Gallery: vintage images of Port Vale fans through the years
Here are a selection of vintage images of Port Vale fans from our OVF archives.
Category: Port Vale memorabilia
Port Vale FC memorabilia and historical features, many of which are exclusive to OVF.
Clipping: Port Vale play Stoke City in 1928
A clipping from 1914 recalls how a “gallant” Port Vale side suffer a narrow defeat to their neighbours.
Clipping: Vale suffer vandalism in 1914…
A clipping from 1914 recalls how seats were damaged at the Old Rec stadium…
Clipping: A match report on Vale’s record defeat…
A clipping from 1892 reports on a home humbling for the Valiants as they concede ten to the Blades…
Clipping: The moment Port Vale took Leeds City’s league place
A clipping from 1919 recalls the unique occasion of Leed City’s expulsion and the appointment of Port Vale to take over their fixures…
Clippings: Port Vale photos from the 1938-39 season…
Here are a selection of clippings from 1939 including action shots of Vale playing at their Hanley ground…
Clipping: Inquest into death of Vale player Tom Butler, 1923
In this clipping from 1923, the inquest into the tragic death of Tom Butler is announced.
A collection of Port Vale hard men from yesteryear
Here is a collection of older Port Vale players who als0 had a reputation as true hard men…
Vale’s amazing 1926 run – 8 games, 7 wins, 23 goals for, 4 goals against
OVF takes a look at an astonishing turnaround in form for the Port Vale team of the 1920’s.
Three Port Vale caricatures from the 1940s
We believe these Port Vale caricatures are from the 1946-47 season when all three players were in the Port Vale team.
1957: The Potteries rivalry is examined
This article from an unknown football magazine circa 1957 is a profile of the rivalry between Port Vale and Stoke City.
A hand-drawn Port Vale stamp from 1970
Take a look at this hand-drawn Port Vale stamp which was produced by a national newspaper over 45 years ago.
1936: Nipper Roberts hits his eighth Port Vale goal in five games…
The striker’s remarkable spell came despite Port Vale conceding 12 goals in two games and amid mounting financial worries.
62 years ago: Port Vale reach their only FA Cup semi-final
March 27th 2016 marks the 62nd anniversary of Port Vale’s FA Cup semi-final game against West Brom.
Names to faces – the Port Vale 1920-21 squad
One of the frustrations of early Port Vale 1920-21 squad line-ups is the lack of names – making it difficult to identify players of yesterday. We’ve had a go at the 1920-21 squad.
The day a Vale fan proposed changing the club’s name to Stoke City
In the course of our research we came upon a 1925 edition of the Staffordshire Sentinel and an interesting debate brewing in the letters pages.
Port Vale player and Real Madrid manager – the Robert Firth story
Robert Firth was the second English manager of Real Madrid and guided them to their second league title. He also played for Port Vale.
Maidenhead’s unlikely starring role in the “Port Vale” movie…
Arnold Bennett’s “The Card” is generally regarded to be based upon Port Vale FC – and FA Cup visitors Maidenhead United played an unlikely role in the film version…
Remembering Wilf Kirkham…
This week marks 41 years since Port Vale’s all-time record goalscorer Wilf Kirkham sadly passed away. He was 73 years old.
A Vale Legend: Roy Sproson, 85 years on…
To mark the 85th anniversary of Port Vale legend Roy Sproson’s birthday, here are a selection of OVF features about the great man.
Seven wins, thirty goals – Port Vale’s incredible 1893 run…
The 1893-1894 season was only Port Vale’s second season as a Football League club but it started as one of the most memorable.
The strange tale of Port Vale and a whale…
OVF were kindly loaned this unusual photograph by Port Vale FC for our Vale Vaults exhibition…
Port Vale: Front Page news
A selection of articles remembering the times when Port Vale really were making front page headlines…
Flashback: the Old Rec, Terraces and Potbanks…
A good friend of the OVF website has sent in this undated photograph of the Old Recreation Ground, Hanley.
Flashback: 1983 and promotion for Ernie Moss
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.
Why Port Vale tried to sign the 60’s “Mourinho”
Hungarian Bela Guttman was hailed as a legend after guiding Benfica to two European Cup victories. So why on earth, just weeks after winning his second trophy, was he offered the manager’s role by Port Vale?
Port Vale 1976 Centenary Night
Here are some scans of the programme for a night out at Jollees nightclub to celebrate the “centenary” of Port Vale FC.
The Port Vale War Cry anthem
We present a special feature on the Port Vale anthem of the 1920’s – which includes a portion of the lyrics, scans of the songsheet and a re-working of the song by band Cock’s Entry.
1954 semi-final special – the front cover
To conclude our look at the Sentinel special marking the club’s FA Cup semi-final appearance in 1954, here is a Photoshopped copy of the front cover.
Listen: Managing Vale by Sir Stanley Matthews
Listen to an interview with the late Sir Stanley Matthews about his experience managing Port Vale FC in the 1960’s.