Loyalty to the vale

[mbycars]

Tom McLaren now there was loyalty for you.

[Timothius]

i think your opening post is very disrespectful to some Vale greats. Andy Jones didnt ask for a move for example, but his form made his move inevitable and you can argue it was his transfer fee that enabled the club to move upwards to the next level.

[old sage]

It's almost comical listening to the array of widely differing comments on here.

 

I would like to comment on the opening post. Yes everyone of the players left for 'greener pastures'. Some found the grazing sweeter Earle being one of those but the majority actually fell on their egotistical backsides. The truth was that most of them were actually pushed through the door at Port Vale. Some of the others weren't looked after properly contract wise. If I was the boss and had a player in my team who deserved an improved contract I would go to him with the new improved deal long before the 'vultures' come circling. That's the way Gradi worked at the alex and he was usually repaid by getting a huge fee when they were sold on.

 

Bratt and co in particular never had this nouce and usually made their offer as the player's move was virtually signed and sealed.

 

Hopefully the new bosses will get our stars signed on longer deals because in the cases of Neal and Burge in particular these lads are our future.

 

I have left Tom Pope until last because he is a special case. This time last year most of the posters on here wouldn't have batted an eyelid if the Pope had been allowed to leave. I am smug enough to say that though his latest goal ratio has taken us all by surprise that I always rated our Tom as the best target man that we have posseded for years. I believe that Tom is one of a rare breed 'The old fashioned battering ram' and a player loving every minute of his time at his club.

 

The thing that stands out to me along with his wonderful goals was the memory of late on in the Morecambe game when Tom who was clearly both knackered and in pain still chased down a lost cause to worry a defender into knocking the ball out of play and gaining his team a throw in and 'winding down' another winning game.

 

For my money Tom Pope deserves the best deal possible because he is like the stauchest fan 'Vale to the bone'. He probably won't ever reach the scoring record of this season again but one thing you can count on he will give every last ounce to his club. He is our own 'Local Hero' a rare breed indeed in today's greed ridden world.

 

Feed the Pope and he will score

Be fair with him and he will stay

[penguinsTeeth]

Tremendously impressed with Tom - Wouldn't it be fantastic to get two successive promotions with him leading the charge.

 

In general though locally born players are not idolised by fans in the way they used to be - its now got to the stage where all that fans respond to is how much money they have paid for a player.

 

If households were run in the same way fans look at their team the whole structure of society as we know it would impload.

 

You really do like to judge don't you. You'd be better thinking about what you are saying now and then.

[Yukon]

If he goes for free at the end of the season then all he's done is fooked the club over cus had he gone yesterday at least we cud have demanded a fee.

 

Jesus, do you need reminding to breath pal, because that is stupidity in its purest form.

[mickyferns]

If he goes for free at the end of the season then all he's done is fooked the club over cus had he gone yesterday at least we cud have demanded a fee.

 

Jesus, do you need reminding to breath pal, because that is stupidity in its purest form.

why so? If he's planning on leaving at the end of the season dont u think its better he went yesterday and we got a big pile of cash? (although we had no offers anyway) All I was trying to say is IF a big cash offer came in id have prefered him to go then rather than for nothing in a few months, personally I think he'll sign a new contract anyway.

[cheshirevaliant]

I think its worth mentioning that Marc Richards had been incredibly loyal to us.

 

Good point ST. How quickly many forget...

[Yukon]

why so? If he's planning on leaving at the end of the season dont u think its better he went yesterday and we got a big pile of cash? (although we had no offers anyway) All I was trying to say is IF a big cash offer came in id have prefered him to go then rather than for nothing in a few months, personally I think he'll sign a new contract anyway.

 

Put a price on 4 months of his goals! If those goals get us promoted, it's worth more than any sum we could have received yesterday. Popey said he wanted to stay & did, for how long? Well let's cross those fingers!

