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The 1953–54 season was Port Vale's forty-second season of football in the Football League, and their fifth season overall in the Third Division North. Freddie Steele's side were crowned Third Division North champions with 69 points out of a possible 92, eleven points ahead of their nearest rivals. They also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, and would be denied an appearance in the final due to a controversial goal from a dubious penalty. These achievements were based upon a record-breaking 'Iron Curtain' defence, and a solid squad of nineteen players, most of whom had taken the club to second in the league the previous season. Seven still-standing club records were set this season, including three Football League records. One Football League record was for the fewest Football League goals conceded in a 46 match season – 26, just over one every two games. Just five of these were conceded at home, another Football League record. This was based upon 30 clean sheets, again a Football League record. They also recorded a club record low of three league defeats, and a club record home clean sheet streak of eleven matches, lasting from 7 September 1953 to 13 February 1954. Another club record was a streak of six away draws, lasting from 20 March to 26 April. They were undefeated at home all season, continuing a 42 match unbeaten run started on 8 November 1952, that would last until 18 September 1954. The key players that formed the first eleven of 1953–54 were: Ray King (goalkeeper); Reg Potts and Stan Turner (full-backs); Tommy Cheadle, Albert Leake, Roy Sproson (half-backs); Colin Askey, John Cunliffe, Ken Griffiths, Basil Hayward, and Albert Mullard (forwards); Derek Tomkinson (reserve forward). Their achievements came as a team, without any outstanding stars, which caused ''The Sentinel'' to remark that the whole team were stars.〔 ==Pre-season== The pre-season saw no new signings as the young, mostly local squad that had finished second in the 1952–53 campaign was enough for manager Freddie Steele. Steele signed a three-year contract following his success the previous season. He considered signing Stoke City goalkeeper Dennis Herod, and the two parties held talks before he was instead sold to Stockport County for £500. Alf Jones was given his first professional contract, whilst Selwyn Whalley (who was training to become teacher), Harry Oliver and John Poole (both engineering apprentices) all were given part-time professional contracts.〔 Don Bould and Ron Fitzgerald returned from national service to become full-time professionals.〔 This gave the club a total of 21 full-time professionals, six part-time players and ten players aged 17–21 who could only play and train if they could find time off from their compulsory two-year national service.〔 The strip was a traditional white shirt with black shorts, whilst the change kit of red and white stripes were donated by a friend of one of the club's directors, who was a Sunderland supporter. There was only one public pre-season friendly on 13 August, which saw the club's first team take on the reserves; it ended with a surprise 4–2 victory for the reserves, Roland Lewis scoring a hat-trick.〔 Pre-season training consisted primarily of assistant manager Ken Fish leading a marathon running session from Burslem to Hanley and back to Burslem following a stop at a pub for a half-pint of shandy. After returning to the ground Fish would organise a practise game.〔 The fitness work was actually crucial to the team's success, as Steele was ahead of his time in that he insisted that wide players should defend when the opposition were on the ball, in order to support the defence. Superstition was of great importance to Steele, who ensured that the team rigidly stuck their pre-match rituals such as the intricacies of kit layout and the order in which players entered the pitch. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1953–54 Port Vale F.C. season」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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