| 2012–13 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Paul Wildes (from 20 November) | |||
| Manager | Micky Adams | |||
| Stadium | Vale Park | |||
| Football League Two | 3rd (78 points) | |||
| FA Cup | Second Round (knocked out bySheffield United) | |||
| League Cup | First Round (knocked out byBurnley) | |||
| Football League Trophy | Third Round (knocked out byBradford City) | |||
| Player of the Year | Tom Pope | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Tom Pope (31) All: Tom Pope (33) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 12,496 vs.Northampton Town, 20 April 2013 | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 2,702 vs.Tranmere Rovers, 4 September 2012 | |||
| Average home league attendance | 5,727 | |||
| Biggest win | 7–1 vs.Burton Albion, 5 April 2013 | |||
| Biggest defeat | 0–2 (eight games) and 1–3 (once) | |||
The2012–13 season wasPort Vale's 101st season of football in theEnglish Football League, and fifth-successive season inLeague Two. The club securedpromotion intoLeague One with a third-place finish.Administration scuppered the club's promotion chances in the previous campaign, and high-profile departures in the summer meant thatmanagerMicky Adams had to rebuild his team from the ground up. His rebuilding efforts were severely hampered when Keith Ryder's expected takeover collapsed. Paul Wildes instead took over the club on 20 November.
There were no lengthy cup runs, as Vale exited theLeague Cup with an opening day defeat toChampionship clubBurnley, and were knocked out of theFA Cup in the second round with a loss away atLeague One sideSheffield United, before their progress in theFootball League Trophy was halted by League Two rivalsBradford City. This allowed the "Valiants" to focus on gaining promotion, and their goal-scoring feats took them up to second place by 15 September, behind only defensive mastersGillingham. With the new owners in place, Adams could afford to sign experienced players in the Januarytransfer window, and the team pushed on to establish themselves as the division's leaders. However, the wheels fell off as Vale struggled to score as they showedrelegation form heading on from mid-February. After just one win in eight games, Vale rediscovered their previous form by mid-March and beat fourth-placedBurton Albion 7–1 in front of 10,978 supporters on 5 April. Promotion was secured 15 days later with a 2–2 draw withNorthampton Town before a home crowd of 12,496. After promotion was secured, Paul Wildes resigned as chairman, andNorman Smurthwaite took full control of the club.
On 19 June 2012, Port Vale was given odds of 40 to 1 of gainingpromotion.[1] The club had lost some of its best players as versatile defenderLee Collins, midfield generalAnthony Griffith, and top-scorersSean Rigg andMarc Richards all signed big-money deals elsewhere – the latter two moving to clubs expecting to win promotion out of League Two.
With the club's new owner in place, Adams signed six players early in July. He first signed midfielderDarren Murphy and wingerJennison Myrie-Williams (who had impressed in aloan spell at the club the previous season) fromStevenage, as well asColchester United attackerAshley Vincent.[2] He then made another triple swoop by bringing inShrewsbury Town goalkeeperChris Neal,Crewe Alexandra centre-backDavid Artell, and formerWales internationalRichard Duffy.[3] Highly rated strikerLiam Dickinson, veteran forwardDarren Byfield, and Irish attackerTadhg Purcell also joined the club on trial.[4][5][6] Adams appointedDoug Loft as clubcaptain at the end of July.[7] The pre-season tour ofIreland was hailed as a success, whilst Vale recorded wins in each of their encounters withnon-League opposition.[8] However, David Artell left the club as afree agent days before the start of the season, as he refused to sign acontract that reflected the club's status as 'in administration' (the initial contract he signed listed Keith Ryder as the club's owner, and was therefore invalid).[9]
"The players have been absolutely amazing. I've told them that I can't thank them enough for their loyalty, character and commitment. They have thrown away a lot of money in signing these [revised] contracts... I'm embarrassed because I believed in Keith Ryder and believed in what he was doing. To find out that the players could have walked away for nothing after all the work we had done in pre-season was unbelievable. I hope the football club has hit rock-bottom and we can start to climb again, but I can't guarantee that."
