The 1964–65 season was Port Vale's 53rd season of football in the Football League, and their sixth season in the Third Division. They went on a club record streak of 13 home games without a clean sheet from 26 September to 15 March. After an awful start to the season that saw the club bottom of the league, manager Freddie Steele left the club in February, and was replaced by one of his players, Jackie Mudie. A mini-revival under Mudie was not enough to prevent relegation at the end of the season, as the club finished five points adrift of safety in 22nd place. Their 41 goals scored in 46 league games was the worst record in the Football League, as Albert Cheesebrough managed to become the club's top-scorer with only seven goals.

The pre-season saw manager Freddie Steele attempt to sign legendary Spurs striker Bobby Smith, this audacious attempt failed partly due to the financially precarious situation the club found itself in after the previous season. Instead Steele signed Ron Andrew from Stoke City for £3,000, as well as goalkeeper Reg Davies from Leyton Orient.

The season began with a 4–1 beating at Borough Park from Workington after Tony Richards found himself sidelined following an insect bite. They went on to pick up just three points in their next six league games. The fans were already showing their disappointment in the team twenty minutes before the end of the first home game – a 2–1 defeat to Colchester United.Ken Hancock and Jackie Mudie were both dropped following this game. Richards made his return only to suffer a knee injury which required surgery, thereby keeping him out of action for the rest of the campaign. On 5 September Billy Bingham had played his last game, as he broke his leg in a 4–0 beating by Brentford at Griffin Park. Two successive mid-September 1–0 victories (both goals scored by Albert Cheesebrough) were rare bright rays of sunshine for the "Valiants". A 'punchless' and 'guileless' run of twelve games without a win followed, which saw the club drop to third from bottom, as attendances tailed off accordingly. Cheeseborough also picked up an injury, whilst Mudie found he was now unable to play on hard surfaces. Reserves filled the gaps in the first eleven as at Vale Park 'the loud mouths on the terraces certainly did a good job [of] hindering Stan Trafford' on his home debut on 17 October. Goals in short-supply, numerous players were tried in the centre-forward role, to no avail.

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