1944–45 Port Vale F.C. season

Port Vale 1944–45 football season

Port Vale

1944–45 season

Chairman

Tom Flint

Manager

Jack Diffin
(October – December)
David Pratt
(December onwards)

Stadium

Old Recreation Ground

North First Championship

46th (12 points)

North Second Championship

54th (12 points)

League North Cup

48th (7 points)

Midland Cup

Did not qualify

Top goalscorer

League: Alf Bellis, Eric Prince (5 each)
All: Alf Bellis (10)

Highest home attendance

17,040 vs. Stoke City, 24 February 1945

Lowest home attendance

2,195 vs. Walsall, 23 December 1944

Average home league attendance

5,969

Biggest win

5–0 vs. Stockport County, 3 March 1945

Biggest defeat

1–8 vs. Stoke City, 17 February 1945

Home colours

1945–46 →

The 1944–45 season was Port Vale's second season of football in the wartime league system of World War II.^[1] 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.^[1] The junior team had been active since this time and the club hoped they could step up to perform at a senior level, supplemented by guest players.^[1] 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.^[1] However, they lost the reverse fixture 4–0 and went on to pick up only one more point by the end of September.^[1] 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.^[1]

A ten-game series for qualification to the League North Cup began in December and 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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] 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.^[1] The club made a profit of £1,262 on the season, thanks to gate receipts of £11,200.^[1]

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

Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

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

Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

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

Source: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

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

Pos.	Name	North Championship		League North Cup		Midland Cup		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	Ref.
July 1944	MF	Kenneth Banks		Free transfer	^[2]
August 1944	MF	William Birks		Free transfer	^[2]
August 1944	FW	Ralph Gregory		Free transfer	^[2]
August 1944	MF	Harold Jervis	Stoke City	Free transfer	^[2]
August 1944	FW	James Mee		Free transfer	^[2]
August 1944	MF	Frank Pointon	Endon	Free transfer	^[2]
August 1944	GK	Harry Prince	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Free transfer	^[2]
September 1944	MF	Jonty Musgrave	Hartlepools United	Free transfer	^[2]
September 1944	MF	Robert Pepper	Stafford Boys' Club	Free transfer	^[2]
September 1944	FW	Eric Prince	Ipstones	Free transfer	^[2]
October 1944	MF	Murdoch Dickie	Port Vale	Free transfer	^[2]
October 1944	MF	Isaac McDowell	Cowdenbeath	Free transfer	^[2]
October 1944	MF	Roy Meredith		Free transfer	^[2]
December 1944	FW	Jack Clunn	Michelin	Free transfer	^[2]
December 1944	MF	Sid Prince	Michelin	Free transfer	^[2]
December 1944	FW	Dennis Spender	Radway	Free transfer	^[2]
February 1945	FW	Cecil Booth		Free transfer	^[2]
March 1945	FW	Leonard Howell		Free transfer	^[2]
March 1945	FW	John Roden		Free transfer	^[2]

Transfers out

Date from	Position	Name	To	Fee	Ref.
1945	MF	Kenneth Banks		Released	^[2]
1945	MF	Roy Meredith		Released	^[2]
1945	MF	Jonty Musgrave		Released	^[2]
1945	FW	Dennis Spender		Released	^[2]
1945	MF	James Tunnicliffe		Released	^[2]
Summer 1945	DF	Phil Griffiths		Released	^[2]
Summer 1945	FW	Leonard Howell		Released	^[2]
Summer 1945	MF	Sid Prince	Ipstones	Free transfer	^[2]

References

Specific

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Kent, Jeff (1990). "Creating Sunshine from the Shadows (1939–1950)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 151–171. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.