Vine was born in 1903 in Leadgate, County Durham. His father, Joseph, was a coal miner originally from Cornwall, and his mother, Barbara Ann née Day, was a local girl. By the time of the 1911 Census, Vine's father was dead and his mother worked as a charwoman to support her five young sons.[4]
In September, Vine was left out of the side for two matches to accommodate triallist Tommy Duff, who was not taken on,[12] but was a regular thereafter until he was injured during a match against York City in March 1931.[13][14] He regained fitness,[15] but not his place, George Hurst being preferred initially, and then newcomer Mike Westgarth.[13] Vine returned in place of the injured Westgarth to score the only goal after two minutes of the visit to Southport on 11 April,[16][17] but it was Westgarth who completed the season.[13]
He was given a free transfer at the end of the season,[18] and signed for another Northern Section club, Gateshead, who were without an outside left after the departures of Jimmy Talbot and Albert Taylor.[8] However, it was another new arrival, Dicky Boland, who "found his place on the Gateshead side without much difficulty"; by early October, he was "playing at the top of his form",[19] and he did not miss a game until the following February.[20] Vine saw out the season in the reserve team.[1][21] The financially struggling club retained only nine players, and Vine was not among them.[22]
^"Ashbourne bride married to Durham bridegroom". Ashbourne Telegraph. 9 September 1938. p. 5. ... the bridegroom was Mr. Reuben Vine, son of Mrs. Emmerson, Iveston, near Leadgate, County Durham.
