The 2018–19 season was Port Vale's 107th season of football in the English Football League, and second consecutive season in EFL League Two.
Neil Aspin marked his first summer transfer window as the club's manager with ten new permanent signings and five loan players to build his own squad, all of which were free signings except for striker Ricky Miller. The season started with five defeats in the opening seven games before a 1–1 draw at Forest Green Rovers on 8 September marked a turnaround in results and performances. The team suffered 4–0 and 6–2 defeats at home to Lincoln City in the first round of the EFL Cup and in the league, though managed to win 1–0 at local rivals Crewe Alexandra to maintain a lower mid-table position from the end of August to the end of October. In the EFL Trophy, the two home group games set record low attendances at Vale Park and Nelson Agho became the youngest player in the club's history aged 15 years, 262 days. They won all three group games to advance to the knockout stages, where they were drawn against Stoke City U21 – the academy team of Potteries derby rivals Stoke City; Vale won the match 4–0 in front of a season-high crowd of 7,940, but hooligans amongst the Stoke supporters caused around £100,000 of damage to Vale Park and surrounding areas of Burslem.
Vale suffered a miserable December following their win over Stoke, drawing three and losing two of their five league games against teams around them in the bottom half of the table. They did manage to pick up a 1–1 draw at league leaders Lincoln City on New Year's Day, though after the game, Aspin considered leaving the club after feeling that supporters had shown him a "lack of respect". He chose to stay and oversaw a run to the EFL Trophy quarter-finals, where Vale ended up being knocked out by Bristol Rovers. However, he resigned on 30 January following a run of one win in ten league games. He was succeeded by John Askey, who turned the team's form around after losing his first four games in charge. As relegation seemed increasingly unlikely, attention then turned to ownership issues, as fans protested against chairman Norman Smurthwaite. Rejecting offers to buy the club, Smurthwaite claimed that he would put the club into administration on 5 May if he were still the club's owner. Carol and Kevin Shanahan completed their takeover on 7 May.
Overview
EFL League Two Neil Aspin's first signing of the window was 33-year-old goalkeeper Scott Brown, who had been an ever-present for Wycombe Wanderers when they won promotion out of EFL League Two the previous season. Aspin stated that Brown's experience would help with organising the Vale's young defenders on the pitch. He quickly followed this by bringing in 30-year-old Carlisle United midfielder Luke Joyce on a two-year contract and 24-year-old Alfreton Town winger Brendon Daniels on a six-month contract, describing Joyce as "vastly experienced" and Daniels as "a local lad who is desperate to prove himself". Next to arrive were centre-backs Leon Legge and Connell Rawlinson, arriving on free transfers after leaving Cambridge United and The New Saints respectively. Aspin said that he hoped the experience of Legge would aid the development of young centre-half Nathan Smith. His sixth signing was central midfielder Manny Oyeleke, who had just left National League side Aldershot Town after picking up their Player of the Year award. After a wait of some weeks, the seventh incoming player was revealed to be attacker Louis Dodds, who joined on a season-long loan from relegated Chesterfield; he had previously played for the Vale from 2008 to 2016. Aspin said that Dodds had been keen on a return to Vale Park and "he has cost us next to nothing really". Vale then acquired the services of Peterborough United striker Ricky Miller after paying an undisclosed fee; 29-year-old Miller had scored a remarkable goal tally in the National League but had thus far failed to establish himself in the Football League in a career hindered by legal troubles. Another Peterborough forward then arrived, this time 18-year-old Idris Kanu on a season-long loan, whilst defender Theo Vassell was also signed on a one-year deal from Aspin's former club Gateshead. Going the other way, 20-year-old forward Dan Turner joined Scottish Championship club Falkirk on a six-month loan deal – which was terminated early on 5 October. Taking his place at Vale Park was Scott Quigley, signed on a season-long loan from Blackpool. Aspin also went on to sign former Stevenage midfielder Tom Conlon, who had impressed whilst on trial.
Vale kicked off the season at home to Cambridge United on 4 August and made a flawless start with both Tom Pope and Ricky Miller getting off the mark in a 3–0 victory. However, the following performance was poor, as they fell to a 2–0 defeat at Colchester United. Aspin made his fourth loan signing of the summer later that week, bringing in 19-year-old Aston Villa full-back Mitch Clark as cover for James Gibbons and Cristian Montaño. Clark went straight into the starting eleven at home to Crawley Town on 18 August, and helped the new look defence to a clean sheet and 1–0 win despite the away side dominating the play for much of the second half. However, three days later Vale were beaten 2–1 at Carlisle United, with Aspin blaming the referee for making a "poor decision" to give a first-half penalty against Rawlinson. Vale then went on to lose 1–0 at newly promoted Tranmere Rovers, after which Aspin again bemoaned the officials, stating that his team should have been given a penalty. Aspin went on to say "We had an apology from the Lincoln game to say it wasn't a penalty, we’ve had an apology to say we should have had a penalty in the Carlisle game and an apology to say we should have had a penalty in the Tranmere game." Having managed to offload unwanted striker Tyrone Barnett on loan to Cheltenham Town, Aspin then signed 20-year-old box-to-box midfielder Lewis Hardcastle on a season-long loan from Blackburn Rovers and also brought in Ben Whitfield; Aspin had attempted to sign Whitfield in January before falling out with the player's agent.
