“A nice touch” – Darrell Clarke on response from Port Vale fans

Cheltenham Town manager Darrell Clarke has thanked the Port Vale fans for the reception he received on Saturday afternoon.

Clarke was returning to Vale Park for the first time after being sacked and he told the local media: “I had a great rapport with the Port Vale fans and we had a great couple of years. They are a passionate bunch, I thank them for all the love and support they gave me while I was manager here. And the Cheltenham fans who travelled here, I thank them for our support because they were amazing all game. It was a nice touch and I am thankful for that.”

Clarke enjoyed a winning return to Burslem as his side ran out 2-1 winners on the day. He was full of praise for his team’s performance adding: “I am proud of my players today. They didn’t leave anything out there. We’ve had to put our bodies on the line and defend when we needed to. We have created a few chances to be fair.”