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I don’t see what more she could have said in the statement to be honest. Emotions are running high, so whatever she says, people will undoubtedly find something wrong with it if they want to. yes mistakes have been made, but I don’t agree with all the Carol out talk and all that nonsense. Protests etc are there for when the club is in a catastrophic position and could disappear or the owner(s) are that much of a shyster and asset stripping the club. Neither of those scenarios ring true here. The club isn’t at risk of closing, the owner isn’t taking the club for all the money she can (in fact she’s losing money), she’s simply made some poor business decisions (Flitcroft) and we’ve had a dreadful season. There are 92 league clubs. Out of those 92, 12 clubs are relegated every season. It’s the nature of the game. If the fans of every club relegated, protested to remove their owners each year, there’d be no one left to own a football club. I think past history has made a protest the first port (no pun intended) of call for some Vale fans, when it fact it should be the final measure, the extreme if the life of the club is at risk. Carol has accepted her mistakes and vowed to support the club still. We have to now accept what has happened, enjoy the summer off (the euros etc) and come back in August and do the same. What other option is there? And no, I’m not a happy clapper by any stretch of the imagination, put calling for an owner to leave who is actually financially propping up the club rather than taking it for all it’s worth, is not the solution in my mind.

Only those with a committed desire to give her a kicking would have an issue with this. As others have said - just do your best to get it right. She’s made a load of mistakes but made a load of good decisions before that. I still think we’re in an overall, long-term good position with Carol Shanahan. Fingers crossed this was a step back that she learns from.

I’m sorry but that’s just virtue signaling political waffle. And please don’t state that you’ve always put the football side of things first because it’s a blatant lie. Even on our relegation day she mentions the community. Just get the summer right. Get proper footballers on the pitch. Real men with fight passion and skill. And stop making empty promises.

Regardless of players, I just want us to scrap this wingback bullshìt formation. Play with proper wingers and attack and be positive, instead of this dull boring crap and not having a clue what to do when we hit the half way line because we have zero options going forward. Oh and sign players for those actual positions, instead of signing players and playing them out of position for the entire season. It's suicide.

It hasn’t been only a bad season. It’s been an atrocious 16 months. From Garlick being tossed aside, to Clarkes sacking, to Flitcroft become all things football, to Crosbys boring tippy tappy crap, to a cup run we got caught up in despite playing anyone of significance, to three shambolic transfer windows, to relying on loan players and kids, to giving Flitcroft another January window and yet again no striker in sight, to sacking Crosby who should have been gone months before, to then sacking Flitcroft who should have never taken over the football side in the first place, to the embarrassing pathetic open letter from Carol, to her even more embarrassing pathetic these players are phenomenal speech, to Flitcrofts relegation isn’t in my vocabulary arrogance , to god awful players, to Darren Moore who quite frankly I’ve no idea what his philosophy is, to no bogs in the paddock, to the cringeworthy “El Presidente”, to the arrogance of the entire hierarchy of our proud football club of 148 years. Shame on you all. Disgraceful season. Anyone who actually turns up next week needs to see a doctor. The fans don’t deserve League 2 football. The club and those associated on the payroll do. Pathetic Vale. Pathetic.

Statement is fine, actions will speak louder than words. This will take some repairing for me to return though. Can’t say I’m looking forward to seeing Moore’s vale side next season The line ‘what happens on the pitch has always been a priority’ is a load of <ovf censored> though.

To be fair I'm amazed we haven't finished bottom having witnessed the performances on offer this season. I have seen many relegations but never on this scale of expected disappointments from this team. An absolutely dreadful season after all the noises off the pitch indicating otherwise. Sent from my CPH2195 using onevalefan mobile app

If folks are demanding she lost every mistake she’s made, chapter and verse, then you’ve gone off the deep end. She’s apologised, hurting, and has promised to put it right ASAP. Season’s done. Euro’s soon. Cricket will be on. Sun will be out. Go and do something else apart from think about Port Vale, as I think we’ve all done a bit too much of that in a completely negative sense. Scrutinising an apology statement and demanding more contrition, more apology, more justice from a woman we were worshipping two years ago as we romped home at Wembley is indicative of the negative feeling taking over. I’m not sure what ‘MORE APOLOGIES!’ would do apart from make some fans feel vindicated. She’s accepted she’s ballsed it. Relegation is disappointing and was avoidable, but it’s come and gone now. The owner and the manager will be in situ. Genuinely take 2 weeks away from PVFC and come at it again fresh.

Very much from the heart. We’re all feeling the pain and frustration. Frustration that relegation could so easily have been avoided. Onto next season and its not just up to Carol, the staff and the players, it’s also up to the fans to stick with the club through the bad times as well as the good.