— Manager Micky Adams had hoped to build a strong squad to challenge for promotion, but as Ryder's takeover seemed less probable, so did Vale's chances of promotion.[10]
The team got off to a solid start in August, recording wins over a poorBarnet side and a much more resilientMorecambe.[11] They lost away atAccrington Stanley despite having 56% possession and 12 attempts on goal.[12] They continued their form into September, as 14 points from a possible 18 left them sitting second in the table. Only a bizarreown goal fromBrian Saah won them a point at home toTorquay United beforeTom Pope hit four against former clubRotherham United in a 6–2 victory; the win overSteve Evans's big spending "Millers" sent a message to the rest of the division that Vale were genuine promotion candidates.[11] They then came from behind to win away atPlymouth Argyle, before putting a highly impressiveFleetwood Town to the sword with a 5–2 away victory.[11] A top-of-table clash withGillingham atVale Park ended the "Valiants" impressive run, as the visitors claimed a 2–0 victory with a professional performance.[11] Having named the samefirst XI for nine successive games, Adams introducedRob Taylor andRyan Burge at the expense of central midfieldersSam Morsy andChris Shuker, and was rewarded with a 1–0 win over high-flyingBradford City in front of over 11,000 spectators atValley Parade.[11] Micky Adams was named asManager of the Month and Pope was named asPlayer of the Month.[13]
October opened with a dismal home draw withDagenham & Redbridge, with goalkeeperChris Neal making an uncharacteristic error to allow a blunted "Daggers" attack to claim an unlikely goal.[11] The team then rallied to produce a convincing 2–0 win away at fourth-placedExeter City, Pope's two goals taking him into double figures with 35 league games yet to play.[11] However, injuries took hold of the small squad, with captain Loft sidelined with acalf injury,[14] and wingerLewis Haldane forced to announce his retirement after failing to recover from abroken leg he sustained in August 2011.[15] They playedOxford United on a Monday night in front of theSky Sports cameras, and did themselves justice with a convincing 3–0 win, with bothAshley Vincent andSam Morsy scoring impressive goals.[11] An injury/suspension crisis in midfield then did little to prevent a patched up Vale side from coming from behind to beatGareth Ainsworth'sWycombe Wanderers 4–1.[11] They then travelled toStaffordshire rivalsBurton Albion, and battled to a 1–1 draw after falling behind to a fluke goal.[11] The month ended on a sour note atSixfields, asJohn McCombe wassent off after breaking the leg ofNorthampton Town goalscorerAlex Nicholls; injuries and suspensions left teenagersJoe Davis andKingsley James to form a makeshift centre-back partnership, though the score was kept to a respectable 2–0.[11] For a second-successive time, a Vale player was named the division's Player of the Month;Ashley Vincent took the award, but credited his teammates, saying "this award is as much for them as it is for me".[16]
Vale went three league games without a win on 6 November, as they lost a two-goal lead to draw 2–2 at home withRochdale; the game turned onSam Morsy'ssending off on the 67-minute mark.[11] Three days later, Adams boosted his midfield by signing former Shrewsbury playerSean McAllister to an eight-week deal.[17] A day later and Vale travelled toRoots Hall and came away with a point following a goalless draw.[11] Vale then went five league games without a win, after throwing away a two-goal lead for the second successive home game, to draw 2–2 withYork City.[11] Adams said "It's not a time for people to criticise and get on the players' backs, so I'll have to put my arm around a few of them, even if I feel like strangling them at times."[18] His team duly went on to record a simple 4–0 win overBristol Rovers, with Pope'shat-trick taking him to 20 goals in the season.[11] On 22 November,Liam Chilvers re-signed on loan fromAFC Telford United in order to provide more options in defence.[19]Notts County strikerLee Hughes was also reported to have joined the club on loan, with a view to a permanent move; however, the next day it was revealed that the loan move would not go through as the relevant paperwork had not been sent into theFootball League on time.[20][21] Vale carried on scoring goals regardless, ending the month with a 3–1 win in miserable conditions atAldershot Town.[11] They also welcomedCalvin Andrew, who was signed to provide cover for Tom Pope.[22]
Vale went into the festive schedule with a 2–0 home defeat toChesterfield, who boasted four former "Valiants" in their team, including goal scorerJay O'Shea.[11] Adams tried to boost the team's confidence and said he then did "a bit of psychology with the players... sat them down, one-on-one, and reminded them about what and where they are."[23] The talks seemed to work, as aLouis Dodds goal ensured that they came from behind at third-placeCheltenham Town to record a 1–1 draw.[11] Assistant managerMark Grew also employed psychology, telling the media that "We have the ability to bring people in, but hopefully we won't have to... if we lose three or four games, then the gaffer might have to freshen things up... but if we can pick up maybe nine points over Christmas and new year, then we wouldn't have a problem."[24] On Boxing day, Vale headed to theNew York Stadium for the first time and completed the double over Rotherham with a 2–1 win. They ended the year at the top of the table after beating the "Daggers" 3–2 in rain-soaked conditions.[25]
The new year was welcomed with a poor showing at home to Fleetwood that ended in a 2–0 loss. There was good and bad news on 3 January, asTrinidad and Tobago international midfielderChris Birchall was re-signed to the club as John McCombe was ruled out injured for "at least six weeks".[26][27] Adams responded to the defeat to Fleetwood by making six changes at home to Plymouth, and was rewarded with a comprehensive 4–0 win over a struggling team reduced to ten men in the first half. He also signed experienced Argyle centre-back and captainDarren Purse.[28]Gareth Owen and Darren Murphy both left the club, whilst veteran striker Lee Hughes was signed fromNotts County.[29][30] Liam Chilvers was also signed up until the end of the season.[31] Both Purse and Hughes were handed debuts for the top of the table clash with Gillingham on 12 January, and played vital roles in the team's 2–1 victory. Adams then added another new face, with left-sidedSheffield Wednesday playerDaniel Jones signed on until the end of the season.[32] With the influx of defenders limiting first-team opportunities,Clayton McDonald joined Bristol Rovers on loan until the end of the season.[33] Jones scored on his debut, helping Vale to earn a point away atAFC Wimbledon in front of the television cameras.
