1993–94 Port Vale F.C. season
season of football team
The 1993–94 season was Port Vale's 82nd season of football in the English Football League and fifth-successive (37th overall) season in the Second Division. Under the guidance of manager John Rudge and chairman Bill Bell, Vale secured promotion to the First Division by finishing as runners-up, narrowly missing the title by just a single point behind Reading, amassing 88 points in total
A memorable moment in the FA Cup saw Vale cause an upset by eliminating top-flight Southampton before being knocked out in the Fourth Round, while their League Cup run ended at the First Round and their Football League Trophy journey concluded at the Area Quarter-finals. Martin Foyle led the line with distinction, finishing as both league (17) and season top scorer with 18 goals across all competitions, while Neil Aspin earned the Player of the Year award. Support from the terraces was solid, with a highest home attendance of 12,042 (versus Southampton), a low of 5,175 (against Lincoln City), and a league average of 8,377 spectators. Port Vale's most emphatic league victory came in a 6–0 win over Hartlepool United, while their heaviest defeat was a 4–0 loss to Reading.
A season of resurgence, Vale played well in the FA Cup, its explosive front‑line and solid support to earned a return to the First Division.
Overview
Second Division
The pre-season saw John Rudge sign left-back Allen Tankard from Wigan Athletic for £87,500. Experienced forward Keith Houchen was allowed to join Hartlepool United on a free transfer, and Paul Kerr signed with Leicester City.
The season opened with a 2–1 defeat to Burnley at Turf Moor, a result which belied their tag as favourites for promotion. Though the season got going for the Vale with their opening home game, as they recorded a 6–0 win over Barnet despite an early sending off for Peter Billing, both Martin Foyle and Bernie Slaven bagging hat-tricks.
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