[Eddie]

Vale finish the Glover regime with three hard-earned points against ten-man Barnet.

Stockley and Marshall were unavailable through medical/injury reasons. Glover went with Martin (goal), Collins (right-back), McCombe, Prosser, Edwards (left-back), Richman (right), Howland, Brammer, Dodds (left), Glover, Lawrie. On the bench were Lloyd-Weston, Davidson, Malbon, Taylor, Thompson.

On 1 min Dodds shot wide.

On 3 mins Dodds engaged in some fine play which led to handball on the edge of the Barnet area and a free-kick to the Vale. This was cleared with ease.

On 8 mins good play by Akurang brought a save out of Martin at the expense of a corner. From this Akurang's shot was cleared but then a cross from the Barnet right forced Prosser to concede another corner, which was cleared.

On 10 mins Dodds shot powerfully from just outside the area and the ball flew into the net. 1-0 to the Vale.

On 16 mins Martin made a great double-save from Medley at the expense of a corner. The follow-up shot by Akurang was saved.

On 28 mins the unmarked Hart crossed the ball from the right but it was cleared.

On 31 mins Glover crossed the ball to Dodds whose shot was tame and was saved easily.

On 35 mins a cross by Edwards was deflected out for a throw to the Vale.

On 37 mins a Dodds shot was deflected for a corner to the Vale which produced another corner which was cleared.

On 41 mins a Dodds shot went wide for a goal-kick.

On 44 mins the referee red-carded Ogogo for deliberate handball, stopping the ball from entering the net from Glover's shot. Glover took the pen but it was partially-saved by keeper Kadoch. Glover followed it up to score Vale's second goal. He ran across to the bench in another "this one's for you dad" gesture. 2-0 to the Vale. Half-time followed immediately after 1 min of added time.

Barnet 0 Vale 2 HT.

On 46 mins Medley had a shot saved by Martin.

On 48 mins Martin saved a cross-shot with some difficulty.

On 53 mins Medley was replaced by Birchall.

On 54 mins Hart hit an effort well over the bar.

On 59 mins a shot by Akurang was quite tame and saved easily by Martin.

On 60 mins Brammer's free-kick from the edge of the box was cleared.

On 62 mins Brammer gave away a free-kick on the edge of the Vale box. Gillet's shot was blocked.

On 64 mins a shot by Dodds went wide for a goal-kick.

On 64 mins Deverdics was replaced by Nicolau.

On 70 mins Lawrie had the ball in the net after good work by Richman, whose shot was parried by the keeper. The Asst Ref flagged Lawrie offside.

On 70 mins Taylor replaced Lawrie.

On 72 mins Taylor did good work down the left, running down the left before crossing. This was cleared.

On 73 mins McCombe lost possession and Akurang hit an effort wide.

On 74 mins Thompson replaced Dodds.

On 83 mins a Barnet corner was headed clear by Richman and the follow-up shot was saved by Martin.

On 84 mins Akurang was replaced by Porter.

On 85 mins young Malbon replaced Richman.

On 88 mins Martin made a great save which produced a corner. From this Barnet hit a shot over the bar.

3 mins were added.

On 90 mins Glover back-heeled the ball to Malbon, whose shot was blocked.

On 91 mins a Barnet corner led Hart to hit a blistering shot into the Vale net from around 25 yards. 2-1 to the Vale.

Vale had 53% of the possession, 2 on-target efforts to their 7, 2 off-target to their 7 and 3 corners to their 6. The attendance was 2305 including 357 Vale fans. There were no bookings but Barnet's Ogogo received the red card for handball preventing a goal. I thought ref Roger East had a fine match and I don't think Barnet would query his red card and penalty decisions.

The stats suggest this was an undeserved Vale victory but Vale did play well in this one in a fairly low-key atmosphere. You might have thought it was a pre-season friendly or even an end-of-season affair!The Vale keeper was involved in a serious way more than was the Barnet keeper. Nevertheless, Vale were lively and enthusiastic and did not give the ball away in quite the same profligate manner to which we have become accustomed this season. They were also clinical in their finishing. Perhaps this was some kind of parting gift to the Manager.

