| Club: | Port Vale |
| Season: | 1997–98 |
| Manager: | John Rudge |
| Chairman: | Bill Bell |
| Stadium: | Vale Park |
| League: | Football League First Division |
| League Result: | 19th (49 Points) |
| Cup1: | FA Cup |
| Cup1 Result: | Third Round (knocked out by Arsenal) |
| Cup2: | League Cup |
| Cup2 Result: | First Round |
| Cup3 Result: | Gareth Ainsworth |
| League Topscorer: | Lee Mills (14) |
| Season Topscorer: | Lee Mills (16) |
| Highest Attendance: | 14,964 vs. Arsenal, 14 January 1998 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 2,749 vs. York City, 12 August 1997 |
| Average Attendance: | 8,263 |
| Largest Loss: | 1–5 vs. Ipswich Town, 18 April 1998 |
| Pattern B1: | _blackcollar |
| Pattern So1: | _color_3_stripes_white |
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| Pattern B2: | _blackquarters14 |
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| Prevseason: | 1996–97 |
| Nextseason: | 1998–99 |
The 1997–98 season was Port Vale's 86th season of football in the English Football League, and fourth-successive season in the First Division. John Rudge managed to mastermind a final day escape from relegation, as rivals Stoke City instead lost their second-tier status, leaving Vale as the top club in the Potteries. In the FA Cup, Vale took Arsenal to a replay before leaving at the Third Round stage, having lost on penalties. In the League Cup, Vale again exited in the First Round. Something of an end of an era for the club, Lee Mills and Jon McCarthy left the club on big money moves, whilst Dean Glover, Andy Porter, and Andy Hill also left the club. The club made its record signing, however, by bringing Gareth Ainsworth in from Lincoln City for £500,000.
The pre-season saw the arrival of Swedish midfielder Jan Jansson from IFK Norrköping for a £200,000 fee. Dutch defender Mark Snijders also signed from AZ.
The Vale started the season in modest form, picking up fourteen points in the opening nine games. On 11 September, John Rudge made the club's record signing by paying Lincoln City £500,000 for the services of midfielder Gareth Ainsworth. To pay for this, Jon McCarthy was sold to Birmingham City for £1.5m.[1] Also heading away from Stoke-on-Trent was Arjan van Heusden, who joined Oxford United on loan. The next month, Gareth Griffiths left for a loan spell at Shrewsbury Town. Disappointment came on 12 October, with a 2–1 defeat to rivals Stoke City at the newly opened Britannia Stadium. Vale's indifferent form continued, one highlight being a 3–2 win over Manchester City at Maine Road on 4 November in which Andy Porter man-marked Georgi Kinkladze out of the game.[2] Later in the year Paul Beesley joined on loan from Man City, and played a handful of games. The club's indifferent form then turned to a terrible run of ten defeats in twelve games, which included a run of one goal scored in seven games. Their form picked up in February, though they were still inconsistent. On 1 March, Stoke, who were also in relegation danger, escaped from Vale Park with a goalless draw. On 7 March, Vale beat Reading 3–0 at Elm Park.[3] Later in month Rudge signed young Tottenham Hotspur forward Paul Mahorn on non-contract terms. On 14 March, a 2–1 win over Manchester City was to prove crucial – the club's first home win over Manchester City, though Vale were still in danger of the drop.[4] Going into their final game with Huddersfield Town at the Alfred McAlpine Stadium Vale had lost three straight games, and needed a win to ensure their safety in the league.[5] A brace from Jansson, and one each from Martin Foyle and Lee Mills earned Vale a 4–0 win.[6]
They finished in nineteenth place, one point above Manchester City in the relegation zone.[8] Stoke City were also relegated, and had Stoke beat Vale in Burslem then Vale would have taken Stoke's place in the relegation zone.[5] Lee Mills was the club's top-scorer with sixteen goals, whilst Tony Naylor also hit double-figures.
At the end of the season, Lee Mills was signed by Premier League Bradford City, becoming Bradford's first million-pound player. Twelve-year club veteran Andy Porter signed for Wigan Athletic, as did Griffiths. Another major departure was nine-year club veteran defender Dean Glover, who joined non-League Kidderminster Harriers. Another older player, Andy Hill, retired outright. Other departures were Dave Barnett to Lincoln City, Dean Stokes to Third Division Rochdale, and Dutch keeper Arjan van Heusden also headed into the basement division with Cambridge United. Fellow Dutchman Jermaine Holwyn returned to the Netherlands to play for HFC Haarlem.
The club's shirt sponsors were Tunstall Assurance.
