Port Vale v Creepy Crawley

[darren gregory]

Is anyone actually arsed about this game ? My only interest is to see if Crawley bring less than last season's 33 supporters. Interesting team selection as for me Dodds is knocking on door, Willo and Pope equally anonymous on saturday so let,s see who makes way if their is a change. Vale 2-1 3,866 ( 42 visitors )

 

[SRNP]

Will smurf have a dig at Crawleys support? he has a thing about doing that

 

[Freakyteeth]

bants

 

[devilofajob]

Yes, last season's attendance was our lowest ever in the league.
We've had about 50 at Bradford and Chesterfield recently so would expect about that, especially as we've picked up a bit recently and are scrapping to avoid our first relegation in decades. (Mind you, some of our "fans" at those games were players relatives. They must really hate those relatives!)
As for the game, fancy us to nick a point but as we haven't won an away midweek league game for nearly 2 years, put us down for another loss.
Will Tomlin get a good reception?

 

[darren gregory]

Wouldn,t expect him to get booed or applauded Devil, he was a bit of a mystery, seemed to have a season blighted by injuries and non-selection. I actually liked him myself and was disappointed he left, think reason was given as he wanted get back down sarf where most of his clubs have been. He was okay without been anything special so i think most Vale fans will be non-plussed by his return. May well notch though, we haven,t won a night game at home for nearly a year ironically it was against yourselves so all the makings of a classic.

 

[valefan16]

I think we will win 3-1 to secure our safety.

 

[townsendaround]

However many they bring, Vale didn't make it easy for them by insisting they had to buy tickets in advance. How difficult would it be to let them buy them at the ground- it's hardly like there'll be two thousand of them? There are quite a few Northern and Midlands CTFC exiles who've now been barred from making a last minute decision.

 

[valefan16]

Booed off despite winning. Crawley have been dreadful and I mean really dreadful yet at 1-0 up we park the bus and have 1 up top. Any half competent performance from us and we'd be out of sight. Thankfully the goal saw us attack and Dodds got the second.

 

[valefan16]

However many they bring, Vale didn't make it easy for them by insisting they had to buy tickets in advance. How difficult would it be to let them buy them at the ground- it's hardly like there'll be two thousand of them? There are quite a few Northern and Midlands CTFC exiles who've now been barred from making a last minute decision.

Never heard us do that before bar a team that would sell out. Sure you couldn't get them at the ticket office?

 

[valefan16]

Shameful and utterly embarrassing.

 

[Inspector Todd]

Izale....again. Amazing what he can do if you play him the right way......ROBINSON!!!

 

[Saddlerrad]

Christ, didn't see that one coming. Sums this division up.

 

[Vale on Trent]

We are rubbish. To think we even dared to dream of the play offs says a lot about this league.

 

[valefan16]

Page has absolutely blasted us and labeled it as embarrassing which for him shows how bad it was. First ten or 15 minutes it looked like we'd win easily... Then we just stuck in first gear, allowing them space and not going out to finish the job.

Louis Dodds was superb (always is against Crawley!) the rest were unbelievably bad. I can't believe its the same side (bar Moore and Dicko) that put in a decent performance against Coventry and battered Swindon for long periods Saturday. The goals were conceded were terrible, two free headers and as I said at half time when we were leading Crawley were an extremely poor side. We've finally seemingly sorted the away form out yet now the home form has gone to pot. We've put in some good performances at home yet lost to a poor Coventry, Oldham, Crewe and Crawley sides at home without any of them really having to do a great deal to get the points.

Play like that Saturday and we will get one hell of a pasting, luckily we are inconsistent so it's not set in stone we will but that tonight was unacceptable and as Page says the worst performance under him.

 

[townsendaround]

Never heard us do that before bar a team that would sell out. Sure you couldn't get them at the ticket office?

