The 2005-06 campaign delivered a respectable mid-table finish for Port Vale, with The Valiants securing 13th place in League One. Leading the charge were the joint top league goalscorers, Leon Constantine and Micky Cummins, who each notched 10 goals in a season that saw the team briefly launch a promotion bid. The year is best remembered for a spirited FA Cup run to the Fifth Round, where they were eventually knocked out by Premier League side Aston Villa, generating crucial income and fanfare. It was a campaign built on stability and the determined efforts of George Pilkington, the club's Player of the Year.