Port Vale 1912-14

Click to go Back to our Main Index

Port Vale finished 4^th in The Central League and won the Birmingham Senior Cup in the season 1912-13 which is the oldest County Cup competition today. It was founded in 1876, the same year that Burslem Port Vale were formed. Forward Chris Young scored a club record 7 goals in one cup game against Burton Rangers during this period too.

The following season Vale won the North Staffs Infirmary Cup before World War I stopped competitive football in 1914. This period saw the opening of their new stadium in Hanley called the Old Recreation Ground. It became Port Vale’s home until 1950 and holds fond memories for many of the older supporters. The area is now the City’s main shopping complex called The Potteries Centre.

Off the pitch a local born designer was making a name for himself. In June 1913, with the aid of substantial funds from Liberty of London, William Moorcroft was able to move production of his art pottery from the Washington Works in Burslem to the present factory on Sandbach Road under the name of W. Moorcroft Ltd.

From 1897, he had already produced some of the finest pottery while employed at James Macintyre & Co. He based his work on the natural world and today still fetches high prices by the most renowned auction houses across the world.