The 1969–70 season was Port Vale's 58th season of football in the Football League, and their fifth successive season (sixth overall) in the Fourth Division. They achieved promotion with a fourth-place finish, taking them back into the Third Division. They started the season with an eighteen match unbeaten run in the league, and finished with nine games unbeaten following a dip in form around January. Manager Gordon Lee credited the teamwork and fitness of an extremely settled side for the promotion campaign, as ten players made at least 35 league appearances.

In the pre-season there were talks of bringing speedway to Vale Park, introducing a new team to the British League Division Two. However many were opposed to the idea, and a 2,600 strong petition was given to local MP John Forrester. The idea was killed when the council failed to grant planning permission, despite a 3,000 strong petition in favour of the proposal. The club had hoped to profit from the venture, however many locals were concerned about noise pollution.Gordon Lee meanwhile had little in the way of funds when it came to signing new players, and so he was only able to bring in three new attackers on free transfers: Ken Wookey (Newport County); Stuart Shaw (Southport); and Eric Magee (Oldham Athletic).

They continued on from their unbeaten result at the end of the previous season, to make a club-record unbeaten sequence of ten away games, and nineteen games home and away {5 May to 8 November}. Five of these results were goalless draws, as the defence proved stronger than the attack following the departure of top-scorer Roy Chapman at the end of the previous season. Nevertheless, the run put them at the top of the table, and Lee credited his team's hard work and fitness.John James played on despite an injured ankle, Mick Morris found himself a permanent fixture as an energetic utility man, whilst Tommy McLaren also worked his way into the first eleven. The defence conceded just six goals in the opening fifteen league games. The run included a 1–0 win over Chesterfield at Saltergate, a 2–0 win over nearby Crewe Alexandra in front of a season-best Burslem crowd of 12,538, and a 'war of attrition' in a 1–1 draw 'full of ugly incidents' with Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground in front of a crowd of 19,946. Their 22 November fixture at the Old Showground with Scunthorpe United could have seen the Vale equal the best start to an English League season in the twentieth century. After a Wookey goal put them ahead they lost after a disputed penalty and a bizarre own goal from Roy Sproson. Meanwhile, Vale could not afford the £500 registration fee for Ian Buxton following the player's departure from Notts County, and so the club could only sign him for an initial three-month period.

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