Weekly Digest: Speedy resolution to club shop row would benefit all
Rob Fielding seeks a speedy resolution to the club shop issue plus there’s cup success for two players connected with the Vale. Find out more in our Weekly Digest feature…
Speedy resolution to club show row would benefit everyone
The news that the former Port Vale Community Trust and owner Norman Smurthwaite could be involved in a legal dispute about the ownership of the Vale club shop and surrounding buildings was yet another chapter in the soap opera that is Port Vale.
It’s probably best to skirt over the claims of both parties regarding the club shop ownership as you can read them here if you really want to and also because looking on from the outside and without the benefit of legal documents, it’s impossible to tell who’s right and who’s wrong.
I personally have no problem with the Community Trust and its trustees raising this issue. If I were to potentially risk losing my house over the repayment of grants, I would also like to force the issue and get it resolved.
I just hope that for the benefit of the Port Vale fans, the peace of mind of Community Trust trustees worried about the costs and the good reputation of the club that this issue gets resolved as soon as possible.
Rob Fielding
Loan round-up
With more and more Vale players out on loan, this could become a longer and longer regular feature…
League One
- Chris Neal made his full debut for Bury as they drew 2-2 with Shrewsbury Town
League Two
- Colin Daniel was an 86th minute sub as Mansfield drew 1-1 with Portsmouth
National League
- Ryan Lloyd played the whole 90 minutes of Chester’s disappointing 3-0 loss to Wrexham
- Nathan Smith played as Torquay continued their rise out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Southport
- And finally, as you’ll see below there were celebrations for Sam Johnson…
Former players – Cup joy for Robertson
He may not have made the starting eleven but last weekend was one of celebration for former Vale defender Chris Robertson as his Ross County side secured their first-ever major domestic trophy.
A 90th-minute Alex Schalk goal was enough as they defeated favourites Hibernian 1-0 to lift the Scottish League Cup.
Loan news – Johnson heading for Wembley
We reported in our previous digest about how Peter Beadle is close to a Wembley final appearance but let’s now forget Vale’s on-loan keeper Sam Johnson.
Sam is on loan with FC Halifax Town who have reached the final of the FA Vase at Wembley after a 6-4 aggregate win over Nantwich Town.
One hit wonder… Scott Mean
I was on the terraces the day that West Ham midfielder Scott Mean made his debut for the Valiants. Signed on loan from West Ham, it was hoped that John Rudge had produced another gem and Mean certainly made an entrance with his bleached blond hair.
But sadly, after 78 minutes of an impressive debut, Mean was stretchered off with a serious knee injury. It was clearly a logn-term injury and Mean’s loan spell with Vale was quickly ended.
Unfortunately for the then 25 year-old he was never the same player again and managed just 32 more games in the Football League (for Bournemouth) before drifting into non-league football and eventual retirement.
Epic fail… Tobias Mikaelsson
The Swedish striker was signed on loan from Aston Villa in 2008 linking up with team mate Chris Herd.
However, his spell was not a sucess as the Valiants lost four of the six games in which he played. Those six games proved to be his only spell in the English game and he moved back to Sweden in 2009.
He spent two years with Trollhatten, another year with Ljungskile and since 2013 he has played for Oddevold.