In the FA Cup, Vale faced a trip to Highbury to face Arsenal. Rudge's "Valiants" battled to a goalless draw with the "Gunners" to take the Londoners back to Burslem; manager Arsène Wenger remarked that it was "amazing how teams who do not do especially well in their own league suddenly become monsters".[9] Again goalless, Dennis Bergkamp scored in the tenth minute of extra time, but Wayne Corden equalized eight minutes before the full-time whistle.[10] Lee Dixon missed the first penalty of the shoot-out, but Arsenal recovered to win the game 4–3 on penalties, and later went on to lift the cup.[11] [12]
In the League Cup, Second Division York City eliminated the Vale with a 3–2 aggregate victory.
See main article: article and 1997–98 Football League First Division.
Port Vale's score comes first
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 August 1997 | Nottingham Forest | H | 0–1 | 12,533 | ||
| 16 August 1997 | Portsmouth | A | 1–3 | 10,605 | Talbot | |
| 23 August 1997 | Sunderland | H | 3–1 | 8,290 | Naylor (2), Mills | |
| 3 September 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1–1 | 21,524 | Foyle | |
| 9 September 1997 | Stockport County | H | 2–1 | 6,615 | Mills (2) | |
| 13 September 1997 | Norwich City | A | 0–1 | 11,269 | ||
| 16 September 1997 | Crewe Alexandra | A | 1–0 | 5,519 | Mills | |
| 20 September 1997 | Bury | H | 1–1 | 6,781 | Ainsworth | |
| 27 September 1997 | Queens Park Rangers | H | 2–0 | 7,197 | Snijders, Naylor | |
| 4 October 1997 | Swindon Town | A | 2–4 | 8,048 | Glover, Foyle | |
| 12 October 1997 | Stoke City | A | 1–2 | 20,125 | Naylor | |
| 18 October 1997 | Bradford City | H | 0–0 | 7,148 | ||
| 21 October 1997 | Huddersfield Town | H | 4–1 | 5,244 | Horne (og.), Talbot, Ainsworth, Naylor | |
| 25 October 1997 | Middlesbrough | A | 1–2 | 30,096 | Foyle | |
| 1 November 1997 | Reading | H | 0–0 | 6,569 | ||
| 4 November 1997 | Manchester City | A | 3–2 | 24,554 | Snijders, Talbot, Naylor | |
| 8 November 1997 | Tranmere Rovers | A | 2–1 | 7,063 | Naylor (2) | |
| 15 November 1997 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1–2 | 11,124 | Mills | |
| 22 November 1997 | Sheffield United | H | 0–0 | 8,017 | ||
| 29 November 1997 | Oxford United | A | 0–2 | 5,762 | ||
| 6 December 1997 | Birmingham City | H | 0–1 | 7,509 | ||
| 13 December 1997 | Charlton Athletic | A | 0–1 | 11,077 | ||
| 20 December 1997 | Ipswich Town | H | 1–3 | 5,784 | Foyle | |
| 26 December 1997 | Stockport County | A | 0–3 | 10,003 | ||
| 28 December 1997 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | 0–2 | 10,898 | ||
| 10 January 1998 | Nottingham Forest | A | 0–2 | 17,639 | ||
| 17 January 1998 | Portsmouth | H | 2–1 | 6,028 | Talbot, Mills | |
| 24 January 1998 | Crewe Alexandra | H | 2–3 | 6,683 | Naylor, Porter (pen) | |
| 31 January 1998 | Sunderland | A | 2–4 | 39,258 | Talbot, Jansson | |
| 7 February 1998 | Bury | A | 2–2 | 5,285 | Mills, Bogie | |
| 14 February 1998 | Norwich City | H | 2–2 | 6,664 | Mills (2) | |
| 17 February 1998 | Swindon Town | H | 0–1 | 5,925 | ||
| 21 February 1998 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 1–0 | 14,198 | Mills | |
| 24 February 1998 | Bradford City | A | 1–2 | 13,293 | Foyle | |
| 1 March 1998 | Stoke City | H | 0–0 | 13,853 | ||
| 4 March 1998 | Tranmere Rovers | H | 0–1 | 5,465 | ||
| 7 March 1998 | Reading | A | 3–0 | 7,139 | Mills, Talbot, Jansson | |
| 14 March 1998 | Manchester City | H | 2–1 | 13,122 | Foyle, Ainsworth | |
| 21 March 1998 | West Bromwich Albion | A | 2–2 | 14,242 | Jansson, Foyle | |
| 28 March 1998 | Sheffield United | A | 1–2 | 15,860 | Corden | |
| 4 April 1998 | Oxford United | H | 3–0 | 6,524 | Mills, Naylor, Ainsworth | |
| 11 April 1998 | Birmingham City | A | 1–1 | 17,193 | Ainsworth | |
| 13 April 1998 | Charlton Athletic | H | 0–1 | 9,973 | ||
| 18 April 1998 | Ipswich Town | A | 1–5 | 16,205 | Barnett | |
| 24 April 1998 | Middlesbrough | H | 0–1 | 12,096 | ||
| 3 May 1998 | Huddersfield Town | A | 4–0 | 15,610 | Jansson (2), Foyle, Mills |
See main article: article and 1997–98 FA Cup.