As regards individuals, Martin had another fine game, making several good saves, again a candidate for Man of the Match. His response to his chance has been heartening. Collins performed well when in the right-back position, having now played in both full-back slots plus central defence plus midfield. Edwards had a solid game at left-back and got forward on occasion. McCombe and Prosser had good games in central defence, especially the former. In midfield Dodds always looked threatening and might have added at least two more to his goals tally. Richman did well, getting past his full-back on a few occasions and coming close to scoring on one. Howland worked hard but I thought Brammer had a quiet game though was not wasteful when in possession. Up front Glover and Lawrie worked hard though I didn't notice Lawrie much. It was good to see the promising Malbon have a few minutes on the pitch.

The Vale fans were in good voice yesterday, some of whom were standing along the side of the pitch while oldies like me sat down. The Barnet physio is none other than Mark Stein, much-loved by Vale fans as a former Stoke player. Vale fans amused themselves by frequent renditions of the "Steino is a tosser" song! I think it would have been entertaining to see Stein come onto the pitch to treat an injured Barnet player but it never happened. Incidentally, we went down to London on the Friday and in the John Lewis store in Brent Cross Shopping Centre we saw the aforementioned Mark Stein! He was shopping, not working in the lingerie section, nor, indeed, was he selling tossers' hats.

Afterwards Dean Glover declined to speak to the media. Keith Downing said "I think he feels his comments are best kept close to his chest. There's been a lot of criticism of his reign over the last seven months but he's a diligent worker and I'm sorry I wasn't able to help him keep his job". As mentioned above, Danny Glover did show his support by racing towards his father when he scored the goal, as he did when getting himself sent off in the game at home to Rochdale. Danny will have to find another way of celebrating if he scores next season ..... if he stays with us.

At last this awful season is finally over. It began with so much optimism, which evaporated very quickly. The doubts were already there during the first home game against Accrington as we thought they would be the sort of team we would beat. The most annoying moment of the Sinnott regime came when he opted to act as though Vale were a big club, rotating the squad in playing an under-strength side in the JPT defeat at Stockport following a fine home win against Bournemouth. This lost Vale any kind of momentum they might have gained from the Bournemouth win and the next three League games were lost, culminating in the 1-4 hammering at the hands of Macclesfield .......... and the end for Sinnott. Vale then made the unpopular and unwise decision to appoint Glover as Manager. Vale lost the next two but then things seemed to have turned for the better when five of the next seven games resulted in victories, including the amazing FA Cup win at Huddersfield,a genuine highlight of the season. After that it was largely downhill as Vale struggled to put together any kind of run of decent results. The failure to beat Macclesfield at Vale Park in the FA Cup proved to be costly from the financial angle and Vale fans were very disgruntled when seeing the side lose to ten-man Rotherham in Yorkshire on Boxing Day. In March Vale again lost to a side which had only ten men for three-quarters of the game when the game at Exeter was finally played. After the win at Bradford City in March Vale went on another run of eight games without winning and Glover's fate was sealed with only the final-day win at Barnet (who had ten men for 45 mins) ending the winless run. Vale ended with only six teams beneath them two of whom would have finished above them but for points deductions. The record was terrible with Vale losing eleven home games and twenty-four in all, scoring only forty-four goals. Only the average attendance of around 5500 was pleasing and we know why that was the case.

All of the above tells me that Glover had to go, there being no real evidence that he was ever going to turn around Vale's fortunes. Demonstrations played a part : Glover said so on more than one occasion.He may have done better next season but we don't know that and the apathy of the fans and their attitude towards season ticket renewal made his departure inevitable. The club could simply not take the financial hit that the loss of around half of the season ticket holders would have entailed. Like many others, I am sad that we are again in the situation of getting rid of a former Vale great but we could not keep Glover on largely sentimental grounds.Lesson to be learnt : don't appoint any more former Vale players.