New signings Hughes and Purse gave Vale a 3–0 home win over Accrington on 2 February. Three days later, the bottom club, Wimbledon, arrived at Vale Park, and Vale won the game 3–0 thanks to goals from Hughes and Vincent (2). The next challenge was another club battling againstrelegation, Barnet, and Adams named the same team for the fourth-successive game; however, for only the second time in the season, Vale fans witnessed a goalless draw.[34] Mid-table Morecambe then arrived at Vale Park as the club honoured former chairmanBill Bell, who died on 12 February; the game ended with a 1–0 defeat to ten-man Morecambe.[35] Calvin Andrew was given a surprise start at Torquay, and rewarded Micky Adams with the only goal of the game. Adams sniped at online critics after the game, saying they "think they’re clever on their computers" but "I’m sure they’ll be disappointed we've won".[36] However, Vale then tasted a 2–0 defeat at home toplay-off hopefuls Exeter City, who put in a superb performance; Adams nevertheless found his team's lack of urgency going forward as a "little bit baffling".[37]
Oxford beat Vale 2–1 on 2 March, ending Vale's five-month unbeaten run on the road. Adams then tried to add some steel to his midfield by re-signing tough-tackling Anthony Griffith fromLeyton Orient.[38]League Cup finalists Bradford then came to Burslem. He left with a point after the season's first goalless draw at Vale Park. With the gap between Vale and play-offs getting more slender, Southend successfully defended a two-goal lead athalf-time to beat Vale 2–1. Adams admitted, "Promotion seems a million miles away with the way we're playing."[39] Things then went from bad to worse at Bristol Rovers, with former Stoke playerRyan Brunt giving the "Gas" a 2–0 win whilst Ashley Vincent suffered a season-ending injury. Adams claimed that "idiots" in a "certain section of the crowd" were giving him "personal" abuse following the run of bad results and his decision to drop fan favourite Ryan Burge for disciplinary reasons.[40] Full-backAdam Yates later said this low-point motivated the players to pull together to prove wrong fans that had barracked Adams.[41] Burge was suspended for two weeks after refusing to apologize for making veiled criticism of the club onTwitter.[42] Vale then put a poor York side to the sword with goals from Myrie-Williams and Hughes. Cheltenham Town proved a much sterner challenge, but Vale recovered from 2–1 down to win a crucial match 3–2, with Tom Pope hitting his third hat-trick of the season.
Vale held second place going into April, and though they failed to capitalize on their rivals dropping points on 1 April, they managed to come from behind to two Marc Richards goals at Chesterfield to secure a point. Four days later, Vale hosted fourth-placed Burton Albion in what was labelled as the biggest game of the season for the "Valiants".[43] Reduced tickets of£9 ensured a crowd of 10,978. They were treated to a comprehensive 7–1 victory as Lee Hughes scored a hat-trick.[44] Bottom-placed Aldershot were the visitors four days later, and were seemingly fired up after managerAndy Scott took offence to Adams saying that "[Aldershot] are down the bottom because [they] deserve to be"; Scott stated that "Sometimes managers say things to deflect from what is going on at their own club. We will find out if they have got the stomach for the fight and see if they want to get promoted as they have got a few clubs chasing them."[45] The match proved to be low on action, and Vale surrendered a half-time lead to draw the game 1–1. On 12 April, it was confirmed that Burge had left the club by mutual consent.[46] Vale could have won promotion the following day, and seemed to have done so after Liam Chilvers made amends for a horrific first half own goal by heading Vale into the lead on 89 minutes; however, an injury-timeequaliser left the Vale still just short of their final target. Automatic promotion was effectively secured with a 2–2 draw against Northampton Town on 20 April, the two unlikely goalscorers were Chilvers and former "Valiant" turned "Cobbler"Lee Collins. Promotion was confirmed with a 1–1 draw with Wycombe atAdams Park on the last day of the season, in what was former favourite Gareth Ainsworth's last game as a player.
At the end of the season all out-of-contract players were rewarded with a contract offer, except for Darren Purse, Calvin Andrew, Clayton McDonald, and Kingsley James.[47] Ashley Vincent rejected his contract, choosing instead to leave the club.[48] Despite still being under contract, John McCombe chose to leave the club by mutual consent.[49] Sam Morsy was the third to leave the club, after he rejected the two-year contract on offer in order to sign with Chesterfield.[50][51]
The trauma ofadministration still afflicted Port Vale during the 2012–13 season, asMicky Adams was unable to sign any players until the club's new owner, Keith Ryder, was granted clearance from the Football League. The takeover deal was delayed for several weeks after Ryder faced difficulties in passing the league's 'fit and proper persons' test.[52] The administrators lost patience in Ryder, and publicly stated that if Ryder did not pay the £1.3 million takeover sum before 1 August 2012 then his bid would be rejected, and 'plan B' would be implemented.[53] The deadline passed without comment from either party.[54] Confusion reigned as the administrators confirmed that they were open to negotiations with other parties and that it was up to Ryder to complete his takeover, as he had the opportunity, the funds and – according to Ryder himself – the inclination to complete his takeover.[55] Administrator Bob Young stated that "We initially gave him a deadline of the end of June, which was then extended to 6 July. If someone comes back to us with the funding first, then we will obviously take that forward."[56] Ryder responded that "I wake up every morning believing this is the day we will complete the takeover. If the deal does not go through, and someone else buys the club, there will be no-one more disappointed than me."[56]
