The history of Port Vale Football Club, an English association football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, began with the formation of the club, which is officially dated in 1876. However, later research has shown this event probably took place in 1879. In 1884, the club moved to the town of Burslem (which is located within the city of Stoke-on-Trent, just as Stoke-upon-Trent and four other towns), changing their name to Burslem Port Vale in the process. The club joined the Football League Second Division upon its formation in 1892 and spent 13 non-consecutive seasons in the division, punctuated by two seasons in the Midland League (1896–97 and 1897–98). A financial crisis resulted in the club's liquidation in 1907. However, the name of Port Vale F.C. survived as North Staffordshire Federation League side Cobridge Church took on the name and moved into the Old Recreation Ground in Hanley, before progressing through the divisions to win re-election to the Football League in October 1919.
They spent 16 non-consecutive seasons in the Second Division, punctuated by them winning the Third Division North title in 1929–30; they won the division despite having sold club record goalscorer Wilf Kirkham. The club then moved to Vale Park in 1950 after being forced to sell the Old Recreation Ground to pay off a debt. During the 1953–54 season, Vale secured the Third Division North title and a semi-final place in the FA Cup with manager Freddie Steele's "Iron Curtain" defence. After a brief decline, new manager Norman Low led the Vale to the Fourth Division title in 1958–59. However, the 1960s proved to be a tough decade, particularly in 1968 after Stanley Matthews resigned as manager and the club was forced to apply for re-election to the Football League after illegal payments were made to players. New manager Gordon Lee then masterminded promotion in 1969–70, and the Vale would spend most of the 1970s in the third tier until relegation in 1977–78. They were promoted again in 1982–83 before returning to the basement division immediately.
John Rudge was appointed as manager in December 1983 and would remain in the post for the next 16 years. Overseeing a golden period for the club, Vale won promotion out of the Fourth Division in 1985–86 and into the second tier following promotions from the third tier in 1988–89 and 1993–94. They also won the Football League Trophy in 1993. His reign ended in January 1999, and the club entered a decline, slipping into the fourth tier whilst twice entering administration in 2003 and 2012 after the chairmanships of first Bill Bell and then Bill Bratt ended in crises. Norman Smurthwaite took the club out of administration in 2012 and manager Micky Adams achieved automatic promotion from League Two in the 2012–13 season, though they were relegated back into League Two at the end of the 2016–17 season after a failed experiment with a continental staff and playing style. Carol Shanahan bought the club in 2019 and manager Darrell Clarke secured promotion out of the League Two play-offs at the end of the 2021–22 season. Vale were relegated again at the end of the 2023–24 season.
