1898–99 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

Burslem Port Vale
1898–99 season
Chairman Robert Audley
Manager Sam Gleaves
Stadium Athletic Ground
Football League Second Division 9th (39 Points)
FA Cup Fifth Qualifying Round
Staffordshire Senior Cup Semi-final
Birmingham Senior Cup Runners-up
Top goalscorer League: James Peake (11)
All: James Peake (17)
Highest home attendance 12,000 vs Manchester City (1 April 1899)
Lowest home attendance 1,000 vs Gainsborough Trinity (26 November 1898)
Average home league attendance 4,500+
Home colours

The 1898–99 season was Burslem Port Vale's fifth season of football in the Football League; it followed a two season absence, which the club spent in the Midland Football League.[1] A solid return to the Football League, they finished in mid-table. They had the strongest defence in the division as they conceded less goals than any other team in the division. It was instead a lack of firepower in front of goal that prevented a push for promotion.

Winning their opening six league games, just two points gained from their final five games ensured a top two position was out of their reach. Safety from the lottery of re-election was never in doubt though, as they finished nineteen points above the re-election places. Over the next eight seasons they never bettered their league finish of 1898–99, though they twice equalled it.

Ever-present Lucien Boullemier.
Winger Billy Heames would stay with the Vale for the next five seasons.

Overview

Second Division

Their FA Cup win over First Division champions Sheffield United in 1897–98 won Vale the respect (and votes) they needed to win re-election to the Football League for 1898–99.[1][2] To ensure a competitive campaign they signed striker Howard Harvey from Aston Villa for £50.[1] Winning their opening six league games, the semi-professional side conceded just one goal in this run. However Tommy Clare broke a leg at their final win of the streak of six, and their run ended at Newton Heath the following week – the team badly missed Clare.[1] Their fading hopes of promotion were bolstered by four wins in January, including a 6–1 win over Blackpool aided by a four goal haul from James Peake.[1] Yet they finished the season with two points from five games, dropping into ninth place – their lowest position all season.[1]

Of the two clubs that failed to gain re-election, Darwen, who picked up a League record eighteen consecutive defeats, played regional football for the rest of their existence; whereas Blackpool gained re-election at the end of the following season, and never lost their League status again.

Right-half Lucien Boullemier was an ever-present throughout the campaign, with goalkeeper Herbert Birchenough missing just one game.[1] Winger Billy Heames and forward Howard Harvey rarely missed a game between them.[1]

Finances

Financially, the club lost £300 over the season.[1]

Cup competitions

Defending champions of the Staffordshire Senior Cup, Vale reached the semi-final, where they lost 4–0 to Walsall in a replay.[1] In the Birmingham Senior Cup, they defeated Walsall in the semi-final, in a replay, going on to lose 4–0 to Aston Villa in the final.[1] In the FA Cup they were turned over 7–0 at Small Heath in the qualification rounds.[1]

Final league table

Pos Team Pld W D L F A W D L F A F A GA GD Pts
1Manchester City3415116410854282592352.629+ 4752
2Glossop North End3412144813854282576382.000+ 3846
3Leicester Fosse3412503512647293064421.524+ 2245
4Newton Heath3412415114719162967431.558+ 2443
5New Brighton Tower3413224813557233971521.365+ 943
6Walsall3412506411377152579362.194+ 4342
7Woolwich Arsenal34142155104310173172411.756+ 3141
8Small Heath3414126617368193385501.700+ 3541
9Burslem Port Vale3412233512539212256341.647+ 2239
10Grimsby Town34103439175210324371601.183+ 1135
11Barnsley3411424418131383852560.929– 431
12Lincoln City34105231162213204051560.911– 531
13Burton Swifts3475535253311164551700.729– 1928
14Gainsborough Trinity3484540222114165056720.778– 1625
15Luton Town3481837312213146451950.537– 4423
16Blackpool3463835302114146049900.544– 3120
17Loughborough345483126121476638920.413– 5418
18Darwen342411163201166109221410.156– 1199

Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against;
GA = Goal average; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points

Results

Burslem born Danny Simpson never played for any professional club other than Port Vale.
George Price played one, scored one in 1898-99.

