Wikipedia

1899–1900 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

The 1899–1900 season was Burslem Port Vale's second consecutive season (sixth overall) of football in the English Football League.[1] Another season of charging to the summit of the Second Division table, only to fall into mid-table obscurity, this time the club suffered from low support and subsequently poor finances. Once again the team maintained a decent defensive record, only to fail miserably in front of goal – the second lowest total in the league.

Burslem Port Vale
1899–1900 season
ChairmanRobert Audley
ManagerSam Gleaves
StadiumAthletic Ground
Football League Second Division11th (34 Points)
FA CupFifth Qualifying Round
(knocked out by Stalybridge Rovers)
Birmingham Senior CupRunners-up
(knocked out by Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Staffordshire Senior CupRunners-up
(knocked out by West Bromwich Albion)
Top goalscorerLeague: Howard Harvey (10)
All: Howard Harvey (17)
Highest home attendance3,000 vs Newton Heath, 7 April 1900
vs. Grimsby Town, 9 September 1899
Lowest home attendance300 vs Lincoln City, 21 April 1900
Average home league attendance1,518+
Biggest win5–0 vs. West Bromwich Albion, 11 December 1899
Biggest defeat0–5 (twice)
Not long after his debut, left-half Billy Leech established himself as an essential first teamer.
Key player Lucien Boullemier.
Billy Heames rarely missed a game.
Bert Eardley played one, scored one.
Striker Danny Simpson was nearing the end of his playing career.
Striker George Price would be a key player the next season.

Overview edit

Second Division edit

During the pre-season, the Athletic Ground had its capacity increased to 25,000. Last season's top scorers Dick Evans and James Peake departed for Reading and Millwall Athletic respectively; also star player Tommy Clare retired.[1] Four new forwards were signed, namely Scots Billy Grassam (Maryhill) and James Reid (Hibernian), and local lads Charles Walters (Gainsborough Trinity) and Billy Leech (Tottenham Hotspur).

The season started with four defeats in the first six games in a dismal September. They turned their form around with a six-game win streak that gave them a 100% win record in October and November. However, one win in the next thirteen games followed, as the club slipped back down the league. Their decline was helped by the regular selling of key players in order to balance the books.

Finances edit

Attendance figures made grim reading, and left-half Ted McDonald had to be sold to Notts County in November in order to raise cash.[1] Goalkeeper Herbert Birchenough was sold to Glossop in January, with top scorer Howard Harvey also sold to Manchester City that same month.[1] Their second to last match saw a mere 300 supporters turn up to watch. At the end of the season there were drastic budget cuts, even so much as to stop paying players wages over the summer period – the only club in the league to do so.[1] Cheaper, local talent was recruited to fill the void left by departing stars. The club lost £73 over the course of the campaign, despite having trimmed ten times that figure from the playing budget.[2]

Cup competitions edit

In the FA Cup, the club vanquished nearby Nantwich and Crewe Alexandra, but failed to make it to the First Round Proper. They reached the final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup and the Birmingham Senior Cup, losing to West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers respectively.[1] West Brom defeated Vale 5–0 in the final at Villa Park, taking revenge for the "Valeites" dumping West Brom out of the Birmingham Cup by the same scoreline.[1]

League table edit

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GAv Pts
9 Lincoln City 34 14 8 12 46 43 1.070 36
10 New Brighton Tower 34 13 9 12 66 58 1.138 35
11 Burslem Port Vale 34 14 6 14 39 49 0.796 34
12 Walsall 34 12 8 14 50 55 0.909 32
13 Gainsborough Trinity 34 9 7 18 47 75 0.627 25
Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal average; 3) Goals scored

Results edit

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

Football League Second Division edit

Main article: 1899–1900 Football League

Results by matchday edit

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundAHHAHAHHAAHHAAHHAAHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHH
ResultLWLLWLWWWWWWLDWDLDDLLLDLDWLWLWWLWL
Position1681012912865444565667678899999891099911
Source: Statto[3]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches edit

Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Scorers
2 September 1899 New Brighton Tower A 0–2 3,000
4 September 1899 Middlesbrough H 3–1 2,000 Harvey, Bayley, Grassam
9 September 1899 Grimsby Town H 2–3 3,000 Heames, Grassam
16 September 1899 Woolwich Arsenal A 0–1 5,000
23 September 1899 Barnsley H 3–1 2,000 Heames, Grassam, Harvey
30 September 1899 Leicester Fosse A 0–2 4,000
7 October 1899 Luton Town H 1–0 2,500 Boullemier
14 October 1899 Burton Swifts H 2–1 1,500 Boullemier, Heames
21 October 1899 Walsall A 1–0 3,000 Reid
4 November 1899 Chesterfield A 4–0 2,000 Harvey (3), Leech
11 November 1899 Gainsborough Trinity H 1–0 1,000 Harvey
25 November 1899 Loughborough H 3–1 800 Harvey, Walters, Reid
2 December 1899 Newton Heath A 0–3 5,000
16 December 1899 Lincoln City A 1–1 200 Harvey
23 December 1899 Small Heath H 3–0 500 Heames, Harvey, Price
30 December 1899 New Brighton Tower H 1–1 2,000 Harvey
2 January 1900 Bolton Wanderers A 0–5 2,570
6 January 1900 Grimsby Town A 1–1 3,000 Simpson
13 January 1900 Woolwich Arsenal H 1–1 2,000 Grassam
20 January 1900 Barnsley A 0–3 2,000
27 January 1900 Small Heath A 1–2 5,000 Whitehouse
3 February 1900 Leicester Fosse H 0–2 600
10 February 1900 Luton Town A 1–1 500 Eardley
12 February 1900 The Wednesday H 0–3 2,000
17 February 1900 Burton Swifts A 2–2 Walters, Beech
24 February 1900 Walsall H 1–0 700 Heames
3 March 1900 Middlesbrough A 0–1 6,000
10 March 1900 Chesterfield H 2–0 1,500 Simpson, Grassam
17 March 1900 Gainsborough Trinity A 0–4 1,000
31 March 1900 Loughborough A 2–1 500 Price, Simpson
7 April 1900 Newton Heath H 1–0 3,000 Boullemier
14 April 1900 The Wednesday A 0–4 5,000
21 April 1900 Lincoln City H 2–1 300 Price, Heames
23 April 1900 Bolton Wanderers H 0–2 400

FA Cup edit

Main article: 1899–1900 FA Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
3Q 28 October 1899 Nantwich H 2–0 600 Reid, Heames
4Q 18 November 1899 Crewe Alexandra A 2–2 4,000 Harvey (2 [1 pen])
4Q Replay 22 November 1899 Crewe Alexandra H 3–1 1,500 Harvey (pen), Walters, Grassam
5Q 9 December 1899 Stalybridge Rovers H 0–1 3,000

Birmingham Senior Cup edit

Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
1 11 December 1899 West Bromwich Albion H 5–0 1,500 Harvey (3 [1 pen]), Whitehouse (2)
2 15 January 1900 Burton Swifts H 3–0 500 Price, unknown, unknown
SF 5 March 1900 Ironbridge H 6–3 1,000 Heames, Whitehouse , Grassam, unknown
Final 2 April 1900 Wolverhampton Wanderers N 1–2 500 Grassam

Staffordshire Senior Cup edit

Main article: 1899–1900 Staffordshire Senior Cup
Round Date Opponent Venue Result Attendance Goalscorers
2 2 October 1899 Burton Swifts H 3–1 800 Reid, Grassam, unknown
SF 30 October 1899 Walsall A 3–1 1,000 McDonald, Grassam, Harvey
Final 4 December 1899 West Bromwich Albion N 1–1 4,000 Reid
Replay 26 April 1900 West Bromwich Albion N 0–5 5,000

