# 1895–96 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1895–96 season was Burslem Port Vale's fourth consecutive season of football in the English Football League. Another poor season struggling at the wrong end of the table, this time they failed to gain re-election; two seasons in the Midlands League followed, and despite a finish of 7th and then 5th they were re-elected back into the Football League for the expanded 1898–99 season.
A season to forget, a 5–4 victory over eventual champions Liverpool was one of the few memorable days. This came during a run of games where 65 goals were scored in 11 games. Overall, a leaky defence kept just 5 clean sheets in 30 league and 4 cup games. On their travels, the team lost all their games, other than a 2–0 win over Rotherham Town on the opening day. From 21 September 1895 to 18 April 1896, they recorded 14 straight losses away from home and went 27 games without a draw away from home between 26 January 1895 and 3 December 1898 – both club records.

## Overview
### Second Division

Vale finished 14th place, with 18 points, 28 points short of champions Liverpool. They finished four points behind Lincoln City, who were safe from re-election. Having twice successfully applied for re-election in the past three seasons, this time around, they lost their league status. Nearby Crewe Alexandra fared even worse than Vale and didn't return to the Football League until 1921, whilst Rotherham Town were never to return. However, Vale spent just two seasons in the Midland League before winning back their league status.
The club suffered heavy defeats at Anfield, at Darwen, at Leicester Fosse, and in both clashes with Notts County and Grimsby Town. However, they did manage victories over future giants of the game Liverpool, Newton Heath (later Manchester United), and Newcastle United.
Top scorers of previous years were lost, Billy Beats sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers in pre-season, whilst Meshach Dean lost his touch. Goals at a premium, Ernest Beckett (8), and Jim Mason (6) were the only players to score with anything approaching regularity. Highly impressive goalkeeper Tom Baddeley was an ever-present for the second successive season, with left-back George Youds and centre-half Ralph Barlow missing just one match each. At the end of the season, Baddeley and Eccles left for Wolves, Eardley and McDonald left for Stoke, all wishing to remain Football League players.

### Cup competitions

Again, Vale failed poorly in the FA Cup, easing past Scottish club Hereford Thistle in the first round of qualification with a walkover. The Second Round held league rivals Burton Swifts, who managed to draw at Vale's home and then win the replay with the odd goal. Facing rivals Stoke in the Staffordshire Senior Cup, they lost 4–0 at home.

## League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 12 | Loughborough | 30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 40 | 66 | 0.606 | 23 | |
| 13 | Lincoln City | 30 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 53 | 75 | 0.707 | 22 | |
| 14 | Burslem Port Vale | 30 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 43 | 78 | 0.551 | 18 | Resigned from league |
| 15 | Rotherham Town | 30 | 7 | 3 | 20 | 34 | 97 | 0.351 | 17 | Resigned from league |
| 16 | Crewe Alexandra | 30 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 30 | 95 | 0.316 | 13 | Resigned from league |

## Results
### Football League Second Division

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

#### 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 |
| Ground | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | H | A | A | A | H | H | H | H | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | A | A | H | A | A | H |
| Result | W | L | L | L | D | L | W | W | L | L | L | L | W | D | W | L | L | L | L | D | L | L | L | W | L | L | D | L | L | W |
| Position | 1 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 |

#### Matches

| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
| 7 September 1895 | Rotherham Town | A | 2–0 | 2,000 | Beckett, Handley |
| 14 September 1895 | Notts County | H | 0–4 | 2,000 | |
| 21 September 1895 | Burton Wanderers | A | 1–2 | 2,500 | Dean |
| 28 September 1895 | Liverpool | A | 1–5 | 5,000 | J. Mason |
| 5 October 1895 | Darwen | H | 3–3 | 1,000 | Eardley (2), Evans |
| 19 October 1895 | Darwen | A | 2–8 | 4,000 | Eardley (2) |
| 21 October 1895 | Liverpool | H | 5–4 | 1,000 | Evans, J. Mason, Beckett, Downie, Black |
| 26 October 1895 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 2–1 | 1,500 | J. Mason, Barlow |
| 16 November 1895 | Grimsby Town | H | 1–4 | 800 | Beckett |
| 7 December 1895 | Notts County | A | 2–7 | 500 | Evans, Beckett |
| 25 December 1895 | Woolwich Arsenal | A | 1–2 | 8,000 | Fallows |
| 4 January 1896 | Grimsby Town | A | 1–6 | 2,000 | Downie |
| 11 January 1896 | Burton Swifts | H | 1–0 | 1,500 | Beckett |
| 18 January 1896 | Burton Wanderers | H | 2–2 | 5,000 | Edwards, Sandham |
| 25 January 1896 | Rotherham Town | H | 4–0 | 500 | Beckett, Sandham, McDonald, J. Mason |
| 10 February 1896 | Manchester City | H | 0–1 | 3,000 | |
| 15 February 1896 | Woolwich Arsenal | H | 0–2 | 1,000 | |
| 17 February 1896 | Manchester City | A | 0–1 | 3,000 | |
| 22 February 1896 | Lincoln City | H | 0–1 | 1,000 | |
| 7 March 1896 | Leicester Fosse | H | 1–1 | 1,500 | Beckett |
| 14 March 1896 | Burton Swifts | A | 1–2 | 2,000 | Beckett |
| 21 March 1896 | Leicester Fosse | A | 0–5 | 5,000 | |
| 23 March 1896 | Newton Heath | H | 3–0 | 3,000 | Randles (2), J. Mason |
| 25 March 1896 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 2–3 | | C. Mason, Evans |
| 3 April 1896 | Newcastle United | A | 2–4 | 8,500 | Simpson, Randles |
| 6 April 1896 | Newton Heath | A | 1–2 | 5,000 | McDonald |
| 7 April 1896 | Loughborough | H | 1–1 | | Simpson |
| 11 April 1896 | Loughborough | A | 0–3 | 1,500 | |
| 18 April 1896 | Lincoln City | A | 2–4 | | Belfield (2) |
| 20 April 1896 | Newcastle United | H | 2–0 | 2,000 | J. Mason, Randles |

