Smurthwaite in talks with buyers who want to buy the club while he owns the ground

[Thevalefan]

Bang on.

 

I like Vale Park as its got a bit of character, but its a depressing place when its 75% empty. Even attendances around 6-7k have the place rocking but we've never aimed at retaining the casuals, as difficult as that may be (Lincoln have shot up from 2.5k to 8k attendances in 12 months, although that is down to meteoric success).

 

Unfortunately, I can't see Norm leaving till he makes his money back, so I'm resigned to him staying for the next few seasons. I just hope he finally spends some money and hires some competent people who are going to attract fans to VP, because he has done a truly atrocious job of it thus far.

 

The problem is he's going ahead building on the ground, such as the Paddock Bar. He's using club profits and personal loans to fund this, meaning when he sells the club he'll then be paid rent and get any revenues from the bar (or whatever else he decides to build) making more out of it.

 

He should be spending whatever he's thinking of spending on this bar into the playing-side of the business. Get a marque or something and sell some beer that way, at least until we have a decent team.

 

This is clear evidence his focus is away from the football, and more towards generating an income stream out of the land itself. The Vale Social must be making a decent amount each weekend and that's his motivation. For a bloke who says he has the community at heart - building a bar on the ground will take/affect local pubs in the town centre and let's be honest the pubs struggle as it is. If he had half a brain he'd look to rent somewhere like the Ye Olde Smithy and do it that way. But, he's not bothered about that. He can get free spare to licence a bar with little overheads and no rent if he sells the club separately as he's proposing.

 

If he said I'm going to put an extra X amount into the playing budget, rather than "I'm building something that will make me more money" then we would defiantly get more season ticket holders.

 

We need to attract some old established pro's coming to the end of their careers - your Danny Sonner types, what a player he was for us and as a supporter it was a pleasure to pay the money to watch these kind of players pinging 30-40 yard passes to feet. Get some young blood in, some fringe players and potentials - build a winning formula and some excitement. I'm fed up of having a load of no-ones or players that far past it like Tounge -who generally just make you angry each week watching them. We need more imagination and I can only hope in Aspin that will come.

[smithie]

This is Vale mate, the facilities is an excuse, if they mattered so much then even in a one club town people wouldn't go if the facilities weren't up to scratch. Just look on here over the years, I have seen "I am not going until....Foyle leaves, Glover leaves, Bratt leaves, Glenn Oliver leaves, the paddock toilets are improved, until I can get a hot pie/drink, until Clayton McDonald leaves" and hundreds more, didn't stop everyone for BUrton and Northampton at home did it?

 

So true.

 

If there was a trophy for excuses we'd take it every year.

 

In any case, what do people want from going to a match apart from a decent view and maybe a drink at half-time? It's football, not the opera.

[For Us All]

This is Vale mate, the facilities is an excuse, if they mattered so much then even in a one club town people wouldn't go if the facilities weren't up to scratch. Just look on here over the years, I have seen "I am not going until....Foyle leaves, Glover leaves, Bratt leaves, Glenn Oliver leaves, the paddock toilets are improved, until I can get a hot pie/drink, until Clayton McDonald leaves" and hundreds more, didn't stop everyone for BUrton and Northampton at home did it?

 

You forgot "until Griff goes"?

[For Us All]

Bang on.

 

I like Vale Park as its got a bit of character, but its a depressing place when its 75% empty. Even attendances around 6-7k have the place rocking but we've never aimed at retaining the casuals, as difficult as that may be (Lincoln have shot up from 2.5k to 8k attendances in 12 months, although that is down to meteoric success).

 

Unfortunately, I can't see Norm leaving till he makes his money back, so I'm resigned to him staying for the next few seasons. I just hope he finally spends some money and hires some competent people who are going to attract fans to VP, because he has done a truly atrocious job of it thus far.

 

Lincoln's popularity will soon decline with a couple of seasons in mid-table?

[Thevalefan]

Lincoln's popularity will soon decline with a couple of seasons in mid-table?

 

Definatley. It is really hard to instil the loyalty fans like myself, and of the older generations, have. I'm sure most on here would give their last breath for Vale, but finding new supporters and building that into them is difficult in today's world. You can watch any team you like, regularly for pretty much nothing. The sensationalism of the premier league in the media goes as far into what toilet paper footballers wipe their backsides with, and people lap it up. Anyone sub 25 will probably know gloryhunters who sit and talk nothing but football in the pub, but never go a game. 20 years ago people just wouldn't take you seriously, and now within these circles of gloryhunting idiots your taken less seriously being a season ticket holder of a unfashionable club like Vale. If you want proof of that, look no further than up the road because the amount of gloryhunting Stoke fans who were Liverpool arsenal or Chelsea before 2008 who don't go to the games but think they are proper football fans.

 

Lincoln will keep hold a lot of that support because the only way to build loyalty is having 3/4 seasons of consistant quality and success like they have. Not all, but a fair few will I'd bet.

 

The only way we can build a bigger fan base is by having mass-breeding and forcing Vale upon the offspring.

 

I'm well up for that by the way.

[Mario]

This is Vale mate, the facilities is an excuse, if they mattered so much then even in a one club town people wouldn't go if the facilities weren't up to scratch. Just look on here over the years, I have seen "I am not going until....Foyle leaves, Glover leaves, Bratt leaves, Glenn Oliver leaves, the paddock toilets are improved, until I can get a hot pie/drink, until Clayton McDonald leaves" and hundreds more, didn't stop everyone for BUrton and Northampton at home did it?

