This weekend the Valiants will aim to pick up their fourth consecutive away win on the bounce and collect another three points as they travel to Glanford Park to take on Scunthorpe United. With the trip just two days away, we look back on two classic matches that the Vale have played against the Iron.
Third Division (North), Glanford Park, Saturday 26th September 1953: Scunthorpe United 0-2 Port Vale
Vale entered the fixture in fine form, sat top of the table and had conceded just four goals in the 12 league games they had played, and that run of form continued early in the game, as Vale took an early lead after three minutes.
Colin Askey, father of current Vale manager John Askey, cleverly took the ball from Jack Brownsword, Scunthorpe’s record appearance holder with 791, and passed to striker Basil Hayward who promptly hammered home to go in front.
Albert Leake got the second goal in the 32nd minute when South African goalkeeper Norman Malan ran out of his goal and the Vale striker nipped in to take the ball round him and a defender before slotting the ball into an empty net to complete a 2-0 victory.
Vale maintained their form for the season and went on to win the league and reach the semi-final of the FA Cup that season.
Scunthorpe United – Malan, Underwood, Brownsword, Bushby, White, Hubbard, Jones, Brown, Mosby, Gregory, Whitfield
Port Vale – King, Turner, Elsby, Mullard, Cheadle, Sproson, Askey, Leake, Hayward, Griffiths, Cunliffe
Att – 12,630
Division Three, Glanford Park, Saturday 24th February 1973: Scunthorpe United 0-1 Port Vale
Vale were chasing for promotion and went to struggling Scunthorpe in need of a win.
A few days before the Valiants had signed former Stoke-on-Trent schoolboy striker John Woodward from Walsall for £2,250 and he lined up for his debut.
The Vale had the perfect start when Bill Summerscales headed them in front early on and for the remainder of the game the defence were able to hold tight and not allow the hosts an equaliser.
The win strengthened their promotion hopes but they eventually finished sixth whilst Scunthorpe finished bottom. Two players in the game went on to be managers, Vale’s Brian Horton and Scunthorpe’s Neil Warnock.
Scunthorpe United – Williams, Davidson, Barker, Wellbourne (Kisby), Deere, Atkin, Warnock, Heath, Fletcher, Krzywicki, Kirk
Port Vale – Boswell, Brodie, Loska, Summerscales, Cross, Horton, Gough, Williams, Woodward, Morgan, McLaren
Sub not used – Mountford
Att. 2,734