 1905 | FW | Adrian Capes | Stoke | Free transfer |
| November 1905 | DF | Harry Croxton | Stoke | unknown |
| February 1906 | MF | Albert Cook | Stoke | Free transfer |
| Summer 1906 | DF | Samuel Ashworth | North Staffs Nomads | Released |
| Summer 1906 | DF | George Aytoun | | Released |
| Summer 1906 | GK | George Boote | Knutton Rovers | Released |
| Summer 1906 | MF | Alex Crombie | | Released |
| Summer 1906 | FW | W. Edwards | Crewe Alexandra | Released |
| Summer 1906 | FW | Alfred Hall | | Released |
| Summer 1906 | MF | Ben Jones | Alsagers Bank Church | Free transfer |
| Summer 1906 | DF | William Jones | | Released |
| Summer 1906 | FW | Philip Smith | Crewe Alexandra | Released |
| Summer 1906 | FW | William Thomas | Everton | Free transfer |
| Summer 1906 | MF | Sam Whittingham | Crewe Alexandra | Free transfer |