The time-sensitive nature of the situation was emphasized when the club revealed that the two pre-seasonfriendlies atVale Park would be playedbehind closed doors "as the club has been unable to carry out usual maintenance work during the closed season owing to the prolonged period in administration."[57] The 18 players who signed new contracts in the summer did so on the understanding that Ryder would be the club's owner, and so when told that they had to sign revised contracts that offered less security they sought the advice of theProfessional Footballers' Association – they technically remained free agents, free to join another club, until either they agreed to the revised contracts or until Ryder completed his takeover.[58][59] All but one of the players agreed to sign revised contracts, allowing the club to at least start the season with a full complement of senior players.[60] Ryder disappeared from the scene completely, losing some £170,000 he had spent on a non-refundable deposit and some pre-seasons costs.[61] The off-field problems even extended to the first-teamkit, as they spent the pre-season in only the grey away strip and played theLeague Cup first round game in a pink strip.[62] This was because of a problem supplying the black and white home kit. The new away black and gold kit was released in mid-September, and the new home kit was released the following month. Fans could purchase seasons tickets for between £272 and £356, and could purchase matchday tickets for between £20 and £21.[63]
At the end of September, Bob Young said that he was hopeful of selling the club by the end of October at the earliest, and that he would "be disappointed if we haven't sold the club by the end of the year".[64] The new preferred bidder was revealed to be Wirral-based businessman Paul Wildes.[65] On 17 November, theRoy Sproson status was revealed, as was new home shirt sponsor UK Windows Systems Ltd.[66] Wildes completed his £1.25 million takeover of the club on 20 November.[67]
"I have a lot of experience of fixing broken businesses. It's what I'm good at for 30 years. And while this is very different to what I've done before, the model is no different. If you don't have any debt, which we won't have, and you don't have any excessive payrolls for people driven by ego, which we won't have, this business can only go one way and that's up. The only ego issue is ensuring I deliver what I believe this business needs. But everything we do here will be for the benefit of the club, and ultimately for the benefit of the team and the supporters. We'll try to get more people into the ground, increase our turnover, encourage people to spend more within the business and that will enable me to put money directly into the playing budget. There's nothing clever about it. We'll only be custodians of this club, just like everybody else before us, but I'm hoping when people look back they'll see that the club is in a better place than when I arrived... It's a business which needs a lot, but not a lot. That sounds like a contradiction, but there are stupid things which are broken and simply by fixing them we'll make Vale Park a better place. The only way we can influence things on thepitch is by creating the commercial resources to increase our income. We'll filter that down to the squad. It's difficult to list priorities because there are so many things that are broken, damaged or tarnished – from the toilets to the stadium seating to people's perception of the business and the overall match-day experience. But this should not be a one-day-a-week venue. The resources here are massively under-used at the moment and we want to change that... We'll have a board for operational purposes, but there will be just two shareholders – Paul, who will be chairman, and myself, and we'll take no salaries or dividends. We're planning to take nothing out of this club whatsoever. We're bringing in people from within our current group of businesses, but it will be a very flat structure, and even their costs will come from within the group of businesses that we run, so the finance and operational side of things will not be a cost to Port Vale... If you're coming to the game, come earlier, drink our beer and eat our pies because everything we can do to increase turnover will directly go straight into the playing squad, It's that simple."
— Norman Smurthwaite, Wildes' advisor and the new club CEO, speaking upon the completion of the takeover in November.[68]
After securing the promotion, Smurthwaite said, "I've never had any hobbies to speak of, but buying Port Vale has given me a passion. The club has reinvigorated me – it has saved me really, given me a new purpose."[69] On 18 May, Paul Wildes made a shock decision to resign as chairman and sell his 50% stake to Smurthwaite, who became the club's chairman and sole owner; Wildes stated that "From many conversations with Norman, it's clear we have conflicting ideas on how to take Vale forward".[70] It was revealed that Smurthwaite had funded the initial takeover, and that the pair had a disagreement following defeat to Bristol Rovers in March, with Smurthwaite insisting on a more public approach to take pressure off the manager and players.[71]
TheFA Cup draw was not kind on the "Valiants", as they were forced to travel toConference play-off hopefulsForest Green Rovers atThe New Lawn.Ashley Vincent andClayton McDonald (scoring his first goal for the club) opened the scoring before Rovers levelled shortly after half-time;substituteBen Williamson then scored a late winner to avoid areplay.[11] The second round was also tough, particularly forMicky Adams, who was tasked with overcomingSheffield United atBramall Lane; theLeague One title chasers had sacked Adams and appointedDanny Wilson in May 2011.[72] Ever ready with a quote, Adams said: "I just thought 'All those balls in that bag and they picked this one out'".[73] Vale seemed certain to progress to the third round after Tom Pope put them into the lead before two late goals fromShaun Miller dumped them out of the competition.[11]
As per tradition, Vale exited the League Cup at the first-round stage. They were beaten 3–1 byChampionship sideBurnley.[74]
