What makes a Vale fan

[onestepatatime]

Being born into a Stoke City mad family when Mum and Dad and my Brother and I went regularly to watch City. Even in those very young days of mine I always looked for Vale's result and felt so sorry for them being at the base of the football ladder so much, compared to Stoke.

 

Eventually, without my parent's blessing I ventured to the Vale one night spending all my pocket money and I was in real love for the very first time! It's stuck ever since. That was over 30 years ago and I now attend all home matches with my season ticket and travel to as many away games as I can, along with my long suffering wife, usually.

 

It's generally in your blood from a very early age that Football fanaticism for an individual Team grows and by god it stays with you, whatever. Difficult to describe what a fan or supporter is but I consider myself to be both, for the Vale, until I die.

[bogie12secs]

A big heart

[red_rose_valiant]

Born at the vicarage in Smallthorne in '76 and played in the park opposite the ground - I think that's where jog connection comes from. Ok my parents moved up to Heywood only 2 years later but I've always had that connection. When I got round to wanting to support a football team, not until the 90s, I chose Port Vale, even though I'd lived in Blackburn for over 15 years and they were premiership champions!

[j_grainger10]

My first ever Vale game was in 96 when I had the pleasure of us throwing away a 4 goal lead to QPR!! I should have ran for the hills but I was hooked!

I try to go home and away whenever I can but this season I haven't been able to as I have moved to Leeds and financially I couldn't do it.

I could never imagine not looking out for the results or wondering what was going on at the club. I don't think I could ever turn that off.

I have just had a littl'un 3 days ago and he is kitted out with Vale bibs, baby grows and other bits. He will have it drilled into him that the other boys at school may well be Bradford or Leeds fans but we support the Vale!

[pensioner]

Some are having difficulty in distinguishing the difference Between a Vale FAN and a Vale Supporter.

 

A Vale Supporter is someone who buys any of the following - a season ticket, a match day ticket, Vale Lottery tickets, food and drink in the ground, consider the vale a place for a wedding/reception, A meal, A programme, Club shop merchandise, Golden Goal tickets, Boot lace sponsor, player sponsor or who does jobs for the Vale on a voluntary basis etc -

Some are occasional supporters others are avid supporters.

 

A Vale FAN, or to give it the correct term, FANATIC, is some one who does most, if not all of the above but also moves his/her shifts to enable attendance. Attempts to Go all matches home and away, follows the reserves and youth team, spends hours clearing the pitch of snow, give the kids christian names all with a Vale theme, Never arrange your marriage when there is a possibility of Vale Playing - never attend an acquaintance/family wedding if it clashes with the Vale, missing your childrens births because you were at the Vale, though you did phone up see how see was when you got home . Being irrational about life when it clashed with anything Vale !

 

I was the latter - I am now the former.

[bycarspete]

I think its going on a ****** tuesday night, to watch such bad football that you just know you have lost some time in your life you will never get back. Then going the next game in hope...

I agree, people play golf. hoping for that one special shot, football supporter, that one special goal

[Aussie Rules]

At 72 years the only football team I've known and loved is Port Vale.

 

I was born into a Port Vale family.

 

My mates were Port Vale.

 

I was part of that era when most of the 'Lads came from the Bucknall and Abbey areas.

 

Someone once asked could I ever support another team should Port Vale go to the wall e.g. Stoke City. My emphatic answer then, and still is...No!...adding that I would spend more time following the Parramatta Rugby League Club here in the 'Downunder.

 

Like many of you I have seen the good, bad and downright ugly in all things Port Vale, but we're still here - albeit with many of us scattered across the globe.

 

Owners, managers, players come and go, but we stay, and as evidenced consequence of the 'V2001 War' we are prepared to go above and beyond the call of duty to protect the Port Vale Football Club.

 

:)

[Mark-Valiant]

Is there a definition of a fan/supporter? Think it's just down to everyone's interpretation isn't it? Me, it's not something i really think about. Whether you only go the once, or every game, it doesn't really matter to me. Any kind of support, even if it's just spreading the good word about the Vale can only be a good thing, right?

