Two minute guide: Charlton Athletic v Port Vale
It’s a trip to crisis club Charlton Athletic next… here’s our brief guide to the action…
OVF Editorial: we want your Charlton back too!
A brief word before we begin… this website supported protests against our board when our club was in real danger of being destroyed as we felt it was the correct thing to do to save the Vale. At that time, fans of other clubs gave their support to Vale fans’ protests. We would like to return that solidarity and offer our support to Charlton fans who are seeking better owners for their club. As members of the football family we stand by you and hope for better times for Charlton Athletic in the near future.
If you are a Vale fan and are not aware of Charlton’s plight why not take a look at these links:
- We want our Charlton back (please sign their petition)
- How the owners are killing Charlton Athletic
- Evening Standard article on a 2016 protest
In the picture:
The story behind our choice of image we’ve chosen to lead the article with…
It’s an obvious choice but this match will see the return of winger Jerome Thomas to Charlton.
Thomas has earned many plaudits this season as his experience on and off the pitch has been praised. However, his spell at the Valley was pretty decent too. He was signed from Arsenal for £100,000 in 2004 and went on to play 119 times (the majority in the Premier League) and scoring seven goals. He left in 2008 to join Portsmouth.
The two sides
Port Vale
- Manager: Bruno Ribeiro
- Last match: 2-1 vs Fleetwood
- Top scorer: Alex Jones (9)
Charlton Atheltic
- Manager: None
- Last match: 0-3 vs Swindon
- Top scorer: Ademola Lookman (5)
Match details
Venue:
The Valley
Date:
19th November 2016
Tickets:
Details on the official Port Vale website
Any other business?
Charlton fans will be holding a service at 2pm to commemorate players from both sides who lost their lives fighting for their country. Vale fans are welcome to attend the ceremony outside the West Stand around 2pm.
Link: In memoriam: our Valiant fallen
Pre-match thoughts
Port Vale’s Jerome Thomas
Port Vale’s Ryan Taylor
Betting odds
Even though many punters will believe Port Vale are the underdogs due to their poor away record, can Vale upset the odds and return to Burslem with three points?
Vale team news
Vale will have to replace the suspended Anthony Grant in midfield. The likes of Anthony Defreitas, Sebastien Amoros or Quentin Pereira could could in or another option would be to switch Ryan Taylor from right-back. The latter would only appear to be an option if regular right-back Ben Purkiss returns from injury.
Upfront, Vale could be boosted by the return to fitness of Anton Forrester (right). The striker is unlikely to start but could make the bench.
Last time we met…
The two sides met earlier in the season and Vale were arguably lucky to escape with a draw after a late Alex Jones penalty. Vale’s last visit to the Valley was back in 2001 for a 2-0 league cup defeat.
Overall record
Port Vale wins: 8
Port Vale losses: 13
Draws: 10
Form guide
Club connections
We’ve already mentioned Jerome Thomas but other players to appear for both clubs include:
- Welsh International striker (and OVF favourite) Andy Jones (right)
- Defender Kevin Scott
- Forward Mark Bright
- Forward Jack Blackwell
- Winger Gary Kelly
Did you know…
- The two sides first met back in 1930.
- However, Vale did not secure a win until their fifth meeting.
- Vale have not beaten Charlton in the last six fixtures.
- Vale’s last win at the Valley came back in 2001 thanks to a superb Tony Naylor hat-trick. Relive it through the above video clip (from the OVF YouTube channel)