TheFootball League Trophy first round draw left Vale facing League One leaderTranmere Rovers for the second successive season. Wishing to advance in the competition, Adams picked a strong side, and Vale won the game 2–0 thanks to a brace fromJennison Myrie-Williams, who scored with a 30 yards (27 m)free kick and apenalty.[75][76] For the second round clash withWalsall at theBescot Stadium, Adams took the unusual move of naming his team a day in advance "to allow Vale fans a fairer chance to decide whether they think it is worth making the short trip down theM6".[77] 19-year-old goalkeeperSam Johnson made his debut in the game, and was unable to prevent the two "Saddlers" goals in a 2–2 draw.[78] However, in a remarkable turn of events he went on to score the winning penalty as the 22nd penalty taker of thepenalty shoot-out.[78] However, suspensions weakened the team – Tom Pope's presence was especially missed – for the encounter withBradford City, and Vale exited the competition with a 2–0 home defeat.[11]
| 17 July 2012Friendly | Alsager Town | 0–8 | Port Vale | Alsager |
| 19:30BST | Report | Pope 29'Vincent 43'og. 45'Purcell 49',53',88'Williamson 72',82' | Stadium:The Town Ground Attendance: 450 |
| 18 July 2012Friendly | Biddulph Town | 0–5 | Port Vale | Biddulph |
| 19:30BST | Report | Purcell 3' Williamson 18'Myrie-Williams 30',41'Dodds 89' | Stadium:Tunstall Road Referee: Chris Jackson |
| 21 July 2012Friendly | Newcastle Town | 0–2 | Port Vale | Newcastle-under-Lyme |
| 14:30BST | Report | Pope 41' Williamson 66' | Stadium:Lyme Valley Stadium Attendance: 1,464 |
v Port Vale| 25 July 2012Friendly | Athlone Town | 0–5 | Port Vale | Athlone |
| 19:30BST | Report | Pope 50',77',79',81' Dodds 52' | Stadium:Athlone Town Stadium |
v Port Vale| 29 July 2012Friendly | Galway United | 0–3 | Port Vale | Galway |
| 19:30BST | Report | Burge 28' Dodds Williamson 50' | Stadium:Eamonn Deacy Park Attendance: 405 |
| 31 July 2012Friendly | Ilkeston | 0–2 | Port Vale | Ilkeston |
| 19:30BST | Report | Pearson 35' (og.) Williamson 69' | Stadium:New Manor Ground Attendance: 265 |
| 1 August 2012Friendly | Stafford Rangers | 1–3 | Port Vale | Stafford |
| 19:30BST | Johnson 58' | Report | Dodds 17' Myrie-Williams Pope 63' | Stadium:Marston Road Attendance: 398 Referee: Craig Taylor |
| 3 August 2012Friendly | Nantwich Town | 0–1 | Port Vale | Nantwich |
| 19:30BST | Report | Purcell 90' (pen.) | Stadium:Weaver Stadium Attendance: 352 Referee: Rob Jones |
| 7 August 2012Friendly | Port Vale | 0–1 | Coventry City | Burslem |
| 19:30BST | Report | McSheffrey 42' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 0 (Behind closed doors) |
| 8 August 2012Friendly | Congleton Town | 1–2 | Port Vale | Congleton |
| 19:30BST | Southern | Report | James Marland | Stadium:Booth Street |
| 11 August 2012Friendly | Port Vale | 1–1 | Tranmere Rovers | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Goodison 17' (og.) | Report | Stockton 75' | Stadium:Vale Park |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gillingham(C, P) | 46 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 66 | 39 | +27 | 83 | Promotion toFootball League One |
| 2 | Rotherham United(P) | 46 | 24 | 7 | 15 | 74 | 59 | +15 | 79 | |
| 3 | Port Vale(P) | 46 | 21 | 15 | 10 | 87 | 52 | +35 | 78 | |
| 4 | Burton Albion | 46 | 22 | 10 | 14 | 71 | 65 | +6 | 76 | Qualification forLeague Two play-offs[a] |
| 5 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 20 | 15 | 11 | 58 | 51 | +7 | 75 |
| Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | H | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | A | H | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A |
| Result | W | L | W | D | W | W | W | L | W | D | W | W | W | D | L | D | D | D | W | W | L | D | W | W | L | W | W | D | W | W | D | L | W | L | L | D | L | L | W | W | D | W | D | D | D | D |
| Position | 2 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Points | 3 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 19 | 20 | 23 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 43 | 46 | 46 | 49 | 52 | 53 | 56 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 63 | 63 | 63 | 64 | 64 | 64 | 67 | 70 | 71 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 |
| 18 August 20121 | Port Vale | 3–0 | Barnet | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Dodds 8' Myrie-Williams 20' (pen.)Pope 75' | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,608 Referee:Scott Duncan |
| 21 August 20122 | Accrington Stanley | 2–0 | Port Vale | Accrington |
| 19:45BST | Amond 43' (pen.) Gray 90+3' | Report | Stadium:Crown Ground Attendance: 1,946 Referee: David Webb |
| 25 August 20123 | Morecambe | 1–3 | Port Vale | Morecambe |
| 15:00BST | Ellison 32' | Report | Morsy 1' McCombe 89'Pope 90+4' | Stadium:Globe Arena Attendance: 2,164 Referee: Mark Brown |
| 1 September 20124 | Port Vale | 1–1 | Torquay United | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Saah 69' (og.) | Report | Morris 39' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,721 Referee: Steve Bratt |
| 8 September 20125 | Port Vale | 6–2 | Rotherham United | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Dodds 5' Pope 16',21',68',78'Vincent 28' | Report | O'Connor 31' Nardiello 54' (pen.) | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,544 Referee:Mick Russell |
| 15 September 20126 | Plymouth Argyle | 1–3 | Port Vale | Plymouth |
| 15:00BST | Williams 18' | Report | Myrie-Williams 66' (pen.) Vincent 74'Williamson 78' | Stadium:Home Park Attendance: 6,080 Referee: Darren Sheldrake |
| 18 September 20127 | Fleetwood Town | 2–5 | Port Vale | Fleetwood |
| 19:45BST | Brown 39' Gillespie 84' (pen.) | Report | Pope 29',60' Vincent 34'Dodds 67',78' | Stadium:Highbury Stadium Attendance: 3,392 Referee: Nigel Miller |
| 22 September 20128 | Port Vale | 0–2 | Gillingham | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Report | Burton 11' Whelpdale 25' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 6,924 Referee:Darren Bond |
| 29 September 20129 | Bradford City | 0–1 | Port Vale | Bradford |
| 15:00BST | Report | Pope 37' | Stadium:Valley Parade Attendance: 11,030 Referee:Paul Tierney |
| 2 October 201210 | Port Vale | 1–1 | Dagenham & Redbridge | Burslem |
