1955–56 Port Vale F.C. season

The pre-season saw Stan Turner and Ken Griffiths undergo operations, keeping them out of action for the start of the campaign.[1]

The season began with just one loss in the opening eleven games, including victories at Upton Park and Craven Cottage, and a 1–0 home win over rivals Stoke City in front of a crowd of 37,261.[1] Nevertheless, injuries began to affect the first XI, leaving room for reserves like Derek Mountford, Stan Smith, and Tom Conway to make an impression.[1] The 'Steele Curtain' defence was still in operation, picking up five clean sheets in these eleven games.[1] Journalist Bernard Jones compared 'the Vale Plan' to the Brazilian method of defence, defending the penalty area at all costs as that was from where 95% of all goals were scored.[1] However manager Freddie Steele responded by claiming there was no such plan, and that the main objective was simply 'to beat the opposition'.[1] On 22 October, Sheffield Wednesday went away from Vale Park with a 1–0 win, this was followed with a 4–1 defeat at Filbert Street.[1] Steele began to initiate a modern pre-match ritual of having the players warm up in their tracksuits fifteen minutes before kick-off, though on 12 November this did them no favours at Ewood Park, as Blackburn Rovers romped to a 7–1 victory.[1] Steele made eight changes following the defeat, which made little difference as Vale extended their run without a win to nine games.[1] This left them in fifteenth place by mid-December, with a host of players out with injuries.[1]

Cyril Done's return to match fitness was marked with a 2–1 win at the Memorial Stadium, beginning a sequence of one defeat in ten games.[1] This left them in seventh place by February, in with a shot of promotion.[1] In January, Eddie Baily was signed from Tottenham Hotspur for a club-record £7,000.[1] Signing an inside-forward who was part of England's 1950 FIFA World Cup squad was a sign of the club's ambitions for top-flight football.[1] Outclassed by Wednesday on 3 March, they lost 4–0 at Hillsborough, but followed this with wins over Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City.[1] On 31 March they came to a 'hard-fought' 1–1 draw at Stoke's Victoria Ground, which left the "Valiants" in fifth place, level on points with second-placed Liverpool.[1] In with a great chance of promotion by April, defeats at home to Nottingham Forest and Leicester City, and a 4–1 beating at Anfield ruined their chances.[1] Harry Poole made his debut on the last day of the season, as Vale recorded a 3–2 win over Middlesbrough.[1]

They finished in twelfth position with 45 points, one point and one position above rivals Stoke.[1] The Steele Curtain boasted the best defensive record in the division, though only the bottom five scored fewer goals.[1]

On the financial side, a loss was made of £4,974, blamed upon a 'crippling burden' of £12,422 in entertainment tax.[1] Home attendances were down by around 2,000 a game to 18,985, leaving gate receipts at £60,784.[1] Steele retained thirty professionals, releasing Albert Mullard and Ray Hancock (Northwich Victoria), and Tom Conway (Leek Town).[1]

In the FA Cup, Vale narrowly defeated Third Division South Walsall 1–0 at Fellows Park to win a Fourth Round tie with First Division Everton.[1] A crowd of 44,278 saw 'a match that had everything', as the "Toffees" escaped with a 3–2 victory, Vale having had two goals disallowed.[1]