Port Vale 1951-52

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Player manager Ivor Powell’s contract was cancelled with Vale bottom of the table in late November. Right winger Colin Askey noted that Powell’s first job in management was a steep learning curve having ruled by fear. He was replaced by Freddie Steel who would prove to be one of the club’s greatest and longest serving managers.

The former England international was appointed player manager on Christmas Eve. Over 17,000 fans turned out to witness Steele’s debut against 2nd placed Brighton & Hove Albion in early January, the first of a 5 game unbeaten run that took Vale off the bottom of the Third Division South league table.

A fortnight later saw Freddie’s debut goal in a 3-2 away win against Torquay United, scoring the winner after picking up the ball in his own half. Port Vale finished 13th by the end of the 1951-52 season which included a nine game winning run at home.

The main building of the British Ceramic Research Association in Queens Road, Penkhull was officially opened in December 1951 by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh. The pottery industry was required by the Import Duties Advisory Committee to create a research association, so the British Pottery Research Association was formed in 1937. It was the realisation that the ceramic industry might best be served by a single research organisation. Now operating under the name Lucideon, it owns testing facilities around the world including Stoke-on-Trent and the United States of America.

The landmark post-war industrial research centre recently became a Grade II listed building by Historic England. Highlighting the neo- Georgian and modernist architectural details and notable quality of its internal decoration, focused particularly in the central entrance hall and secondary stairs.