Just One Look – Port Vale

Jul 3, 2022 | News

Port Vale

Games against Port Vale next season give Rovers another opportunity to meet up with former manager Darrell Clarke again, though we did see him twice in the previous campaign in EFL Trophy and FA Cup ties against Walsall.

Another connection at Vale Park is, of course, former Rovers striker John Rudge. A former Vale manager, he was in charge for 843 games before his sacking in January 1999.

He moved to local rivals Stoke City as Director of Football, having turned down that role at Vale Park. He remained at the Britannia Stadium in May 2013 and in October 2017 returned to Vale in an advisory capacity and was appointed as club president in August 2019. In the programme for our game at Vale Park in April, we learnt that the club are hoping to have a statue of John completed in time for his 80th birthday in October 2024.

The clubs first met in the final pre war season, 1938/39 when Vale won both league games, 1-0 at Eastville on 7th January 1939 and 2-1 at Vale Park on 1st April that same year.

Overall, there have been 60 league meetings, with Vale having won 24, Rovers 20 and there have been 16 draws. Last season saw away wins on both occasions with Vale winning 2-1 at The Mem in December, when Sam Finley and Cian Harries were red carded, while Rovers triumphed 3-1 at Vale Park

Vale have won two of the three FA Cup meetings and it’s honours even in the League Cup, with one win each and one draw. Vale, of course, came out on top in the two legged Division Three play off final in 1998/99.

Rovers triumphed when we last met in the EFL Trophy on 22nd January 2019, when goals from Tom Nichols, Ollie Clarke and Alex Rodman gave Graham Coughlan’s side a 3-0 win in front of a Memorial Stadium crowd of 2,016.

In season 1962/63, when both clubs were in the Third Division, the clubs met four times, twice in league games, once in the League Cup and once in the FA Cup.

Last season, of course, Vale were promoted via the play offs, beating Mansfield Town at Wembley in the final after disposing of Swindon Town in the semi final. In the regular season they finished in fifth place with 78 points, winning 22, drawing 12 and losing 12 of their 46 league games.

Vale Park has been Port Vale’s home since 1950 and the current capacity is just over 19,000, though they did manage to squeeze in almost 50,000 for an FA Cup tie against Aston Villa in 1960 (before the advent of elf and safety!). The ground is a mere 128 miles from The Mem.

As well as Darrell Clarke and John Rudge another former Vale manager, Martin Foyle, has a Rovers connection as he was assistant to Dave Penney at The Mem back in 2011.

Players to have played for both clubs include Kelle Roos, Peter Beadle, Liam Burns, Kevin Gall, Lewis Haldane, Daniel Jones, Chris Lines, Kaid Mohamed, Byron Moore, Cristian Montano, Tim Parkin, Bob Newton, Tony Sealy, Justin Richards, Gareth Taylor and Callum Willock.

It looks as though we will be able to add another player to that list as Rovers completed the summer signing of Vale defender James Gibbons, who played against us at The Mem last December and who scored three goals in his 111 league appearances during his time at Vale Park.

Darrell Clarke also played for Port Vale, though it was brief! He appeared in one league game for the club when on loan at Vale Park from Hartlepool in 2005. Tommy Widdrington, elevated to Board member and Director of Football at Rovers before departing to take charge of Kings Lynn Town, also played six games for Vale in 2005.

As for memorable games against Vale, I think I would have to plump for the 3-1 win at Vale Park last April when Rovers really imposed themselves on one of their top seven rivals. In spite of going a goal down, they hit back to win 3-1 in a dominant and vibrant display in which skipper Paul Coutts was outstanding.

Rovers players who have made their debut against Port Vale include Charles Windle (1946/47), Harold Cranfield (1947/48), David Hudd (1964/65), David Pipe & Andy Williams (both 2007/08), Alefe Santos (2012/13), and Jon Burn & Robert Harris (2016/17).

Next season sees us play Vale at The Mem on 10th December, while we visit Vale Park on 22nd April.

Port Vale FC

Hamil Road

Burslem

Stoke on Trent

Staffordshire

ST6 1AW

Keith Brookman

(all photos courtesy of Keith Brookman)