| 19:45BST | Myrie-Williams 75' | Report | Howell 72' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,355 Referee:Tony Harrington |
| 6 October 201211 | Exeter City | 0–2 | Port Vale | Exeter |
| 15:00BST | Report | Pope 40',62' | Stadium:St James Park Attendance: 3,938 Referee: Robert Lewis |
| 15 October 201212 | Port Vale | 3–0 | Oxford United | Burslem |
| 19:45BST | Pope 30' Vincent 51'Morsy 61' | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,596 Referee:Keith Stroud |
| 20 October 201213 | Port Vale | 4–1 | Wycombe Wanderers | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Williamson 59' Pope 66',87'Vincent 90' | Report | Grant 20' (pen.) | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,303 Referee: Carl Boyeson |
| 23 October 201214 | Burton Albion | 1–1 | Port Vale | Burton upon Trent |
| 19:45BST | Chappell 73' | Report | Williamson 75' | Stadium:Pirelli Stadium Attendance: 3,975 Referee: Graham Salisbury |
| 27 October 201215 | Northampton Town | 2–0 | Port Vale | Northampton |
| 15:00BST | Nicholls 20' Moult 43' | Report | Stadium:Sixfields Stadium Attendance: 5,061 Referee: Richard Clark |
| 6 November 201216 | Port Vale | 2–2 | Rochdale | Burslem |
| 19:45GMT | Pope 27',62' | Report | Grant 73' Tutte 87' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,139 Referee: Andy Woolmer |
| 10 November 201217 | Southend United | 0–0 | Port Vale | Southend-on-Sea |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Roots Hall Attendance: 4,876 Referee: Gavin Ward |
| 17 November 201218 | Port Vale | 2–2 | York City | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Burge 30' Myrie-Williams 44' (pen.) | Report | Rodman 67' Reed 89' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,380 Referee: Jeremy Simpson |
| 20 November 201219 | Port Vale | 4–0 | Bristol Rovers | Burslem |
| 19:45GMT | Pope 20',22',67' Williamson 35' | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,177 Referee:Andrew Madley |
| 24 November 201220 | Aldershot Town | 1–3 | Port Vale | Aldershot |
| 15:00GMT | López 29' | Report | Williamson 17' Burge 47'Myrie-Williams 76' (pen.) | Stadium:Recreation Ground Attendance: 1,992 Referee:Mick Russell |
| 8 December 201221 | Port Vale | 0–2 | Chesterfield | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Report | O'Shea 37' Darikwa 64' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,298 Referee: Brendan Malone |
| 15 December 201222 | Cheltenham Town | 1–1 | Port Vale | Cheltenham |
| 15:00GMT | Carter 61' | Report | Dodds 67' | Stadium:Whaddon Road Attendance: 3,670 Referee: Mark Heywood |
| 26 December 201223 | Rotherham United | 1–2 | Port Vale | Rotherham |
| 15:00GMT | Agard 83' | Report | Dodds 55' Pope 63' | Stadium:New York Stadium Attendance: 10,502 Referee: Trevor Kettle |
| 29 December 201224 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 2–3 | Port Vale | Dagenham |
| 15:00GMT | Williams 18' (pen.) Doe 84' | Report | Pope 4' Myrie-Williams 9'Dodds 39' | Stadium:Victoria Road Attendance: 1,697 Referee: David Phillips |
| 1 January 201325 | Port Vale | 0–2 | Fleetwood Town | Burslem |
| 19:45GMT | Report | Ball 26' Goodall 39' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 6,092 Referee:Paul Tierney |
| 5 January 201326 | Port Vale | 4–0 | Plymouth Argyle | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Myrie-Williams 32' Pope 55',83'Williamson 77' | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,168 Referee: Scott Mathieson |
| 12 January 201327 | Gillingham | 1–2 | Port Vale | Gillingham, Kent |
| 15:00GMT | Kedwell 21' | Report | Pope 4' Hughes 20' | Stadium:Priestfield Stadium Attendance: 8,392 Referee: Darren Sheldrake |
| 24 January 201328 | AFC Wimbledon | 2–2 | Port Vale | Kingston upon Thames |
| 19:45GMT | Midson 8',42' (pen.) | Report | Jones 44' Pope 58' | Stadium:Kingsmeadow Attendance: 3,395 Referee:Graham Scott |
| 2 February 201329 | Port Vale | 3–0 | Accrington Stanley | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Hughes 50',66' Purse 54' | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,172 Referee:Andy Davies |
| 5 February 201330 | Port Vale | 3–0 | AFC Wimbledon | Burslem |
| 19:45GMT | Hughes 13' Vincent 35',75' | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,567 Referee: Mark Brown |
| 9 February 201331 | Barnet | 0–0 | Port Vale | Chipping Barnet,London |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Underhill Stadium Attendance: 2,398 Referee: Graham Salisbury |
| 16 February 201332 | Port Vale | 0–1 | Morecambe | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Alessandra 63' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,513 Referee: David Phillips |
| 23 February 201333 | Torquay United | 0–1 | Port Vale | Torquay |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Andrew 28' | Stadium:Plainmoor Attendance: 2,679 Referee: Keith Hill |
| 26 February 201334 | Port Vale | 0–2 | Exeter City | Burslem |
| 19:45GMT | Report | Cureton 11' Coles 33' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,480 Referee: Gary Sutton |
| 2 March 201335 | Oxford United | 2–1 | Port Vale | Oxford |
| 15:00GMT | Potter 10' Smalley 76' | Report | Loft 16' | Stadium:Kassam Stadium Attendance: 6,322 Referee: Eddie Ilderton |
| 5 March 201336 | Port Vale | 0–0 | Bradford City | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,281 Referee: James Adcock |
| 9 March 201337 | Port Vale | 1–2 | Southend United | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Hughes 64' | Report | Clohessy 19' (pen.) Assombalonga 31' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,858 Referee: Darren Sheldrake |
| 12 March 201338 | Bristol Rovers | 2–0 | Port Vale | Bristol |
| 19:45GMT | Brunt 7',38' | Report | Stadium:Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,111 Referee: Fred Graham |
| 16 March 201339 | York City | 0–2 | Port Vale | York |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Myrie-Williams 7' Hughes 48' | Stadium:Bootham Crescent Attendance: 3,945 Referee: Andy Haines |
| 29 March 201340 | Port Vale | 3–2 | Cheltenham Town | Burslem |
| 15:00GMT | Pope 19',58',74' | Report | Mohamed 47' Benson 54' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 5,867 Referee: Scott Mathieson |