Player statistics edit

Appearances edit

Pos. Name League FA Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
GK   Herbert Birchenough 18 0 3 0 3 0 24 0
GK William Saunders 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
GK Tom Poole 15 0 1 0 3 0 19 0
DF S.E. Bayley 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 1
DF Jim Beech 31 1 4 0 6 0 41 1
DF   Lucien Boullemier 32 3 4 0 5 0 41 3
DF   Tom McFarlane 31 0 4 0 6 0 41 0
DF   Thomas Spilsbury 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
DF   Frank Stokes 32 0 4 0 6 0 42 0
DF   Tom Davies 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
DF Joseph Bennett 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MF   Billy Heames 31 6 3 1 5 1 39 8
MF   Ted McDonald 9 0 0 0 1 1 10 1
MF Billy Leech 26 1 4 0 6 0 36 1
MF   Bert Eardley 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1
FW   Danny Simpson 17 3 0 0 2 0 19 3
FW   George Price 21 3 0 0 5 1 26 4
FW   Tommy Lander 8 0 2 0 2 0 12 0
FW   Howard Harvey 17 10 4 3 3 4 24 17
FW   Frank Whitehouse 19 1 0 0 4 3 23 4
FW Charles Walters 10 2 3 1 3 0 16 3
FW   James Reid 17 2 4 1 4 2 25 5
FW   Billy Grassam 31 5 4 1 6 4 41 10

Top scorers edit

Place Position Nation Name Second Division FA Cup Other Total
1 FW   England Howard Harvey 10 3 4 17
2 FW   Scotland Billy Grassam 5 1 4 10
3 MF   England Billy Heames 6 1 1 8
4 FW   Scotland James Reid 2 1 2 5
5 FW   England Frank Whitehouse 1 0 3 4
– FW   England George Price 3 0 1 4
7 FW   England Danny Simpson 3 0 0 3
– FW Charles Walters 2 1 0 3
– DF   England Lucien Boullemier 3 0 0 3
10 DF S.E. Bayley 1 0 0 1
– DF Jim Beech 1 0 0 1
– MF Billy Leech 1 0 0 1
– MF   England Bert Eardley 1 0 0 1
– MF   England Ted McDonald 0 0 1 1
– – – Unknown 0 0 4 4
TOTALS 39 7 20 66

Transfers edit

Transfers in edit

Date from Position Nationality Name From Fee Ref.
Summer 1899 MF   Frank Whitehouse Bucknall Free transfer [4]
June 1899 MF   Billy Leech Tottenham Hotspur Free transfer [4]
June 1899 FW Charles Walters Gainsborough Trinity Free transfer [4]
June 1899 FW   James Reid   Hibernian Free transfer [4]
July 1899 FW   Billy Grassam   Maryhill Free transfer [4]
September 1899 DF Joseph Bennett Porthill Free transfer [4]

Transfers out edit

Date from Position Nationality Name To Fee Ref.
November 1899 MF   Ted McDonald Notts County 'considerable' [4]
January 1900 GK   Herbert Birchenough Glossop £250 [4]
January 1900 FW   Howard Harvey Manchester City unknown [4]
May 1900 MF   Frank Whitehouse Stoke Free transfer [4]
Summer 1900 DF Joseph Bennett Released [4]
Summer 1900 FW   Billy Grassam West Ham United Free transfer [4]
Summer 1900 MF   Billy Leech Stoke Free transfer [4]
Summer 1900 DF   Tom McFarlane Middlesbrough Free transfer [4]
Summer 1900 FW   James Reid West Ham United Free transfer [4]
Summer 1900 FW Charles Walters Released [4]

References edit

Specific
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kent, Jeff (1990). "The Hopeless Struggle (1898-1907)". The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale. Witan Books. pp. 50–70. ISBN 0-9508981-4-7.
  2. ^ What If There Had Been No Port In The Vale?: Startling Port Vale Stories! (Witan Books, 2011, ISBN 978-0-9529152-8-7)
  3. ^ Port Vale 1899–1900 : Results & Fixtures Archived 17 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Kent, Jeff (1996). Port Vale Personalities. Witan Books. ISBN 0-9529152-0-0.
General
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