As regards the replacement for Glover, John Ward is the favourite and his points-per-game record is decent. He has also worked alongside Downing. I am concerned at the negativity expressed by some fans at both Cheltenham and Carlisle about his style of play, in amongst others praising him. I think most fans will accept dull football if the results are right but not if results and the quality of the football are unsatisfactory. Lawrie Sanchez was present at yesterday's game and we know he is interested. He has experience, including at international level and certainly talks a good game on the many occasions when he is on the radio ...... but I recall him rubbishing the club in the past when bringing Wycombe to Vale Park! That should not be an obstacle though he would not be my personal choice. Paul Ince again gets mention in today's press but I would still be surprised if he came to us. Ince would be quite an exciting appointment as long as his mentor Ray Mathias could again accompany him : likely to be too costly a pairing. John Sheridan is also interested but I would not be keen on him either, especially as he was faced with player indiscipline at Oldham at the end of his time there. If we could get any of them (Vale would not be willing to pay compensation) I would go for one of the guys who have done really well with poor resources at our level : Keith Hill of Rochdale (play-offs the last two years), Sammy McIlroy (took Morecambe into the league and has kept them there), Alan Knill at Bury ( his team performed thrillingly when they beat Vale 3-0 at Gigg Lane - was a candidate when Sinnott got the job so might come if asked again), John Still at Dag and Red (- prolific scoring side with three players getting loads) or Jim Gannon at Stockport (took Stockport up last time but finances have held them back in recent months - is tied to the area as his partner refuses to leave the Stockport area, so the Potteries would be OK - Gareth Owen would not be happy as he and Gannon fell out). Of course, there is likely to be someone up-and-coming,a fine assistant somewhere, but I would not go down that route on this occasion. If the much-mooted investment comes into the club soon then perhaps we could be more ambitious : good management really is worth paying for and we must not do anything really stupid like appointing Downing on a permanent basis. Whoever it is, the departure of Glover will do something for season ticket sales but only a really exciting appointment will sell a great number.I am sure that we will have someone in place soon but it may take two weeks so Downing may have to deal with the retained list.

Speaking of the retained list, I have been thinking about the performances of the squad this season. In goal I would love to see an older, more experienced keeper, even someone in his mid 30s, but we will probably stick with the three we have got : Anyon, Martin, Lloyd-Weston. Anyon has had his critics but is still young enough to progress and Martin has taken his chance really well since coming in at Chesterfield. Lloyd-Weston has admirers elsewhere, is already good and has the physique keepers require. Stockley had long spell out of the side but did well when he came back in early March : he has great enthusiasm but lacks pace. Griffith played in midfield and defence as a tackler, ball-winner and enforcer but cannot pass the ball. McCombe is not a quick player but has performed to a high standard since Christmas and has ended as one of the season's successes. Prosser made progress and may yet make it as footballer though I find it hard to blot out of my mind that horror error which helped to put us out of the FA Cup against Macclesfield. Collins was my choice as Player of the Season though he did have a dodgy spell in mid-season (who didn't!). Owen looked very solid when he came to us and will be an asset but came back too soon after injury and was off his game at Grimsby.Edwards is incredibly one-footed but is not a bad defender, better than he is when acting as winger in a Jefferesque manner in turning all roads rather than crossing the ball. He is highly-paid by Vale standards so if he stays he will need to take a pay cut. Midfield is a weak area, lacking pace, power and creativity. Howland works hard and scored two of the Vale's best goals of the season, at Lincoln and Huddersfield. Brammer has helped with midfield organisation and can pass the ball but I do think his frequent spells of unfitness and lack of pace lead me to hope he is not signed up for next season. Richman scored a few goals, including a cracker at Notts County, and has a fine future. I am disappointed in Davidson. I thought we had a box-to-box man here but his form seemed to dip during the season, a red card not helping his cause. He is young and inexperienced and he may come again but I fear he will be one of those released. Dodds has always looked to me as though he has what it takes to be a footballer, in particular the skill and the ability to score goals : he will be a great asset next season. A player I really rate is Paul Marshall, not yet our player but I hope he joins us : trouble is that the new Manager might know little about him. He has a fine left foot, takes great corners and free-kicks, and drives forward like a true box-to-box man. Taylor is a player I like but at times you can understand why others are not sure about him. He can be really thrilling going forward but may have to improve other aspects of his game. He'll be fine next season under a more supportive boss.Brown will surely not stay, very poor after a good start.Up front, we have Dodds (sometimes midfield, sometimes a striker), Richards, Lawrie, Glover, Perry and Thompson. Controversially perhaps, if we could attract an offer for Richards I would let him go. It was an age before he managed to score for Vale last season and since Christmas he has rarely played and scored only twice. Lawrie scored a memorable goal against Bury and has a great future : Vale must look after him in every sense. Glover has not made the progress I thought he might make : how much this is down to his father's difficulties I don't know. Perry will presumably go, even under a new Manager. Thompson is a crowd favourite, has pace and will be OK if he stays fit. There are also other youngsters who may show through including Malbon who had his first few minutes on the pitch yesterday.

