1895–96 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season

Vale finished 14th place, with 18 points, 28 points short of champions Liverpool. They finished four points behind Lincoln City, who were safe from re-election. Having twice successfully applied for re-election in the past three seasons, this time around, they lost their league status. Nearby Crewe Alexandra fared even worse than Vale and didn't return to the Football League until 1921, whilst Rotherham Town were never to return. However, Vale spent just two seasons in the Midland League before winning back their league status.

The club suffered heavy defeats at Anfield, at Darwen, at Leicester Fosse, and in both clashes with Notts County and Grimsby Town. However, they did manage victories over future giants of the game Liverpool, Newton Heath (later Manchester United), and Newcastle United.

Top scorers of previous years were lost, Billy Beats sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers in pre-season, whilst Meshach Dean lost his touch. Goals at a premium, Ernest Beckett (8), and Jim Mason (6) were the only players to score with anything approaching regularity. Highly impressive goalkeeper Tom Baddeley was an ever-present for the second successive season, with left-back George Youds and centre-half Ralph Barlow missing just one match each. At the end of the season, Baddeley and Eccles left for Wolves, Eardley and McDonald left for Stoke, all wishing to remain Football League players.

Again, Vale failed poorly in the FA Cup, easing past Scottish club Hereford Thistle in the first round of qualification with a walkover. The Second Round held league rivals Burton Swifts, who managed to draw at Vale's home and then win the replay with the odd goal. Facing rivals Stoke in the Staffordshire Senior Cup, they lost 4–0 at home.

{{:1895–96 Football League|transcludesection=Second Division|only_totals=y|showteam=BPV}}

{{Main|1894–95 Football League}}

Burslem Port Vale's score comes first

{{#invoke:sports rbr table|table|legendpos=b

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|label1= Ground

|res1=A/H/A/A/H/A/H/H/H/A/A/A/H/H/H/H/H/A/H/H/A/A/H/A/A/A/H/A/A/H

|label2= Result

|res2=W/L/L/L/D/L/W/W/L/L/L/L/W/D/W/L/L/L/L/D/L/L/L/W/L/L/D/L/L/W

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|res3=1/11/11/14/12/13/12/11/13/13/13/14/13/13/12/13/13/13/14/14/14/15/14/14/15/15/15/15/15/14

|text_H=Home|text_A=Away

|color_W=green2|text_W=Win

|color_D=yellow2|text_D=Draw

|color_L=red2|text_L=Loss

|color_1=1st|color_2=2nd|color_3=3rd|color_18-=red1

|source=Statto[http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1895-1896/results Port Vale 1895–1896 : Results & Fixtures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304063744/http://www.statto.com/football/teams/port-vale/1895-1896/results |date=4 March 2016 }}. Statto Organisation. Retrieved 28 April 2012.

}}

{{Main|1895–96 FA Cup}}

;Specific

{{Reflist}}

;General

• {{cite book|author=Kent, Jeff|author-link=Jeff Kent (author)|title=The Port Vale Record 1879-1993|publisher=Witan Books|date=1993|isbn=0-9508981-9-8}}

{{Port Vale F.C. seasons}}

{{1895–96 in English football}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1895-96 Port Vale F.C. season}}

Category:Port Vale F.C. seasons

Burslem Port Vale