The season

After taking a few games to find their feet, Vale hit form in September winning eight of their next ten games. New strikeforce Moss and Newton were starting to gel with six goals between them. Meanwhile, Stoke City were on the prowl again, paying £40,000 to reunite Neville Chamberlain with his brother Mark.

McGrath’s side was bang in form in October which coincided with the arrival of winger Steve Fox. Striker Bob Newton was named as Division Four’s player of the month.

In December, Vale suffered a blip with just one win in five games but they bounced back in the New Year by winning ten matches out of twelve. The New Year run also coincided with the arrival of loan keeper Neville Southall, who was signed after Siddall picked up an injury in late December. One Southall save (in a 1-0 away win over Bury) has gone down in Vale folklore as one of the best saves ever seen. 

At the end of February, sparked by veteran midfielder Jimmy Greenoff’s decision to move on to a player-management role, McGrath shook things up a bit. He decided that veteran Moss’ legs had gone and he was sold. In his place, he signed striker Jim Steel from Oldham Athletic for £10,000 and brought in loan midfielder Mark Lawrence. The return of Siddall from injury was also crucial as Vale’s form picked up. 

Eventually, the Valiants eased to promotion with two games to go after a 2-0 win at Stockport County. Striker Steel was the matchwinner with both goals. There were party scenes at the final home game – against Northampton Town – as the fans celebrated promotion.