Timeline
1876 – The club was first formed as an offshoot of Porthill Victoria Cricket Club, playing our first games at Longport Meadows. The club’s first scorer was Jack Hood, and his younger brother Enoch was the club’s first captain.
1881 – Moved ground to Westport Meadows, nowadays Westport Lake.
1882 – Joined the Staffordshire Football Association and played competitive games for the first time.
1884 – The club moved to a ground in Moorland Road, Burslem. To reflect the area, wechanged our name to Burslem Port Vale.
1885 – Turned professional and entered the FA Cup for the first time, beating Chirk 3-0 andreaching the Fifth Round.
1886 – Moved grounds to the Athletic Ground in Cobridge.
1890 – Became founder members of the Midland League.
1892 – Became founder members of the new Second Division of the Football League. The club’s first league game was a 5-1 defeat at Small Heath Alliance (now Birmingham City).
1896 – Failed re-election and rejoined the Midland League.
1898 – Defeated First Division Sheffield United 2-1 in an FA Cup replay as a non-league side, one of the biggest giant-killings of the era. That helped to see the club re-elected to Division Two.
1907 – Financial difficulties forced the club to resign from the Football League and actually close down. Cobridge Church FC then took over the club, changing their name to Port Vale and playing home games at the Athletic Ground in the North Staffs Federation League.
1911 – Became founder members of the Central League and became a limited company.
1913 – Moved ground to the Old Recreation Ground in Hanley.
1916 – Joined the Lancashire Regional League.
1919 – Elected to the Second Division of the Football League in place of Leeds City, who were expelled for making illegal payments. Also, the nickname ‘Valiants’ was coined.
1920 – Met local rivals Stoke for the first time in a Football League game.
1921 - Sold striker Bob Blood to West Brom for £4,000, a club record at the time, and only a few hundred less than the British record.
1922 – Goalkeeper Teddy Peers became the first player to be an international whilst on Vale’s books when he played for Wales.
1926 – The club held a jubilee dinner to celebrate 50 years since we were formed.
1927 – Wilf Kirkham scored 41 goals in a season, 38 of them in the Football League, both still club records.
1929 – Relegated for the first time, from Division Two to Third Division (North).
1930 – Champions of Division Three (North), applying three points for a win with the equivalent of 97 points, a club record.
1931 – Finished 5th in Division Two, the club’s highest-ever placing.
1936 – Relegated from Division Two to Third Division (North).
1936 – Whilst bottom of Division Two, defeated Division One Champions elect Sunderland 2-0 in an FA Cup replay, one of the biggest shocks of the era.
1938 – Because of our geographical location, moved to Third Division (South).
1943 – Forced to sell the Old Recreation Ground.
1950 – Vale Park opened with a crowd of 30,000 for a 1-0 victory over Newport County. Roy Sproson made his debut later in the year.
1951 – Freddie Steele became player-manager.
1953 – Finished runners-up in Division Three (North), but only the Champions were promoted.
1954 – Champions of Division Three (North), and also reached the Semi-Finals of the FA Cup, only the second third-tier side to do so.
1957 – Relegated to Division Three (South).
1958 – Became founder members of the new Division Four.
1959 - Champions of Division Four, scoring a record 110 goals.
1960 – Had a record crowd of 49,768 for an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa in the Fifth Round.
1962 – Won the Giant-Killers Cup for beating Sunderland in the FA Cup to reach the Fifth Round.
1965 – Relegated to Division Four. Sir Stanley Matthews became General Manager.
1968 – Forced to seek re-election after being found guilty of making illegal payments.
1970 – Promoted to Division Three.
1972 – Roy Sproson played his 837th and final game.
1977 - Reached the Fifth Round of the FA Cup.
1978 – Relegated to Division Four.
1983 – Promoted to Division Three.
1984 – John Rudge became Manager, but the team were relegated to Division Four.
1986 – Promoted to Division Three.
1989 - Promoted to Division Two after an absence of 32 years.
1992 – Relegated to the third tier.
1993 – Won the Autoglass Trophy at Wembley and lost in the Play-Off Final at Wembley.
1994 – Promoted to what is now called the Championship.
2000 – Relegated to what is now called League One.
2001 – Won the LDV Vans Trophy at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff.
2008 – Relegated to League Two.
2013 – Promoted to League One.
2017 – Relegated to League Two.
2022 – Promoted to League One via the Play-Offs at Wembley.
2024 – Reached the Quarter-Finals of the League Cup. Relegated to League Two.
2025 – Promoted to League One.