Thur 19th Nov 2015, Maidenhead v Port Vale, pre-match comments, the match itself

[Bea Smith]

Have faith no problem we might even be able to put our subs on early in the second half to save the main players for Saturday:D

 

There are also disasters against Scarborough (the only non-league side to knock a league side out of 2 cups in the same season, FA Cup and what is now called the JPT) and Canvey Island, and a ghastly home draw with Ford United (though we won the replay) although many non-league clubs have bitten the dust thanks to Vale.

 

Since 1959/1960 the list of non-leaguers we have beaten includes Hendon, Aylesbury, Forest Green, Shortwood, Kidderminster, Salisbury, Wigan (!) (non league at the time), Southport, Stafford Rangers, Dartford twice, Stevenage (then non-league), Altrincham, Macclesfield, Arnold, Grantham, Scarborough, Chelmsford. and Dorchester

[smithie]

There are also disasters against Scarborough (the only non-league side to knock a league side out of 2 cups in the same season, FA Cup and what is now called the JPT) and Canvey Island, and a ghastly home draw with Ford United (though we won the replay) although many non-league clubs have bitten the dust thanks to Vale.

 

Since 1959/1960 the list of non-leaguers we have beaten includes Hendon, Aylesbury, Forest Green, Shortwood, Kidderminster, Salisbury, Wigan (!) (non league at the time), Southport, Stafford Rangers, Dartford twice, Stevenage (then non-league), Altrincham, Macclesfield, Arnold, Grantham, Scarborough, Chelmsford. and Dorchester

 

I saw all but 2 of those! Arnold we got out of jail, and Grantham was a great game. I think Kevin Kennerley may have scored more than once under the floodlights.

 

Those were the days....Cup replays on the Monday following the Saturday.

[davidatpreston]

I saw all but 2 of those! Arnold we got out of jail, and Grantham was a great game. I think Kevin Kennerley may have scored more than once under the floodlights.

 

Those were the days....Cup replays on the Monday following the Saturday.

 

What a fantastic record, there cant be many Vale fans who have seen as many Vale FA Cup ties as yourself.

 

Must be some great memories there, and I still reckon there is nothing like the FA Cup. My oldest one of those listed was the Hendon game I attended in 1964, and my favourites were probably Altrincham and the Wigan Old Trafford 2nd replay, though that one was more for the occasion than the game - good old John James with that late extra-time winner !

 

So overall since about 1960 we have got through about 20 times against non-leaguers, and only gone out 4 or 5, lets hope we can get past Maidenhead on Thursday and have a good cup run and some more ties where we are the underdogs.

[ELDERBEZZA]

There are also disasters against Scarborough (the only non-league side to knock a league side out of 2 cups in the same season, FA Cup and what is now called the JPT) and Canvey Island, and a ghastly home draw with Ford United (though we won the replay) although many non-league clubs have bitten the dust thanks to Vale.

 

Since 1959/1960 the list of non-leaguers we have beaten includes Hendon, Aylesbury, Forest Green, Shortwood, Kidderminster, Salisbury, Wigan (!) (non league at the time), Southport, Stafford Rangers, Dartford twice, Stevenage (then non-league), Altrincham, Macclesfield, Arnold, Grantham, Scarborough, Chelmsford. and Dorchester

 

Add Enfield to that list, as I think they beat us in the 80's.

[Paul6754]

My favorite was the replay with Arnold Town at home and John Ridley's goal at the Bycars end, it was an absolute screamer. From the Railway Paddock side of the goal, he was level with the 18 yard box and cut in and unleashed a power shot with his right foot which bent right into their goalies top left hand corner.

 

The buzz before and the atmosphere in the ground during Monday night FA Cup replays was as good as anything at VP, as long as we won.

[Bea Smith]

Add Enfield to that list, as I think they beat us in the 80's.

 

Bombers original post no 40 in this thread had mentioned Enfield (where posh people think Liverpool play) and Chasetown, so I was just adding to it - I think then the disgrace list is just 4 since WW2 as Vale didn't lose to any non-leaguers between 1930s and the Enfield horror.

 

Good that these posts are reviving a lot of cup memories for people, more to come please !

[smithie]

Bombers original post no 40 in this thread had mentioned Enfield (where posh people think Liverpool play) and Chasetown, so I was just adding to it - I think then the disgrace list is just 4 since WW2 as Vale didn't lose to any non-leaguers between 1930s and the Enfield horror.

 

Good that these posts are reviving a lot of cup memories for people, more to come please !

 

Enfield will haunt Steve Cherry (Vale goalie) for ever.

 

Believe it or not, that defeat made national sports headlines the next day and was mentioned on The Nine O'Clock News. In those days, games kicked off at 7.30 and half-time was 10 minutes so our shame was broadcast to the nation while we were still in the ground being called "Norven kahnts" by Enfield skinheads!

 

It snowed on the way down and most of the way home. If I'd known then what I know now, I might have seen that as a sign to give up and grow up!

[davidatpreston]

Enfield will haunt Steve Cherry (Vale goalie) for ever.

 

Believe it or not, that defeat made national sports headlines the next day and was mentioned on The Nine O'Clock News. In those days, games kicked off at 7.30 and half-time was 10 minutes so our shame was broadcast to the nation while we were still in the ground being called "Norven kahnts" by Enfield skinheads!

 

It snowed on the way down and most of the way home. If I'd known then what I know now, I might have seen that as a sign to give up and grow up!

 

 

Fibber- recent memories may be mixed at best, but you wouldn't have wanted to miss the Rudge years I bet.

 

Tottenham, the Watford ties, promotion after the Bristol Rovers games, playing teams like Leeds, Stoke, West Ham and Newcastle, the Autoglass triumph at Wembley, the second promotion in 94, flying wingers, Stoke bashing in the FA Cup, Anglo-Italian adventures, first and last minute goals against Stoke, Everton, Southampton and Derby away, scaring double-winners Arsenal, Cardiff Millenium success against Brentford......:)

[Jacko51]

I saw all but 2 of those! Arnold we got out of jail, and Grantham was a great game. I think Kevin Kennerley may have scored more than once under the floodlights.

 

Those were the days....Cup replays on the Monday following the Saturday.

 

The first Grantham game was clear evidence of how fans can influence a result!!

[Fosse69]

Biggest blow was losing to Shank`s Liverpool in the last minute of extra time, we never recovered, and were relegated the next season.

[cheshirevaliant]

Less well remembered, but that Friday night game vs Doncaster where Sam Togwell scored twice to take us to that game at Villa Park was a superb night.

[smithie]

Less well remembered, but that Friday night game vs Doncaster where Sam Togwell scored twice to take us to that game at Villa Park was a superb night.

 

"Best forgotten" is the best way to describe another Friday night FA cup tie v Macc when Luke Prosser passed back in the fog to gift them the winning goal.

 

I've never forgotten it, and nor has he judging by the way he kept well away from the Vale fans at Southend a few weeks ago!

[jgun]

I i too traveled through snow to enfield that night feeling there was no problem , the match was a humiliation as i watched goal after goal go in , mutch to the delight of totenhotspurs players sitting in the stands. That night was the worst night i think of my 40 years as a vale fan.

[davidatpreston]

Biggest blow was losing to Shank`s Liverpool in the last minute of extra time, we never recovered, and were relegated the next season.

 

Biggest blow was losing to Shank`s Liverpool in the last minute of extra time, we never recovered, and were relegated the next season.

 

The manner of that defeat somehow made it worse than being well beaten, and even as a kid it affected me badly, far worse than things like losing to Chasetown or Enfield. Memories of that time are crystal clear, I wasn't allowed to go to the game and heard on the radio it had gone to extra time but national radio (I lived in the south then) was so poor they didn't give the result.

 

I was awake wondering all night - it hardly seems possible now but there was no way to find out the score - and had to wait until I could buy a newspaper the next morning to find out what had happened.

 

It was like that defeat finished the season, even though Vale were fairly well placed their form nose-dived and at one point an outside chance of promotion became a real fear of being dragged into a relegation fight.

 

As you say, the following season things went badly wrong, with winger Billy Bingham breaking a leg in an early heavy defeat at Brentford and relegation followed. Then in September 1965 John Nicholson - for me our best ever defender, and I mean EVER - being dropped after a run of 208 consecutive games and then being transferred to Doncaster Rovers for a paltry £5000 and tragically being killed in a car crash soon afterwards.

 

If anyone remembers bad times recently, they might not realise how bad it got - with hopes raised when Sir Stanley Matthews became manager then crashing as the youngsters policy could not be implemented properly and clumsy accounting and what was really incompetence led to Vale actually being chucked out of the league in 1967.

 

The horrors of 1964-1969 were a truly dark period for Vale, and it was only when Gordon Lee arrived and shaped a strong, workmanlike side with few stars but massive motivation that things changed. Our support reduced from around 9000-10000 in 1963 to being lucky to get 4000 by the end of the decade and remained low through the 1970s and most of the 1980s - it was only after the Tottenham cup heroics we seemed to get a bigger fan base again.

 

Excuse my ranting memories - its good to remember cup games though, and if we can put another building block in place in Vale's wall of FA Cup history on Thursday, then that will be great.

[sinnott2spinnit]

The first Grantham game was clear evidence of how fans can influence a result!!

 

I was there Jean on the open side of the pitch shared by a local cricket team. Derek Brownbill scoring to equalise in the dying seconds from an off-side position. The linesman spotted it and waved his flag, but being surrounded and jostled by loads of Vale fans, he decided to allow the goal to stand.