These days, European football is the exclusive playground of the richest clubs on the continent.
But once upon a time, the Anglo-Italian Cup provided lower league sides with an opportunity to sample continental football – and in 1995/96, Port Vale took the chance with both hands.
They reached the final against Genoa, played out in front of nearly 13,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. And while the result didn’t go the Valiants’ way, the starting eleven that took to the hallowed turf that fateful day in March 1996 will forever be remembered.
But what happened to them next?
Paul Musselwhite
In 2023/24, all eyes will be on the Champions League final, with Real Madrid taking on Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.
Madrid will go off as the 6/10 favourites in the Champions League betting odds, but the Germans could take a leaf out of Vale’s book as an underdog that thrived on the Wembley stage.
Mind you, the busiest player on the pitch in the first half was Paul Musselwhite, who found himself picking the ball out of the net on three occasions as Genoa romped into a 3-0 lead.
The Anglo-Italian Cup was a series of lunatic tournaments featuring abandoned matches, broken jaws, and fans going tonto.#OnThisDay in 1996, Genoa beat Port Vale 5-2 in the cursed competition's last game.
Here's the highlights, go below for the history.https://t.co/TLdYX8Deva
— MUNDIAL (@MundialMag) March 17, 2020
Musselwhite went on to make more than 800 senior appearances in goal – 312 of them coming for Vale, before embarking on a new journey as a goalkeeping coach. At the time of writing, he’s on the books at Scunthorpe United.
Andy Hill
Another Vale centurion is Andy Hill, who made exactly 100 appearances for the club between 1995 and 1998.
The right-back saw out his playing days at Vale Park, before returning his hand to coaching – including a stint near Las Vegas with the Nevada Wonders.
Gareth Griffiths
The commanding centre-back was something of a fan favourite at Vale Park, where he played 94 times before moving to Wigan Athletic.
Griffiths served as a committee member with the Professional Footballers’ Association post-retirement, before making a career U-turn as a financial services advisor.
Neil Aspin
A Vale legend who needs no introduction, Neil Aspin served the club as a player – with nearly 350 appearances to his name – and as manager between 2017 and 2019.
It’s not impossible that he will return to the club in some capacity in the future.
Dean Stokes
Left-back Stokes played 37 minutes of the Anglo-Italian Cup final, before being substituted after picking up an injury.
He left Vale to join Rochdale in 1998, turning his hand to coaching after playing – it’s believed that he’s now a P.E. teacher.
Jon McCarthy
Mercurial winger McCarthy once left Port Vale to join Birmingham City for £1.5 million – one of the highest transfer fees that the club has ever received.
He too has gone into coaching since the end of his playing days, managing Chester and taking assistant coach’s roles at Southport and current club Connah’s Quay in Wales.
Andy Porter
A 12-year stint as a player at Port Vale ensures Andy Porter is highly regarded at Vale Park – he has since served the club as caretaker boss alongside Dean Glover.
Temporary stints in charge at Chester and York City have been followed by his current roles as first-team coach at Nantwich Town.
Ian Bogie
Dynamic midfielder Ian Bogie was a terrace history while pulling on the white shirt.
He was revered as manager too, guiding Gateshead to a pair of promotions from non-league to the National League. Bogie was later tasked with coaching a team at Newcastle United.
Steve Guppy
The classy left winger is in a rare club of former Port Vale players that won an England cap.
Guppy has also coached at a high level, crossing the Atlantic to assist Gary Smith at MLS outfit Colorado Rapids. He then linked up with former boss Martin O’Neill at Sunderland and the Republic of Ireland, before a short stint coaching back at the Vale.
Lee Glover
Former Vale striker Lee Glover is still a highly-vaunted coach to this day – his current employer, Doncaster Rovers, enjoying a remarkable run to the League 2 play-offs this term.
https://twitter.com/drfc_official/status/1789050612920816083
Glover has also worked with Derby County, Peterborough United, and Mansfield Town in a backroom capacity.
Martin Foyle
Both of Vale’s goals in that Anglo-Italian Cup final were scored by the one and only Martin Foyle.
His time as a player and manager at the club needs no introduction, but it’s his latter days as a head of recruitment at Northampton Town, Morecambe, and St Mirren that have perhaps gone under the radar.
Will Vale fans get to celebrate a set of players as successful as this ever again?
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