1960–61 Port Vale F.C. season

The pre-season saw the club's management attempt to build a squad capable of promotion, this meant recruiting former Wales international inside-right Noel Kinsey from Birmingham City as a player-coach, and 21-year-old outside-left Dennis Fidler from the Manchester City Reserves.[1] It also meant a concerted effort to sign a star forward, a £10,000 offer for Aston Villa's Gerry Hitchens was rejected, and the club's interest in Ronnie Allen also went nowhere.[1] Instead 'bustling' Ted Calland was signed on a free transfer from Exeter City.[1] Fred Donaldson was sold to Exeter for £2,000.[1] Vale Park was also improved, with yet more new drains installed to help ease the winter mud spots.[1]

The season opened with a Harry Poole goal fifty seconds into an eventual 1–1 draw with Walsall in front of a season-best attendance of 15,504 on 20 August.[1] Vale's campaign really got going nine days later however, with a sequence of three consecutive victories.[1] This included a 7–1 'annihilation' of Chesterfield.[1] Seven games without a win followed, ending with a collapse to an impressive Swindon Town side at The County Ground on 1 October.[1] Vale were much improved after this, recording six wins from eight games. The following month Norman Low signed Bert Llewellyn from Crewe Alexandra for £7,000.[1] Llewellyn scored past Barnsley in his debut game on 12 November, and scored a hat-trick past Hull City the next month.[1] This win over the "Tigers" came a week after a 5–0 win over high-flying Grimsby Town at Blundell Park, in what Roy Sproson later described as his 'greatest memory' and 'one of their finest hours'.[1] The performance was so impressive they received 'a standing ovation' from the home crowd, as the "Valiants" finished the game 'rolling the ball about like a game of chess'.[1]

In sixth place, a 6–2 hammering from Walsall at Fellows Park on 17 December set them back.[1] The goals continued, this time in Vale's favour, with a 5–0 win and 3–3 draw with Tranmere Rovers, and a 4–1 victory over Bury.[1] In January, Albert Leake was transferred to Macclesfield Town, leaving Sproson as the only survivor of the legendary 1953–54 outfit.[1] Vale continued to entertain and win games, as The Sentinel's Jon Abberley described Harry Poole as 'one of the best wing-halves ever produced in the Potteries.[1] By 11 February, Vale were four points from second place, as Vale battled to a 1–1 draw with Torquay United in 'a sea of mud' at Plainmoor.[1] A week later Llewellyn scored a hat-trick past Swindon Town.[1] However, on 4 March QPR ended their promotion hopes with a 1–0 win at Loftus Road, the second of a streak of five games without a win for Vale.[1] The next week Notts County easily beat Vale 3–1, in a game for which Stan Steele was rested after 195 consecutive appearances.[1] Steele immediately handed in a transfer request, and got picked up by West Bromwich Albion for a £10,000 fee.[1] Vale's season then petered out, ending with an attendance of only 4,088 for a 1–1 draw with Bristol City at Vale Park, followed by two away draws.[1]

They finished in seventh place with 49 points, with their tally of 96 goals bettered only by the two promoted clubs.[1] The season was a disappointment however, and their away record of two wins in twelve games was put to blame for killing their promotion hopes.[1] Cliff Portwood scored an impressive 26 goals, followed closely by Bert Llewellyn on 20 (who had also scored 10 for Crewe).[1]

On the financial side, a disappointing home attendance average of 9,702 was a concern, though a profit of £4,253 was recorded.[1] This was down to a £9,501 donation from the Sportsmen's Association and a slashing of the wage bill by around £4,000 to £29,915.[1] The management decided to cut the playing staff but to increase the wage budget.[1] Eleven players were let go, crucially: Harry Oscroft (Brantham Athletic), Ted Calland (Lincoln City), John Poole (Macclesfield Town), and Peter Hall (Bournemouth & Boscombe Athletic).[1]

In the FA Cup, Vale were superior to non-League Chelmsford City, winning 3–2 in the First Round clash.[1] Fourth Division Carlisle United were Vale's Second Round opponents, who Vale dispatched 2–1. Struggling Second Division side Swansea Town bettered Vale on a mud-filled and hole-ridden Vetch Field.[1]

In the League Cup, they bettered Queens Park Rangers in a replay following a 2–2 draw at Loftus Road. They next round held Tranmere Rovers, who eliminated Vale with a 2–0 win.

In the Supporters' Clubs' Trophy, the two leg game with rivals Stoke City came to a 1–1 draw, and so a replay was held at the Victoria Ground on 24 April, which Vale won 1–0 thanks to an own goal.[1]