Port Vale owner Norman Smurthwaite says he won’t sell the club until it is a better position and he wasn’t responsible for the appointment of Michael Brown.
In a wide-ranging interview on BBC Radio Stoke Smurthwaite commented that CEO Colin Garlick decided to employ manager Michael Brown but it was his decision to sack him.
I will only sell the football club when it is in a better place than when I bought it. It will not go out of the league I won’t let it…
Smurthwaite told the radio station: “I failed the club that was a big mistake.”
“There are brilliant people at Port Vale… but unfortunately there are a very small minority who want to inflict harm.
“I’m the fall guy, I’m the guy that makes decisions, I’m the guy who’s responsible, I don’t deny that but I did what I said I was going to do, I appointed someone to run the club I continue to support the club financially.”
On Michael Brown’s appointment he said: “Personally, I didn’t want to appoint Michael Brown in the summer but I walked away from the club…I genuinely believe that if he was given the right time and tuition he would make a very good manager but… I did not think it was right . I gave the authority and responsibility to a man I trust .”
Smurthwaite claims that there was a clash between former manager Rob Page and Michael Brown but “I made sure Michael Brown was relieved of his player’s contract… I made sure he wasn’t got rid off.”
” was by far the best candidate and still is the best candidate to run the football club.
“Colin rang me tonight because of the small minority of scumbags I cannot even go to the football club on my own. The police wanted to come back into the ground for security reasons but I refused as a matter of principle to see the club incur a cost because of me. I listen to you instead.
“So, I didn’t appoint him but I didn’t stand in the way of anyone because I gave my word and walked away from the day-to-day running of the football club.”
On potentially appointing Micky Adams as a replacement for Brown he commented: “Micky Adams is the only person who has made me feel safe and is one of the very few people in football that I actually trust. But why Micky would want to come back now I’m not sure.”
On his role he said: “I made a mistake I will carry to my grave if that small minority I would been at the club now pumping serious amounts of money in to attempt to get us back
“I will only sell the football club when it is in a better place than when I bought it. It will not go out of the league I won’t let it.”
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