Overall assessment of the squad : OK in goal but could do better with an experienced (perhaps too costly)man between the sticks; poor standard in midfield where there is great scope for improvement; up front I don't see many goals unless a proven striker is acquired. I would not weep over many departures. I recall Gordon Lee releasing some well-known players in 1969 and have checked which ones they were : Mick Cullerton (whatever happened to him?), Mike Mahon, Jimmy Goodfellow and Graham Williams. Lee said at the time something which has always stuck with me and springs to mind every time we are looking at the retained list : "It was a hard decision but I have to create the room for improvement". This time I would be happy to see lots of players leave, so long as the gaps are filled by better players, if we can afford them, in accordance with the wise words of Gordon Lee.

I was delighted to see the Spring Treble materialise : Crewe down, Burton up, Glover gone. Some of these were not looking very likely in recent times as Burton faltered, Crewe had a wonderful run under the new boss and I heard disturbing murmurings from Vale Park that some Directors wanted to keep Glover. Had things panned out like that I would have arranged a one-way trip to Dignitas in Switzerland. The final composition of League Two for next season is not quite settled because of the League Two play offs ( come on Gillingham!) and the Blue Square Prem play-offs though it looks to be between Torquay (yes, please, despite the distance) or Stevenage (no, thank you). Sadly, we lose nearby Chester but happily we get rid of horrible Luton. What really pleases me is that whatever happens in the play-offs we will have a League Two which will entail far less travelling than the current division, almost like an old-style regionalised division. At a rough estimate of distances involved I reckon that this season we have had twelve teams within about 90 miles of the Potteries (I know there are folks who travel from other distant parts as Vale fans) whereas it seems that next season we will have 15 or 16 within around 90 miles. I hate the costly and tedious travelling to most of these places, having done many of them around twenty times!

The Underhill Stadium is an interesting one. There has been no overall, consistent plan for construction of the ground : it is definitely a case of piecemeal development with a pitch which is not level and stands all of differing sizes and at varying heights. It is the sort of thing you make from Lego or Meccano.

As I mentioned earlier, we travelled down to London on Friday to break the journey and avoid possible Bank Holiday weekend traffic problems. We stayed at the very new Travelodge at Borehamwood, very near to Barnet. On Friday we went to see the lovely Kenwood House stately home at the north end of Hampstead Heath. It is a beautiful building, housing the paintings of famous painters such as Rembrandt and Van Dyck and is set in stunning surroundings. It is no surprise it has been used in several fims, including Notting Hill and Mansfield Park. It was owned by the Guinness family but I saw no actual evidence of that liquid on the premises.