Back home and the biggest thing for me is don't feel anything, the players, management, DOF, owners have made me feel like this, not even bothered after getting relegated, I said it the day the transfer window shut was the day we went down. Today could easily have been another 7, absolute shambles at the back and stuck with most of these wasters again next year. For me I would only have Ripley, Garrity, Chislett, Dippepa and Plant and give him a go where he spent his youth career and see how he goes. The rest are not good enough and most don't care, never want to see the likes of Ojo, Massey, Jones, Grant, Loft in a Vale shirt again.

I wish people would stop rewriting history. Matty Taylor was getting pelters on here during his spell with us. No one wanted to sign him! Why are people now saying we should have?! Sent from my SM-G981B using onevalefan mobile app

Well heartfelt commiserations to you guys, you put up a good show yesterday, fortuitous at times maybe but you had your moments too. One thing I will say is a big call out to your fans who were as noisy and supportive as any we’ve had at the ToughSheet this season. It wasn’t to be but look forward not back and think of those celebrations next year when you’re back up again, which I’m sure you will be. Good luck next season. 👏😉

We can go on and on and round and round with pro and anti Carol posts. It will not change a thing, Carol will still be the owner/chairwoman and Darren Moore will still be the manager, unless there is another multi millionaire ready to buy a club haemmoraging £65k a week. Accordingly I will give Carol the benefit of the doubt regarding her latest missive and watch with interest to see if it manifests into positive actions. I have had a few rants about results, performances and attitudes, but as a lifelong Vale fan I will be there next Saturday and next season supporting the team I love. Hopefully the majority of you will be right there with me.

The problem is it’s all becoming a bit repetitive, we were told last year we would learn the lessons from the poor January transfer window but then we proceeded to do exactly the same again this January, we also appear to have made the same mistakes with the managerial changes. The most annoying thing is the majority of fans saw this coming a long long time ago and have now been proved right yet those who make the decisions didn’t, let’s hope they don’t repeat these mistakes again or we’ll be looking over our shoulders again next season.

I’ll say it now….. If the academy lads stay and we go into next season with Dipepa, Lomax, Shorrock, Plant, Walters etc, as regular starters, we will be in for a long hard season battling for our league status. Those lads, maybe not Dipepa, need to be on loan to national league north teams. To gamble on those kids will be just that. A huge gamble. We need a proper football team of men next season to fight at the right end of the table.

Simple. I'm a Vale fan - always have been, always will be. Today was a bad day, we're dropping down to EFL2. I hate that. BUT I love the Vale. Cut me in half and it says Port Vale - like a stick of rick all the way through. Am I looking forward to life back in 2...?? Like <ovf censored> I am, but I'll do 10 home and 10 away like I always do. The season after (the way business is going) I'll buy a full season ticket, too. As the song says - I'm Vale Till I Die m8 That's why.

Same here, makes me really angry when things like this happen. Once again it looks like the Premier League are meddling in games that have nothing to do with them. What effect does a round one or two replay have on the Premier League? They aren't even involved at that stage. It's probably all down to the Premier League throwing their toys out of the pram and threatening to reduce payments unless they get their way. It was the same when B sides came into the Football League Trophy. The sooner a regulator comes in and levels the financial playing field so the EFL clubs aren't so cash-strapped and can stand up to these bullyboy tactics, the better. Oh, and while they're at it - how are the Premier League getting on with the 100-odd financial mismanagement charges levelled at Man City from as far back as 2009. Or do only Forest and Everton get docked points nowadays?

She’s damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t. Makes a statement and people moan, if she hadn’t made a statement people would moan that they wanted a statement and an apology. She’s done the right thing by saying something. We move on to next season now and see what happens.

You appear to conveniently forget recent history. When the club was owned/run by Bratt/Deakin and Co and then Smurthwaite I can't remember any wealthy people with a genuine interest in and desire to own PVFC clamoring to buy the club, just the opposite in fact, so what makes you think anything has changed. I remember a plastic turf man from mid west USA, a pie in the sky rumor that a hedge fund from Boston, USA was interested, a mystery man with a bag of cash who paid for a pre-season trip and quickly buggered off. Fans knew all about these prospective purchasers and more, there are likely no Shanahan equivalents lying low waiting to pounce or the fans would know. My first game at Vale Park was Port Vale 2 QPR 3 in the early 60's, PVFC is in my blood, I'm from Kickrew, I love oatcakes and Stoke-on-Trent but if I ever came into a large amount of money I wouldn't want to own the Vale, I'd gift the club money and let Carol run it. Who would put their family in the firing line and be on the receiving end of bilge the moment something adverse happened.

