Twitter: Did Norman Smurthwaite just show an interest in Tom Pope return?
Did the Port Vale chairman just suggest that a Port Vale return for striker Tom Pope may be a possibility?
Former Vale striker Tom Pope has been made available for transfer by Bury just a year after leaving Vale Park. Pope has reportedly told the Sentinel newspaper that he would be keen to find a club near to his Potteries house which would clearly put Vale in the frame if the club want him and can reach an agreement on wages.
In 2015, Vale chairman Norman Smurthwaite said that the salary given to Pope by former chairman Paul Wildes was too high and offered the player a reported 50% reduction. Pope subsequently left for Bury.
However, on being tweeted the news about Pope’s availability, Smurthwaite tweeted “Now there is a player” – which is perhaps a suggestion that he still holds the striker in high regard. But the key question is – is it high enough regard for him to make a move for Pope or have Vale moved on?
@BiPolarBearPV Now there is a player
— Norman Smurthwaite (@smurfpvfc) July 20, 2016