We turn our attention to Staffordshire next as we look at Port Vale in the run up to the start of the League One season.
LAST SEASON
The Valiants had a good season under the guidance of Mickey Adams as they finished in 9th place.
The season started off slowly though as they picked up just one win and a draw in the first month but from September onwards they really kicked on as they picked up some impressive results with wins against the likes of promoted Rotherham United.
They flirted with the play-offs at the turn of the year but successive defeats against Brentford and Preston saw them drop away slightly before enduring a poor February which saw them lose four out of their six matches to drop down to 10th.
They had a mixed bag of results for the rest of the season before finishing with a goalless draw on the final day of the season against Posh.
THE MANAGER – MICKEY ADAMS
Adams had a career playing over 400 matches for teams such as Coventry City, Leeds United, Stoke City and Fulham. His longest stint at any club was at Southampton where he played nearly 150 times.
He started his managerial career when he was still a player. He took over the reigns of Fulham as player-manager from Ian Branfoot who had become the clubs general manager in March 1996. Fulham finished the since in their lowest ever place in the football league – 17th place in the bottom tier! They were second from bottom when Adams took over though.
The following season, Adams got Fulham promoted after a second-placed finish. He was sacked the following September though but this was just because the club had been taken over by Mohamed Al-Fayed and Al-Fayed wanted a higher profile manager and installed Kevin Keegan (Director of Football) and Ray Wilkins (Head Coach).
Swansea City was his next stopping point but it was very brief. He was there for just thirteen days and three matches. He left when the promised money for team building didn`t materialise.
Adams soon moved on to his third managerial position of the season when he took over at Brentford who were struggling near the foot of Division Two. Unfortunately, Adams couldn`t save the Bees as they were relegated on the last day of the season.
It was deja vu for Adams as Brentford were then taken over by Ron Noades who sacked Adams and installed himself as manager!
Adams became assistant manager at Nottingham Forest the following season and even took charge of one Premiership match following Dave Bassett`s sacking. Ron Atkinson took over the Forest hotseat which saw Adams move on once again.
Division Three side Brighton was his next managerial stop and he guided them to promotion in his first full season with the club. He then had the chance of joining Premiership Leicester City; originally as assistant manager under Dave Bassett and then as manager when Bassett moved upstairs. The Foxes were relegated during his time as assistant and he was unable to get the Foxes back up to the Premiership.
He then moved on to manage Coventry City in the Championship, Brighton and Hove Albion and then onto Port Vale in June 2009.
VISITING THE GROUND?
Vale Park has been the home of the Valiants since 1950 and has a capacity of just under 19,000, although a club record 49,768 managed to squeeze in for a 1960 FA Cup fifth round fixture against Aston Villa.
Up to 4,500 away supporters can be accommodated in the Signal One Stand, where the view and facilities located on the concourse behind the stand are good.
Posh are due to play there on Saturday, 17th January, 2015.
Post Code for SAT NAV: ST6 1AW
Distance from London Road: 110 miles
SUMMER BUSINESS SO FAR
Micky Adams started things off with signing a new 12-month rolling contract with the club to remain as manager.
Three players – keeper Chris Neal and midfielders Chris Lines and Chris Birchall – have also all signed new deals at the club. Birchall has agreed a one-year deal while the other two have signed two-year contracts. Defenders Carl Dickinson and Richard Duffy have also agreed new two-year contracts.
Jordan Hugill has rejected the offer of a new contract and has left the club to sign for Preston North End. Other players to reject new offers by the club are Doug Loft, who has joined Gillingham, and Jennison Myrie-Williams who has signed for Scunthorpe. Left-back Ben Jefford has signed for Welling United following his release by Vale.
The two players yet to decide on the new deals offered by Vale are Joe Davis and Ryan Lloyd.
Striker Gavin Tomlin has also left the club after being sold to Crawley Town.
Another player on his way out is winger Kaid Mohamed but only on a season-long loan. He has joined last seasons League Two strugglers Northampton Town. One player coming in on loan though is Ipswich Town defender Frederic Veseli on loan, subject to clearance.
Vale have brought in Colin Daniel from Mansfield Town on a two-year contract and Hibernian and Northern Ireland defender Ryan McGivern on a two-year contract after negotiating his release from the Scottish club.
Their third summer signing was winger Mark Marshall who put pen to paper on a one-year deal following his short stay with Coventry City and he will be competing for a place in the team against fellow winger Byron Moore who signed from local rivals Crewe Alexandra on a two-year contract.
The rebuilding continued with a triple signing of Michael Brown, Steven Jennings and Michael O’Connor on one-year deals.
THEY PLAYED FOR BOTH
There`s been a generous amount of players to have represented both clubs including defenders Sagi Burton and Exodus Geohaghon; midfielders Billy Kellock, Kenny Beech and Danny Sonner; and forwards Andy Clarke, Leon Constantine, Ronnie Jepson, Ernie Moss and Calum Willock.
PAST MEETINGS
There have only been 45 competitive matches played between these two sides with all bar one match being in the League.
The one Cup match played between the Valiants and Posh came in the 1990/91 season which was won 2-1 by Vale.
That Cup match is the one match that edges Vale ahead of Posh because in the League there have been 14 draws while each side have both won 15 times!
Last season, Posh won the match at Vale Park by a single Tyrone Barnett which he scored four minutes from time.
The return fixture was the last game of the League season and it was one which saw Posh boss Darren Ferguson make eight changes to his starting line-up! With nothing riding on the match, the sides played out a goalless draw.
WHAT THE BOOKIES THINK
Despite having a good season, the bookies make Vale third favourites to be relegated with odds of 13/8!
They have odds of 66/1 to win League One and 25/1 to be promoted. If they are to improve on last season and finish in the top 6, you can get odds of 10/1 for them to achieve that.
UP THE POSH
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Photo courtesy of www.theposhpics.com
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