Who Are Ya? - Port Vale - Vital Lincoln City

Thank you to Port Vale supporter John for answering these questions!

Thank you to Port Vale supporter John for answering these questions!

How Long Have You Supported Port Vale?

47 years.

Last Season’s League Finish?

Relegation from League One.

What Do You Think Of Your Manager?

I want to have his babies but unfortunately I’m a malodorous 55 year old man.

Hopes/Expectations This Season?

I’m hoping for a mid-table finish after the start from hell.

One(s) To Watch?

Tom Pope is an obvious one as he’s rediscovered his scoring touch. Ben Whitfield (on loan and injured) really showed some quality after Aspin’s arrival. Right back, James Gibbons has also broken into the team and early signs are that he’s a quality local find.

Top Seven Predictions?

Wycombe and maybe Swindon are the best sides we’ve played so I’d maybe place them higher than their current status. I do think Lincoln could sneak in there on momentum from last year. I actually though Notts County looked poor when we played them, other than that, the current table doesn’t lie, I guess.

Bottom Two Predictions?

Barnet and Morecambe.

Thoughts on Lincoln City?

I actually have family in Lincoln, so I don’t want to big them up too much but I loved heir cup run and it’s good to see them getting back to where they belong. Any club associated with Galloping Gareth Ainsworth is all right in my book.

Score Prediction?

A sneaky 0-1 to Vale.

Random Fact About Your Club?

They’ve beaten all but two of the teams in the top four divisions (Stevenage and Forest Green Rovers).

What are your proudest and most embarrassing moments as a Port Vale Supporter?

Proudest: the Everton home game where Guppy and McCarthy gave the cup holders a schooling.

Do you have a Supporters Trust and what role do they play at the Club?

No, but they’re a good idea.

Which was your favourite match involving Port Vale?

Autoglass final win at the old Wembley against Stockport County. I was living in Stockport at the time.

Which was your least favourite match involving Port Vale?

Getting beaten at home by Barnet when we’d organised a box for my sons 18th birthday. We were accompanied by family from Lincoln.

Us in the lower leagues do like a foreign player or two, but Vale went continental crazy in the summer of 2016, signing nearly a dozen foreigners, but to disastrous effect as they played a big part in getting the club relegated. Were they all really that bad, though? Or were there one or two potential gems among the dross (only Anthony de Freitas remains from the ‘dirty dozen’)?

I think the Chairman got stung bringing in Bruno Ribeiro as manager, allegedly on Jose Mourinho’s recommendation and with the promise of a number of Man U youngsters on loan. Bruno proceeded to bring in a load of foreign players from several countries but all with the same agent…. fishier than a Grimsby chippy. They were literally fair weather players and after a great start in August the wheels came off. De Freitas was popular up to a point for his committment but very limited. A lad called Kiko (Portuguese) and Amoros (French) might have done something in this league but reading between the lines didn’t settle in England, others were poor and the whole team never really gelled and probably had difficulties communicating.

How surprised were you to see Theo Robinson enjoy such success at Lincoln last season after an inglorious spell at Vale the year before?

I’m not overly surprised Theo did the business for you, at the time it was two leagues below us and he did have some quality about him.

Have Vale fans the same view as City supporters as Kevin Gall? Terrible for both teams during respective loan spells.

In a word yes, did nothing memorable here.

Was Gareth Ainsworth a snip at £500,000 when you signed him from City in 1997? And can you ever see Vale spending that sort of money on a player in the future?

My favorite ever players were Aspin for his heart, Robbie Earle for his athleticism but for edge of your seat entertainment it’s got to be Galloping Gareth, worth every penny and sold by the (then)chairman to Wimbledon while John Rudge was abroad scouting. His leaving was the turning point in our eventual fall from the second level and the sacking of the great John Rudge. Might we ever spend that sort of money again? It’s hard to imagine though if the Bosnan ruling doesn’t apply after brexit maybe home grown players will start going for more.