My best Port Vale XI: Phil says one star “could have been an England legend”

This is the fourth 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, Phil gives us his choices…

About me

My name is Phil Brooke. I used to go to both Vale and Stoke occasionally in the early/mid 80s but preferred the atmosphere at Vale, standing in the Railway Paddock seemed so much better than the Boothen End. I got hooked with the Vale after the Spurs win in the 1987/88 season and started going every home game and a good many away games.

I have loads of great memories following the Vale, some great weekends in Blackpool, Brighton and other great places while following the Vale around the country. I’d say my favourite games were Stoke in the mud, Spurs in 88 obviously, beating Mansfield at Wembley, the win at Brighton to get promoted and winning at Man City on Boxing Day.

In 2012 work took me down south moving me away from Etruria where I lived down to Cornwall. I moved to Newquay for a year and a year later to Weston Super Mare when I now live. I continued to attend Vale regularly, the year I lived in Newquay was our Mickey Adams promotional year and I went to over half the home games and a dozen or so away games clocking up thousands of miles.

I don’t attend that often now due to other commitments but still get to the Vale a few times in a season and go to half a dozen or so games away while nearly always watching the matches on the screen.

My choices

Here’s a run through of my team…

In goal I went for Mark Goodlad as Neville Southall was before my time and although plagued with injuries, Mark is the best goalkeeper I’ve seen at the Vale.

The fullbacks are – Michael Walsh. He played most his games for us in the middle but was as equally as good as full back and our defence fell apart when he got injured. On the left it was a close call between Darren Hughes and Allen Tankard but that assist at Derby means Hughes just clinches it for me.

The centre-backs are Antony Gardner and Dean Glover. Gardner had only the one season at the Vale but he was excellent, we would never have thrown the game away against QPR had he not got injured and we would not have gone down had Bell not sold him. Dean Glover was a great player but a crap manager. He was so calm on the ball, read the game so well and had a decent free kick in him.

On the wings I have Gareth Ainsworth and Steve Guppy. Ainsworth is a Vale legend, I just wished he stayed longer. Guppy developed so well under Rudge and was the best crosser of the ball I’ve seen at the Vale. he played for us when we were at our best.

Ian Taylor and Robbie Earle form the central midfield. Taylor was the best player I’ve seen at the Vale. He could play in ten different positions. Had he started pro football at a younger age he could have been an England legend. It was very hard to keep Robbie Earle out but Ray Walker was the most talented player I’ve seen at the Vale, his passing was sublime.

Upfront I’ve paired Martin Foyle with Darren Beckford. I don’t think Martin will be left out of many Vale fans first eleven. He was consistently good for season after season, held the ball up well, was good in the air, quick and the best finisher I’ve seen for the Vale. Darren Beckford was even better than Pope on the air, I didn’t know anyone could jump 12 feet. He was also a very good finisher and all paid for by the fans.

The line-up

My sub choices

Mike Stowell, Phil Sproson, Robbie Earle, Lee Mills, Robin van der Laan

The overall best eleven