Photo Essay: Darren Beckford signs for Port Vale

About the Darren Beckford signing

The addition of Manchester City striker Darren Beckford to the Port Vale ranks was a masterstroke by manager John Rudge but the signing itself was a close-run affair.

First, Port Vale fans raised half of the transfer fee through bucket collections with the board of directors pledging to match the sum raised. An FA tribunal agreed the fee. Port Vale initially offered £5,000 and Manchester City wanted £60,000.

Luckily, the final sum was closer to Port Vale’s proposal with the decision of a £15,000 fee being made. After signing for the Valiants, Beckford is pictured with (from left) midfielder Andy Porter, chairman Bill Bell, defender Alan Webb, midfielder Gary Hamson, Beckford, winger Paul Smith, striker Richard O’Kelly and manager John Rudge.

The forward would go on to be a huge success for the club. Beckford went on to score 68 goals in 167 league games, helping the club to promotion via the play-offs in 1989. After four successive seasons as the club’s top scorer he earned a £925,000 move to Norwich City in 1991. He later had spells with Oldham Athletic, Hearts, Preston North End, Fulham, Walsall and Rushden and Diamonds.

His spell at Vale was certainly a memorable one but not without its moments. Manager John Rudge commented: “Darren Beckford was a brilliant striker for the Vale, but a nightmare to manage. It was like throwing a blancmange at the wall, you just hope that a bit of it sticks!”