Well, that is nearly that for this season. We are going to one more game : the FA Vase Final at Wembley next Sunday. It is Whitley Bay v Glossop North End. We went to Newcastle United v Portsmouth (more a religious revivalist meeting than a football match) last Monday and to the Whitley Bay ground on Tuesday. We have our match tickets and our blue Whitley Bay (we have family connections there) caps. We saw them win the competition in 2002 but it was then at Villa Park so this is far more exciting. Haway the Bay!

Next season I intend doing these jottings slightly differently. I have found it has become something of a chore writing endlessly during the games (very distracting) and then spending well over two hours on Saturday night and Sunday morning putting them together. Don't worry, I'm not going to stop them altogether. Instead of doing such a vastly detailed "minute-by-minute" section containing every corner, shot and free-kick I am going to do that part in the form of a "Highlights" (if any!) section, followed by everything else in the way I always do it with my inane comments about the game in the form of several paragraphs. Perhaps most people who read it will not notice much difference as I often wonder who actually reads every word I've written about what has gone on.

For once no "next match" to mention. Perhaps it will be Newcastle Town or even an exciting pre-season tour. Players will come and go. A new Manager will be in place quite soon. There should be additional investment in the club. There should be a reduced-size Board with Directors keen to take the club forward ( I am not hopeful that all of the Glover-lovers will depart). Interest in season tickets will now increase. Perhaps we will hear of a new Railway Stand being planned. Who was it who sang "Things can only get better?" (was it Simply Red?).Whatever happens we will doubtless be back here in August, praising and grumbling in equal measure.See you then!

Eddie

[Tosh]

Great read Edward, many thanks for your efforts throughout what has been a awful season.

Let's hope we get the right man this time to take us forward, surely it can't get much worse! :unsure:

[Gary B]

Eddie, on May 3 2009, 12:11 PM, said:

The Underhill Stadium is an interesting one. There has been no overall, consistent plan for construction of the ground : it is definitely a case of piecemeal development with stands all of differing sizes and at varying heights. Is the sort of thing you make from Lego or Meccano.

Do you mean like ours Eddie ;) - It sounds like the Manor Ground lives on

I'd just like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the hard work you put in, especially over this season which must have been a nightmare. They're appreciated my many Vale supporters across the world via this site and Valemail and I've a great deal of admiration and respect for all those who managed to stick it through all the doom and gloom of this season.

Time for a well earned rest

Well done and thanks

Gary

[TheSage]

I wholeheartedly endorse those sincere words of thanks. It has been a pleasure to read all your reports and comments throughout the past 12 months. I always look forward greatly to reading what you have to say. I particularly appreciate your honesty and openess - even if it upsets those in authority.
And behind every great man ....... well, let's forget about that shall we and move on.... ;)

Have a great summer. Good luck to the Bay and perhaps I'll come across you both at Newcastle Town, always a good indication I think of our future prospects.

As for the season as a whole, it is, indeed, best forgotten. Is it the worst in our long and proud history? One wonders what the likes of John Rudge and the heroes of the past think of it all. Dennis Butler wasn't the worst manager we have had after all!!

I agree with your summary of the strengths/weaknesses in the squad. Like you, I don't think anyone would shed a tear if the vast majority were released and we started with a clean canvas. That can't happen of course but if we can get a bit of investment we surely need 4-5 better quality players to supplement the promising yougsters.

We have needed an experienced 'keeper for 18 months now. They are not too difficult to find. Martin looks promising and I might sacrifice Anyon.

In defence, I am relatively happy with McCombe, Collins and Owen. McCombe is slow and error prone still but has improved remarkably. Stockley is still under contract I think but I'd like to see a quicker full back signed. I credit him too with his determined come back late in the campaign but he isn't the future. Prosser is too similar to McCombe for me. It would be one or the other. Edwards I think will go of his own choosing as he's on a big wedge and I can't see him accepting what we could offer. So a couple of defenders in would be a start.

