Your clubs Mt Rushmore

[mozzavale]

Heard this on talksport and got me thinking.

Since I started watching Vale in 87;

Rudge, obviously. Us lucky enough to have seen Vale through the 80s and 90s were spoilt. 3 promotions, 3 visits to Wembley, 9 seasons in the Championship. Legend.

Robbie Earle - his goal took us to the Championship for the first time in decades.

Dean Glover - as a player he brought so much class to our defence I've never seen anyone better in that position in a Vale shirt. Lifted our 1st ever trophy at Wembley. Luckily for him he did enough as a player to gloss over his time as manager.

Tough last one, between Pope and Foyle, but Foyle just gets it for me. Was our top scorer when we got promoted in 94. He scored two iconic goals v Stoke for our 1st competitive win against them in decades, and regularly scored in higher divisions.

 

[Spireitelass97]

Would have thought Kevin Randall & Ernie Moss would have made your list?

I was going to say these are only two I think were possibly missing although both before my time

 

[Meadow]

Do I choose Wimbledon or AFC Wimbledon? I view them as different clubs. I'll stick with AFC Wimbledon.

Jon Main. Top scorer in the National League South. Scored an amazing goal in the Ryman playoff semi final then scored a hattrick against Newport in our first match in the Conference South.

Danny Kedwell. Best mates with Jon Main. Prolific goalscorer and scored the last penalty in our Conference playoff final against Luton.

Terry Brown. Masterminded three promotions from the Ryman League to League Two.

Lyle Taylor. Such a character and scored many goals for us including in the L2 playoff final against Plymouth. I'll always remember collapsing with laughter when he continually distracted the Barnet goalkeeper by tapping on his shoulder. Lyle scored.

 

[Scum.]

Do I choose Wimbledon or AFC Wimbledon? I view them as different clubs. I'll stick with AFC Wimbledon.

Jon Main. Top scorer in the National League South. Scored an amazing goal in the Ryman playoff semi final then scored a hattrick against Newport in our first match in the Conference South.

Danny Kedwell. Best mates with Jon Main. Prolific goalscorer and scored the last penalty in our Conference playoff final against Luton.

Terry Brown. Masterminded three promotions from the Ryman League to League Two.

Lyle Taylor. Such a character and scored many goals for us including in the L2 playoff final against Plymouth. I'll always remember collapsing with laughter when he continually distracted the Barnet goalkeeper by tapping on his shoulder. Lyle scored.

Definitely different clubs. One formed in May 2002 and the other moved to Milton Keynes in September 2003 and became MK Dons in June 2004.

 

[ASpireite]

Since I started watching in 2004
Jack Lester
Paul Cook
Tommy Lee
Evatt? Allott? Niven? Morsy?

Top 3 were easy, a fourth is harder

 

[GEORGE]

Alick Jeffrey, before my time but still hailed as the best player for us.
Jamie Coppinger
Sean O’Driscoll
Ian Snodin

Take it from me Jeffrey was an excellant player. Saw him in the early 60's at Eastville.

 

[Youpies]

Iremonger
Lawton
Masson
Stallard

Would keep mine to players not managers

 

[GTFCfish]

Take it from me Jeffrey was an excellant player. Saw him in the early 60's at Eastville.

Zippy and Bungle don't agree they say he was a knob.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Zippy and Bungle don't agree they say he was a knob.

Ever trust a bear who wears PJ’s for bed

 

[Spireitelass97]

Since I started watching in 2004
Jack Lester
Paul Cook
Tommy Lee
Evatt? Allott? Niven? Morsy?

Top 3 were easy, a fourth is harder

All good picks

 

[Boz]

Johnny King. Rovers best manager had us playing some great football as we escaped from a final game win to stay in the FL to ultimately ending up in what is now the Championship

John Aldridge. Bought by Kingy when we sealed promotion into the old Division 1 and scored regularly. Then took over as player-manager before retiring to concentrate on management which included taking us to the League Cup Final

Micky Mellon. Got us back into the FL in a last chance saloon scenario, where there was some thought we'd have gone part-time without that Boreham Wood win. Then took us up again the following season. Without covid things may have gone differently and no demotion, so an element of what if, but a key figure in turning things round.

James Norwood. Prolific during his years with Rovers after a slightly iffy start and got the winner in the Boreham Wood final.

 

[Meadow]

Do I go for Wimbledon or AFC Wimbledon? I'll not be greedy and just go for AFC Wimbledon.

Kevin Cooper (non league version). Played against us in our first pre-season friendly for Sutton Utd. Joined us soon after scoring shedloads of goals leading to our promotion from the Combined Counties league in just two seasons.

Jon Main. Joined us from Tonbridge Angels in the same league and scored many goals including a hattrick against Newport first match of our Conference South season.

Terry Brown. Manager from 2007 to 2012. Three promotions, 2008, 2009 and 2011. When it was time for him to leave after a bad run of results, he and his assistant turned up at Wycombe for our next match.

Lyle Taylor. Such an ego but he had so much talent then. Came to us not having achieved much. However he was amazing for us. I'll always remember an away match at Barnet when he distracted the goalkeeper by tapping him on the shoulder. He scored.

 

[lordofthepies]

Do I go for Wimbledon or AFC Wimbledon? I'll not be greedy and just go for AFC Wimbledon.

Kevin Cooper (non league version). Played against us in our first pre-season friendly for Sutton Utd. Joined us soon after scoring shedloads of goals leading to our promotion from the Combined Counties league in just two seasons.

Jon Main. Joined us from Tonbridge Angels in the same league and scored many goals including a hattrick against Newport first match of our Conference South season.

Terry Brown. Manager from 2007 to 2012. Three promotions, 2008, 2009 and 2011. When it was time for him to leave after a bad run of results, he and his assistant turned up at Wycombe for our next match.

Lyle Taylor. Such an ego but he had so much talent then. Came to us not having achieved much. However he was amazing for us. I'll always remember an away match at Barnet when he distracted the goalkeeper by tapping him on the shoulder. He scored.

Were you drinking when you did this on Thursday?

 

[Si Robin]

John Aldridge. Bought by Kingy when we sealed promotion into the old Division 1 and scored regularly. Then took over as player-manager before retiring to concentrate on management which included taking us to the League Cup Final

I've always wondered why Aldridge never managed another team - he always seemed to do quite well at Tranmere.

 

[Meadow]

Were you drinking when you did this on Thursday?

I struggle with my memory at times.

 

[Robshep]

Johnny King
Ian Muir
Ray Mathias
Steve Mungall

 

[Boz]

I've always wondered why Aldridge never managed another team - he always seemed to do quite well at Tranmere.

It's a good point. I know he was interested in the Republic of Ireland job, but there seemed little else reported of him even applying for club posts after he left Rovers.