onevalefan.co.uk Present Past Specials About Forum
Jump to content
onevalefan.co.uk forum

Advert


Advert


Best Vale 11 in your lifetime?


TylerB

Recommended Posts

Having turned up in 2002, I'd genuinely rather not share my team, as it's offensively poor in comparison to some of the other sides posted.

Nice to see Vale fans reminiscing about times in which we had proper footballers. My miserable Dad + near 90 yo Grandad still lovingly talk of many of the names in this thread. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Advert

3 hours ago, KingRay said:

saw all the home games during the 1953/54 season and must agree with your assertion that it is the best Vale 11 that I have seen by some distance

Out of interest KR, did you (or anyone else for that matter) ever see Ronnie Allen play for Vale? 

My old man used to tell me he was a hell of a player. Also, through work, I used to know a Baggies fan who described Ronnie as the finest player he ever saw play for West Brom. That's some praise. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tyler it’s a very good question that you’ve posed. I’m not going to give it any thought as I’d probably be here for days changing my mind. I only started supporting PVFC in the mid 70’s so have to respect the nominations of the older supporters as well as the younger supporters. It’s interesting that I don’t think many players from the 70’s have been mentioned but that tells you where the club was then. I remember the club used to distribute complementary tickets to the local High schools, Moorland Rd, Stanfields were just two schools.

its a bit like asking which five ppl living or dead would you invite to a dinner party. Very subjective and unlikely that two ppl would name the same people.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Joe B said:

Having turned up in 2002, I'd genuinely rather not share my team, as it's offensively poor in comparison to some of the other sides posted.

Nice to see Vale fans reminiscing about times in which we had proper footballers. My miserable Dad + near 90 yo Grandad still lovingly talk of many of the names in this thread. 

You can put out a decent side:

Goodlad

Gibbons Walsh Pilkington Collins

Andoh Sonner Morsy MBW

Brooker Sodje

No Pope for me but the fact is my front 2 are solid Championship quality. Pope is a club legend but really a league 1/2 player. Morsy was mishandled by Adams and I think that showed in his subsequent career.

Bench

Neal Pope Grant Marshall Collins O'Connor, Loft

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For reference:

 

Dad

Musselwhite

Mills Glover Pilkington Tankard

Chamberlain Earle Taylor Guppy

Slaven Foyle

 

Mum (swayed by emotion + looks)

Neal

Aspin Glover Swan Tankard

McCarthy Taylor Van Der Laan Guppy

Earle

Foyle

 

Me (sad, this)

Neal

Yates McCombe (C) Pilkington Dickinson

JMW Morsy Grant Marshall

Richards Pope 

I didn't want to pick Yates but Gibbons hasn't achieved enough and I haven't seen any other good RBs. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, RailwayRowdy said:

Out of interest KR, did you (or anyone else for that matter) ever see Ronnie Allen play for Vale? 

My old man used to tell me he was a hell of a player. Also, through work, I used to know a Baggies fan who described Ronnie as the finest player he ever saw play for West Brom. That's some praise. 

No I never saw him play for the Vale.  I saw him play against the Vale on at least three occasions.  My father saw him play for the Vale and he was the best centre forward he'd seen in a Vale shirt.  Allen and McGarry would have been in my side if I had seen either play for the Vale.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, JRC said:

You can put out a decent side:

Goodlad

Gibbons Walsh Pilkington Collins

Andoh Sonner Morsy MBW

Brooker Sodje

No Pope for me but the fact is my front 2 are solid Championship quality. Pope is a club legend but really a league 1/2 player. Morsy was mishandled by Adams and I think that showed in his subsequent career.

Bench

Neal Pope Grant Marshall Collins O'Connor, Loft

I don't have strong enough memories of Sonner, Walsh, Brooker etc to form a real opinion, unfortunately.

Strong memories started in about 2008 onwards. Tragic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Joe B said:

I don't have strong enough memories of Sonner, Walsh, Brooker etc to form a real opinion, unfortunately.

Strong memories started in about 2008 onwards. Tragic.

Sympathies you possibly just have the weakest promotion side of my lifetime. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, JRC said:

Sympathies you possibly just have the weakest promotion side of my lifetime. 

Yep. I know we had a fair team in my early years (Cummins, Brooker, MBW etc), and I just about remember McPhee and Littlejohn who were my favourite players, but bar Spurs away in 06/07 I genuinely don't remember a great deal prior to 08. 