 

I became a Vale fan when i was around 12 years old & will still be a Vale fan when i've gone. I'm no longer a season ticket holder because other priorities took over my life, apart from just the Vale. I attend around a dozen games a season now & support the team when i can. I check on them virtually everyday through the media & still see my team just as i did 30 years ago.

 

I was brought up in Bradwell. I remember i used to walk to the ground from there. My route took me past the crematorium, down the 100 or so steps that led you down to longbridge Hayes (Chemical Lane) Over the railway bridge into Westport Lake, then Trubshaw Cross & up to the ground. I had no money, i was 12 & skint, i used to wait until they opened the gates near the end, then sneak in the last 15-20 mins or so & watch my heroes. Great times. :)

 

Oh & mother still doesn't know i used to do that, she'd of killed me at the time?

[Bede]

 

A Vale FAN, or to give it the correct term, FANATIC, is some one who does most, if not all of the above but also moves his/her shifts to enable attendance. Attempts to Go all matches home and away, follows the reserves and youth team, spends hours clearing the pitch of snow, give the kids christian names all with a Vale theme, Never arrange your marriage when there is a possibility of Vale Playing - never attend an acquaintance/family wedding if it clashes with the Vale, missing your childrens births because you were at the Vale, though you did phone up see how see was when you got home . Being irrational about life when it clashed with anything Vale !

 

I was the latter - I am now the former.

 

Someone that lives like that over a football club is not a fanatic. They need to take stock of what is really important in life. All of that is not healthy. It's beyond fanatical.

[Jimmy]

My mate Dave Burnley.....Guess who he supports ??......Calls me a 'Glory Hunter' as i moved to this area as a Kid from Salford, in his words i dumped my local team Man Utd for the Vale.........:D

[Jacko51]

My better half had his 69th birthday last week. He first went to Vale when he was five. His Dad played for Vale before the War and his Uncle Tom was also on Vale's books. I don't think he's ever really forgiven me for making him get married during the season - even though it was Grimsby away! He's a proper fan. :D

[PVFC_4_EVA]

The minimum for me is that when you look at the scores. Vale is the first score to look at.

People who don't go to games can still be fans.

[Aussie Rules]

My better half had his 69th birthday last week. He first went to Vale when he was five. His Dad played for Vale before the War and his Uncle Tom was also on Vale's books. I don't think he's ever really forgiven me for making him get married during the season - even though it was Grimsby away! He's a proper fan. :D

 

Ayup Jean, the only Jackson I can remember is Brian. Same family?

[carpetman123]

I grew up on Scotia Rd and my first ever Vale game was the tail end of the season we got promoted under Gordon Lee 67-68 cant remember who it was but the following season was fantastic as from the start we chalked up result after result remembering the away game with Wrexham in particular at the racecourse when 19000 were packed in there in an entertaining 1-1 draw with Tommy Mac scoring for us

 

We used to in them days sneak over the fence to get in and also watch reserve games remembering a 10-1 win for us against chester where we leaned on the post talking to our keeper ha ha couldnt do that now!

 

The best years of course for me were the 90s under the great John Rudge when my son Tom was born and he quickly became a fan starting with him being a mascot against Nottingham Forest and having his picture taken with his idol Paul Musselwhite

 

My Daughter has also got the bug now and as a family we are all season ticket holders and through my business throughout the years have had Matchball sponsors and recently held a box

 

Love going to away games its a different experience for me than home games love it!!

 

I suppose I can count on one hand the matches i,ve missed at home due to holidays and weddings etc but I can honestly say I haven't lost my appetite and love going all the more now with three generations who attend, My Dad (bless him) he's nearly 91 and still loves going, my sister, Tom and Gemma my Daughter

 

Oh Happy Days!!!

[snowdrifter]

Coming from S-o-T and having an aversion to large quantities of calorific food.