Athletic Ground they lost just three games. Billy Beats was top scorer with fifteen goals in all competitions; he was ably assisted by William Dodds, Tom Coxon, Robert Carter, and Harry Mountford, who all hit double figures. An extremely settled side, only nineteen players were used in the league, with Dodds a league ever-present. Cup competitions The club had a good campaign in the FA Cup, picking up their biggest ever win in the competition with a 7–1 trouncing of Irthlingborough Town. They took First Division Notts County to a replay in the Second Round, before losing comprehensively 5–0 at Trent Bridge. Nevertheless, both rounds attracted 10,000 supporters at Vale, a great boost to the club's ailing finances. In the Staffordshire Senior Cup the club almost exclusively used their reserve players, but managed to reach the semi-finals, where they were knocked out by Aston Villa Reserves. To reach they semi-final they had to overcome struggling league rivals Burton United, though this took two replays to accomplish – a 7–0 romp followed 3–3 and 1–1 draws. Financial collapse and closure On 18 May 1907, Robert Audley and Sam Gleaves appealed to the directors to pump more money into the club, and appealed in The Sentinel for local supporters to donate. This appeal was met with resounding indifference and so the club resigned from the Football League on 14 June 1907. The Football Association had already issued their fixture list (which had pitted Port Vale against relegated Stoke for the first time) and were furious with the club for quitting so suddenly at such a late stage. Robert Audley justified the decision to quit the league by pointing out that the season's £200 loss was as good a figure as could be expected in the future, with the past seven campaigns taking in an average of £1,500, supplemented by an average of £400 in transfer takings. He claimed "this total could not be expected to pay the expenses of a league club", especially with creditors closing in, the bank refusing an overdraft, and summer wages to be paid. That so few came forward to help the club in its time of need came to be the final straw for Audley. Many of the players joined Stoke, as well as newly elected Oldham Athletic, and Burslem Port Vale was finished. Cobridge Church Port Vale's history would have ended at this point, had it