Gillingham v Port Vale

[T.A]

Two out of form teams meet at the Prestfield stadium and both will want to pick up points to stay clear of that relegation battle. Port Vale lost 3-0 at home to Posh last time out and Gillingham picked up a great draw at P/O contenders Bradford.

Match chat in here.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Easy home win 2 nil be lucky if even 100 vale fans bother going.

 

[valefan16]

If the Vale that played Scunny away last game turn up I fancy us.... it the Vale that played yesterday turn up we will get beat.

Got a decent recent record against Gills and at Preistfield considering we used to get nothing there.

Hopefully a few of the new players will get to know the team as the whole side looked like it was disjointed yesterday.

Massive massive game this for us though. Lose this and we are in deep with Millwall away to follow.

 

[Andy Proctor]

Since 2005 our record at gillingham away is won 3 drawn 2 lost 4 which aint too bad but i still expect us to lose this as we quite simply arnt good enough.

 

[Buxton Vale]

Can't see us getting much at the moment, or even scoring

Home win 2-0

 

[PuB]

Pessimism from the opponents always has me worried, we normally oblige to end a run of shitness.

I'll go with a not so entertaining 1-1, but we both really need better.

 

[joethegill]

Should win really. We aren't in sparkling form by any means but have drawn the last 3 including away points at 2 of the top 5, and have been considerably better than we were under Edinburgh in the later days. We have Chesterfield at home a few days after this, and I almost expect 6 points from the 2.

 

[AusGill]

We have Chesterfield at home a few days after this, and I almost expect 6 points from the 2.

Oh FFS Joe!!!

 

[darren gregory]

After the abject garbage that Brown is serving up i can only see a home win.
A mish mash of new faces who are what they are.......strangers.
Amazed if more than 120 bother, why would you with the horrific away form we have.
I'll plump for a plucky 3-0 defeat with maybe one attempt on goal from us.

 

[Hurrikeen]

Draw please.

 

[valefan16]

Announcement at Vale Park tomorrow... rumour mill and bookies seem to suggest Lee Clarke may be the manager in time for the game... if so its uninspiring... not least because he sounds like he's more depressed than most of our fan base in interviews!

 

[Randolph Haggerty]

Brown has been dealt a poor hand. The chairman expects quality players to join for peanuts.
Our best player has gone.
An experienced midfielder also gone.
Replaced with a rag tag bunch of loanees who are all young and inexperienced.
We're screwed.
Heavy home win.

 

[Monkey]

Vale to give Gillingham a hammering after new manager comes in on Wednesday

 

[MJA]

After the abject garbage that Brown is serving up i can only see a home win.

I thought Michael Brown was what all Vale fans wanted?

 

[valefan16]

I thought Michael Brown was what all Vale fans wanted?

Harsh... mis judgement with tactics Saturday but overall the performance levels have been better that game aside. I personally think this new look team is better suited for away games than when teams sit in and defend as Posh did Saturday.

 

[MJA]

Harsh... mis judgement with tactics Saturday but overall the performance levels have been better that game aside. I personally think this new look team is better suited for away games than when teams sit in and defend as Posh did Saturday.

I'm not being harsh I was just responding to this......

After the abject garbage that Brown is serving up i can only see a home win.

Just proves my point that Vale fans never ever give managers long enough to settle in. It's almost as though some Vale fans would have nothing to say if they weren't being OTT negative all the time.
Page was hounded out by fans and chairman alike, Bruno was never overly popular and the minute results went to shit he was hounded out and now there is Brown who is upsetting fans because shock horror the slide is continuing. Well here is something that may surprise you, but unstable clubs are rarely successful and a key part to stability is not changing managers as soon as form dips a bit. As I have said many times when Vale fans have been crying 'SACK THE MANAGER', you should be careful what you wish for. Had we stuck with Page and allowed him to enjoy a couple of transfer windows with Smurf's supposed sweetie jar open, I doubt we would be in the panicked position we are currently

 

[valefan16]

I was referring to the original comment apologies.