As you rightly say, midfield has been very poor for quite some time. Strange when you think back 3-4 seasons when it was a strength of ours. Despite the claims that we can do better, Cummins, Bridgy and Sonner have never been replaced. Nor Littlejohn and Armstrong as wingers.
Richman has promise. Dodds has ability but where do we play him? Taylor needs to get fitter and more aware of his defensive duties but is surely worth a place in the squad.
Brown has not been up to standard. Brammer looks to be carrying a stone or two beneath his shirt (a bit like me). Griffith is wholehearted but has disappointed me. Those three might well depart. Howland too has not developoed much I feel since he was on loan.
The class act is Marshall. Will someone not get on the phone fast and get this lad back? Please! Downing, Glenn, Uncle Tom Cobbly, Jean, anyone. He could develop into a real top quality player. He has a great left foot and can only improve.
We need another qulity central midfielder and a pacy winger, at the very least.

Up front we are equally poor, though the service to them is dire at times. Richards is the one decent striker we have. Lawrie might get there.
I'm unsure of the rest. I like Perry's commitment and can't help but think that another manager might have got more out of him, but he's off anyway. He doesn't score enough goals in any case. Glover is still a young lad and might get another 12 months. Thompson? He's another chancer isn't he? Do we have too many might dos and possibles? I think we do. 1-2 of them can depart, leaving room for at least one proven forward.

Hopefully some good might come out of this season. The young lads will be better for the experience and know what to expect next year. It's a new beginning - again - so let's hope that it isn't another false dawn. I don't think anyone could endure another season like this one could we?

The bottom line is always the League Table, which doesn't lie. We are one of the worst sides in the entire football league - and that should hurt everyone.
Most of the players are not good enough and changes have to be made. How teams like Morecambe, Dagenham, Barnet and the rest can finish above us is a disgrace, given our resources and traditions. But is just shows what can be achieved with a decent manager at the helm. Look how Brentford's season has been transformed by Scott.

My congratulations to Exeter. A marvellous achievement, which again proves that it can be done.

Finally, please Mr Bratt and everyone else in the boardroom, take your time and think twice as hard as normal when you finally decide on the next man in the hot seat. We don't want any more lemons. Another Freddie Steele, Norman Low, Gordon Lee or John Rudge will do me, if it's not too much to ask!! :rolleyes:

[Valiant Haze]

Eddie, always a good, interesting and informative read. Thanks.
I have strangely kept the belief that Glover would indeed be gone, only because of your somewhat doubtless belief that he was a gonner. So, seeing as i believe your power of mind has achieved what we desired, how about you now focusing your attention on Jackson and Lloyd !! What's that i hear you say ? ............. They are soon to be gone ....... let's hope so.

[Dr_Emmett_Brown]

Eddie, on May 3 2009, 12:11 PM, said:

Who was it who sang "Things can only get better?" (was it Simply Red?)

it was D:Ream, and is too commonly associated with the elections that labour won ;) but enough of the politics...

I read it all anyways, word for word :D cheers!

i hope there is something to excite us over the next few months too - it's a difficult job for the board to build the same hopes we had at hte beginning of last season, but one they hopefully won't shy from trying to do... i'm already confident to want to purchase a season ticket - hopefully there's something to come along that makes me forget the past dreadful 9 months and gets us all to look to the future in a positive manner!

[Jacko]

TheSage, on May 3 2009, 01:08 PM, said:

Stockley is still under contract I think but I'd like to see a quicker full back signed.

I believe we've already signed one, Sage.

[PortValeRus]

Jacko, on May 3 2009, 07:28 PM, said:

TheSage, on May 3 2009, 01:08 PM, said:

Stockley is still under contract I think but I'd like to see a quicker full back signed.

I believe we've already signed one, Sage.

Do does that mean their are now 3 right backs at the club?

Stockley and Anthony Griffith?

So the lad we are talking about, was he signed by Glover then?

[Tosh]

PortValeRus, on May 3 2009, 07:53 PM, said:

Jacko, on May 3 2009, 07:28 PM, said:

TheSage, on May 3 2009, 01:08 PM, said:

Stockley is still under contract I think but I'd like to see a quicker full back signed.

