The 2016-17 campaign was a season of ultimate heartbreak for Port Vale, marked by a dramatic and ultimately failed experiment with a continental playing style and a major squad overhaul that saw 10 new arrivals from European leagues. Despite an early push under new manager Bruno Ribeiro, The Valiants endured mid-season turmoil, which led to Ribeiro's Boxing Day resignation. Leading the charge, however briefly, was the prolific loanee Alex Jones, whose 9 league goals anchored the attack before his crucial mid-season departure. A subsequent slide under Michael Brown saw the relegation battle go down to the very last day, but a final-day draw was not enough, and The Valiants were agonizingly relegated back to League Two after four seasons in the third tier.