Young manager Gordon Lee helped fans forget the trauma of expulsion from the League with promotion in 1970.
LEE LEADS VALE TO PROMOTION Valiants bounce back after the trauma of expulsion
Key figures
Manager Lee
Top-scorer James
POTY Green
The background
Just twelve months earlier, Port Vale had hit one of their lowest moments. Stanley Matthews’ side had been found guilty of making illegal payments and were expelled from the League. Matthews resigned and the Valiants were expelled from the League at the end of the 1967-68 season. Gordon Lee was appointed the new manager and the side were re-elected back into the League in time for the 1968-69 season. During that season, Lee consolidated things, taking the club to 13th place. Now the 1969-70 season had arrived could Lee do even better?
Just twelve months earlier, Port Vale had hit one of their lowest moments. Stanley Matthews’ side had been found guilty of making illegal payments and were expelled from the League…
Pre-season
The Vale were once again cash-strapped so Lee was only able to bring in free transfers. In the summer, he brought in Ken Wookey (Newport County), Stuart Shaw (Southport) and Eric Magee (Oldham Athletic). Meanwhile, last season’s top-scorer Roy Chapman had departed.
Meanwhile, away from the pitch an attempt to bring speedway to the stadium (as a revenue generator) failed.
Port Vale's 1969-1970 side
The season
Lee’s side started strongly continued their form from the end of the previous campaign to record a club record run of 29 games unbeaten. However, there were give goalless draws as Lee’s side initially proved stronger in defence than attack.
Mick Morris proved as asset as a utility player while Scottish winger Tommy McLaren began to be a regular starter. However, it was the defence (with veteran Roy Sproson still a regular) which starred conceding just six goals in the opening fifteen games.
Despite their good form, Lee remained short of cash and wasn’t even to afford a signing on fee for Notts County player Ian Buxton. Nevertheless, the strong defence and consistent selection saw Vale reach the summit of the division in late December.
However, given the size of Vale’s squad, injuries and suspensions hit the team’s form in the New Year. On 17 January, Sproson made his 800th senior appearance in a 2–0 victory over Exeter City.
Lee tried to lift the club bringing in Tony Lacey, Bill Summerscales and finally signing Buxton on a permanent deal. The form turned around as striker John James hit a hat-trick in a 4-1 demolition of Bradford Park Avenue.
There was a further blow when chairman Arthur McPherson was found guilty of receiving stolen goods. He resigned to be replaced by Mark Singer. However, it didn’t upset momentum on the pitch. Lee named an unchanged side for the eigth game in succession as Vale thrashing Darlington in late March. Lee was able to further strengthen his side with the addition of striker Sammy Morgan on a free.
Unbeaten in their final nine games, they secured promotion thanks to that resolute defence – having conceded just four goals in this run.
Selected player bios
- John James the powerful forward and crowd favourite ended as top-scorer for the season.
- Roy Sproson the Valiants legend played over fifty games over the course of the season.
- Tommy McLaren this season was a breakthrough one for the immensely popular Scotsman
- Gordon Lee the influential manager would go to spells with Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle Utd and Everton
Stats for the 1969-70 season
- Third place finish on 59 points
- 61 goals scored and 31 conceded
- 20 wins, 19 draws and 7 losses
- Top scorers – John James (14), Bobby Gough (9), Buxton, Sproson, Boulton (6)
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