Who damaged the club more?

[Birdy]

Bell operated in a different era and in a way it is difficult to compare the two really. They both shafted the fans although with Bell we knew what he was but we had some successful times on the way. V2001 was one big lie and that's why it appears raw, we were deceived from the very beginning.

 

Bell had Rudge on his side, the Bosman ruling wasn't an impact, Stoke weren't in the top flight, we use to be on telly a bit and the Premiership was in its infancy so not as much as an impact financially. Sky and Murdock for me is the biggest contributor to the slow cull of smaller clubs.

 

Having said all that some smaller clubs have learned to adapt post Sky TV and some smaller clubs seem to cope if they haven't got a board of inept, selfish individuals at the helm that is!

[werstayinup]

A million percent V2001

[werstayinup]

After the first leg play-off game with Bristol Rovers at Twerton, the group of us that went down stopped off at a pub outside of Bath on our way back up to Stoke.

 

After about 15 minutes Bill Bell walked in, with Phil Sproson and a couple of others I don't recall. We got chatting and he was at pains to explain to me that Dean Glover's transfer was not £200K, but £262K, due to Glover's signing on fee. After a while, Bell pulled from his pocket more money than I've ever seen and asked if me and my mate would like a pint, to which my mate replied... "It's alright Bill, we're in a round"...

 

One of the group I was with that night still refuses to go back to Vale because Bell sacked Rudge.

 

I had a lift to Wigan off Bill Bell after missing the supporters coach:yes:

[boomer's vet]

i don't understand the point of this thread. yes we all know the current board are doing there best to make a mess of the club. think of something constructive to say though instead of trying to make Bill Bell look good. He was a disgrace to the club just as much as the current lot

[werstayinup]

i don't understand the point of this thread. yes we all know the current board are doing there best to make a mess of the club. think of something constructive to say though instead of trying to make Bill Bell look good. He was a disgrace to the club just as much as the current lot

 

I remember all those bad times

[Bede]

This isn't meant to glorify Bell - I hate the man. However, in my eyes, V2001 have sunk at least as low and I was interested to see who the fans on here thought was worse. A good barometer of just how devastatingly bad V2001 have become.

 

Bell being lauded on here is a sad indictment of V2001, in my opinion.

 

What a mess.

[marie]

I had a lift to Wigan off Bill Bell after missing the supporters coach:yes:

 

I remember Billy Bell giving us a car park pass at Sunderland,there was a demo at the end of the game and we were stuck in the middle of it and couldnt get of the car park!

[scVale]

Can I vote v2001 twice, please, pretty please:drool::drool::drool::woot::woot:

[KEV.WILLIE]

Bell operated in a different era and in a way it is difficult to compare the two really. They both shafted the fans although with Bell we knew what he was but we had some successful times on the way. V2001 was one big lie and that's why it appears raw, we were deceived from the very beginning.

 

Bell had Rudge on his side, the Bosman ruling wasn't an impact, Stoke weren't in the top flight, we use to be on telly a bit and the Premiership was in its infancy so not as much as an impact financially. Sky and Murdock for me is the biggest contributor to the slow cull of smaller clubs.

 

Having said all that some smaller clubs have learned to adapt post Sky TV and some smaller clubs seem to cope if they haven't got a board of inept, selfish individuals at the helm that is!

 

 

 

Good post:yes:

[Shropshire_Valiant]

V2001!

 

As much as Bell was a rogue and a lot of the success under his tenure was probably down to Rudge he was still chairman during one of the most successful periods in our history and tbh even if he sat there with his finger up his **** while it happened he had to provide Rudge with the money in the first place. It may have all come tumbling down eventually but for a club of Vale's size we are going to have peaks and troughs at some point.

 

V2001 have taken the club nothing but backwards(on the pitch and generally off it(despite initial profits but what use are they without success on the pitch to a footie club?).

I basically agree with what Bede has said earlier in the thread, all done under the guise of being fans!

I can take the club going through a bad patch on the pitch but not when there appears no clear plan to turn the club around!

[Yukon]

I remember walking outside the Dell in 1994(?) at an FA cup game and I saw the Roller/ Bentley with "WTB 1" on the number plate roll past with Belly, Mrs Bell, Andrew Belfield and his Mrs (Nee Bell) in it. The current lot don't even turn up to home games and he drove 150 miles!

 

I also remember how destructive he was. As Birdy says it was a different time and the game was very different. There is no escaping the fact he oversaw our most successful period though. I think it's a closer call than most would suggest, but the answer is still clearly V2001

[Mr Carter]

Bell operated in a different era and in a way it is difficult to compare the two really. They both shafted the fans although with Bell we knew what he was but we had some successful times on the way. V2001 was one big lie and that's why it appears raw, we were deceived from the very beginning.

 

Bell had Rudge on his side, the Bosman ruling wasn't an impact, Stoke weren't in the top flight, we use to be on telly a bit and the Premiership was in its infancy so not as much as an impact financially. Sky and Murdock for me is the biggest contributor to the slow cull of smaller clubs.

 

Having said all that some smaller clubs have learned to adapt post Sky TV and some smaller clubs seem to cope if they haven't got a board of inept, selfish individuals at the helm that is!

 

Even so....If V2001 had the cards that Bell had to deal with they still wouldnt have had the success he had, they are pathetic............Olivers arrogance was /is so great he would rather stand behind the goal chanting Vayul than being in the boardroom seeing and learning how football clubs are run.

[Howjy04]

I remember walking outside the Dell in 1994(?) at an FA cup game and I saw the Roller/ Bentley with "WTB 1" on the number plate roll past with Belly, Mrs Bell, Andrew Belfield and his Mrs (Nee Bell) in it. The current lot don't even turn up to home games and he drove 150 miles!

 

I also remember how destructive he was. As Birdy says it was a different time and the game was very different. There is no escaping the fact he oversaw our most successful period though. I think it's a closer call than most would suggest, but the answer is still clearly V2001

I know it was a big day at The Millenium ,but Belly was down in Cardiff a full day before the game.Is Bratty enjoying Anfield?

[nodge]

Bell's biggest mistake was banking on the ITV Digital money, its subsequent collapse was a variable he couldn't account for.

 

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, he took us in the only direction he could. Stubborn bugger...

 

V2001 have made countless mistakes and make Bell look like Mary Poppins in comparison.

[Student of the game]

I see Graham Mcgrumpy every now and then, and one time he asked me the same question ( well similar) Who were we better off under, I answered Mr WT Bell as I dont think for one minute Belly would have allowed this to happen. Mr Mcgrumpy then gave me a whistful smile, a nudge and a wink and said something to me that made me think.

 

He said that Bill Bells Box hadnt been used by the Bell family for some time, but in the last few months Linda Bellfield and her husband have been using it more and more. They also seem to have been canvassing opinion on one or two matters regarding the club.

 

Does Mr McGrumpy know something we dont??