Positive. Crawley fans were told that they had to be purchased by Monday afternoon as there would be none for sale on the night. I can only assume that Vale decided there were so few expected that they didn't want to pay someone to sell tickets on the night. I can understand that, but it hardly attracts the last minute decision maker.

 

[townsendaround]

Christ, didn't see that one coming. Sums this division up.

Had Gregory still been in charge, Crawley would be bottom and already relegated. I never rated Saunders, but I'm very pleased to be wrong. Gregory is apparently still on the payroll and expected back, with Saunders still officially interim manager- if Gregory does indeed return they'll have to give away season tickets next season as nobody will buy one!

 

[Inspector Todd]

Despite Tea-gate, I hope Crawley stay up.

 

[valefan16]

Positive. Crawley fans were told that they had to be purchased by Monday afternoon as there would be none for sale on the night. I can only assume that Vale decided there were so few expected that they didn't want to pay someone to sell tickets on the night. I can understand that, but it hardly attracts the last minute decision maker.

I believe they were considering putting the Crawley fans in the exec boxes if they sold few enough hence the decision. (not a piss take either!)

 

[darren gregory]

Tickets were available on the night so not sure where that duff information was from. Onto the game utter pathetic, should of been 2 up after Daniel missed a very good chance after only 8 minutes. Got out of jail by scoring right on half time as we didn,t deserve to be ahead then. Crawley wanted it more and we were shambolic. Referee was decent enough last night in basically a non event from our point of view. They sensed a win and thoroughlly deserved the 3 points. Please Mr Page do us all a favour and give that absolute turd Yates a free transfer he was absolutely hideous, can,t pass wind and swear is colour blind. The rest were gash too but he was truly woeful and it even affected Neal as his kicking was bizarre. Pope again all mouth no action.Not one iota of anything positive and no disrespect but i want Crawley down as it,s too far to go and the home games resemble a morgue when we play them.Can,t recall a more gutless defeat in last 3 or 4 years this after deserving to get a point against Swindon at the very least. Lose at Sheff United and season meanders towards a meaningless end no wonder the crowds are low i think that is now 7 or 8 home league defeats simply awful, fans want to see us beat Crawley at home not win at there place when it,s only the die hards who travel. Home form has got to be addressed, 4 or 5 is acceptable not the amount we have every season( including promotion year ) .

 

[devilofajob]

Never heard us do that before bar a team that would sell out. Sure you couldn't get them at the ticket office?

That's the situation as far as I'm aware, however it didn't affect the numbers.
6 goals away in 2 games. We are Shite! As is our support on a Tuesday Night (there's a song there somewhere). Better than last season. Every away end in this league is too big for us.
As most fans know, trudging round the country on a Tuesday is no fun usually, especially if your team is playing crap.
Just occasionally though, even if it wasn't the best game, a result comes along that makes it all worthwhile.

 

[Freakyteeth]

Congratulations to Tranmere Rovers on their summer signings of Carl Dickinson, Chris Birchall, Richard Duffy, Ryan McGivern, Adam Yates, Chris Robertson, Colin Daniel and Kaid Mohammed

 

[Vale on Trent]

I am coming to a wits end in attending games at this football club now and so many people have the same attitude. Yes, we are mid table in league one and we would of all loved to have been in this position again 5 years ago... But where are we going as a team and as a club? Our fan base and support has been declining for about 10 years now, whilst off the pitch it has been a shambles (whether it be v2001 or smurf), let's be honest there's always something going on off the pitch. Smurf is a clown, does he know what he's doing? We even got promoted 2 seasons ago and crowds never improved. Did we ever get a sub 4k gate in league 2?! For the last 10 years we have had average or below par players and we seem reluctant to have a bloody clear out!! I don't know what's wrong with this club, but can anyone see a positive future with ambitions of getting in the championship? As long as Stoke are in the premiership, or we get in the championship, this club will go no where.