12/13 was a good year and I will die on the hill that Chris Shuker was a massive baller and was fundamental to our excellent form in the early part of the season, and things went downhill when he and Dodds started playing less. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Joe B said:

For reference:

 

Dad

Musselwhite

Mills Glover Pilkington Tankard

Chamberlain Earle Taylor Guppy

Slaven Foyle

 

Mum (swayed by emotion + looks)

Neal

Aspin Glover Swan Tankard

McCarthy Taylor Van Der Laan Guppy

Earle

Foyle

 

Me (sad, this)

Neal

Yates McCombe (C) Pilkington Dickinson

JMW Morsy Grant Marshall

Richards Pope 

I didn't want to pick Yates but Gibbons hasn't achieved enough and I haven't seen any other good RBs. 

Near misses include Alnwick, O'Connor, Hughes, and Constantine. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, KingRay said:

I saw all the home games during the 1953/54 season and must agree with your assertion that it is the best Vale 11 that I have seen by some distance.

The best 2 goal keepers, again by some distance from the rest, were Ray King and Ken Hancock.  In my opinion Ray was better than Ken.  Next would be Neville Southall – I still remember his save from Tommy Gore on his debut for the Vale at Gigg Lane.

In terms of defence, none come anywhere near to Stan Turner (right back), Tommy Cheadle (centre half) and Reg Potts (left back).

Roy Sproson again stands out as a left half.

I think I would go for Ray Walker at right half in preference to Albert Mullard.

Right wing has to be Mark Chamberlain over Colin Askey, Brian Jackson and Jon McCarthy.

Inside right would be Albert Leake from that great 53/54 team followed by Tony Naylor.

My choice at centre forward is likely to be controversial.  The best I have seen was Ralph Hunt followed by Andy Jones and Tom Pope.  Ralph was signed by Norman Lowe, who was in hospital at the time.  He arrived at Vale Park on a clapped out motorbike minutes before kick-off and netted a first half hat-trick.  He had a great shot with both feet and was outstanding in the air.

Inside left would be Robbie Earle.

Left wing would be Steve Guppy followed by Dickie Cunliffe.

 

                                                    Ray King

Stan Turner                            Tom Cheadle                             Reg Potts

                 Ray Walker                                             Roy Sproson

                          Albert Leake                       Robbie Earle

Mark Chamberlain             Ralph Hunt                             Steve Guppy

Bench:  Ken Hancock, John Nicholson, Harry Poole, Ian Taylor, Tom Pope, Colin Askey, Dickie Cunliffe

12 local lads in that squad – can’t be bad.

Manager: John Rudge closely followed by Gordon Hodgson, who built the great 53/54 side but died of cancer before he could reap the benefits of his hard work.

Two of the above squad were killed in motor car accidents while still playing professionally.

Can anyone name them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Joe B said:

Yep. I know we had a fair team in my early years (Cummins, Brooker, MBW etc), and I just about remember McPhee and Littlejohn who were my favourite players, but bar Spurs away in 06/07 I genuinely don't remember a great deal prior to 08. 

If its any consolation I started in the desolate years of the early 70s. 10 years with realy only Brian Horton and Mark Chamberlain. Missed the Gordon Lee promotion: although my older cousins say it was hard to watch at times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, KingRay said:

Two of the above squad were killed in motor car accidents while still playing professionally.

Can anyone name them?

I could narrow it down to 2 of 4. After that its tossing a coin.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, KingRay said:

Two of the above squad were killed in motor car accidents while still playing professionally.

Can anyone name them?

Nicholson was one.

He bought his house off my parents when he joined the Club from Liverpool in the early sixties. Just off High Lane.

I don't recall any of the others goiung in that sad fashion. Hunt?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, TheSage said:

Nicholson was one.

He bought his house off my parents when he joined the Club from Liverpool in the early sixties. Just off High Lane.

I don't recall any of the others goiung in that sad fashion. Hunt?

Both correct. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Reporting Posts and other information

    Rules - This forum is moderated but the admin team don't read everything. Don't assume we'll spot rule breaking and alert us by reporting content. Logged in users can hover over the post and click the orange button. Guests can contact us here. If you don't get on with another user you can "ignore" them. Click this link, type in their username and click save. Please check with the admin team if you wish to sell/auction any items. We're happy to support good causes but check first.

    Use - This forum may not be suitable for all as it may contain words or phrases not considered appropriate for some. You are personally responsible and potentially liable for the contents of your posting and could face legal action should it contain content of a defamatory or other illegal nature. Every message posted leaves a traceable IP number. Please do not reveal any personal information about yourself or anyone else (for example: phone number, address or email address). This forum is not in any way affiliated with Port Vale FC. OVF reserve the right to edit, delete, move or close any thread for any reason. If you spot an offensive post please report it to the admin team (instructions are above).

    Adverts - This site occasionally a) has adverts and sponsored features about gambling b) accepts sponsored posts from third parties. If you require help and advice on gambling read these links: Information on protecting young people | Addiction help from gambleaware.co.uk
  • Friends of OVF

×
×
  • Create New...