Blackpool v Port Vale preview – will it be midweek fun beside the seaside?
Andy Crosby’s side take on their second relegated side in succession as they travel to the North West coast. Here’s our preview…
Venue: Bloomfield Road stadium | Date: 15th August 2023, 7.45pm | Competition: League One
Predict the score
Preamble
It’s been a pretty hectic start to the season what with the Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday-Tuesday sequence. So far it’s been mixed results for Andy Crosby’s side but picking up points against Blackpool would turn into a decent start, despite that 0-7 opener. It doesn’t look like Vale are rushing to boost their forward numbers ahead of the transfer window deadline so goals may continue to be an issue for the Valiants.
Pre-match quotes
Whoever you play in this league there’s no easy games. We’ll approach it in exactly the same manner. We’ll do our homework; we’ll look at Blackpool and ways we can try to nullify them and ways we can exploit them…
Port Vale manager Andy Crosby
Port Vale team news
Andy Crosby has been pretty proactive with his team lineups so far so it’s a tricky task to predict what the starting eleven will be. One key issue will be whether Ellis Harrison is fit to be in contention. If he’s not, then it’s highly likely Vale will continue with pacy Josh Thomas upfront by himself. There’s still been no sign of summer signings Jason Lowe or Kofi Balmer so far while Tom Conlon remains on the long-term injured list.
Vale’s one to watch…
Midfielder Oliver Arblaster had an excellent game on his full League debut for the Valiants. The Sheffield United loanee was named as the sponsors man of the match and is likely to retain his place on Tuesday. Still only nineteen years of age, Arblaster looks to have a big future ahead of him.
Opposition team news
Blackpool have boosted their ranks with the loan addition of Jenson Weir from Brighton. He joins summer recruits Ollie Norburn, Richard O’Donnell and Matthew Pennington in the Seasiders squad. Meanwhile Reece James and Jerry Yates have departed for pastures new. Blackpool won their first home game of the season (a 2-0 win over Burton) and drew 0-0 at Exeter over the weekend.
Blackpool’s one to watch…
Striker Jake Beesley will be well-known to Vale fans after strong performances in a Rochdale shirt. He joined Blackpool in 2022 and has already netted twice this season.
Man in charge
44 year-old Neil Critchley is back in charge at Blackpool for a second spell. First appointed in 2020, he won promotion to the Championship in his second season in charge. He moved to QPR in 2022 but when he was dismissed he returned to Blackpool for a second spell in May 2023. His Blackpool record is 112 games in charge with a win ratio of 42%.
Familiar faces
Midfielder Ben Garrity will be making a return to the club that brought him into League football in 2020. Garrity has been a huge success at Vale Park since joining in 2021. He was named player of the year in 2022, while also scoring twelve times and winning promoion via the play-offs. He scored his first goal of this season at the weekend in Vale’s 1-0 win over Reading.
Old boys club…
There’s been several players to appear for both sides in recent years. The list includes goalkeeper Jak Alnwick, midfielder Danny Pugh, striker Steve McPhee, midfielder Callum Guy and striker Mark Cullen.
Through the years…
The two sides first met way back in 1898 when the Valiants delivered a couple of thrashings. They won the first fixture 4-0 and followed up with a 6-1 win in the return game. The Valiants won their third ever meeting 4-1 too – so that’s three wins and fourteen goals to the good in the first three fixtures! Things have evened up somewhat with the clubs now dead-level with 33 wins each. Bloomfield Road has been a reasonably happy trip in recent years with Vale winning two of the last four games. One of those games, in 2055, saw two Lee Matthews goals in six minutes settle it 2-0 in Vale’s favour.
Last time we met…
The last game ended in a 1-0 away win for Port Vale thanks to a solitary strike from forward AJ Leitch-Smith. The game took place on the 9th January 2016 and 6,527 supporters watched it.
Overall record
33 Port Vale wins | 10 draws | 33 Port Vale losses
From the archive
A clip from our YouTube channel showing a game played in 1992 and featuring two stunning goals from Ray Walker and Ian Taylor:
A brief history of…
Blackpool were founded in 1887 and moved to their Bloomfield Road ground in 1901. In the late 1930s the club entered a golden period reaching three FA Cup finals and winning the trophy in 1953 during the so-called Matthews final. Stanley Matthews was one of a number of stars to appear for the club alongside Stan Mortensen and Jackie Mudie. Despite the controversy of the Oyston family being in charge, Blackpool reached the Premier League for the first time in 2010. However, relegation saw the side tumble to the fourth division in 2016. The Oystons were removed in 2019 and the club reached the Championship again in 2021 only to be relegated back to League One at the end of last season.
In addition to their FA Cup triumph Blackpool have won the Anglo-Italian Cup (1971) and two Football League trophies.
Our traditional quiz…
- Who is the current Blackpool manager?
- What was the score the last time the two teams met?
- In which year were the club formed?
- Which Vale midfielder was signed from Blackpool?
Answers below (no cheating)…
Join the debate
Our forum is the place to be to discuss the game. Join the debate before, during and after kick-off and share your thoughts with fellow Vale fans. Just click on the link below:
Quiz answers
- Neil Critchley
- Blackpool 0-1 Port Vale
- 1887
- Ben Garrity