 

Lets leave everything as it is,I took two friends to a night home game and they were staggered at the poor facilities available in the Railway paddock,but never mind lets struggle on the "Vale way" lets not be aspirational it was good enough 60 years ago so it should be now.

 

Decent catering ? Decent toilets ? Nah it's only the Vale.

[Mattholl]

I'm a younger generation, I and a lot of others are fed up of flat-pack plastic stadiums designed to be away from the town centre etc. No character, no soul, just a football ground that screams "Little unambitious club".

 

I'd keep Vale park and let us all enjoy our illusions of grandeur. It's more positive at least.

 

We had over 10k home fans on two occasions (for the first time in my life I can remember) in our promotion season and ABSOLUTLEY nothing was done to retain those fans. Nothing.

 

5 year's later we're scraping 3,000 home fans at the bottom of L2.

 

Until Smurfwaite goes, things will not change. We have progressively gotten worse and worse each season since he's been here. By logic, we will be relegated next season if our downward trend continues into next season.

 

He needs to either go, or something happens to him so he's forced to go. I'm hoping for the latter as the bloke is a dangerous idiot who I genuinely believe will kill the club and make a killing out of doing so.

 

Well said mate

[Mattholl]

This is Vale mate, the facilities is an excuse, if they mattered so much then even in a one club town people wouldn't go if the facilities weren't up to scratch. Just look on here over the years, I have seen "I am not going until....Foyle leaves, Glover leaves, Bratt leaves, Glenn Oliver leaves, the paddock toilets are improved, until I can get a hot pie/drink, until Clayton McDonald leaves" and hundreds more, didn't stop everyone for BUrton and Northampton at home did it?

 

100% spot people forget they were not a premier league side and our facilities are still a million miles better than the likes of Accrington, Yeovil, Rochdale, Luton, Wycombe, Crewe, Exeter, Mansfield, Grimsby etc.. in fact I’d say there’s only Coventry, Colchester, Notts County, Chesterfield and Morecambe that have anything better than us.

 

Doesn’t appear to be holding back Luton, Lincoln, Accrington or Exeter. As mentioned it’s just another cop out from half arsed fans

[CAVALIER]

100% spot people forget they were not a premier league side and our facilities are still a million miles better than the likes of Accrington, Yeovil, Rochdale, Luton, Wycombe, Crewe, Exeter, Mansfield, Grimsby etc.. in fact I’d say there’s only Coventry, Colchester, Notts County, Chesterfield and Morecambe that have anything better than us.

 

Doesn’t appear to be holding back Luton, Lincoln, Accrington or Exeter. As mentioned it’s just another cop out from half arsed fans

Morecambe?

[Mattholl]

Morecambe?

 

Morecambes stadium is new but the facilities are very very basic

[Valiant in Brum]

Lets leave everything as it is,I took two friends to a night home game and they were staggered at the poor facilities available in the Railway paddock,but never mind lets struggle on the "Vale way" lets not be aspirational it was good enough 60 years ago so it should be now.

 

Decent catering ? Decent toilets ? Nah it's only the Vale.

 

This is the attitude at Vale I notice. I understand what some may say. But they need vastly improving as part of the match day experience.

[Erniemossrules]

This is the attitude at Vale I notice. I understand what some may say. But they need vastly improving as part of the match day experience.

 

What about the new pub in the Railway end.

Only open every fortnight on match days during the season with VIP service for everyone.

More pie in the sky from Norman.

[old sage]

All I have to say on this better facilities topic is if I need a beer I go to the pub and if I want food I have my dinner/tea before I set out to Vale Park. I go to watch Port Vale and not to eat or drink and I'm sure 90% feel the same way as me.

 

I do agree though that the food bars should be under cover as it is usually raining when we play at home.

[Family Stand Terrier]

For me it's about getting the right balance for the varying demands of supporters. We're seeing many comments about facilities, including those that would watch Vale if they were playing in a cow field with barely a roof over their head as shelter. You're die hards, you're great supporters that the club so desperately needs, however, we want to attract more.

 

You can label it as excuses or whatever you choose, fair weather supporters, glory hunters, none of it really matters to be honest. You have to try to remove yourself from your current mindset. You'd go to the Vale no matter what, but like it or not, it's 2018 and the circumstances we're in mean we can't keep ignoring the risks we're facing.

 

I'm a traditionalist. I'd love nothing more than to return to the terrace days, surging around the paddock, pi55ing up a wall with a cup of tea scalding my mouth, but we have to accommodate for future supporters. We have an aging fanbase, 18 years of decline against Stoke's 10 years of Premier League success (yes it may be coming to an end soon, fingers crossed, but the effect is already evident).

 

We have to move with the times. In an ideal world we'd have new, modern facilities but with a nod to the older fans. Something that offers as many options to supporters as possible. I'd love to see safe standing behind the goal, get Vale fans back behind the traditional end of the ground, offer cheaper prices in that section and ramp up the atmosphere.

 

In other stands offer better views, decent facilities, and then provide an area that is more family focused. Hopefully then, everyone wins.

[Rampant Zebra]

This is football, the most important thing is having the best players you can get on the pitch, everything else follows on from that. A lot of the problems at Vale Park are not easily rectified, the lack of rake on the seats so the view isn't brilliant for example.