 

[Steven Simcock]

Got what we deserved, NOTHING

 

[darren gregory]

Vale on Trent you make some great points. A lot of fans feel the same lets face it now any kids or even new women to football are going down to see Lardies. Got a couple women at work who are now season ticket holders and can,t even name 2 players who were in the team that clinched promotion against Leicester. The fact is unless like me it,s in your blood and my 17 yr old is Vale through and through then any new fans have got to be attracted somehow as the football is a no brainer, Man City Chelsea etc etc or Crawley and Yeovil? Only 18 months since those marvellous occasions against Burton and Northampton so we can attract them. Not saying for a minute we,d get 12,000 but somehow we got get bums on seats and losing 7 or 8 every season at home is not one way !! Love away days and i,ll be there at Bramhall Lane despite season being over, however the home games are dire dull and no atmosphere at all. Really don,t know the answer.

 

[Vale on Trent]

Vale on Trent you make some great points. A lot of fans feel the same lets face it now any kids or even new women to football are going down to see Lardies. Got a couple women at work who are now season ticket holders and can,t even name 2 players who were in the team that clinched promotion against Leicester. The fact is unless like me it,s in your blood and my 17 yr old is Vale through and through then any new fans have got to be attracted somehow as the football is a no brainer, Man City Chelsea etc etc or Crawley and Yeovil? Only 18 months since those marvellous occasions against Burton and Northampton so we can attract them. Not saying for a minute we,d get 12,000 but somehow we got get bums on seats and losing 7 or 8 every season at home is not one way !! Love away days and i,ll be there at Bramhall Lane despite season being over, however the home games are dire dull and no atmosphere at all. Really don,t know the answer.

The only real solution is probably success... I don't think people are really interested in watching an inconsistent, mid table league one team!

 

[valefan16]

When did we clinch promotion v Leicester?

 

[darren gregory]

i was referring to Stoke( Lardies )

 

[Agombar stool]

The only real solution is probably success... I don't think people are really interested in watching an inconsistent, mid table league one team!

Sorry for intruding on your match thread but the issue Vale fans see is the same all over the lower league spectrum and the problem is this generation and the huge advancement of top flight football on television, internet etc, basically its everywhere and very easy to get hold of.

When I was younger, there was no 3 live games on telly on Saturday and Sunday, no Monday night football. Going to Swindon games as a young lad was my live match, the noise of the crowd, the smell of the terrace, the joy of us scoring, the pain of the other team scoring etc. I became addicted.

I don't have any kids, but I can only feel that today's parents face a very tough task in getting their kids to go out in the cold and watch Port Vale/Swindon/Crawley, whatever when they can watch Rooney/Ronaldo etc top class football so easily on the telly/internet.

 

[TomPNE94]

Sorry for intruding on your match thread but the issue Vale fans see is the same all over the lower league spectrum and the problem is this generation and the huge advancement of top flight football on television, internet etc, basically its everywhere and very easy to get hold of.

When I was younger, there was no 3 live games on telly on Saturday and Sunday, no Monday night football. Going to Swindon games as a young lad was my live match, the noise of the crowd, the smell of the terrace, the joy of us scoring, the pain of the other team scoring etc. I became addicted.

I don't have any kids, but I can only feel that today's parents face a very tough task in getting their kids to go out in the cold and watch Port Vale/Swindon/Crawley, whatever when they can watch Rooney/Ronaldo etc top class football so easily on the telly/internet.

Not a tough task at all, just don't give them a choice

 

[darren gregory]

No problem Stool thats what forums are for, i agree with your postings but i do think it boils down to success, unfortunately we don,t see 13th in League one as success, yet 2 years ago had no players and were in administration. Its hard to strike the balance, 2nd in League 2 going for promotion or mid table mediocrity in League one. The fans want to see wins and this is affecting ourselves, my lad for 1st time ever nearly didn,t bother the other week against Posh as he was engrossed in Spurs Arsenal on Sky so your point is true.