The 2011–12 season was Port Vale's 100th season of football in the English Football League, and fourth successive season in League Two. It marked the start of Micky Adams' second spell in charge of the club, and despite fan unrest with the board, Vale fans and players were hopeful of promotion come the end of the season. However a ten-point deduction for entering administration doomed the club to a mid-table finish. They exited both the League Cup and Football League Trophy at the first round following defeats to League One clubs. They also crashed out of the FA Cup at the first round against non-League opposition.
Behind the scenes, former chairman Bill Bratt left the club, as a new look board was installed, consisting of chairman Peter Miller, vice-chairman Mike Lloyd, CEO Perry Deakin, and Glenn Oliver; with only Oliver having any connection to the previous Valiant2001 regime. In September, this new board announced that sports construction firm Blue Sky International were planning to invest £8 million into the club. However doubts quickly began to emerge over the deal, and in December the CEO of Blue Sky confirmed that the company had never agreed to any such deal, and that they would not be investing any money into the club.
The club's financial problems and boardroom infighting left Adams unable to strengthen his squad during the January transfer window, thereby making promotion an unlikely goal by the half-way stage. The club was unable to pay the player's wages in February. On 29 February, HM Revenue and Customs issued the club with a winding up petition. The club entered administration on 9 March. On 4 April, the administrators revealed Keith Ryder to be the preferred bidder, though he never completed the deal.
Overview
League Two
The return of Micky Adams meant that Vale could enter the pre-season looking to improve the playing squad, rather than search for a new manager. His first signings of the season were former Glenn Hoddle Academy youngsters Ryan Burge and Ben Williamson, a midfielder and striker respectively. Adams' notoriously tough pre-season training regime began in earnest, though the players reported that they had come to expect the hard work come summertime and Adams himself was pleased with the condition his players began the pre-season in. Adams built on his new youth policy with the signatures of Sheffield United duo Kingsley James and Phil Roe; as well as Walsall defender Clayton McDonald, and left-back Mike Green. The club undertook a tour of North America for the first time in its history, where they recorded victories over USL Premier Development League sides North Sound SeaWolves, Tacoma Tide, Kitsap Pumas, and Victoria Highlanders. Following this tour, Justin Richards made a surprise exit to Burton Albion – this left namesake Marc as the club's senior player at the relatively young age of 29, in one of the club's youngest ever squads. To replace the departing striker former loanee – and self-confirmed Vale supporter – Tom Pope was signed from Rotherham United.
Vale began the season with a run of four games unbeaten, picking up easy wins over Accrington Stanley and Barnet and hard-fought draws with Crawley Town and Burton Albion, before finishing August with a 3–2 defeat to Southend United. Following a spate of injuries Adams signed Rangers and Northern Ireland utility player Andrew Little on a four-month loan. With 25 goals in the first six league games, Vale players found scoring goals easy, but the strength of the previous season – defending – seemed to have left them. In September, a brace from Rob Taylor and late winner from Pope were enough to beat Bradford City, as Vale climbed into the automatic promotion places. On 22 September 2011, Adams signed free agent Rob Kozluk on a short-term contract until 1 January 2012, and also brought in Liam Chilvers on a month's loan from Notts County (a loan deal later extended to 24 December); both players were signed to bolster Vale's struggling defence. The pair made their débuts two days later, as Vale earned a 1–1 draw with local rivals Crewe Alexandra at the Alexandra Stadium – Pope finding an equaliser just two minutes after Byron Moore gave the "Railwaymen" the lead.