| 1 April 201341 | Chesterfield | 2–2 | Port Vale | Chesterfield, Derbyshire |
| 19:45BST | Richards 14',19' | Report | Purse 5' Pope 85' | Stadium:Proact Stadium Attendance: 6,669 Referee:Simon Hooper |
| 5 April 201342 | Port Vale | 7–1 | Burton Albion | Burslem |
| 19:45BST | Hughes 12',22' (pen.),51' (pen.) Birchall 25'Pope 56'Williamson 73',90' | Report | Paterson 70' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 10,978 Referee: Gavin Ward |
| 9 April 201343 | Port Vale | 1–1 | Aldershot Town | Burslem |
| 19:45BST | Myrie-Williams 45' | Report | McCallum 74' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 6,197 Referee: Lee Collins |
| 13 April 201344 | Rochdale | 2–2 | Port Vale | Rochdale |
| 15:00BST | Chilvers 31' (og.) Kennedy 90+3' | Report | Pope 34' Chilvers 89' | Stadium:Spotland Stadium Attendance: 5,042 Referee: Richard Clark |
| 20 April 201345 | Port Vale | 2–2 | Northampton Town | Burslem |
| 15:00BST | Chilvers 38' Collins 86' (og.) | Report | Carlisle 2' O'Donovan 69' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 12,496 Referee: Keith Hill |
| 27 April 201346 | Wycombe Wanderers | 1–1 | Port Vale | High Wycombe |
| 15:00BST | Morgan 31' (pen.) | Report | Hughes 79' | Stadium:Adams Park Attendance: 7,120 Referee: Mark Haywood |
| 3 November 2012R1 | Forest Green Rovers | 2–3 | Port Vale | Nailsworth |
| 15:00GMT | Norwood 34' Oshodi 49' | Report | Vincent 7' McDonald 12'Williamson 80' | Stadium:The New Lawn Attendance: 1,753 Referee: Philip Gibbs |
| 1 December 2012R2 | Sheffield United | 2–1 | Port Vale | Sheffield |
| 15:00GMT | Miller 90',90+5' | Report | Pope 33' | Stadium:Bramall Lane Attendance: 10,215 Referee: Kevin Wright |
| 14 August 2012R1 | Port Vale | 1–3 | Burnley | Burslem |
| 19:45BST | Shuker 9' | Report | McCann 11' Austin 29'Marney 42' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 4,055 Referee: Andy Haines |
| 4 September 2012R1 | Port Vale | 2–0 | Tranmere Rovers | Burslem |
| 19:15BST | Myrie-Williams 57',75' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 2,702 Referee: Steve Martin |
| 9 October 2012R2 | Walsall | 2–2 (5–6p) | Port Vale | Walsall |
| 19:45BST | Cuvelier 26' (pen.) Grigg 47' | Report | Burge 49' Pope 61' | Stadium:Bescot Stadium Attendance: 2,845 Referee: Darren Deadman |
| Penalties | ||||
Bowerman Paterson  Taylor Cuvelier Featherstone Taundry Brandy Butler Downing Jones Darlow | Myrie-Williams Shuker Burge Pope Davis Taylor Dodds Lloyd Yates McCombe Johnson | |||
| 4 December 2012R3 | Port Vale | 0–2 | Bradford City | Burslem |
| 19:15GMT | Report | Jones 46' Forsyth 55' | Stadium:Vale Park Attendance: 2,786 Referee:Darren Drysdale |
| Pos. | # | Name | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| GK | 1 |  Chris Neal | 46 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 0 | |
| DF | 2 | Adam Yates | 26 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| MF | 3 | Rob Taylor | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| MF | 4 |  Anthony Griffith | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| DF | 5 | John McCombe | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| DF | 6 | Darren Purse | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 2 | |
| MF | 7 | Doug Loft | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |
| FW | 8 | Louis Dodds | 30 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 7 | |
| MF | 9 | Jennison Myrie-Williams | 44 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 50 | 11 | |
| MF | 10 | Ashley Vincent | 34 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 40 | 8 | |
| FW | 11 | Tom Pope | 46 | 31 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 33 | |
| GK | 12 | Sam Johnson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| DF | 14 | Clayton McDonald | 22 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| MF | 15 | Chris Shuker | 29 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 1 | |
| FW | 16 | Calvin Andrew | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| DF | 17 | Joe Davis | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| MF | 18 |  Sam Morsy | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 2 | |
| FW | 19 | Ben Williamson | 33 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 39 | 9 | |
| DF | 21 | Kingsley James | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| MF | 22 | Ryan Lloyd | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| DF | 24 |  Richard Duffy | 36 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| DF | 25 | Liam Chilvers | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| MF | 26 |  Chris Birchall | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| FW | 29 | Lee Hughes | 18 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 | |
| GK | 32 | Ryan Boot | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | 36 | Daniel Jones | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Players that left the club mid-season: | |||||||||||||
| MF | 4 | Darren Murphy | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| DF | 6 | Gareth Owen | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| MF | 16 | Lewis Haldane | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| DF | 20 |  David Artell | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| MF | 20 | Sean McAllister | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| MF | 23 | Ryan Burge | 30 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 3 | |
| Place | Position | Nation | Number | Name | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | Football League Trophy | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FW | England | 11 | Tom Pope | 31 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33 |
| 2 | MF | England | 9 | Jennison Myrie-Williams | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| 3 | FW | England | 29 | Lee Hughes | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | FW | England | 19 | Ben Williamson | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 5 | MF | England | 10 | Ashley Vincent | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