### FA Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1Q | 12 October 1895 | Hereford Thistle | H | walkover | | |
| 2Q | 2 November 1895 | Burton Swifts | H | 1–1 | 1,500 | unknown |
| 2Q Replay | 6 November 1895 | Burton Swifts | A | 0–1 | 1,000 | |

### Birmingham Senior Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1 | 20 January 1896 | Stourbridge | A | 2–3 | 2,000 | Downie, o.g. |

### Staffordshire Senior Cup

| Round | Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Goalscorers |
| 1 | 8 February 1896 | Stoke | A | 0–4 | 4,000 | |

## 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 | Tom Baddeley | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| DF | G.S. Eccles | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| DF | John Edwards | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| DF | Teddy Morse | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| DF | Jim Beech | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| DF | George Youds | 29 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| MF | Meshach Dean | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| MF | Joseph Boughey | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | James Holdcroft | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| MF | Ted McDonald | 27 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 2 |
| MF | Jos Randles | 7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| MF | Fred Belfield | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| MF | Ralph Barlow | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 1 |
| MF | James Downie | 12 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 3 |
| MF | John Fallows | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| MF | Hamlet Handley | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| MF | James Kirkham | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | Charlie Mason | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| FW | Jim Mason | 26 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 6 |
| FW | Billy Eardley | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 4 |
| FW | Dick Evans | 20 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 4 |
| FW | Ernest Beckett | 23 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 27 | 8 |
| FW | David Black | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| FW | Jimmy Ditchfield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | George Price | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| FW | Joseph Sandham | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| FW | Danny Simpson | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 |

### Top scorers

| Place | Position | Nation | Name | Second Division | FA Cup | Other | Total |
| 1 | FW | | Ernest Beckett | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | FW | | Jim Mason | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 3 | MF | England | Jos Randles | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| – | FW | England | Billy Eardley | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| – | FW | England | Dick Evans | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 6 | MF | | James Downie | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | MF | England | Fred Belfield | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | MF | | Ted McDonald | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | FW | | Danny Simpson | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| – | FW | | Joseph Sandham | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | MF | | Ralph Barlow | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | | David Black | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | England | Meshach Dean | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | DF | England | John Edwards | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | | John Fallows | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | MF | England | Hamlet Handley | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | FW | | Charlie Mason | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| – | – | – | Own goals | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| | | | TOTALS | 43 | 0 | 1 | 44 |

## Transfers
### Transfers in

| Date from | Position | Name | From | Fee |
| July 1895 | FW | Ernest Beckett | Newcastle Swifts | Free transfer |
| September 1895 | FW | Billy Eardley | Newcastle Swifts | Free transfer |
| September 1895 | MF | James Downie | Blackburn Rovers | Free transfer |
| September 1895 | FW | David Black | Blackburn Rovers | Free transfer |
| January 1896 | MF | John Edwards | Stockport County | Free transfer |
| January 1896 | FW | Joseph Sandham | Crewe Alexandra | Free transfer |
| February 1896 | FW | Danny Simpson | Tunstall Town | Free transfer |

### Transfers out

| Date from | Position | Name | To | Fee |
| October 1895 | MF | Alf Wood | Stoke | Free transfer |
| January 1896 | FW | David Black | | Released |
| February 1896 | FW | Joseph Sandham | Dresden United | Free transfer |
| May 1896 | DF | George Samuel Eccles | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 'considerable' |
| Summer 1896 | MF | Joseph Boughey | Audley | Released |
| Summer 1896 | MF | Meshach Dean | | Released |
| Summer 1896 | FW | Jimmy Ditchfield | | Released |
| Summer 1896 | MF | James Downie | | Released |
| Summer 1896 | MF | John Edwards | Grays United | Free transfer |
| Summer 1896 | MF | Hamlet Handley | | Released |
| Summer 1896 | MF | James Kirkham | | Released |
| Summer 1896 | FW | Charlie Mason | | Released |
| Summer 1896 | DF | William Rhodes | | Released |
| August 1896 | FW | Billy Eardley | Stoke | Free transfer |
| August 1896 | MF | Ted McDonald | Stoke | Free transfer |