12th October 1946 – a eighteen year-old Basil Hayward makes his Port Vale debut…
On the 12th October 1946, Basil Hayward made his first-ever appearance for the club at the tender age of just 18 years and 188 days. He would progress into one of the legendary figures of the 1953-54 Iron Curtain side.
Born in Leek, Hayward joined the Valiants in May 1946 just days after his sixteenth birthday. He didn’t have to wait long to make his first-team debut being drafted into the team on October 1946. Sadly, the game wasn’t the greatest for the defender as they lost 4-0 to Cardiff City. However, he forged a regular place at the back in December 1947 and was a regular for the next eighteen months before falling out of favour.
However, a remarkable transformation to the player’s career took place when Freddie Steele took over as Port Vale manager. Steele saw a new side to Hayward’s game and decided to switch him to an attacking role. It was an immediate success with Hayward netting eight times in his first ten games and finishing the 1952-53 campaign as top-scorer with 22 goals.
He enjoyed even greater success during that legendary 1953-54 season. He hit 25 goals in 45 games as Vale won promotion and reached the semi-final of the FA Cup. He also set a new club record by scoring in eight consecutive games during that memorable campaign and was the first player to net a hat-trick at the newly built Vale Park stadium.
He switched back to a defensive role in 1955 before the club accepted a transfer bid for him from Portsmouth in 1958. Hayward had made 372 appearances for the Valiants, scoring 58 times. He played for two years at Pompey as well as a spell at Yeovil Town while Hayward also had two managerial spells in charge of Yeovil Town and Gillingham.
Basil also had another string to his bow, playing as a bowler for Staffordshire in the Minor Counties between 951 and 1959.
He sadly passed away, aged 61, in December 1989.
About the 1953-54 Port Vale Iron Curtain side
Known as the “Iron Curtain” for their tremendous defensive qualities, the Port Vale FC side of 1953-54 set numerous club records and are regarded as probably the greatest Port Vale side of all-time.
Managed by Freddie Steele, the side were crowned Third Division North Champions and also reached the FA Cup semi-final where they unluckily lost to West Brom.
Their success was based on a squad of nineteen players, many of whom were locally born. Players included Ray King, Roy Sproson, Tommy Cheadle, Colin Askey, Dickie Cunliffe, Albert Leake and Basil Hayward.
The side set three Football League records including the least number of goals conceded in a season, a club record eleven successive home wins and they were undefeated at home all season.
We have a series of special features, press clippings, images and video about the 1954 Port Vale side