Port Vale F.C. is an English professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, who play in, as of the season. The club was formed in the 1870s; in 1884, they took the name Burslem Port Vale F.C., dropping the 'Burslem' in 1907. They played their home matches at The Old Recreation Ground between 1912 and 1950 and at Vale Park from 1950 to the present day. The club joined the English Football League in 1892 as founder members of the Football League Second Division, resigning in 1907, only to return in 1919. Vale's highest league finish was fifth in the Second Division in 1930–31, whilst they were FA Cup semi-finalists in 1953–54. On one occasion, they competed in Europe in the Anglo-Italian Cup. They would go on to reach the final, losing 5–2 to Italian club Genoa on 17 March 1996. Port Vale have won four promotions out of the third tier, going up as champions in 1929–30 and 1953–54, and have won five promotions out of the fourth tier, being crowned champions in 1958–59. They have lifted the Football League Trophy twice, in 1993 and 2001. Two club records are also Football League records: most clean sheets in a season (30 in 46 Third Division North matches in the 1953–54 season) and biggest league defeat (0–10 against Sheffield United on 10 December 1892). Roy Sproson made 842 appearances (760 in the league) for Vale between 1950 and 1972, later becoming manager from January 1974 to October 1977. Wilf Kirkham is the club's record goalscorer with 164 goals in all competitions over two spells between 1923 and 1933, and set the record for most Football League goals in a single season with 38 in the 1926–27 campaign. Gareth Ainsworth is the player Vale have both received and spent the highest sum on in the transfer market: £500,000 was given to Lincoln City in September 1997 and £2 million received from Wimbledon as he departed in October 1998. All top five transfers, either in or out, were made in the 1990s, before the Bosman ruling and the departure of highly successful manager John Rudge. Chris Birchall is the club record international cap holder with three goals in 27 appearances playing for Trinidad and Tobago between 2001 and 2006, including three appearances in the 2006 World Cup.

Honours and achievements

Football League

Football League Third Division / Third Division North / League One (3rd tier) Football League Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (4th tier) Football League Trophy

Others

North Staffordshire & District League The Central League Anglo-Italian Cup Debenhams Cup Staffordshire Senior Cup Birmingham Senior Cup Staffordshire Junior Cup North Staffordshire Charity Challenge Cup Staffordshire Senior Charity Cup North Staffordshire Infirmary Cup Burslem Challenge Cup Hanley Cup Coronation Cup Supporters' Clubs' Trophy

Player records

Appearances

Most appearances

Goalscorers

Transfer fees

Team of the Year

The following players have been included in the PFA Team of the Year or EFL Team of the Season whilst playing at the club:

International caps

The following players have won full senior international whilst playing at the club:

Club records

• pre 1981, a win was awarded with 2 points

Streaks

Matches

European statistics

Record by season

Record by opposition nationality