 

[kieran_vale]

That has to be false regarding Lee Clarke as manager. It literally makes no sense given the transfer window has just closed to bring in a new man now. That said the fact it would be completely senseless to do such a thing I wouldn't put it past Smurthwaite thinking about it.

At some point rather than turning on each manager / individual players all the time Vale fans I hope will come to realise the real issue is Smurthwaite. The mans incompetence literally has no boundary.

 

[MJA]

At some point rather than turning on each manager / individual players all the time Vale fans I hope will come to realise the real issue is Smurthwaite. The mans incompetence literally has no boundary.

It would appear that this is becoming the case with talks of protests and things on OVF. The worry with him and ousting him is the fact he has split the ground and the club and how he will use that to his advantage with any potential suitors

 

[PuB]

He's split the ground from the club? Who's now owns the ground?

 

[kieran_vale]

Fair point on the above MJA. Cut a long story short the club is fucked.

As for protests I think the biggest one is in those who don't go anymore. I can count on one hand the amount of games I've been to the last couple of years (mostly work related initially anyway) and can honestly say I don't really miss it much either. I think a lot of people are numb to it all now and apathy has set in.

 

[valefan16]

Isn't it split on three ie club, ground and Shop/commercial?

 

[MJA]

Fair point on the above MJA. Cut a long story short the club is fucked.

As for protests I think the biggest one is in those who don't go anymore. I can count on one hand the amount of games I've been to the last couple of years (mostly work related initially anyway) and can honestly say I don't really miss it much either. I think a lot of people are numb to it all now and apathy has set in.

I stopped going as I found other things to do on a Saturday and even though I no longer do anything on a Saturday, I have no interest in spending money watching Vale and nor do I miss it. Give me my Paddy Power account and Jeff Stelling any day

 

[MJA]

He's split the ground from the club? Who's now owns the ground?

Smurthwaite owns everything but it is all separate so selling the club would not necessarily mean him selling the ground (not that any buyer would ever accept a deal without the ground). Not a particularly good place for us to be considering Mr Smurthwaite's dealings in property

 

[MJA]

Isn't it split on three ie club, ground and Shop/commercial?

Not sure on that but could be considering he revamped the shop. One thing is for sure, it is never a good thing to different parts of the club split from each other.

 

[PuB]

Isn't it split on three ie club, ground and Shop/commercial?

A sure fire thing that'll happen when a chairman wants to make sure he gets his investment back is place the ground in a holding company with himself as the main beneficiary. Which gives him the options of charging the club rent, selling it to any potentional investor or, selling it to a third party for profit (asset stripping if you like). If he is the sole beneficiary of the company who hold the ground, then I'd be very worried. That would leave your playing squad as your only assets, and given a couple of your better players left for fees last week I'd expect that to be minimal.

Also 'sweetie jar' Smurf had a little wobble not too long ago and said he wanted to sell the club, before going on to have his little European adventure. I would be extremely worried if I were a Vale fan.

 

[PuB]

Smurthwaite owns everything but it is all separate so selling the club would not necessarily mean him selling the ground (not that any buyer would ever accept a deal without the ground). Not a particularly good place for us to be considering Mr Smurthwaite's dealings in property

Someone might buy the ground without the club though...

 

[MJA]

I would be extremely worried if I were a Vale fan.

I have learnt not to worry about Port Vale at all anymore. What will be will be

 

[MJA]

Someone might buy the ground without the club though...

That is possible, but it is not in a desirable location. Burslem is very much in decline (as is much of Stoke-on-Trent) so can't imagine a supermarket chain or distribution company wanting the land. That just leaves property developers but they would be building houses for people on low incomes and I am not sure they would make their money back let alone a profit.

Just to give you an idea of how difficult it is to sell land in Stoke-on-Trent, the land where Stoke City's Victoria Ground once sat is still derelict and for sale as it has been since the ground was demolished.

 

[valefan16]

Could be wrong but I think post administration wasn't something clauses that Vale Park could only be used for football and not sold to be redeveloped?