Season Port Vale Forum Pre Match Interview / Report vrs Blades

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Hi,

I'm the pre-match reporter for the Port Vale Fans Forum One Vale Fan.

Part of my role is to contact fans of our forthcoming opponents to ask them a few questions and gain their views on the upcoming fixture between our sides in order to produce a report which we release on the site a couple of days prior to the game.

I wondered if one or more of you (up to a maximum of 3 due to space constraints) have a few minutes and would kindly be prepared to share a few views / your feelings on the game by answering the following few questions;
1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)?
3. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?
4. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season?
5. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
6. Which one Vale player would you take past or present to add value to your squad?
7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?
8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?

Please also feel free to include any other information you feel worthy and I will knock it into a report as per the example below regarding contribution from Notts County fans from a game with them;
http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?76437-Opposing-views-Notts-County-(H)


To enable me to produce this in good time I need a reply by Wednesday and the report will appear on our website prior to the fixture.

Please also let me know if you would like me to include your name on the article and if you are prepared to share one a photo of yourself we can utilise with the article.

Many thanks for your potential support in this matter.

Best Regards,



REP

 

[Keef Chedwyn]

Hi,

I'm the pre-match reporter for the Port Vale Fans Forum One Vale Fan.

Part of my role is to contact fans of our forthcoming opponents to ask them a few questions and gain their views on the upcoming fixture between our sides in order to produce a report which we release on the site a couple of days prior to the game.

I wondered if one or more of you (up to a maximum of 3 due to space constraints) have a few minutes and would kindly be prepared to share a few views / your feelings on the game by answering the following few questions;
1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)?
3. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?
4. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season?
5. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
6. Which one Vale player would you take past or present to add value to your squad?
7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?
8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?

Please also feel free to include any other information you feel worthy and I will knock it into a report as per the example below regarding contribution from Notts County fans from a game with them;
http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?76437-Opposing-views-Notts-County-(H)


To enable me to produce this in good time I need a reply by Wednesday and the report will appear on our website prior to the fixture.

Please also let me know if you would like me to include your name on the article and if you are prepared to share one a photo of yourself we can utilise with the article.

Many thanks for your potential support in this matter.

Best Regards,



REP

Same as last time but swap negative for positive when you mention Nigel.

 

[HeCanDoMagic]

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan? Born and bred Blade. First memories are from the Dave Bassett era. Brian Deane was (and still is!) my hero, still worship the ground he walks on 20 odd years later. They don't build teams like that any more.
2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)? Our aim and expectation is simple - to be promoted. After near misses and wasted opportunities, most fans see this season as the season - especially with Adkins in charge, who has a great track record in this league. Any finishing position outside the top 2 would be classed as total failure and a disaster.
3. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)? Bill Sharp is the obvious name - at this level he virtually guarantees goals. However we also have a young lad named Che Adams, who 18 months ago was plying his trade at non league Ilkeston. His signing was one of the better things Nigel Clough did whilst with us. He made the odd appearance last season, mainly from the bench, and made a name for himself with a brace v Spurs in the Legue Cup semi final. However this season, Adkins has put his trust in him and has started matches when fit. I was just about to say he's a 'raw talent', however he's not - he plays like a seasoned pro at times, his strength belies his age, he's quick and skillful and must scare the living hell out of full backs when in full flow. Can play out wide or up top - this boy will go all the way to the very top.
4. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season? We now have a manager who seems to embrace being in charge of a promotion favourite - he sets us up to win games and attack, something we were crying out for last season. Some of his signings raised eyebrows (Conor Sammon) but so far they've all contributed His willingness to give all players a fresh start has backfired somewhat - some of the poorer players from last season must have impressed in pre-season training and earned a starting place, however Adkins is beginning to see why we didn't go up with this personnel.
5. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities? As a club who have had their fair share of boardroom unrest and shenanigans (putting it lightly) however we now seem to have stability. The two owners (McCabe and the Saudi Prince) take a back seat position seemingly, and control pretty much sits with the chairman, Jim Phipps. He's a Yank and so it could have gone horribly wrong - no connection to the club, or understanding of 'soccer' - however he's been a breath of fresh air. His affection to the club is evident, the connection he's now forged with the fans is a huge positive and for once I think we have someone in control who we can trust.
6. Which one Vale player would you take past or present to add value to your squad? Any decent left back you've ever had!
7. How do you expect Vale to do this season? To put it simply - I don't think your good enough to go up, but far too strong to go down. Think you need to give the manager time to build something for future seasons - play-offs should be within your reach if you do so.
8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)? Two games stand out - the iconic 3-1 defeat at Bramall Lane at which 35k United fans claim to be at (real attendance something like 13k). Memorable because it was Adrian Heaths final game in charge - we were awful. Warnock then took over and the rest is history. The second game is because of that Dean Saunders goal - I reckon Paul Musselwhite (?) must still have nightmares about that. Truly one of the most iconic goals of our era.
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)? Port Vale 1 v 2 Sheffield United. Sharp with a brace for us and Ikpeazu for you.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan? Been supporting the blades for around 25 years. ST holder. Don't get to as many away games these days due to a young family etc.

