Two minute guide to: Port Vale v Birmingham City
Championship side Birmingham City are the next visitors for Port Vale, here’s our brief guide…
Match details
Venue:
Vale Park
Date:
27th July 19:45pm
Open stands:
- Lorne Street (KMF Stand)
- Hamil Road (Signal 1 Stand)
- Disabled Stand
Prices:
- Adults: £10
- Juniors (Under 16): £5
- Seniors (Over 65): £5
- Concessions: £5
Tickets for the game will not be sold on the gate, all fans who need to buy a ticket will have to go to the Main Ticket Office.
Pre-match quotes
Championship clubs are good for learning, they have experienced players and we are learning so much in positions, being organised and defensively. We just need more in the final third and in these games it very good for us for learning and we can expect the same as the other side from Birmingham. Hopefully we can continue improving game by game and now we can try and score to win the games, we are good defensively now, but we need to add some goals for our hard work…
– Bruno Ribeiro
We will be doing something slightly different in terms of how we play. Most of the ones who got 30 minutes at Hibernian will get 60 minutes tonight and vice-versa, then Saturday, against Roda, it’s ‘game on’. But we will look at altering the formation a little…
– Gary Rowett
Team news
There are clearly loads of places up for grabs in the Vale team and defender Nathan Smith will be one whop is hoping that his impressive friendly performances are enough to earn him a long-awaited place in the Vale first-team. His cause may be helped if Kiko’s continued absence sees Kjell Knops moved over to left-back allowing Smith to continue as centre-half.
We may also get a first sighting of new signing Nathan Ferguson who signed from Burton Albion on Tuesday. The midfielder is expected to be in the Vale squad.
Elsewhere, it’s probably a question of two trialists for the Valiants. Chris Birchall has left the club and ended his association with the club wheras Nathan Tyson will no doubt be hopeful that he creates a good impression after Bruno Ribeiro expressed an interest in signing him.
Birmingham have named their squad for the game and along with some first-team players it will include youngsters Jack Storer and David Cotterrill.
Birmingham City (from): Kuszczak, Legzdins, Spector, Caddis, Cogley, Grounds, Shotton, Morrison, Robinson, Tesche, Davis, Gleeson, Solomon-Otabor, Arthur, Brown, Cotterill, Maghoma, Shinnie, Vaughan, Fabbrini, Donaldson, Storer.
Last time we met…
The two sides last met competitively back in 2000 when Vale secured a 3-1 home win thanks to goals from Tony Naylor, Tony Rougier (pictured) and a Tommy Widdrington penalty.
Overall record
Port Vale wins: 9
Port Vale losses: 19
Draws: 3
Club connections…
Probably the most memorable transfer between the two sides was Jon McCarthy’s then club record move in 1997. McCarthy signed for City for a fee of £1.5m.
Other players to appear for both clubs include:
- Darren Purse
- Jason Beckford
- Terry Lees
- Lee Jenkins
- Jay O’Shea
- Geoff Horsfield
- Phil Sproson
- Steve Fox
- Noel Kinsey
- Marcus Bent
Video vault…
From YouTube here is a clip from 1996: