2024/25 Prediction League Game 7 v Port Vale (away)

[Div3North]

Port Vale FC

V

Accrington Stanley

2024/25 Prediction League Game 7 v The Val(air)iants (away)

If you’re ever offered a coach trip to Port Vale, beware, because there technically isn’t such a place.

Port Vale FC is actually based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent and currently play in League Two, having been Greasy Poled last season in 23rd ; Vale are named after the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal.

They’ve never played in the top-flight, and hold the record for the most seasons in the EFL (113) without reaching the first tier. After playing at the Athletic Ground in Cobridge and The Old Recreation Ground in Hanley, the club returned to Burslem when Vale Park was opened in 1950.

Starter for Ten; among Port Vale’s League Managers over their years (including Gordon Lee, Alan Bloor, John McGrath, John Rudge and Mickey Adams (twice) was striker Jackie Mudie, a veteran of the 1953 Cup Final, who managed there between 1965 and 1967 (for the first two years he was a player/manager) When he left the job in 1967 he handed the baton to a footballing colleague with whom he’d actually played at two previous clubs ……….. so who was The Boss at PV between 1967 and 1968, and which two clubs had he and Jackie both played for previously?

Depending who you believe, and lost in the mists of time, they were formed either in 1876 (disputed) or 1879 (speculated); they were, though, apparently reestablished in 1907, after an ambitious amateur team called Cobridge Church changed their name, and re-joined the League in 1919… their Record of Achievements shows that hey were champions of the third tier (3rd Div / Div3North) in 1929/30 and 1953/54, and the Fourth Division in1958/59; other promotions were as runners-up or through the play-offs … they also won the FL Trophy in 1992/03 beating Stockport County 2-1) and 2000/01 (as the LD Vans Trophy) seeing off Lincoln 2-0 on aggregate over two legs, and Brentford 2-1 in the Final ……….. and you may like to know that their most expensive player was Gareth Ainsworth (who also made them a £1.5million profit when they sold him on)

Second Starter for Ten; arguably their best (and best known) player was a one-club defender, who played 760 games for them, scoring 30 goals, and who later managed the club as well; there’s a statue to him outside the ground …. The 1953–54 season lives on Vale folk-lore: he was one of the men who made it happen, playing in 53 games that season. The club stormed to the Third Division North championship with just 21 goals conceded in 46 games (a Football League record). He helped keeper Ray King keep thirty clean sheets in the league (again a record). He also played in Vale's FA Cup semi-final defeat to West Bromwich Albion that same season ………. But who was he?

Having GreasyPoled last year with a record of P46 W10 D11 L25 GF41 GA74 and 41 points (five points plus some goals from safety) they released or sold eight players, including GK Jason Leutwiler, striker Uche Ikpeazu to St Johnstone, RW Gavin Massey to The Coasters at Fylde, CF Ryan Loft to Cambridge and James Wilson to the Cobblers ………… They signed eleven, who included CF Jayden Stockley from Fleetwood, GK Ben Amos from Wigan, DMF Ryan Croasdale from Stockport, LW Ronan Keating – sorry, Curtis – from the Wombles, LB Sam Hall from Sutton, re-signed Connor Hall – the other one – from Colchester, and Scottish striker Ruari Paton From Queen’s Park ………….

They beat Salford away, then took only one point from their next three, but have won their last two (4-1 at Newport, and 1-0 at home to TwistySpires United ….. Home record P3 W1 D1 L1 GF3 GA3: away, P3 W2 D0 L1 GF6 GA5, so overall, W3 D1 L2 GF9 GA8 for 10 points and 8th place – one point out of the play off spots. Manager is Darren Moore, Chairperson Lady is Carol Shanahan …Head to head is W7 D3 L4 (League only), although we last beat them in January 2018 ….

Port Vale's highest Football League finish was fifth place in the Second Division (second tier) in 1930–31, whilst their best FA Cup finish saw them reach the semi-finals in 1953–54. In the 2023–24 season, they reached the quarter-finals of the League Cup for the first time; their biggest Football League victory was a 9–1 win over Chesterfield in the Second Division in 1932, while their heaviest loss was 10–0 to Sheffield United in 1892 in the same division. Other club record scorelines include a 16–0 victory over Middlewich in a friendly in 1884 and a 12–0 defeat to Aston Villa in the Staffordshire Senior Cup in 1891.

Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm on Saturday 21st September …………. I’m glad we haven’t been televised a lot, because it may mean there are folks out the who don’t know how poorly we’re competing; drawn two, lost four in the League - GD -8 - and out of the EFL Cup to Tranmere, and P1 L1 in the Trophy Group …….. P8 D2 L6 overall GD -15 in 8 games ………. It’s not good, it really isn’t ………….

And the Manager who replaced Jackie Mudie was his Buddy Stanley Matthews, who he played alongside at Blackpool and at Stoke, and the Port Vale Star was Roy Sproson

Good Luck to Everyone! …. Bevara Tron! ……………. Och Tack för att du spelare!

[ossy kid]

Stanley 0 - 3 Vale

[Watchdog]

Draw 1-1

[pifco]

2 - 1 for Stanley

[choirboy]

Stanley 2-1 Port Vale for me please.
(Div3North……I understand the match is at The Wham Stadium and kick off is at 12.30 pm as it is being televised.)

[Chubbyman]

Stanley 3 - 1

[VALAIRIAN]

Originally Posted by Div3North

*Accrington Stanley

V

Port Vale

2024/25 Prediction League Game 7 v The Val(air)iants (*home)

If you’re ever offered a coach trip to Port Vale, beware, because there technically isn’t such a place.

Port Vale FC is actually based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent and currently play in League Two, having been Greasy Poled last season in 23rd ; Vale are named after the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal.



Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is *12.30pm on Saturday 21st September, as the game is on the telebox …………. I’m glad we haven’t been televised a lot, because it may mean there are folks out the who don’t know how poorly we’re competing; drawn two, lost four in the League - GD -8 - and out of the EFL Cup to Tranmere, and P1 L1 in the Trophy Group …….. P8 D2 L6 overall GD -15 in 8 games ………. It’s not good, it really isn’t ………….

And the Manager who replaced Jackie Mudie was his Buddy Stanley Matthews, who he played alongside at Blackpool and at Stoke, and the Port Vale Star was Roy Sproson

Good Luck to Everyone! …. Bevara Tron! ……………. Och Tack för att du spelare!

*Edited

[VALAIRIAN]

Originally Posted by choirboy

Stanley 2-1 Port Vale for me please.
(Div3North……I understand the match is at The Wham Stadium and kick off is at 12.30 pm as it is being televised.)

Beat me to it mate

[MikeA]

1-0 Stanley, please

[AccyMad]

Our luck's got to turn sometime soon & why not tomorrow - nervy 1 nil win for Stanley please

[Greger]

1-1 for me please.

[Kiwi John]

Got the Roy Sproson question -feck knows why...a name from my youth I've always remembered I guess from reading one two many Football Monthlys...
2-0 Stanley. Hope Mr Hunter starts.

[Tom D]

2 1 win for Stanley please

[Div3North]

Ah! Well in THAT case - at home AND on the box - I’ll go for a 2-0 Stanley First Ever Win …. maybe ……I think ….

That’ll teach me not to check venue and TV coverage! It’s me age, you know …..

[teach]

2-2 draw for me.