Definitely not Darren’s fault. He is desperately unlucky and it is nothing to do with him whatsoever that he has presided over 5 wins in 39 matches. He should not in any way, shape or form have any accountability for what is probably an unprecedented bad run in English football management. It’s all the owners and Players fault. Poor Darren, I feel sorry for him.

I am very angry at some of Carol's awful decisions because there was an air of arrogance to some of them, but, I'm trying not to be angry at her, just disappointed. However, she's fronted up, accepted responsibility, apologised, and committed to spending next season. We're already losing £65,000 a week. Given how she's been literally crying at Vale Park in recent weeks I would imagine today will have been horrendous for her, and, particularly in view of the funding she's put into the club, I do genuinely feel sorry for her despite none of us needing to be in this situation if she could 1) Be less tunnel visioned and 2) just learn to listen. It is not for me to say but I believe she's also been ill over the last year, adding to my empathy. It's a nuanced situation where she's <ovf censored> up and created expensive lessons for herself - hopefully she's learned them. There is much in her favour though. I think the anger should be directed at the horrific recruitment record and the number of dosser players who don't care. I'm actually looking forward to Cambridge as it's the last time some of them will embarass the badge.

Technically she didn’t turn a blind eye. She endorsed it and backed it up with a patronising letter… Some big questions to be answered and about time we heard something.

Dictated to again. So any non league club who may hold a biggy to a draw will miss out on a big pay day and tv money. Vile at times the Premier is. All selfish clubs.

Let’s not re-write history on Crosby the last time we saw one of his teams was the most pathetic surrender of all this season at Fleetwood. He had completely lost it by that point and had to go. Am I remaining to be convinced by Moore given how he started? Yes but let’s not act like it’d have been any different with Crosby as that’s just not true. Crosby also had the advantage there were two transfer windows (which thanks to Flitcroft we failed in) and Moore has yet to have one.

Bill Bratt is a dreadful, dreadful man and is despised by a good proportion of PVFC fans. They say he finally left our football club was absolutely fantastic. Awful bloke. Are you related to him/a mate?

For me there’s one gaping hole in her statement that leaves me some way short of getting back on board. Nowhere does she say backing Flitcroft was a mistake and nowhere does she apologise specifically for her previous ‘open letter’ where she had a really good go at belittling Vale fans. Her ‘mistakes’ have had too big a consequence for a generic apology to suffice.

I think Crosby would have kept us up. That’s how bad Moore has been.

Don't worry about me - my mental attitude is still better than many of the morons on here - including yours. But I've been with the Vale through relegations before which is why I don't stamp my feet and throw my dummy out of the pram...or yap yap yap like some of you. My "ramblings"? Some of you can't even read properly, but I don't believe I've written anything but the truth. As for my absence - it has nothing to do with not being paid by Flitcroft - which is very nearly libellous - but more to do with my recovering from having half a leg amputated! I rarely have to worry about the upset I may cause people on here - my personal attacks are mostly in response to being attacked. So - I won't be around as much for a while...but I'll be in the disabled sector more, next season, now that some pain has gone away...leaving just a few pains on here! Looking forward to a rebuild, and another promotion season, next time round! UTYV VTID Happy Claooers rule!!!

Turn your back on your club over a few mistakes by a generous owner says more about you Have a good summer sad sacks

Phil Sproson says we’ve got league two players. We haven’t, they’re not capable of playing at that standard.

The club has, what, nearly 500 members of staff? But Colin Garlick, a man who was said by Carol and Kevin (remember him?) was an incredible asset, an invaluable resource etc etc No room for him at the club. His departure from the club had to be hastened. We need to add 50-60 members of staff every year but League Two CEO of the Year Colin Garlick? Yeah, get him out of the club ASAP. We NEED 20% increases in staff numbers year on year, but Colin Garlick? Nah, don't need him mate, he'd be a spare part wouldn't he? Get him gone. Actually, you know what? I don't buy that horseshit for a single second mate.

My relative is a Bolton fan. Says they struggle against <ovf censored> sides at home. With that in mind I will go 6-0 Bolton.

Sorry mate, past caring about this. Was proud of it at one stage, embarrassing now. Port vale FOOTBALL CLUB

Who is up for the title next season ?

Anyone who claps the players off after this season needs to check themselves into the nearest insane asylum. "You're not fit to wear the shirt" should be sung loud and proud from minute 1 to 90

The biggest mistake of all the mistakes was sacking Darrell Clarke. His stock just rises and rises as more of what he had to contend with at the time becomes unravelled.

