Match Thread - FAC1 Port Vale v Sunderland

[Grumpy Old Man]

Another problem on the horizon is Tom Pope. Are Bury still paying half his wages? If so Smurf must ensure that he is signed up for next season. Whether you are a Tom Pope fan or not he was pivotal in our survival last season and to lose him at the end of the season would be criminal.

[Hagrid]

Norm said the Hugill money would 'fund the shortfall' in the club.

 

Norm says the Sunderland revenue will 'pay half of November's wages'.

 

If the shortfall has been plugged, Mr Chairman, why on earth does this wedge need to go to the wage bill?

 

People need to face facts; he's either running a shambolic operation that is haemorrhaging money on a month-by-month basis (despite record revenues from player sales), or he is lying, or both.

 

Its a shame the clown had to open his mouth and put a dampener on a positive day, and what should have been a fairly exciting time with the Jan window coming and money going into the club left right and centre.

 

(Also does anyone actually believe there was only 1600 Mackems?)

[Hagrid]

You forget that Norman is a clever businessman and will be rubbing his hands that he will get a late Christmas bonus by selling him in January.

He has a cunning plan like previous January windows to sell the Crown Jewels and fill his back pocket and then say he is subsidising the club.

The Hugill money will go into a black hole and smoke and mirrors will make it disappear.

Really he can’t see in front of his face that he could make more money if he gave him a decent contract he could make more money.

He just dropped lucky with the Hugill money because if he had still been at the club he would have sold him for a pittance for short term gain.

 

I believe Micky was the one who negotiated the Hugill clause, as as MA said, Norm doesn't know how to run a football club.

 

If we're to believe the Blue One that sell-on clause Micky negotiated has basically saved the club from extinction. If we're not to believe him, it funded his new Tesla and the club we love isn't going to see a penny.

[Hagrid]

There always has to be contingency for changed circumstances, a budget is only a guess really. Conlon was a last minute signing for example, as was Hardcastle.

 

I can't imagine either of them commanding much of a wage. Conlon was clubless and on trial, and Hardcastle will be on little to start with and probably being subsidised by Blackburn.

 

Whitfield was an unexpected expense I suppose, but if he's on so much money that we've has to sink the revenue from Saturday towards covering his excess on what the wage budget was supposed to be, then his new agent has robbed us blind.

 

The basic maths aren't adding up. Again.

[wwindsor]

Why does anyone believe a word that horrible human being says!!!!!!!!

[TJHValiant]

So the proceeds from the Sunderland game would cover half a month's wages eh Norman?

 

So the £75,000 TV fee + an estimated £75,000 gate receipts = £150,000 for half a month so £300,000 for the month!

 

£3.6m a year! We should walk this league then!

 

What an absolute lying buffoon.

 

Ha ha! Well yes...you’ve caught him with his pants down again...

[onestepatatime]

Why does anyone believe a word that horrible human being says!!!!!!!!

Do you know anyone, seriously, that believes any Shyite that comes out of his mouth? Hagrid, for yonks, has stated very eloquently and clearly his feelings about the blue guardian. I'm prepared to admit that I agree wholeheartedly with him and as time passes by the feeling and arua around our Great Club is increasingly hostile towards the man. Vale will go nowhere as long as Smurthwaite is here. Cancers that kill should be removed so as to promote some belief in progress. Vale are suffocating in the awful way the Club is being run and being held to ransom by one individual. It is no surprise there are so, so many people who don't wish to put money into our Club. I am now of the persuasion that had we gone out of the League and NOT seen Smurthwaite darken our doors then possibly we would have had a more pleasing and effective future for real, honest Valiants to enjoy in the years ahead. A Vale without Smurthwaite surely is what we all want now?

[mbycars]

I think Smurthwaites nickname of Smurf or the blue one should be changed to "Halitosis" as everything that comes out of his mouth stinks.

[For Us All]

So the proceeds from the Sunderland game would cover half a month's wages eh Norman?

 

So the £75,000 TV fee + an estimated £75,000 gate receipts = £150,000 for half a month so £300,000 for the month!

 

£3.6m a year! We should walk this league then!

 

What an absolute lying buffoon.

 

You are correct with the TV fee but your gate receipts are way out.Even if all of the 7,238 fans had paid the top price of £15,which I very much doubt,our 45% share of the gate receipts would be only £48,856?We are talking nearer to £40,000 before police costs etc.