2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)? I think we should be in the mix for promotion. Might need a bit more quality at CM and CB to secure a top 2 spot but would certainly expect top 4.

3. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)? Billy Sharp is the obvious choice. Joint top scorer in the league and has scored in 6 consecutive league games I think. We have Adams, Coutts, Done returning from injuries and illness so difficult to say who will play. Connor Sammon is a real handful on his day but can usually be relied upon to miss a sitter.

4. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season? Delighted with the appointment of Adkins. Nice to be playing attacking football even though we leak too many goals. I think Edgar, Sammon and Sharp have all been useful signings but Woolford doesn't look likely to be good enough.

5. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?- Mixed. Excellent managerial appointment and some decent recruitment but for the 4th or 5th year in a row, sold our best player (Jamie Murphy) and talked about deadline day signings before failing to make it happen.

6. Which one Vale player would you take past or present to add value to your squad?- In his prime, Michael Brown would be very welcome. We could do with a bit more quality in CM and he was very good for us in 02/03 scoring 20 goals from midfield. Ryan Innis and Uche Ikpeazu both look good prospects and provide real physical presence.

7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?- Lower mid-table I reckon. I think you have enough to avoid a relegation fight but losing players like Pope and Marshall and with Brown being another year older, could be a bit of a slog.

8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?- Last season's fixture at your place will stick in my mind for a few reasons. Brownie falling out of favour with the blades for his play acting to get Bash sent off, our non-performance and disappointing defeat but mostly for the horrendous 8-9 hour drive back in the snow before abandoning the car and walking to a relative's house.

9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?
I'm going to be optimisitic and say 1-2 blades win. Ikpeazu for Vale but Sharp and Adams for the blades.

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Didn't Port Vale beat us 10-0 once? Our heaviest away defeat?

 

[Fulwood Blade]

Fuck Port Vale this season....got stuck in the snow last year - six and a half hours to get home.

..........and we lost, and Michael Brown conned the ref to get Basham sent off.......and we gave away a stupid penalty.

Is that enough bad memories?

UTB

PS: We owe you one for last season.

 

[Silent Blade]

Didn't Port Vale beat us 10-0 once? Our heaviest away defeat?

No, we beat them 10-0 in Dec 1892. Still the record away score in the FL

 

[WORKSOPBLADE]

Hi,

I'm the pre-match reporter for the Port Vale Fans Forum One Vale Fan.

Part of my role is to contact fans of our forthcoming opponents to ask them a few questions and gain their views on the upcoming fixture between our sides in order to produce a report which we release on the site a couple of days prior to the game.

I wondered if one or more of you (up to a maximum of 3 due to space constraints) have a few minutes and would kindly be prepared to share a few views / your feelings on the game by answering the following few questions;
1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)?
3. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?
4. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season?
5. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
6. Which one Vale player would you take past or present to add value to your squad?
7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?
8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?

Please also feel free to include any other information you feel worthy and I will knock it into a report as per the example below regarding contribution from Notts County fans from a game with them;
http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?76437-Opposing-views-Notts-County-(H)


To enable me to produce this in good time I need a reply by Wednesday and the report will appear on our website prior to the fixture.

Please also let me know if you would like me to include your name on the article and if you are prepared to share one a photo of yourself we can utilise with the article.

Many thanks for your potential support in this matter.

Best Regards,



REP

Tosser Ainsworth breaking Dane Whitehouse's leg right in front of me ! Nowt else to say !!

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

No, we beat them 10-0 in Dec 1892. Still the record away score in the FL

Thanks. I knew it was in our record books somewhere

 

[Kenilworth]

I, for one, would like to draw a vale over this thread

 

[William Henry Foulkes]

Btw aren't they the only League team not named after a place?

I know about Burslem but they've dropped that haven't they?

 

[wizadry]

Btw aren't they the only League team not named after a place?

I know about Burslem but they've dropped that haven't they?

I think QPR and Arsenal have been debated over the years but both were found to be areas as such, Woolwich Arsenal i think and Queens Park isn't too far from the area. I'm sure someone will be along shortly to put me right here as i'm not that sure now WHF, we have plenty of fans down there to do just that mate.