 

Apologies for the earlier post, this thread wound me up (don't get me started on the "Chilvers or MacDonald" thread!) & I took it out on you. I think the whole side deserves credit for sticking to the task at hand

[Trampilot]

When I think of loyalty and Vale:

 

Ray Walker (could easily have played in the top flight)

Robbie Earle (today he would have lasted a season before going to the reserves of a Premiership club)

John Rudge (the only person who seemingly didn't stick by him in the end was Bill Bell)

[mickyferns]

why so? If he's planning on leaving at the end of the season dont u think its better he went yesterday and we got a big pile of cash? (although we had no offers anyway) All I was trying to say is IF a big cash offer came in id have prefered him to go then rather than for nothing in a few months, personally I think he'll sign a new contract anyway.

 

Put a price on 4 months of his goals! If those goals get us promoted, it's worth more than any sum we could have received yesterday. Popey said he wanted to stay & did, for how long? Well let's cross those fingers!

 

Apologies for the earlier post, this thread wound me up (don't get me started on the "Chilvers or MacDonald" thread!) & I took it out on you. I think the whole side deserves credit for sticking to the task at hand

fair play although I would say we're just relaying on popes goals for promotion, think we'll still go go anyway.

[bertiepee]

When I think of loyalty and Vale:

 

Ray Walker (could easily have played in the top flight)

Robbie Earle (today he would have lasted a season before going to the reserves of a Premiership club)

John Rudge (the only person who seemingly didn't stick by him in the end was Bill Bell)

 

ray walker was a great player , one of the best in my 45years watching vale, but i cant remember ever hearing of interest from other clubs, apart from a rumour stoke were interested, but think it was just a that, correct me if i am wrong. john rudge came close to leaveing once, he was on his way bradford because bell didnt want pay him what rudge thought he was worth, the story went he stormed out and when he was driving down hamil bell phoned him tell him come back talk and he got the contract he wanted. if i remember right there was a fair few vale fans outside lourne street entrance on the day all this was going on. money talks at the end of the day

[Trampilot]

ray walker was a great player , one of the best in my 45years watching vale, but i cant remember ever hearing of interest from other clubs, apart from a rumour stoke were interested, but think it was just a that, correct me if i am wrong. john rudge came close to leaveing once, he was on his way bradford because bell didnt want pay him what rudge thought he was worth, the story went he stormed out and when he was driving down hamil bell phoned him tell him come back talk and he got the contract he wanted. if i remember right there was a fair few vale fans outside lourne street entrance on the day all this was going on. money talks at the end of the day

 

I guess in some respects Ray Walker's career was in a different era of football (no Bosman ruling etc) so players were tied closer to clubs so more difficult to move on. Nowadays a young player plays a decent half season and get snapped up and disappears into a reserve team somewhere then get loaned out. By the time they reach 25 they've only played a handful of first team games.

 

If you look at Beckford and Earle they stayed for a few golden seasons whereas now they'd only be around for a season before disappearing.

[Trentham Lakes Valiant]

Pope's loyalty should be to his family. He's seen out his contract and his form this season has put him in the shop window. Vale will offer him what they feel they can afford without crippling themselves financially (if they're sensible) and it just depends how close that offer might be to others he recieves. If its a few hundred quid a week then his allegiance to Vale might make him stay, but if a Championship club comes in and doubles what Vale can afford he'll be off like a shot Vale fan or not.

 

That's football unfortunately, and in fairness players who have carved out a career in the lower leagues don't earn silly money so you couldn't blame him either.......

 

Absolutely bob on. Tom has been more than fair to us. No one should begrudge him the chance to secure his family's future elsewhere if it cannot be done at PVFC

[saintvaliant]

Pope will stay IMHO.

 

What he gets from Vale in his next deal is likely to set him up for life if he is careful with it.

[Formby Valiant]

Robbie Earle was a great servant to the club and we had a much longer period of high performance from him than we have had so far from Tom (hopefully this is the start of a good few years to come)

 

Yes, he moved on, but at the right time, its called ambition and fulfilling your potential. I don't see it as money grabbing. Loyalty doesn't pay your pension when you've retired from the game.