Port Vale F.C.
Port Vale Football Club are an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's rivals in the city are Stoke City, games between the two clubs are known as the "Potteries derby". Games against Crewe Alexandra are also called a derby, although Alex are in south Cheshire.
| Full name | Port Vale Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1876 | ||
| Ground | Vale Park Burslem Stoke-on-Trent (capacity: 22,356) | ||
| Chairman | Bill Bratt | ||
| Manager | Rob Page | ||
| League | League Two | ||
| 2008/09 | League Two, 18th | ||
| |||
Port Vale are not named after a place, which is unusual for an English league clubs. The two symbols on the clubs badge are a bottle kiln and the Stafford knot.
Name
- 1876-1911 Burslem Port Vale F.C.
- 1911-present Port Vale F.C.
Stadiums
The Old Recreation Ground
The Rec was Port Vale's home from 1913 to 1950. The Old Recreation Ground was in Hanley and stood on what is now the car park for the Potteries Shopping Centre.
Vale Park
Vale Park has been Port Vale's home ground since 1950. Vale Park has a capacity of around 22,000.
Vale Park is not the oldest ground in the world, it has had several upgrades in its history. The original ground consisted of two stands (The Railway side and the Lorne Street main stand) with banks of terracing at the Bycars and Hamil ends of the ground. Stands were added behind each set of goals during the 1980s and 1990s as the ground began to be made more modern. The paddock at the front of the Railway Stand was also made into an all-seated area, with just the Lorne Street side now being left as a standing area. Vale fans stood for the last time on Lorne Street at the end of the 1997-98 season, with the stand being demolished before work began on a new £3,000,000 structure. Work has yet to been finished on this, due to low funds and a change in ownership of the club. However, once new owners V2001 had taken care of the financing, work was finally begun on finishing the second half of the stand. It is due to be completed sometime in 2008.
Robbie Williams
Among the club's famous fan base is singer Robbie Williams, who was raised in Stoke-on-Trent. He is now a major shareholder, having, in February 2006, bought £240,000 worth of the £250,000 worth of available shares in the club. Castle Comfort Stairlifts, the club's sponsors, at the same time bought the remainder for £10,000.[1]
- "Although I can't be at the Vale often, my investment is just to say that my heart is still there and I'm a huge supporter. I'm really excited about what we may be able to do with the club in the future." Robbie Williams speaking in 2006.
For the computer game FIFA 2000, he provided an original theme song with It's Only Us, on the condition that Port Vale were included in the game, which they were, and are in the Rest of World section. This song was also featured on the only FIFA Soundtrack CD release by EMI.[2]
In 2005 Williams founded Los Angeles Vale F.C., a Super Metro League team in the United States, named for Port Vale and based at his L.A. home.
Honours and achievements
League
Football League Division Three North: 2
- Champions: 1929-1930, 1953-54
- Runners-up: 1952–53[3]
Football League Division Four: 1
- Champions: 1958-1959
Other promotions
- 1969-70: Football League Division Four - 4th (promotion to Football League Division Three)
- 1982-83: Football League Division Four - 3rd (promotion to Football League Division Three)
- 1985-86: Football League Division Four - 4th (promotion to Football League Division Three)
- 1988-89: Football League Division Three - Play-off winners (promotion to Football League Division Two)
- 1993-94: Football League Division Two - Runners Up (promotion to Football League Division One)
- 2012-13 Npower League 2 - 3rd (promotion to Npower League 1)
Cups
Staffordshire Senior Cup: 1
- Winners: 2000-01
Anglo-Italian Cup
- Runners-up: 1995-96
Debenhams Cup
- Runners-up: 1976-77
Trophies
Football League Trophy: 2
- Winners 1992-93, 2000-01
League position
| Season | League | Position |
| 2000/01 | Second Division | 11th |
| 2001/02 | Second Division | 14th |
| 2002/03 | Second Division | 17th |
| 2003/04 | Second Division | 7th |
| 2004/05 | League One | 18th |
| 2005/06 | League One | 13th |
| 2006/07 | League One | 12th |
| 2007/08 | League One | 23rd |
| 2008/09 | League Two | 18th |
Former position
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Statistics
Club Records
| Highest home attendance | 30,000: vs Aston Villa, 20 February 1960, FA Cup R5 |
| Largest league win | 9-1: vs Chesterfield, 24 September 1932, Second Division |
| Heaviest league defeat | 0-10: vs Sheffield United, 10 December 1892, Second Division |
| Largest cup win | 7-1: vs Irthlingborough Town, 12 January 1907, FA Cup R1 |
| Most capped player | Christopher Birchall: 22, Trinidad and Tobago |
| Most League appearances | Roy Sproson: 761, 1950-1972 |
| Most League goals | Wilf Kirkham: 154, 1923-1933 |
| Most goals in a season | Wilf Kirkham: 38, 1926-27 (Second Division) |
| Highest transfer fee paid | £500,000: Gareth Ainsworth from Lincoln City, 11 September 1997 |
| Highest transfer fee received | £2,000,000: Gareth Ainsworth to Wimbledon, 29 October 1998 |
Highest Football League finishes
Before the War:
- 1930-31: Football League Division Two 5th
After the War:
- 1996-97: Football League Division One 8th
Best Cup runs
- Semi Finalists: 1953-54
- Round 4: 2006–07
Managers in the past
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Other websites
- Official site Archived 2008-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
- News Coverage at BBC Sport
- News Coverage at The Sentinel
| Preceded by Stoke City |
Football League Trophy Winners 1992-93 |
Succeeded by Swansea City |
| Preceded by Stoke City |
Football League Trophy Winners 2000-01 |
Succeeded by Blackpool |
References
- ↑ "Robbie buys into Vale", BBC.co.uk, 27 February 2006
- ↑ "FIFA 2000: Major League Soccer". Moby Games. 2006-08-20. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ↑ not promoted