 

[metalblade]

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
60 year old started following the Blades around 1962/63 got my first season ticket in 71, worked for the club for over 10 years selling programmes now just got my first senior season ticket
2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)?
I really do expect promotion this season, nowhere near the finished article yet but I expect us to improve when we get our injured players back and hopefully make a few signings for key areas.
3. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?
Obviously Billy Sharpe is one to watch maybe not quite as fast as he was but got bags of no how and capable of playing higher than league one as are quite a few of our players if we could just manage to keep them fit and add a bit of consistency to their game.
4. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season?
I'm big Adkins fan after getting shut of Negative Nigel I don't think we could have made a better appointment. None of Adkins signings have made me go WOW but Sharp & Sammon up front have made us much better in this area, Woolford up to now has been woefull. Edgar on loan as improved central defence but we could still do with a bit more here
5. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
I have many thoughts on our board but unfortunately few of them are good. I thought we had a good owner until we dropped out of the premiership but since that day virtually every choice and decision has been a disaster for the club. A few years back the Prince became co owner and we were told things would change and to be fair he has put quite a lot of money into the club unfortunately it has mostly been spent on paying off incompetents David Weir and Nigel Clough so nothing really changes we still sell our star player every summer but the promised replacements never materialise.
6. Which one Vale player would you take past or present to add value to your squad?
I'd take Gareth Ainsworth in a heartbeat but only to put him in front of a wall and shoot him. Without a doubt he is the most hated person ever around these parts.
7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?
I expect Vale to be mid table this season Rob Page could turn out to be a decent manager for you.
8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?
It has to be a game that goes down in Blades folklore .............. the night Vale hammered us 1-3 at the lane in front of a low crowd of around 9000 (although 30,000 Blades fans claim to have been there) which brought the end of Adrian Heaths management and the appointment of Neil Warnock.
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?
Got to go for a Blades win but I think Vale will score, so 2 or 3-1 to us (Sharp & Adams)

 

[diplomat]

Thanks. I knew it was in our record books somewhere

Did you not play in that one big Willy?

 

[Dkc]

1. The two owners (McCabe and the Saudi Prince) take a back seat position seemingly, and control pretty much sits with the chairman, Jim Phipps.

Isn't Jim the co-Chair along with McCabe?

 

[Bladepicker]

I think QPR and Arsenal have been debated over the years but both were found to be areas as such, Woolwich Arsenal i think and Queens Park isn't too far from the area. I'm sure someone will be along shortly to put me right here as i'm not that sure now WHF, we have plenty of fans down there to do just that mate.

I think it is Port Vale and Arsenal. Arsenal were Woolwich but then Port Vale were Burslem. Arsenal dropped Woolwich when they moved so are no longer named after a place yet there is a tube stop called Arsenal, but this is named after the club.

Not sure why Vale dropped Burslem because they still play there?

 

[Deleted member 1486]

What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?

Always had a bit of a soft spot for Vale, and have travelled there a few times, but someone's got to say it... '97 was memorable for the Ainsworth tackle on Dane (Whitehouse). Quite often things like that turn fans against one another/other teams, but all the hostility for that tackle has always been directed (quite correctly) at Ainsworth.

and, of course, that Saunders goal!

 

[Trigger Blade]

Not sure why Vale dropped Burslem because they still play there?

Not wanting to ruffle Robbie's perm, but when you say they still play there, they moved out of Burslem in the early part of the 20th century and played for many years in Hanley and moved back to the "Wembley of the North" in 1950 (I once worked for a boss who was old enough to have seen them play in Hanley, which is why 1950 stuck in my mind).

 

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

I think it is Port Vale and Arsenal. Arsenal were Woolwich but then Port Vale were Burslem. Arsenal dropped Woolwich when they moved so are no longer named after a place yet there is a tube stop called Arsenal, but this is named after the club.

Not sure why Vale dropped Burslem because they still play there?

We dropped it as we moved away into different areas of Stoke-on-Trent only moving back to the Wembley of the North midway through the middle of the last century.

 

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Not wanting to ruffle Robbie's perm, but when you say they still play there, they moved out of Burslem in the early part of the 20th century and played for many years in Hanley and moved back to the "Wembley of the North" in 1950 (I once worked for a boss who was old enough to have seen them play in Hanley, which is why 1950 stuck in my mind).

Clearly I should have read what you posted before replying, excellent knowledge!

 

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Cracking replies again thanks everyone, you guys never let me down.

Oh and sorry again for Aisnworth, I hate Paul Robinson (the ex West Brom left back) for a similar reason and Lee Hughes for personal reasons so I do feel your pain.

 

[Lord Bos of Eckington.]

Fuck Port Vale this season....got stuck in the snow last year - six and a half hours to get home.

..........and we lost, and Michael Brown conned the ref to get Basham sent off.......and we gave away a stupid penalty.

Is that enough bad memories?

UTB

PS: We owe you one for last season.

Port Vale does bring back bad memories .

Some of our fans died in a car accident many years ago . Always poor weather and a dangerous trip , especially night matches .

UTB

 

[Kenilworth]

I think Queens Park isn't too far from the area.
I'm sure someone will be along shortly to put me right here.

I guess you might say that it's within Range, Wiz

 

[Trigger Blade]

Clearly I should have read what you posted before replying, excellent knowledge!

The ex-boss I referred to was very briefly Vale chairman a few years back, Peter Walker, who never aspired to the job and didn't keep it long. I do remember that the week he was voted in, Vale went top of the league and I sent him a congratulations card, but they didn't stay there long. He was an absolute Vale nut, a good bloke to work for, hard but fair and I imagine nowhere near the top of a list of unpopular Vale chairmen over the years