Thank You Norman Smuthwaite

[Phil]

... for turning us into a smaller club than Northampton. Well done. Give it a couple of years and I'm sure we will be smaller than Crawley and Stevenage as well. It's not for me to tell you how to spend your money, but football at our level involves putting your hand in your pocket at times, so if you don't agree with that why are you involved in the game at all?

You haven't had a clue about football since day one so why are you still here? Your PR gaffes are legendary and you have wasted a great opportunity with your stubbornness. You have now failed. For God's sake sell up and clear off!

[FATBOYSTEVE]

... for turning us into a smaller club than Northampton. Well done. Give it a couple of years and I'm sure we will be smaller than Crawley and Stevenage as well. It's not for me to tell you how to spend your money, but football at our level involves putting your hand in your pocket at times, so if you don't agree with that why are you involved in the game at all?

You haven't had a clue about football since day one so why are you still here? Your PR gaffes are legendary and you have wasted a great opportunity with your stubbornness. You have now failed. For God's sake sell up and clear off!

 

Hes tried selling and no one wants a lame duck lower div side with no prospects and now no manager we have to hope for one of the loyal four thousand die hards to win the lotto and rescue the club from this boring malaise each season

[Phil]

Hes tried selling and no one wants a lame duck lower div side with no prospects and now no manager we have to hope for one of the loyal four thousand die hards to win the lotto and rescue the club from this boring malaise each season

 

Tried selling it at an overinflated price yes. I tried to sell a terraced house at £1 million, but no-one wanted it so I took it off the market. Same scenario. There were at least four interested parties in buying Vale, but not at his overstated price.

[Guppy 4 England]

I think hes put his hand in his pocket enough times, 80k a month wasnt it......

 

Why are we a smaller club because Page left to sign for them? This was Rob Page who 90% of fans wanted gone in December last year.

[TJHValiant]

You can't run a club on debt. Northampton are not a bigger club than Vale. Last year they were nearly bust as they owed millions on their rubbish old ground. The only difference is they have a bloke with money who has managed to con Page into thinking he will have a good budget. The reality is they have a smaller fan base and once this guy pulls out his cash, they will fall down the leagues again.

 

My criticism with Smurf is that in reality he has no more funds than Bratt or Valiant 2001. Remember Bratt's "we are where we are quote"? Well Smurf is little different. We were a mid table league 1 team under Bratt, we lost money, go relegated and it is hard to see that cycle being broken.

 

I would say Vale need about £12 million of investment to be a championship club. That includes stadium enhancements. Any less and we just keep on struggling.

 

It sadly isn't Smurf's fault entirely. We need better attendances and the sad reality of being a second club in a deprived city does not help.

[valiantsireno]

... for turning us into a smaller club than Northampton. Well done. Give it a couple of years and I'm sure we will be smaller than Crawley and Stevenage as well. It's not for me to tell you how to spend your money, but football at our level involves putting your hand in your pocket at times, so if you don't agree with that why are you involved in the game at all?

You haven't had a clue about football since day one so why are you still here? Your PR gaffes are legendary and you have wasted a great opportunity with your stubbornness. You have now failed. For God's sake sell up and clear off!

 

Let's get things clear here, whatever your aversions to the chairman are, we will NEVER be a smaller club than Northampton. Bigger fan base, bigger ground, more fruitful history.

[billbee33]

... for turning us into a smaller club than Northampton. Well done. Give it a couple of years and I'm sure we will be smaller than Crawley and Stevenage as well. It's not for me to tell you how to spend your money, but football at our level involves putting your hand in your pocket at times, so if you don't agree with that why are you involved in the game at all?

You haven't had a clue about football since day one so why are you still here? Your PR gaffes are legendary and you have wasted a great opportunity with your stubbornness. You have now failed. For God's sake sell up and clear off!

 

Well said Phil, I said on another thread, we shouldn't be looking for a new manager just yet, we should be looking at selling the club, as Smurf hasn't got a clue how to run a football league club, in the meantime, we should put Brown and one other in charge of the fooball side of things, until the club is sold, and let the new owners sort out the mess the club is in, and let them sort out the managerial side of things, to take the club forward.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

Hes tried selling and no one wants a lame duck lower div side with no prospects and now no manager we have to hope for one of the loyal four thousand die hards to win the lotto and rescue the club from this boring malaise each season

 

There is zero chance I would, as much as the club is a major part of my life it's always going to be a loss making exercise and a thankless task.

 

Adored when doing well and despised when perceived not to be.

[KEV.WILLIE]

You can't run a club on debt. Northampton are not a bigger club than Vale. Last year they were nearly bust as they owed millions on their rubbish old ground. The only difference is they have a bloke with money who has managed to con Page into thinking he will have a good budget. The reality is they have a smaller fan base and once this guy pulls out his cash, they will fall down the leagues again.

 

My criticism with Smurf is that in reality he has no more funds than Bratt or Valiant 2001. Remember Bratt's "we are where we are quote"? Well Smurf is little different. We were a mid table league 1 team under Bratt, we lost money, go relegated and it is hard to see that cycle being broken.

 

I would say Vale need about £12 million of investment to be a championship club. That includes stadium enhancements. Any less and we just keep on struggling.

 

It sadly isn't Smurf's fault entirely. We need better attendances and the sad reality of being a second club in a deprived city does not help.

 

I think that's the best post I've ever seen on here!!!!!

[Class personified]

Smurf has his faults but let's not forget he bailed us out of the mire 3 years ago. Where would we have been without his financial input. He will be regretting that investment which was initially made off the back of a crest of a promotion wave. Nowadays a millionaire three or four times over is sadly not enough to keep a loss making concern going. Being the chairman of a lower league club should be seen as an expensive hobby where your heart and history is in the club. Smurf is from Coventry and prior to looking at investing had probably never been to Vale Park. For his own health and sanity he should cut his losses and sell up. He will have my gratitude for keeping this club going despite his PR gaffes. Vale til I die whatever division we are in.

[Inny]

Hes tried selling and no one wants a lame duck lower div side with no prospects and now no manager we have to hope for one of the loyal four thousand die hards to win the lotto and rescue the club from this boring malaise each season

 

 

There is someone who wants the club with the clubs interests at heart. The deal is still there to be done. Just not sure Norman wants to sell.

[Jinkin John Jeffers]

There is someone who wants the club with the clubs interests at heart. The deal is still there to be done. Just not sure Norman wants to sell.

 

Who's that then?

[Fosse69]

Let's get things clear here, whatever your aversions to the chairman are, we will NEVER be a smaller club than Northampton. Bigger fan base, bigger ground, more fruitful history.

When did Vale take 40,000 to Wembley in 97/98 like Northampton, when did we play in the top tier? A population of 200k +, although in a rugby town some people watch both, also in a growth area unlike Burslem, sad to say. I cannot understand how you can say never, maybe perhaps.

[Robbie Earle's Perm]

There is someone who wants the club with the clubs interests at heart. The deal is still there to be done. Just not sure Norman wants to sell.

 

And how much would he lose and more importantly do they have a couple of million a season to pump in?

[Inny]

Who's that then?

 

Its the same people Norman was in talks with a few weeks ago. They still want the club and maybe Norman will open up discussions again, well i hope he does.