I believe we've already signed one, Sage.

Do does that mean their are now 3 right backs at the club?

Stockley and Anthony Griffith?

So the lad we are talking about, was he signed by Glover then?

Griff isn't a full back it was one of Deano's bizarre ideas to move him there, for me he either plays in midfield or he doesn't play at all, some will say the latter. :rolleyes:

Rumour has it that we have signed Adam Yates from Morecambe but who signed him and when is a bit of a mystery. :unsure:

[zaza123]

I think it's a bit of a stretch to describe Griffiths as a right back.

[TheSage]

I respect and admire Griffith for his commitment and endeavour. The same with Perry.
But does he possess enough skill and ability, apart from his love of a physical challenge? I'm unsure. Maybe a new man can get the best out of him but, on the other hand, he's one of those marginal players for whom I'd probably not a shed a tear if we let go.

[PortValeRus]

Tosh, on May 3 2009, 07:59 PM, said:

Rumour has it that we have signed Adam Yates from Morecambe but who signed him and when is a bit of a mystery. :unsure:

It would be a bit strange to sign a player just after relieving the manager of his duties, very strange indeed.

I think with budgets being tight and to give them their due the defence at Vale now looks pretty tight too,
with most players already contracted for next season, that midfield along with the strikers
would be the priority.

[Gary B]

PortValeRus, on May 3 2009, 08:08 PM, said:

Tosh, on May 3 2009, 07:59 PM, said:

Rumour has it that we have signed Adam Yates from Morecambe but who signed him and when is a bit of a mystery. :unsure:

It would be a bit strange to sign a player just after relieving the manager of his duties, very strange indeed.

Wouldn't be the first time, at least we haven't spent £375,000 on a player and then sacked the manager 3 days later, I mean - what club would be stupid enough to do that eh!

[gingersmum]

Am off to wembley on saturday with a coach load of people from the away coach, we are going to support Martin Foyle and Andy Porter. am looking forward to this very much and shall be wearing my home top and taking a vale scarf,

[Eddie]

The Non-League Football paper says today that THREE coachloads of Vale fans are travelling down!

[Jacko]

gingersmum, on May 3 2009, 08:45 PM, said:

Am off to wembley on saturday with a coach load of people from the away coach, we are going to support Martin Foyle and Andy Porter. am looking forward to this very much and shall be wearing my home top and taking a vale scarf,

Stay over until Sunday, Doreen, and you can join Eddie and I in supporting the Mighty Bay in the Vase final. You know you want to. :D

[Gerard]

gingersmum, on May 3 2009, 08:45 PM, said:

Am off to wembley on saturday with a coach load of people from the away coach, we are going to support Martin Foyle and Andy Porter. am looking forward to this very much and shall be wearing my home top and taking a vale scarf,

Which block are you sitting in Doreen? I'll take your pic if I spot you. :D

[Pril]

Gerard, on May 3 2009, 09:32 PM, said:

gingersmum, on May 3 2009, 08:45 PM, said:

Am off to wembley on saturday with a coach load of people from the away coach, we are going to support Martin Foyle and Andy Porter. am looking forward to this very much and shall be wearing my home top and taking a vale scarf,

Which block are you sitting in Doreen? I'll take your pic if I spot you. :D

We haven't got the tickets yet Gerard, but Dad and I are going along too - so with his mad hat and Doreen's Dora the Explorer blanket we should be easy to spot! :D

[Dr_Emmett_Brown]

Tosh, on May 3 2009, 07:59 PM, said:

Griff isn't a full back it was one of Deano's bizarre ideas to move him there

i thought that was Sinnott's doing?

[PortValeRus]

Jacko, on May 3 2009, 07:28 PM, said:

TheSage, on May 3 2009, 01:08 PM, said:

Stockley is still under contract I think but I'd like to see a quicker full back signed.

I believe we've already signed one, Sage.

Morcombe have today given free transfers to 5 players:

http://www.morecambefc.com/page/NewsDetail...1647822,00.html