Admiration for Mansfield Town fans

[LancyTony]

8 hours ago, Greeny said:

Stags fan in peace, best team won yesterday, no complaints. Your fans were a credit to you, I spoke with a few of you around the ground and you’re a club from an area like us, working class, proper fans. But I knew that anyway, I’ve been a Stags season ticket holder for almost 40 years and fondly recall the ding dongs we’ve had with you, especially in the 80’s when you had Earle, Walker, Andy Jones etc. 

Gutted of course, but delighted for Clarkey and Mal.

All the best next season, lads. 

 

I believe most Vale fans will be hoping you get promoted next season? As you say - a shared background which sometimes makes things difficult, but class rises above - and your fans certainly did that, yesterday! It was just a shame we couldn't both go up. Thank you Greeny!

[LancyTony]

4 hours ago, New Brighton Stag said:

Stags fan here.  Good things happen to good people.   When you turned us over at your place in March, your staff couldn't do enough for us, we'd lost our tickets and the lady behind the window couldn't have been more helpful if I was her own son, the steward at the turnstile came across to the window and took it upon himself to ensure that we got in, at half time we saw one of your stewards playing football with a balloon with one of our young fans.  We actually looked at each other at this point and said that it was a nice club and wrote to the club then to tell them that they were good people.

That culture doesn't happen by accident, it's by design and comes from the top.  Your owners are clearly good people, and David Flitcroft is a good person - when David Flitcroft was our manager a lot of us felt re-engaged with our club in a way that we hadn't in years - and I can see that you have with your club a similar thing to what we had with him - and fortunately we still have.  We all know about our links with Darrell, who is one of our own, and Sir Mal, who, somehow, is even more revered now despite scoring against us, in a play off final, at Wembley. 

We had a lot of fun with your fans yesterday, I was ambushed on the train down by a family of 9 (hi Andy and Sarah) and we shared beers, jokes, songs, piss taking, and we swapped numbers to meet again at some point in the future.  It was everything lower league football should be (apart from the result)

I hope you do well next year, and look forward to crossing paths soon.  

Wow - what a great story, and thanks for sharing! Your fans deserve massive credit - thanks NBStag!!

[Guitar Ray]

11 hours ago, Staggo said:

A few years ago I was fortunate to be invited to enjoy match day hospitality at Stags for a game against Vale. I was unfortunate enough to be sat for the pre-match dinner with Norman Smurthwaite. He was an obnoxious man with zero charm or redeeming qualities and openly spoke badly about the Vale fans, claiming they were spoilt and asking for more than they deserved.

I later read about the fans perspective on him and wasn't surprised to hear how he was thought of. I decided to make a first away trip to Vale Park and witnessed protests in the home stands. I also visited the Leopard pub, where I know (from family history) that my 2x great-granddad drank in the 19th century. Anyway, the whole series of events gave me a bit of a soft spot for Vale - even more so when DC joined you and then Sir Mal, my favourite Stags player of the last 5 years.

I'm sent him a congratulatory message today and got a thank you back. He's a class act. Hope you do well and even push on through to the Championship for a nice local derby with Stoke. 

Fortunately Smurthwaite is no more than a distant memory, unfortunately drinking in the Leopard similar.

Many of us could empathise on Saturday, having been in the same position all those years ago.  We came back stronger the next year and I expect Stags will do the same.

On the day there was the side plot of the ex-Stags players in our squad, but of course overarching the main event was the situation with DC.  All Vale fans will never forget the fantastic show of respect shown by you Mansfield Town fans on minute 8. Thanks to you all.

[bomber]

Total respect for the stags! Yes we are over the moon with winning yes we are dancing on the ceiling . However we have been on the end of the same result at Wembley maybe many years ago but I am still traumatised by it, the main consolation is we went up the following year automatically. A crumb of comfort for the stags maybe. Anyway hope they do well next year.

[PVFC764]

15 hours ago, Greeny said:

Stags fan in peace, best team won yesterday, no complaints. Your fans were a credit to you, I spoke with a few of you around the ground and you’re a club from an area like us, working class, proper fans. But I knew that anyway, I’ve been a Stags season ticket holder for almost 40 years and fondly recall the ding dongs we’ve had with you, especially in the 80’s when you had Earle, Walker, Andy Jones etc. 

Gutted of course, but delighted for Clarkey and Mal.

All the best next season, lads. 