[valiant_593]

It was a stonewall penalty, watch the replay of it. There was no contact with the ball and clear contact with Hannant. If that isn't a penalty I don't know what is. The referee also missed a clear pull back on Manny just before that which should have been a free kick and a yellow card. He also failed to clamp down on the constant time wasting by Sunderland, including a blatent kicking of the ball away in the corner of the away end and Hamil Road.

 

He was ok, not the worst but made some massive errors which all went against us.

 

Watching replays I think it was a penalty but it does kind of look like he slipped. Agree the ref should’ve give it. Time wasting I didn’t feel was that bad, seen far worse this season. I thought he was one of the better I’ve seen but as you’ve pointed out that’s two big decisions against us. Still though I liked how he let the game flow made for an exciting tie.

[CambridgeDon]

Do you know anyone, seriously, that believes any Shyite that comes out of his mouth? Hagrid, for yonks, has stated very eloquently and clearly his feelings about the blue guardian. I'm prepared to admit that I agree wholeheartedly with him and as time passes by the feeling and arua around our Great Club is increasingly hostile towards the man. Vale will go nowhere as long as Smurthwaite is here. Cancers that kill should be removed so as to promote some belief in progress. Vale are suffocating in the awful way the Club is being run and being held to ransom by one individual. It is no surprise there are so, so many people who don't wish to put money into our Club. I am now of the persuasion that had we gone out of the League and NOT seen Smurthwaite darken our doors then possibly we would have had a more pleasing and effective future for real, honest Valiants to enjoy in the years ahead. A Vale without Smurthwaite surely is what we all want now?

 

You're right about Smurthwaite - an absolute dead weight on the club - but I'm not so sure about our prospects if we'd gone out of the League even with a good owner. The National is full of ex-league sides who are struggling to get back and finding it very difficult. Wrexham I think are in their 10th season out of the league and it's touch and go for them again this time.

 

All this is because the National is the gateway to the league for plenty of rich owners and we would find it hard to compete. Some like Stockport and York have dropped even further. We're in a much better place and might conceivably go up again - but it would be despite the owd blue 'un and not because of him. We need to get out of L2 as quick as we can and away from that trap door!

[onestepatatime]

You're right about Smurthwaite - an absolute dead weight on the club - but I'm not so sure about our prospects if we'd gone out of the League even with a good owner. The National is full of ex-league sides who are struggling to get back and finding it very difficult. Wrexham I think are in their 10th season out of the league and it's touch and go for them again this time.

 

All this is because the National is the gateway to the league for plenty of rich owners and we would find it hard to compete. Some like Stockport and York have dropped even further. We're in a much better place and might conceivably go up again - but it would be despite the owd blue 'un and not because of him. We need to get out of L2 as quick as we can and away from that trap door!

 

Understand fully your point about going out of the League.

 

I, and many others though are so, so brassed off with the lunatic ramblings of the Owner and his apparent desire to tread water here at Vale that it sometimes makes you winder , as a true Valiant if it would be a happier place without him, wherever we end up?

 

 

The gloom and constant bad vibes given off to Smurthwaite by an ever increasing deflated fan base have to be offset against a perhaps healthier and more pleasing atmosphere around our Club. I realise that without a fairy tale figure head , with money, we are stuck with the present incumbent and it honestly feels like we are drowning in quicksand.

[rayzer]

I think Smurthwaites nickname of Smurf or the blue one should be changed to "Halitosis" as everything that comes out of his mouth stinks.

 

I would prefer to call him "thrush" as he is an irritating c***.

[Jacko51]

Yes, I thought he was managing our expectations by implying that the money would go on running costs rather than being available to strengthen the team in January.

 

Why did he have to say anything like this though? It would have been enough to say the TV money will be very welcome - that's all. Instead he makes a negative out of a positive. He also referred to us as a "little club" which is absolutely NOT the sort of thing a League club chairman should be saying.

[mbycars]

Why did he have to say anything like this though? It would have been enough to say the TV money will be very welcome - that's all. Instead he makes a negative out of a positive. He also referred to us as a "little club" which is absolutely NOT the sort of thing a League club chairman should be saying.

 

Your right Jean, he is a clown of the highest order and his comments never fail to dismay.