1982–83 Port Vale F.C. season
| 1982–83 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Don Ratcliffe (until October) Jim Lloyd (from October) | ||
| Manager | John McGrath | ||
| Stadium | Vale Park | ||
| Football League Fourth Division | 3rd (88 Points) | ||
| FA Cup | First Round (knocked out by Bradford City) | ||
| League Cup | First Round (knocked out by Rochdale) | ||
| Player of the Year | Wayne Cegielski | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Bob Newton (20) All: Bob Newton (20) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 8,241 vs. Crewe Alexandra, 5 March 1983 | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 2,565 vs. Rochdale, 30 August 1982 | ||
| Average home league attendance | 4,806 | ||
| Biggest win | 4–0 vs. Rochdale, 30 August 1982 | ||
| Biggest defeat | 0–2 (twice) | ||
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The 1982–83 season was Port Vale's 71st season of football in the English Football League, and their fifth-successive season (11th overall) in the Fourth Division. Under the stewardship of manager John McGrath, Vale played consistently, amassing a club record 88 points (a total equalled only in 1993–94), to secure promotion by finishing third in the division.
At the start of the campaign, McGrath sold both Chamberlain brothers and goalkeeper Mark Harrison to local rivals Stoke City for a combined fee of £240,000, before signing Bob Newton for just £15,000, who would go on to be the league's top scorer for Vale with 20 goals, and bringing in Wayne Cegielski on a free transfer, who was eventually voted Player of the Year. Their defensive solidity was pivotal — they conceded just 34 league goals, the best across the top four tiers, sharing that record with Hull City. In the cup competitions, Vale suffered first-round exits, losing to Bradford City in the FA Cup and going out to Rochdale in the League Cup, the latter by a 2–1 aggregate scoreline. The club enjoyed a robust average home attendance of 4,806, the second-highest in the division, and recorded a highest gate of 8,241 versus Crewe Alexandra, highlighting solid local support.
A finely balanced campaign of frugal rebuilding, sharp recruitment, strong defending and consistency culminated in a triumphant promotion.