Port Vale 1972-73

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The pre-season saw Gordon Lee make a number of big signings. The most significant was Ray Williams from Stafford Rangers, who had scored 47 goals for the non-League club the previous season. Also arriving was midfielder Freddie Goodwin (Southport); ‘controversial’ goalkeeper Alan Boswell (Bolton Wanderers). The club spent £8,500 on new floodlights and a public address system, however, average attendances dropped off from the crucial 6,000 break-even number.

Opposition managers condemned the Vale players as overly physical and brutal with their promotion efforts ending with a sixth-place finish. The final home game was a 2-2 draw with champions Bolton Wanderers, in which ‘frenzied scenes’ included police dogs separating the two sets of fans at the Bycars End, two attempted pitch invasions and the referee kicked to the ground at the final whistle.

Susan Williams-Ellis was the founder of Portmeiron Pottery, along with her husband Euan Cooper-Willis. Her designs were at the forefront of contemporary style, and her 1972 design, Botanic Garden, became a worldwide best-selling range of tableware. The stunning mix and match range features an array of beautiful botanical illustrations with a signature leaf border and features a different floral motif and was specifically designed to bring an English country garden to the dinner table. The entire range is pulled together with an iconic and instantly recognisable green leaf border and is a much‐loved family favourite.

In 1972 she also introduced her “Kingdom of the sea” series which featured fantastic fish on larger pieces of ware and shells on smaller plates and cups.