4,100 away, 300 home – do ticket sales reveal Vale fans’ attitude to Checkatrade game?
Port Vale fans’ enthusiasm for a game against a Stoke City U21 side is evident by the latest ticket news ahead of the fixture.
The Valiants will take on neighbours Stoke City’s U21 side in the knock-out stages of the Checkatrade Trophy.
Stoke City have revealed that the away end has sold-out with 4,100 tickets sold wheras Vale say they have only sold 300 home tickets.
The news is hardly surprising. The introduction of U21 sides (or B teams) into the competition has ostracised many fans and has drawn much criticism (including our piece here) and to be drawn against a local rival’s B team is clearly a step too far for Vale fans used to competing with (and often beating) the Stoke senior side.
Port Vale owner Norman Smurthwaite has a different opinion and has appealed to Vale fans to turn up telling the media: “I can understand home fans having a view but I don’t think this is the way to do it because this competition will continue, it will not die, it will continue to propser and eventually it will get the people behind it. How long that takes, who knows?”
What are your thoughts on the Checkatrade Trophy game against Stoke U21? Place your vote below…
Paul Cooper
26th November 2018 @ 6:31 am
This competition is an insult to lower league teams.
Peter Smith
28th November 2018 @ 4:01 pm
Firstly, I want to make it clear that my own opinion is that the new format of the Checkatrade Trophy is flawed, insulting to lower league clubs and has all but ruined a decent and useful competition that has seen Vale have two glorious moments in finals at Wembley and Cardiff.
To add to the woes, drawing the junior side of our neighbours has only made things worse, and is not something I would have chosen. It is part of the price of entering the thing in the first place though.
Having said that, it is clearly up each individual how much attention and credence they wish to give the game, I can fully understand some will boycott it entirely and maybe not even listen to the radio commentary.
Others may watch it on ifollow, possibly incurring the displeasure of a local commentator, but some will wish to attend the match, and if they do so, I hope they enjoy a Vale win and progression in the trophy.
It is bad enough having to face the prospect of losing face by being outnumbered in support and possibly losing the tie, but let’s not break ranks and give the opposition fans the pleasure of seeing in-fighting between those who want to be involved and those who don’t.
Life deals you certain hands – and Vale and its loyal supporters like the 100-odd who were heroic enough to go to Yeovil and were rewarded well – are big enough to deal with this situation of a ‘plastic derby’ that really shouldn’t be bothering us too much.