Port Vale have been in existence since the late nineteenth century and one of the club’s most controversial chapters concerns the management spell under Stanley Matthews.
Football remains extremely popular in the UK, along with football betting, which is one of the biggest pastimes in the country together with other live games like poker and baccarat live games all of which can be done online. But long before the internet was invented, what happened to Port Vale under the management of Sir Stanley Matthews? Let’s explore how it went…
Who is Stanley Matthews?
Sir Stanley Matthews is one of the country’s first footballing stars and is widely considered the best player of his generation, and one of the greatest players England has produced. He was known as the “Wizard of the Dribble”, famous for his ball control. His career spanned 33 years, playing in 717 club matches, scoring 71 goals, and winning the F.A. Cup in the 1952-53 season with Blackpool. Despite his most significant success coming at Blackpool, he started and ended his career at Stoke City, racking up over 300 appearances for the Potters. However, what’s less well-known is that their close rivals, Port Vale, were his only managerial appointment.
Early days as General Manager
Before the summer of 1965, when Matthews first joined the club, Port Vale was performing poorly on and off the pitch. They had just been relegated to the fouth division of football and recorded a loss of over £15,000 the previous season. However, the mood brightened around the club when Matthews agreed to join the club for the 1965-66 season as general manager. He worked closely with his good friend Jack Mudie to create a long-term strategy for the club’s future, focusing on developing players that could be sold on for large fees. The press and fans were excited by what Matthews had promised, and over 11,000 spectators showed up for the club’s first game, where they beat Colchester United.
First team coach
After two seasons of working together, Jack Mudie stepped down from the club, citing personal reasons, and Matthews took the helm as first-team coach. After Mudie had left, there were rumours that the real reason was that the Port Vale board didn’t give him the time needed to implement their long-term plan for the club. In Mudie’s absence, Matthews continued their policy and looked on course for a decent finish. However, an investigation into Port Vale’s accounting found that the club had breached rules regarding the payment of its players. They were punished with a £4000 fine and were expelled from the Football League the following season.
Stepping down
Despite expulsion from the Football League, Port Vale applied to be reinstated to the fourth division, embarking on a campaign that Matthews spearheaded. While the campaign was ultimately successful, and Port Vale was reinstated to the Football League for the 1968/69 season, Matthews stepped down as head coach. He was one of the key figures at the club that had allowed the chaos that ultimately led to the club’s downfall, and he had to shoulder some of the blame. As a result, Port Vale was the first and only club that Sir Stanley Matthews managed in the UK.
Post-managerial life
After touring the world, coaching in the US, Canada, Australia, and Africa, Sir Stanley Matthews retired to Stoke-on-Trent with his wife Mila in 1989. He died on the 23rd of February 2000, after falling ill while on holiday.
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