I've made a promise to myself not to check this thread several times per week over the course of the summer! I'm going to take a complete break from all things Vale over the summer & reset for next season. My hopes for the summer, we somehow manage to keep hold of Garrity & Chislett. Ripley sticks around for another season. We sign a completely new squad including strikers & actual wing backs. The young lads stick about for another year. I'm sure lots of that stuff won't happen, but let's see. Have a great summer everybody & see you on the other side! Try to stick with the club. We're all Vale aren't we. 😊

Undoubtedly we'll oblige.

And exactly who do you want to take over. How many multi millionaires do you know in north Stoke on Trent...?? I've read some dumb messages on here in my time but this comes close to the best ever. She's made mistakes - including on Flitcroft (the guy who helped recruit DC and some of the players that gave us one of best days ever at Wembley, and recruited Alfie and Ollie, but hey ho) - she's admitted mistakes. It's time to move on. As others have said, actions are what's needed - there are some quite poor players that need to be hot rid of, one way or another. Like Wrexham and Stockport, a new DoF needs a good budget and bring in some good players. Moore needs a good squad - not the shower of <ovf censored> he's got right now. If we can retain the key players and ask them to fight at least one season in EFL2 that will help. Lots to do. She's did it before - I'm happy to give her the time and space to do it again. UTV and KTF

You see, when you royally <ovf censored> up in life (and we’ve all been there) you are normally held accountable to a handful of people. She’s accountable to thousands who have loved this club long before she was around. That statement is like a fella begging his Mrs to stay, with a big speech about how he’s sorry for cheating and look at how much I love you. There’s no disgrace in owning your <ovf censored> ups in life. One single sorry followed by how much I love you just doesn’t wash. A better statement would have been how sorry she was in taking her eye off the ball. How sorry she was for giving Flitcroft those windows and allowing him to dictate the club. How sorry she was for not fixing things like the toilets in the paddock whilst yards away she eats prawn sandwiches with Robbie Williams. How sorry she was for getting rid of good people at the club who were at the heart of our play off success. How sorry she was for royally <ovf censored> up this football club when the fans were <ovf censored> telling her 18 months ago! Her promises and words now mean nothing. Honeymoon period well and truly over.

Ben and Chizzy will definitely have clubs after them. Id be amazed if they were Vale players next season and I'd wish Ben all the best.

🚨True fan alert 🚨 If you want to go watch an already relegated side try and avoid the 14th home defeat out of 23 this season, crack on. Thousands won't.

I’m as moany as they come and I’ll be renewing.

Just so. Such hostility is completely unjustified towards someone who, despite this season's very poor outcome, has only ever tried hard to help and restore our club. In certain cases, the hostility is because they are closet Stoke supporters trying to harm our club by offending and alienating our greatest benefactor. But the genuine Vale supporters who also join in are beyond all reason - let's go out of our way to be offensive to the person who is the sole reason why Vale still exists after Smurthwaite leeched it dry. I hope that those genuine Vale supporters have a careful think about their actions and the potential consequences.

Must be hell in lancytonys house tonight, been missing for weeks since Flitcroft stopped paying him to post on here and now we're down and all his ramblings from the season look mental.

Play 90 minutes?

I won’t be feigning praise for individuals at the club over this. To be fair if awards like this are a person’s priorities then maybe they should be running a charity or social enterprise, not a football club. It’s good work for sure, but not the most appropriate or effective approach. There are countless organisations to choose from for these particular endeavours and it would be more fitting and impactful to raise awareness for those causes and support them which they are set up for, not to compete against. This is really a case of caring more about feeling good than doing good IMO. Let’s actually focus on getting our priorities in order on the pitch. It’s what PVFC is for. My suggestion would be, if championing causes because you care about them and not the awards, then the appropriate thing would be partnerships and sponsorships with food banks and local or even national charities. Donate a matchday shirt sponsorship, or matchday sponsor. Why the need to go for these things for the plaudits? The club shouldn’t be trying to do the work others are already doing. We’re supposed to be a football club.

Must run in the family

Sorry m8. Have to call this out as bollox. The club has been left in a pitiful state by Smurf and others. It is ramshackle and falling apart at the seems with many parts of the ground in a condemned state. Carol has had ZERO choice but to put in much needed funds to get the stadium in a fit state - even then we get his with unforeseen things like the paddock bogs that need doing. It's never ending. Shes done wonders for this club since being here. Has she made some big mistakes - absolutely and admits that. But it's never ever good enough for some people. They're just going to hate. If you don't want to go and watch the Vale that's your choice. I will continue and be a supporter. You could always turn left or right on the 500 if you prefer. Many have done so in the past. UTV

A traffic cone would be an improvement on Loft and Uche.