The concept is simple – a starting eleven of Port Vale players whose playing careers preceded all modern-day fans.
Naturally, this eleven is based on reputation alone but we hope it is of interest and may even prompt some debate. For practical purposes, we have selected a more modern 4-4-2 formation for the side.
Teddy Peers
Goalkeeper (1922-23)
The club’s first International with four Welsh caps the veteran keeper was the lynchpin of a resilient backline. Peers inspired confidence in his defence and such was his own self-confidence, he reportedly spent time during games, leaning on the hoardings chatting to fans. Sounds like a terrace favourite to us.
Jack Maddock
Right-back (1923-1931)
Maddock sounds to us like the sort of man you’d want in the trenches with you. He started his career at Stoke City before suffering a cartlidge injury, usually a career ending injury at the time. Not for Jack. Unable to play football or even continue his other job as a carpenter, he spent 75 guineas (several thousand pounds in today’s money) to have surgery. It worked, he had a trial with Port Vale and that led to an eight year stay during which he won promotion in 1929.
Jimmy Oakes
Left-back (1923-1933)
Noted at the time for his clean play, Oakes sounds like a gentleman footballer and we think that would make him a supporter favourite. He was also talented enough to feature in a Football League XI and that, combined with a decade’s service for the club makes him an easy selection for this side.
Bob Pursell
Centre-half (1920-1922)
We couldn’t think of a better (and more intimidating) defensive pairing than the Pursell brothers. English football at the time was seeing lots of talented players coming down south from Scotland to play for English clubs. Bob was the eldest of the pair and had extensive experience before joining Vale – having played nearly 100 times for Liverpool. A member of a fearsome Vale backline, Bob was so taken by the club that he (along with his brother) bought shares in the club in the 1920s.
Peter Pursell
Centre-half (1919-1924)
Younger brother Peter joined Vale before big brother Bob. When the two were paired together they formed a ferocious pairing – in 1922 the pairing failed to concede a goal for seven games allowing keeper Teddy Peers (featured above) to be a virtual spectator. Peter was such a talent that he even earned a senior Scotland International cap when a Glasgow Rangers player.
Bob Connelly
Central midfielder (1921-1931)
The Scotsman gets the nod for his loyalty and longevity. Connelly started his career in his native Scotland, joining Vale in 1921. His consistency was admirable – at one stage he made 127 consecutive appearances for the club. By the time he retired in 1932 he had made more than 300 appearances and scored 18 goals.
Roger Jones
Central midfielder (1923-1937)
We’ll partner long-serving Connelly with one of his team-mates – the equally long-serving Burslem lad Roger Jones. The pair played together for eight years so would know each other’s game well. Jones was another incredibly loyal club servant, totalling almost 350 appearances during a 14 year spell for the Valiants – his only League club.
Richard ‘Jammer’ Evans
Right winger (1894-1899 and 1904)
Possessor of a great nickname and a thumping shot, Evans would have been a sight to behold. The “Jammer” nickname was a reference to the power of his shooting which saw him net 46 times in just 113 games. Sadly ill health and injuries put paid to his playing career.
Bert Eardley
Left winger (1899-1910)
OK, so Bert was right-footed but we want to get him into this side and judging by his attitude we reckon he would have knuckled down and thrived on the left. A local lad, Eardley was so loyal to the club that he refused to join another club when Vale went bust in 1907 and instead re-signed when the club was reformed in 1908. He ended his career at the Valiants which naturally, for such a loyal servant, was his only League club.
Jack ‘Nipper’ Roberts
Centre-forward (1935-1939)
Here’s a confession, ‘Nipper’ is probably the Port Vale we’d never seen play that we’d most liked to have met. Not only was his goal-scoring record phenomenal (74 goals in 118 games is pretty amazing) but off the field he sounds a fabulous character. Here are just two examples – in the off-season he played baseball, to such a level that he captained the England team. He then joined the army in the war, fought in the Tunisia and escaped a POW camp by marching through the desert. ‘Nipper’ we salute you!
Wilf Kirkham
Centre-forward (1923-1929 and 1932-1933)
We couldn’t have an eleven without the club record scorer in it. Wilf was clearly a goal machine. The scorer of most goals in a season (38), with 13 hat-tricks to his name and top-scorer for six seasons, the local lad was some player. He totalled a club record 164 goals from just 276 games. Arguably he could have got even more as he retired aged just 32 to take up a full-time teaching position.
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