Port Vale v Charlton Athletic preview – the Valiants future in League One seems all but secure so can they finish their travels on a high note?
Match Info
Venue: The Valley | Date: 28th April 2023, 3pm | Competition: League One
Predict the score
Pre-match quote
The message is absolutely the same from me; togetherness, unity, discipline, hard work, making sure we are a League One football club. We have put ourselves in a better position after last week’s performance. A large number of fans are travelling down to London to watch the game so we owe it to ourselves, to them and the football club to approach this game in the exactly the same way we did last week…
Port Vale interim manager Andy Crosby
Port Vale team news
The important victory over Bristol Rovers came at a cost with both James Wilson and Ellis Harrison not lasting past the half-time interval. If neither are to be risked then it’s likely that replacements Jamie Proctor and Danny Butterworth will start although loanee Matty Taylor is another option. Fellow forward Dennis Politic returns after suspension.
Wingback David Worrall is another doubt after being replaced on 53 minutes. Gavin Massey could deputise if Worrall is unable to make it.
Midfielder Ben Garrity and defender Lewis Cass could return to the squad but Dan Jones remains sidelined.
Opposition team news
Ryan Inniss will serve the final game of his three-match suspension, while Lucas Ness (knee), Corey Blackett-Taylor (hamstring) and Chuks Aneke (hamstring) remain sidelined.
Man in charge
Unfortunately for fans of hilariously bitter post-match comments, Ben Garner parted company with Charlton earlier this season. His replacement was former Bristol City boss Dean Holden. Holden has been in charge for 24 games with a 41% win ratio.
Familiar faces
Familiar facesHe’s currently suspended so Vale won’t face Ryan Innis on Saturday afternoon – a player who had two loan spells with the Valiants. Innis first joined the club in February 2015 before injury ended his spell. He returned in July 2015 and made a total of 22 appearances for the club. He joined Charlton in 2020.
Face from the past
Face from the pastWinger Jerome Thomas had distinctly contrasting spells with both clubs. He joined Chartlon in 2003 for £100,000 and played seventy games in the Premier League during a six year spell. He joined the Valiants in 2016 and played for a single season with the club relegated to League Two at the end of it.
Through the years…
The two sides first met back in 1930 when it finished in a 1-1 draw. Meetings have been few and far between since then with just 32 over the proceeding 92 years. Vale are unbeaten in their last three home fixtures against Charlton. However, it’s a different story at the Valley with Vale’s last win coming way back in 1996.
Last time we met…
The Valiants were labelled “anti-football” by perennial critic Ben Garner, who was presumably still smarting from losing a play-off match against Vale the previous season. It was an odd comment to make as Vale’s winner, from Danny Butterworth was arguably the best move of the game. It finished 1-0 to the Vale. Luckily for supporters, Garner’s no longer at Charlton to continue his one-man anti-Vale campaign.
Overall record
9 Port Vale wins | 10 draws | 14 Port Vale losses
From the archives
Courtesy of our YouTube channel, here’s a look back at Tony Naylor’s superb hat-trick at the Valley back in 1996.
A brief history of…
The club was founded in 1905 and turned professional in 1920, joining the Football League one year later. They have largely played at the Valley since 1919 apart from brief spells at the Mount and Selhurst Park. Charlton were promoted to Division One in 1936 and finished second the next season. Beaten finalists in 1946, they lifted the FA Cup in 1947. The departure of Jimmy Seed in 1956, manager for 23 years, saw the club relegated out of the top-flight the following year. They returned to the top-flight in 1986 before being relegated in 1990. Charlton won the 1998 play-off final to make their debut in the Premier League. Though they were relegated the next year, they returned in 2000 to spend seven successive years in the Premier League.
Were you paying attention?
Our traditional quiz…
- Who is the current Charlton Athletic manager?
- What was the score the last time the two teams met?
- In which year were the club formed?
- In what year did Charlton win the FA Cup?
Answers below (no cheating)…
- Dean Holden
- Port Vale 1-0 Charlton Athletic
- 1905
- 1947
Image: “Charlton Athletic” by foshie is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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