Vale opened September at home to Newport County, and though Pope scored to make himself the all-time top-scorer at the Vale Park stadium with 56 goals, Vale still went on to lose the game 2–1 after again being denied a penalty. Away at Forest Green Rovers, Vale turned around a one-goal half-time deficit to draw 1–1 after Pope converted a penalty won by Miller; Rovers ended the match with ten men after Farrend Rawson was shown a straight red card. They then went on to beat Northampton Town 2–0, with Whitfield and Oyeleke the scorers; Oyeleke was named in the EFL team of the week and his goal was listed as the League Two goal of the weekend. Over 1,900 Vale fans went on to travel nearby rivals Crewe Alexandra and witnessed a 1–0 victory thanks to a 75th-minute Legge header, ending a run of ten months without an away victory. Second-place Exeter City then came to Burslem and took a 1–0 lead that they defended until the seventh minute of injury-time, at which point Kanu scored a dramatic late equaliser, his first goal in professional football.
Vale opened October with a difficult home tie with Milton Keynes Dons, and lost 2–0 after playing with ten men after 65 minutes when half-time substituted Montaño went off injured; Aspin defended his decision to put Montaño on as his final substitution by saying "If he wasn't 100 per cent fit, he wouldn't have been on the bench... How stupid do you think I am?" Vale then went on to lose 2–0 at second-from-bottom Grimsby Town, having gone one goal behind within the opening minute following a mistake from Clarke; after the game Aspin attempted to confront some hecklers who had abused him. League leaders Lincoln City then returned to Vale Park on 13 October, and as they did in the EFL Cup won comfortably, leading the game after three minutes and going 3–0 up by half-time before winning the match 6–2; Aspin said it was like "torture" to watch the game but that "I would only leave if I was sacked and that is not the case". Four of Lincoln's goals came from set pieces. They recovered from this performance and picked up a hard-fought 1–0 victory at Oldham Athletic seven days later, which led Aspin to say that the team was united and that he had never "lost the dressing room". Aspin named the same team away at Stevenage, which ended in a 0–0 draw. Vale then closed out the month with a 1–0 win at home to Bury, Pope scoring against the run of play early in the second half after the team held on to a clean sheet following a difficult opening half.
Despite investing heavily in the summer, Notts County came to Vale Park on 3 November just one place above the relegation zone. Both sides had to be satisfied with a 2–2 draw after a late diving header from Pope rescued a point just two minutes after Elliott Ward had put County ahead on 87 minutes; in the first half Kane Hemmings had cancelled out Luke Hannant's early header. Both Aspin and County manager Harry Kewell claimed their sides deserved to win the game. Two weeks later, Vale travelled to Mansfield Town and fell to a 1–0 defeat, with Oyeleke sent off on his return from injury after receiving two yellow cards. Vale then slipped to a 1–0 defeat at home to Swindon Town in front of just 3,877 spectators for a Saturday fixture, and failed to create any meaningful chances throughout the game. However, they saw out the month with a comfortable 3–0 victory at Yeovil Town; two of the goals came from Montaño, who had been highly criticised for his performance in the defeat to Swindon.
On 8 December, Vale seemed to be heading for 2–0 defeat at Morecambe with a poor performance when, on 83 minutes, Antony Kay successfully evaded the home side's offside trap on a free kick to pull a goal back, and then Pope scored an equalizing goal four minutes later; Brown then immediately gave away a penalty, which was missed by former Vale striker A-Jay Leitch-Smith to leave the final score at 2–2. Struggling Cheltenham Town came to Burslem the following week amidst awful weather conditions, and just 3,109 spectators witnessed a 2–2 draw, Kay secured a point with a stoppage-time header. No goals were scored in the trip to the league's bottom club Macclesfield Town – a club that had rediscovered their National League winning form under new manager Sol Campbell; the clean sheet and a third consecutive draw were earned largely thanks to some impressive first-half saves from Brown. Grimsby Town were the visitors at Vale Park on Boxing day and they came away with a 1–0 win; Wes Thomas scored the only goal of the game on 62 minutes. Oldham arrived in Burslem three days later, having sacked manager Frankie Bunn following a 6–0 defeat; Vale crashed to a 4–1 defeat to the managerless "Latics" to put intense pressure on Aspin.