Port Vale should be rightly proud of its rich heritage
OVF editor Rob Fielding hopes that Port Vale Football Club will continue to treat past players with respect and dignity.
Rob Fielding writes…
One of the more pleasing aspects of the joint-tenure of Paul Wildes and Norman Smurthwaite was the publication of a document which set out their vision or philosophy for the club.
What I like about this document is that it strikes the right balance – to celebrate the past but also look forward to the future. And I hope its something that the club still subscribes to under the ownership of Norman Smurthwaite.
It strikes the right balance – to celebrate the past but also look forward to the future…
So what about those commitments? Well, it’s difficult to comment on the future simply because it has yet to come – but as for remembering the past, how is that faring?
If we’re not exactly awash with tributes to past Valiants, then there are certainly several prominent examples – our “new” badge harks back to the 1950’s and the glorious Iron Curtain era; our home shirt displays a heritage photo of the local area while the away kit pays tribute to a club legend – Roy Sproson.
When you think about those examples, you may expect that the club’s commitment to preserving the past is in good hands, that is until the furore over the ex-players association erupted.
If comments on the Port Vale Online forum are to be believed (and they are from a highly regarded poster) there were some unfortunate comments about the ex-players association made at the recent Q&A with the Chairman.
I would hate to think that the club I have supported for 34 years would hold former players in such low esteem…
I would certainly hope that those Q&A comments were either misheard or said in error as I would hate to think that the club I have supported for 34 years would hold former players in such low esteem.
But we still don’t know for sure, because the club has yet to issue any comment on the issue. In that case, perhaps it’s time for the club to end their no comment stance on the ex-players association?
I hope that they do and re-affirm their commitment to both future AND past generations of the Port Vale family.
Up the Vale!