| R3 | 3 January 1998 | Arsenal | A | 0–0 | 37,471 | ||
| R3 Replay | 14 January 1998 | Arsenal | H | (3)1–1(4) | 14,964 | Corden |
See main article: article and 1997–98 Football League Cup.
| R1 1st Leg | 12 August 1997 | York City | H | 1–1 | 2,749 | Mills | |
| R1 2nd Leg | 26 August 1997 | York City | A | 1–2 | 3,195 | Mills |
| Pos. | Name | Football League | FA Cup | League Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| GK | Matthew Boswell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GK | Paul Musselwhite | 40 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| GK |  Arjan van Heusden | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | Dean Glover | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| DF | Neil Aspin | 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| DF | Allen Tankard | 38 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| DF | Dean Stokes | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| DF | Jon McCarthy | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| DF | Andy Hill | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| DF | Matt Carragher | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| DF | Paul Beesley | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| DF | Dave Barnett | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| DF | Liam Burns | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| DF | Mark Snijders | 23 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 2 |
| DF | Gareth Griffiths | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| MF | Andy Porter | 40 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 1 |
| MF | Ian Bogie | 38 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 1 |
| MF | Wayne Corden | 31 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 2 |
| MF | Stewart Talbot | 41 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 6 |
| MF | Rogier Koordes | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| MF |  Jan Jansson | 32 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 5 |
| MF | Gareth Ainsworth | 39 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 5 |
| MF | Richard Eyre | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| MF | Scott Ruscoe | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | Dean Cunningham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | Martin Foyle | 38 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 8 |
| FW | Lee Mills | 42 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 45 | 16 |
| FW | Justin O'Reilly | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | Tony Naylor | 37 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 41 | 10 |
| FW | Simon Armstrong | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | Steve Williams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| width=60 | Place | width=60 | Position | width=180 | Nation | width=150 | Name | width=80 | First Division | width=80 | FA Cup | width=80 | League Cup | width=80 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | Lee Mills | 14 | 0 | 2 | 16 | |||||||||
| 2 | FW | Tony Naylor | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |||||||||
| 3 | FW | Martin Foyle | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | |||||||||
| 4 | MF | Stewart Talbot | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | |||||||||
| 5 | MF | Jan Jansson | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||
| – | MF | Gareth Ainsworth | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||
| 7 | MF | Wayne Corden | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||
| – | DF | Mark Snijders | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |||||||||
| 9 | DF | Dean Glover | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| – | DF | Dave Barnett | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| – | MF | Ian Bogie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| – | MF | Andy Porter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| – | – | Own goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| TOTALS | 56 | 1 | 2 | 59 | |||||||||||
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | DF | Free transfer | [13] | ||||
| Summer 1997 | MF | | £200,000 | ||||
| Summer 1997 | DF | Free transfer | |||||
| 12 September 1997 | MF | £500,000 |
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 September 1997 | MF | £1.5 million | |||||
| 1998 | DF | Free transfer | |||||
| 26 March 1998 | FW | Justin O'Reilly | Free transfer | ||||
| July 1998 | MF | Free transfer | |||||
| June 1998 | DF | Wigan Athletic | Free transfer | ||||
| Summer 1998 | DF | Free transfer | |||||
| Summer 1998 | DF | Retired | |||||
| 7 August 1998 | FW | £1,000,000 | |||||
| Summer 1998 | DF | Free transfer | |||||
| August 1998 | GK | Free transfer | |||||
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Date to | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 December 1997 | DF | December 1997 | |||||
| March 1998 | DF | May 1998 |
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Date to | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 August 1997 | GK | Matthew Boswell | 199? | [14] | |||
| 26 September 1997 | GK | October 1997 | |||||
| 31 October 1997 | DF | November 1997 | |||||
| 23 December 1997 | FW | Simon Armstrong | End of season | ||||
| 30 January 1998 | FW | Steve Williams | Witton Albion | 1998 | |||
| 25 March 1998 | GK | Matthew Boswell | End of season |