 

Thanks and hope you do well next season, been on the other side and know the feeling of not winning these games.  Sure you will go up next year under Clough.  You have a good team and a few tweaks will be there.  Then the ding dong matches can start again 🤣

[Bycarsbill]

What a brilliant piece by Rob in his summary of the play-offs--absolutely nailed it Rob and thank you for all the time and effort you put in to OVF I, for one, and I'm sure I speak for many others, really appreciate what you do to keep us all updated on all matters PV.

Here's to next season in League One. UTV!

[Santa]

Am I misremembering or did Flitcroft lose his job at Mansfield after they got pipped by Bury for automatic promotion? The year Bury were allowed to carry on because the EFL didn’t do their job properly. 

[Aguar61]

20 hours ago, robf said:

Yeah, but classy Mansfield are rubbish at having a cheap pop at us before every important match.

Swindon players have done such a great job at inspiring the Vale team and getting us through the play-offs... 

...and don't forget little Harry helping us on our way with his moonshot spot kick

[Staggo]

2 hours ago, Santa said:

Am I misremembering or did Flitcroft lose his job at Mansfield after they got pipped by Bury for automatic promotion? The year Bury were allowed to carry on because the EFL didn’t do their job properly. 

Yep. Well we actually got pipped by Franchise because we lost to them on the final day of the season. That was essentially a playoff final game. We then lost on pens in the playoffs. Not sure what we've done to anger the football gods!

[Playa Amodores]

I’ve been reading the MTFC forum a lot aren’t happy with the minority of their fans for throwing flares around in the fanzone, especially with kids being present. They were also skating the individual who threw a flare/smoke bomb into the section where I was sitting. I suppose every club has these individuals and thank goodness they’re a minority. COYW

[The man in the pub]

Stags fan in peace, best team won yesterday, no complaints. Your fans were a credit to you, I spoke with a few of you around the ground and you’re a club from an area like us, working class, proper fans. But I knew that anyway, I’ve been a Stags season ticket holder for almost 40 years and fondly recall the ding dongs we’ve had with you, especially in the 80’s when you had Earle, Walker, Andy Jones etc. 
Gutted of course, but delighted for Clarkey and Mal.
All the best next season, lads. 
 

Great respect for your fans, class act your applause for DC on 8 minutes. Also early second half your 20 mins of really getting behind your team despite being 2-0 down and with only 10 men, a lesson to all us Valefans. We know what it's like to lose at Wembley 3-0 with 10 men. After the game spoke to several of your fans who gave an honest view of the game along with your manager, credit to your club. If you had scored with that early chance it would have been a very different game. Wishing you well and promotion next season with 6 points in the bag from your Swindon games .

[valeparklife]

Echoing the thoughts of others on here. Mansfield and Vale are two similar sized clubs, with real, honest, passionate fans and good people in the club.

No delusions of grandeur ("SWINDON WOULD HAVE TAKEN 50,000 TO WEMBLEY") etc

No arrogance, egotism or pomposity ("We have better footballers", "All Vale do is foul us", "The 2nd leg is a formality") etc

No bitterness in defeat (Embarrassing tweets from that woeful French defender "💩hole") etc

I would love Mansfield to win the league next season. Top drawer club.

[Fosse69]

Stags fan in peace, best team won yesterday, no complaints. Your fans were a credit to you, I spoke with a few of you around the ground and you’re a club from an area like us, working class, proper fans. But I knew that anyway, I’ve been a Stags season ticket holder for almost 40 years and fondly recall the ding dongs we’ve had with you, especially in the 80’s when you had Earle, Walker, Andy Jones etc. 
Gutted of course, but delighted for Clarkey and Mal.
All the best next season, lads. 
 

Thanks a lot, Leicestershire based so the Mill was a popular away trip, remember Mark Chamberlain's cheeky rob off your keeper's feet and goal? Thanks again for the congratulations on the tube, hope you make L1 next season.

Sent from my SM-A715F using onevalefan mobile app

[Guitar Ray]

Question for any Stags fans reading, what was the story from your end behind the departure of Mal Benning?  Clearly a very talented player on his day.

[dantheman]

What an absolute pleasure this thread and similar comments on the Mansfield forum is to read. So refreshing in modern football.

In every conversation I have had since the game I have mentioned that while I’m obviously over the moon that we won out on the day, I’m gutted for the Mansfield fans. For every cheering fan for us there will be some broken hearts for Mansfield. It’s a cruel reality of football, specifically the playoffs,but refreshing to see those emotions being shared with absolute humility. 

Genuinely wish you all the luck for next season and hope that you can get yourselves promoted and give your fans what the clearly deserve.

If they haven’t already please take the comments back to your own forum and share them with your guys.