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

Legend

Win Draw Loss
Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHHAH
Result W W W W W W L D L W L W L D W L W W W W L W L W L L W D W L D L D L
Position 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 5 5 4 6 6 6 4 3 3 2 4 3 3 4 4 5 4 4 6 6 7 9

Sourced from Statto.[3]

Football League Second Division

DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
3 September 1898 BarnsleyH2–04,000Peake, Evans
5 September 1898 Woolwich ArsenalH3–05,000Evans (2), unknown
10 September 1898 Small HeathA2–15,500Evans, Peake
17 September 1898 LoughboroughH3–05,000Peake (2), Simpson
24 September 1898 BlackpoolA4–01,000Peake (2), Harvey, Beech
1 October 1898 Grimsby TownH2–06,000Simpson, Evans
8 October 1898 Newton HeathA1–210,000Simpson
15 October 1898 New Brighton TowerH0–05,000
22 October 1898 Lincoln CityA0–14,000
5 November 1898 Luton TownA1–02,000Evans
12 November 1898 Leicester FosseH0–24,000
26 November 1898 Gainsborough TrinityH2–11,000Evans, Harvey
3 December 1898 Manchester CityA1–36,000Peake
17 December 1898 WalsallA1–13,000Evans
24 December 1898 Burton SwiftsH4–12,000Beckett (2), Harvey, Beech
31 December 1898 BarnsleyA1–21,000Evans
2 January 1899 DarwenA3–1400Harvey (2), Mitchell
7 January 1899 Small HeathH1–05,000Beckett
14 January 1899 LoughboroughA3–02,000Evans, Harvey, Beckett
21 January 1899 BlackpoolH6–1Peake (4), Beech, Beckett
28 January 1899 Burton SwiftsA0–2500
4 February 1899 Newton HeathH1–06,000Belfield
11 February 1899 New Brighton TowerA0–12,000
18 February 1899 Lincoln CityH2–13,000Harvey, Beech
21 February 1899 Grimsby TownA1–32,500Beckett
25 February 1899 Woolwich ArsenalA0–16,000
4 March 1899 Luton TownH4–14,000McDonald (3), Simpson
11 March 1899 Leicester FosseA1–19,000Harvey
18 March 1899 DarwenH3–1Harvey, Beckett, McDonald
25 March 1899 Gainsborough TrinityA2–3Simpson, Beckett
1 April 1899 Manchester CityH1–112,000Heames
3 April 1899 Glossop North EndH1–24,000Beckett
8 April 1899 Glossop North EndA0–03,500
15 April 1899 WalsallH0–11,500

FA Cup

Main article: 1898–99 FA Cup
RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorers
3Q29 October 1898 Wellington TownH5–01,000Peake (2), Evans (2), Price
4Q19 November 1898 Burton WanderersH3–01,500Peake, Simpson, Harvey
5Q10 December 1898 Small HeathA0–77,000

Player statistics

Appearances

Pos. Name League FA Cup Total (+Senior Cup)
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GKEngland Herbert Birchenough 33030440
DF S.E. Bayley 300030
DF Jim Beech 31430404
DFEngland Lucien Boullemier 34030450
DFEngland John Bowman 000010
DFEngland Tommy Clare 13000160
DF George Hulme 8020130
DF Tom McFarlane 22010270
DF Henry Platt 201030
DF Thomas Spilsbury 15020211
DFEngland Frank Stokes 300050
MFEngland Billy Heames 33130431
MF Charles Hodgkinson 6000100
MFEngland Ted McDonald 30420397
FWEngland Danny Simpson 17521227
FW George Price 001111
FW James Peake 2211332817
FW Frank Mitchell 411082
FW Tommy Lander 16010220
FWEngland Howard Harvey 329214113
FWEngland Dick Evans 2310323013
FW R.H. Capener 100010
FW Fred Belfield 510061
FW Ernest Beckett 21900269

Scorers

All competitions

Scorer Goals
James Peake 17
England Howard Harvey 13
England Dick Evans
Ernest Beckett 9
England Ted McDonald 7
England Danny Simpson
Jim Beech 4
Frank Mitchell 2
England Billy Heames 1
Fred Belfield
George Price
Thomas Spilsbury

League

Scorer Goals
James Peake 11
England Dick Evans 10
Ernest Beckett 9
England Howard Harvey
England Danny Simpson 5
Jim Beech 4
England Ted McDonald
England Billy Heames 1
Fred Belfield
Frank Mitchell

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kent, Jeff (1990). "The Hopeless Struggle (1898-1907)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 50–70. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. "Vale revel in FA Cup glory". The Sentinel. 29 November 2012. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  3. Port Vale 1898–1899 : Results & Fixtures. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
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