My best Port Vale XI: “it’s been difficult to choose” but here’s Carl’s select eleven…

This is the seventh in a new series where OVF is asking fans to name a team of their best-ever Port Vale players in a 4-4-2 formation. This time, Carl gives us his choices…

About me

Hi, my name is Carl. It seems a ‘common theme’ for many that I, along with many others went to Vale one week and Stoke the next when I started going to football matches having moved back to Stoke-on-Trent in the late 60’s.

The first Vale game that sticks in my mind was an away game at Notts County in the promotion season 69/70, it took until 1975 for me to shake off the shackles of the ‘Mighty Potters’ when I was old enough and wise enough to work out that Vale were the team for me.

It’s been pretty much my life since then and there’s only a handful of grounds I still haven’t been to in order to fulfil the ’92 – all being with the Vale. I have stood or sat in pretty much every part of Vale Park, I miss the original scoreboard which stood on top of the Hamill and you needed a programme to see which letters/scores equated to which games, that along with changing ends either just before kick-off or at half-time

My all-time favourite game has to be the 2-0 victory that sealed promotion at Stockport, my first ‘real’ promotion with my favourite Vale Manager the Giant (on and off the pitch) John McGrath. Other memorable games (apart from the much renowned obvious ones) would include a 2-2 draw at Newcastle United, a 3-0 victory at Barnsley, a 2-0 victory at Wolves on my birthday in 1991 and the win at Cardiff that set Vale up for the Brighton party-in-the rain.

My choices

So, onto my best eleven. With the game changing so much over the years, different formations, different tactics and styles of play and with so, so many players to choose from it’s been difficult to choose, here goes:

In goal I’ve gone for Paul Musselwhite – although prone to the odd ‘howler’, he played in one of our most successful periods.

My full-backs are – Alan Webb – who was solid, dependable and always gave his all, everything you want from a defender. On the left is Chris Sulley – perhaps a surprising choice, but I always liked him and I’ll never forget his free kick cross for Van der Laan’s winner in the Autoglass at Stoke.

My centre-halves are Phil Sproson and Dean Glover, Sproey is just a Vale legend and Dean Glover is the most ‘natural’ footballer I think I’ve ever seen for the Vale. Football just seemed so easy to him, almost like it wasn’t his ‘job’, more it’s just what he was.

I’ve got Steve Guppy on one wing and Mark Chamberlain on the other, just a joy to watch either and both an absolute nightmare for any defender they came up against.

Central midfield, well, this is the really difficult one with so, so many to choose from but I’ve gone for Johnny Green and Robbie Earle. Green is a distant memory (I could never understand why fans around me seemed to slate him) but for me, he was far and away one of the best midfielders we’ve ever had. Earle, well what can you say that hasn’t already been said, so versatile, so fit and always good for a goal.

Up front, although my favourite ever Vale player (Ernie Moss) doesn’t make the team, it’s also extremely difficult to choose but I’ve gone for Foyle and Andy Jones. Foyle is the epitome of a Rudge signing, a ‘club man’ and a great ‘finisher’, always in the right place at the right time and a very clever striker. Andy Jones on the other hand, young, raw and just a powerhouse forward who could also do a job between the sticks (if my memory serves me correctly).

The line-up

My sub choices

Goodlad, Aspin, Walker, Porter, Beckford

The overall best eleven