Fourth Division The pre-season saw
John Rudge sign big defender
John Williams from
Tranmere Rovers for £12,000, and powerful Welsh striker
Andy Jones from
Northern Premier League side
Rhyl for £3,000. Bowden made his debut in a 4–1 home win over
Cambridge United on 14 September, though had his elbow dislocated in a sending off incident from opposition defender
Geoff Scott. Vale continued in indifferent form, and three days later they played out a goalless draw with
Aldershot at the
Recreation Ground's lowest recorded Football League attendance of 1,027. On 2 November, Vale went to the top of the table with a 1–0 victory at
Preston North End after being gifted a dubious penalty. Vale fell to a 4–1 defeat at second-placed
Chester City on New Year's Day. They were also beaten on a snow-covered Vale Park pitch by one goal to nil by
Preston North End three days later. From 11 January to 26 April, the "Valiants" hit a run of 18 league games unbeaten (eight draws and ten wins), thus ensuring promotion. They demonstrated their steel by securing a 0–0 at league leaders
Swindon Town in the next match. On 31 March, Vale won 1–0 away at Crewe despite Brown being sent off on 53 minutes, ending the hosts'
club record-equalling run of seven consecutive victories and start a sequence of five successive Vale victories. Promotion was ensured with a comfortable 1–0 win over bottom club
Torquay United at
Plainmoor, in which the majority of the crowd were Vale fans. The Sentinel's Chris Harper said centre halves John Williams and Phil Sproson were outstanding in this game. Promotion was celebrated with a dinner dance at
Keele University. However, with two defeats and a draw in their final three games, Rudge accused his players of lacking professionalism as they lost the chance to head into the Third Division as runners-up.
Vale Park saw a crowd of 11,736 for the second round goalless tie with
Walsall, and were then eliminated following a 2–1 defeat at the
Bescot Stadium. In the
League Cup, Vale advanced past
Third Division side
Wigan Athletic 3–2 on
aggregate following at 2–0 win at
Springfield Park. They were then knocked out by
First Division club
West Bromwich Albion, losing 1–0 at
The Hawthorns, before giving an excellent account of themselves by battling back from 2–0 down at
Vale Park to draw 2–2. In the
Associate Members' Cup, Vale advanced through the group stage with a 1–1 draw with Wrexham at the
Racecourse Ground and a 2–0 home win over
Blackpool. The next stage saw Vale triumph over
Scunthorpe United at
Glanford Park with a 4–3 win on penalties following a 1–1 draw. In the Area Semi-finals, they were then defeated by holders Wigan Athletic, though they still earned £1,250 in prize money. ==Results==