| 6 | FW | England | 8 | Louis Dodds | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | MF | England | 23 | Ryan Burge | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| 8 | DF | England | 25 | Liam Chilvers | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| = | MF | Egypt | 18 | Sam Morsy | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| = | DF | England | 6 | Darren Purse | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| = | – | – | – | Own goals | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 12 | DF | England | 16 | Calvin Andrew | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | MF | Trinidad | 7 | Chris Birchall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | DF | England | 36 | Daniel Jones | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | DF | England | 7 | Doug Loft | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | DF | England | 5 | John McCombe | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | DF | England | 14 | Clayton McDonald | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| = | MF | England | 15 | Chris Shuker | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 87 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 96 | ||||
| Number | Nation | Position | Name | League Two | FA Cup | League Cup | League Trophy | Total | |||||
 |  | | | | | | | | | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | Egypt | MF | Sam Morsy | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 7 | England | DF | Doug Loft | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| 5 | England | DF | John McCombe | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 24 | Wales | DF | Richard Duffy | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| 23 | England | MF | Ryan Burge | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 14 | England | DF | Clayton McDonald | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 9 | England | MF | Jennison Myrie-Williams | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 11 | England | FW | Tom Pope | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 29 | England | FW | Lee Hughes | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | England | MF | Ashley Vincent | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 36 | England | DF | Daniel Jones | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 25 | England | DF | Liam Chilvers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 8 | England | FW | Louis Dodds | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1 | England | GK | Chris Neal | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 6 | England | DF | Darren Purse | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 4 | Montserrat | MF | Anthony Griffith | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | England | MF | Rob Taylor | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Trinidad | MF | Chris Birchall | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | England | DF | Joe Davis | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Wales | DF | Gareth Owen | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | England | MF | Chris Shuker | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 82 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 94 | 3 | |||
Sourced from Soccerway.[80]
| End of Season Awards | Winner[81] |
|---|---|
| Player of the Year | Tom Pope |
| Away Travel Player of the Year | Chris Neal |
| Players' Player of the Year | Chris Neal |
| Young Player of the Year | Sam Johnson |
| Youth Player of the Year | Dougie Price |
| Goal of the Season | Louis Dodds (vsFleetwood Town, 18 September 2012) |
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | From | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 July 2012 | MF | | Jennison Myrie-Williams | Stevenage | Free | [2] |
| 2 July 2012 | MF | | Darren Murphy | Stevenage | Free | [2] |
| 2 July 2012 | MF | | Ashley Vincent | Colchester United | Free | [2] |
| 6 July 2012 | DF | | David Artell | Crewe Alexandra | Free | [3] |
| 6 July 2012 | DF | | Richard Duffy | Exeter City | Free | [3] |
| 6 July 2012 | GK | | Chris Neal | Shrewsbury Town | Free | [3] |
| 9 November 2012 | MF | | Sean McAllister | Shrewsbury Town | Free | [17] |
| 26 November 2012 | FW | | Calvin Andrew | Crystal Palace | Free | [22] |
| 3 January 2013 | MF | | Chris Birchall |  Columbus Crew | Free | [26] |
| 5 January 2013 | DF | | Darren Purse | Plymouth Argyle | Free | [28] |
| 8 January 2013 | FW | | Lee Hughes | Notts County | Free | [30] |
| 10 January 2013 | DF | | Liam Chilvers | AFC Telford United | Free | [31] |
| 17 January 2013 | DF | | Daniel Jones | Sheffield Wednesday | Free | [32] |
| Date from | Position | Nationality | Name | To | Fee | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 August 2012 | DF | | David Artell | Northampton Town | Rejected contract | [82] |
| 7 October 2012 | MF | | Lewis Haldane | Retired | [15] | |
| 8 January 2013 | MF | | Sean McAllister |  Cowdenbeath | Contract expired | [83][84] |
| 8 January 2013 | MF | | Darren Murphy | Macclesfield Town | Released | [29] |
| 8 January 2013 | DF | | Gareth Owen | Retired | [29][85] | |
| 12 April 2013 | MF | | Ryan Burge | Newport County | Released | [46][86] |
| 2 May 2013 | DF | | Darren Purse |  IFK Mariehamn | Released | [47][87] |
| 2 May 2013 | FW | | Calvin Andrew | Mansfield Town | Released | [47][88] |
| 2 May 2013 | DF | | Clayton McDonald | Grimsby Town | Released | [47][89] |
| 2 May 2013 | MF | | Kingsley James | Hereford United | Released | [47][90] |
| 21 May 2013 | MF | | Ashley Vincent | Cheltenham Town | Rejected contract | [48][91] |
| 31 May 2013 | DF | | John McCombe | Mansfield Town | Mutual consent | [49][92] |
| 5 June 2013 | MF | | Sam Morsy | Chesterfield | Rejected contract | [50][51] |
| Start date | Position | Nationality | Name | From | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 November 2012 | DF | | Liam Chilvers | AFC Telford United | 5 January 2013 | [19] |
| 4 March 2013 | MF | | Anthony Griffith | Leyton Orient | 1 May 2013 | [38] |
| Start date | Position | Nationality | Name | To | End date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 January 2013 | DF | | Clayton McDonald | Bristol Rovers | 22 April 2013 | [33] |
| 28 January 2013 | DF | | Kingsley James | Hereford United | 22 April 2013 | [93] |
