Port Vale Forum Pre Match Interview / Report vrs Southend

[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. Some of you kindly contributed to our reverse fixture article and I wondered if some posters would like to take part by answering some different questions.


I wondered if up to three of you have a few minutes and would kindly offer your feelings on the game by answering the following few questions;
1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
2. How are your team doing (current form and in relation to the expectation of fans at the start of the season)?
3. Where you think you will finish in terms of league position?
4. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?
5. What are your thoughts on your manager?
6. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
7. Any views on the current Port Vale team & specific players?
8. Did you attend the reverse fixture earlier this season? If so what were your thoughts on the game?
9. Any views & memories of players / managers that have been involved with both teams?
10. 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 Wigan fans from a game with them;
http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/site/2015/09/wigan-fans-the-jurys-out-on-manager-gary-caldwell/

To enable me to produce this in good time I need a reply by Wednesday and the report should appear on the website a day or two before our 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

 

[David Icke]

You'll get nothing out of me laddie.

 

[AndyT]

LOL, that's the spirit! :smile:

 

[tottenham541]

We have bigger games first:smile:

 

[rigsby]

No doubt Mr REP you will be glued to the tv from around 19:00hrs along with all the thousands of L1 fans as tonight is one of the games of the season. You can of course find out all the info yourself.

As you may know we have Brian Horton on the staff at the moment. I have met him on several occasions and have decided that he is as mad as box of frogs and I mean that in a nice sort of way.

 

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Now the 'big game' is out of the way, anybody like to take part?

Oh Rigsby you are spot on about Nobby Horton, crackers that guy!!

 

[rigsby]

Now the 'big game' is out of the way, anybody like to take part?

Oh Rigsby you are spot on about Nobby Horton, crackers that guy!!

Yes that's his name. I have heard Phil Brown and his family joking about Nobby, again in an good way. He can get very upset with an official or two.

I will reply to your questions later if you like, when I have a bit of time

 

[AndyT]

Sadly, I'm not going to have time and don't know enough about Vale to comment on your best options on the field, but I flicked through what you did for the Wigan game and it looks really good and of a high quality.

Hopefully, a few on here will be able to help as it would be nice to have our views on your site, as well.

Ps, I thought Vale looked OK at our place. Strong, big side and quite physical. We got the only goal, of course, but I'd say that one was a pretty even match.

 

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Yes that's his name. I have heard Phil Brown and his family joking about Nobby, again in an good way. He can get very upset with an official or two.

I will reply to your questions later if you like, when I have a bit of time

He got very upset at me when I was running the line in a reserve game when the pair of them were at Preston!

That's smashing mate, yes please if you could get it over by today?

Anyone else also like to take part?

 

[rigsby]

He got very upset at me when I was running the line in a reserve game when the pair of them were at Preston!

That's smashing mate, yes please if you could get it over by today?

Anyone else also like to take part?

Will do it now. Rather than answer the questions I'll wright a piece and you pick what you want as that way others might add a bit.

 

[rigsby]

My first game was in 1974 as a treat with the under tens football team. We were even allowed to meet the players after and I managed to get Peter Taylors autograph. My next game was QPR in the FA cup, Jan 1975. They had some great players at the time and we managed a 2-2 draw in front of 18,000 and that was it I was hooked.

You may well look at out attendances and think Southend as a town is not big on football, but that's certainly not the case. The problem we have is the same as Port Vale. You with your unmentionable neighbours and us with several London clubs, at least we can respect each other in that department.

Expectations this season.....We reached the magical 50 point total on Monday, I hope you were watching. I say that because many of our fans expected no more than survival this season so the fact that we are seventh has surprised many. I my self was always more confident and felt a top 10 finish was more than achievable. We have made some good loan signings this January and i'm confident we can repeat last seasons strong finish and hopefully another day out at Wembley.

Phil Brown...Yes everyone has an opinion, It has taken along time for some to forgive him for that famous half time team talk at Man City. I was happy to give him a fair chance and the more I saw the more I liked. He has since won over far more shrimpers than he has lost. The thing I like about him is that he won't suffer any p*** takers at this club. Like any lower division club over the years we have seen many well paid slacker turn up and go through the motions. Not with PB. he is very positive and big on team sprit and if you don't want to be part of it then your out. Some fans don't like him doing all his TV and radio work but I think it gives our club a higher profile and its good for networking. He completes three years with us in March and in the mad world of football I believe he is now the 15th? longest serving manager out of the 92

Fridays game..... Yes I will be attending. At Roots Hall I remember thinking Port Vale had the biggest back four I've ever seen. I don't mean tall I mean they should be playing Rugby. However I don't recall any of your players as stand out.
From our team the best prospect is the keeper Dan Bentley. He is the reason we are in L1 and he may well spoil your night on Friday. You probably witnessed Tyrone Barnett get MOM on Monday, so along with Noel Hunt and little Jack Payne and Wordsworth coming good after a long term injury we should provide you with entertainment this week.

Score prediction....No idea. After a couple of years close 1-0, results have gone crazy. However I do think we can get something from the fixture.

Our future.... We have had the longest stadium move in history but at last there now appears to be a good chance of it actually happening. We have something like 250,000 people living in a 10 mile radius from our ground. We at least deserve some regular championship football and with a new 22,000 capacity ground I think we could certainly attract some of the many local fans who have an interest but for family reasons have chose to follow the bigger London clubs.
We played Liverpool in the cup in 1979 and had a crowd of 31,000 at Roots Hall. Just three years ago we took more than that to Wembley for the JPT final. So without sounding like a lower league dreamer I believe our club does have a brighter and bigger future.

P.S we normally travel up early and eat somewhere half decent. We will definitely do so on Friday to beat the M1 traffic. If you could recommend a place that does decent grub it would be appreciated. Doesn't have to be near the ground as we don't mind small towns or villages pubs nearby.

 

[David Essex]

i remember attending Port Vale v Southend circa 85/86 we lost 4-0 we were goaded by the home fans in the pouring rain as F.Lampard senior was nut megged all over the park.....we waved our wallets ala loads a money back at the vale fans....not a good day as i was followed back to my car and set upon by a group of Vale so called fans who enjoyed putting the boot in on my lovely vauxhall magnum