Flashback: 1983 and promotion for Ernie Moss and Bob Newton
To celebrate last weekend’s Ernie Moss day and the appearance of Vale cult heroes Ernie Moss and Bob Newton at the Chesterfield game – here is a brief look back at the 1982-83 promotion season.
Ernie Moss had been brought to Vale Park in 1981 and he was to play a crucial part in the first-half of the season. Moss scored eleven goals in just 33 games as he formed a highly effective strike partnership with new signing Bob Newton.
And talking of Newton… the burly striker was manager John McGrath’s only cash signing as he spent £15,000 on the former Hartlepool forward. By the way, you can read our cult hero feature on John McGrath here. It turned out to be money well spent as the striker hit twenty goals and finished as the side’s top scorer. Here he is scoring with a diving header:
You may also want to read our OVF interview with Bob Newton here
Another stand-out member of that promotion winning side is sadly no longer with us. Steve Fox dazzled fans with some stunning performances on the wing and was named as one of four Vale players in the divisional team of the season. Sadly, Steve passed away in 2012 aged 54 after a long battle with cancer. Before he left us, he was able to share some memories with Vale fans – read more here
Promotion was mathematically ensured with a win over Stockport County which this Vale match programme celebrated:
It meant that the Vale’s final home game of the season was a cause for celebration as these images show. Fans dressed up in fancy dress (with one greeting manager John McGrath) and in the midst of one of the shots, Vale players Barry Siddall and John Ridley can be seen pleaving the pitch while captain Wayne Cegielski is chaired aloft in another: