Five of our favourite quotes by Port Vale legend Roy Sproson
He’s a Port Vale legend – so here’s a small selection of our favourite Roy Sproson quotes
Roy Sproson quotes
On his debut for Port Vale in 1950…
“Other than the fact that I was naturally nervous and that it was a fine day, I do not recall too much about that first appearance at Gillingham back in November, 1950…”
On facing Stanley Matthews in 1954…
“I fancied myself as a tackler. Suddenly he’s coming at me down the touchline, jockeying, shimmying, his classic situation. Lo and behold he goes and shoves the ball too far in front of him: he’s given it me. I smile to myself and think, ‘Watch this, folks, I’m bloody taking the ball off Matthews.’ Then bloody hell, unbelievable. Just as my toe was an eighth of an inch from the ball, he’s found another gear, two ruddy gears, and his toe comes and sniffs it past me and he’s skipping over my sliding leg and is away. I didn’t just think I had him, I knew I had him – and now here I was flat on my backside realising genius is really genius, and the crowd all laughing…”
On the legendary “Iron Curtain” season 1953-54…
“At the time, we did not know what it was like to lose and the thought never occurred to us. We were convinced, in fact, that we could not be beaten…”
On not breaking the one club appearance record…
“The game, which many still talk about, is the game that I did not play. That was League game number 765 which would have broken Jimmy Dickson’s record for appearances for a single club. I have heard many people hold Gordon Lee to blame for this. Why did he not give me those extra few games? I was being asked. The truth is that had it not been for Gordon Lee I would never have been anywhere near Dickinson’s achievement by the time I packed up. It should be remembered that for three seasons running Gordon Lee talked me out of retirement. That I did not beat Dickinson’s record, never bothered me at all…”
Finally, Roy Sproson on his Vale career…
“I have always loved the game and I have always loved the club. The satisfaction of playing the game I love for the club I love has always been enough for me…”