Port Vale Forum Pre Match Interview / Report vrs Barnsley

Hi,

I'm the pre-match reporter for the Port Vale Fans Forum One Vale Fan.

Part of my role is to contact fans of our forthcoming opponents to ask them a few questions and gain their views on the upcoming fixture between our sides in order to produce a report which we release on the site a couple of days prior to the game.

I wondered if up to three of you have a few minutes and would be prepared to share a few views if you would kindly offer your feelings on the game by answering the following few questions;
1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
2. How are your team doing (current form and in relation to the expectation of fans at the start of the season)?
3. Where you think you will finish in terms of league position?
4. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?
5. What are your thoughts on your manager?
6. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
7. Any views on the current Port Vale team & specific players?
8. Any views & memories of players / managers that have been involved with both teams?
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?

Please also feel free to include any other information you feel worthy and I will knock it into a report as per the example below regarding contribution from Plymouth fans from our game with them;
http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/site/opposing-views-plymouth/

To enable me to produce this in good time I need a reply by Wednesday night and the report should appear on the website a day or two before our fixture.

Please also let me know if you would like me to include your name on the article.

Many thanks for your potential support in this matter.

Best Regards,



REP

 

1. Middle aged & supporter for 40 plus years 2. Terrible & worse than expected 3. Anywhere between 17th and 22nd. 4.No one in particular at present 5. Very disappointed in him 6. Talk the talk but not exactly walking the walk 7. Don't know much about you lot but suspect you'll be more fired up for the game than us (not difficult) 8. Can't think of any but my memory is getting worse 9. We badly need to win but I see a draw at 1 1

 

Marc Richards fairly recently played for both. I liked him for Barnsley out of his depth in the championship but he wasn't alone in that.

 

1. Supporter since the 70s fallen out of love with football in general but still support the 'mighty' reds.
2. In a poor run of form. For me was always going to be a season of consolidation with a mid table finish a good achievement. We are a little behind schedule at the moment.
3. Between 14th and 19th depending on form of those returning from injury.
4. Hourihane on his day is one of the divisions best players unfortunately those days have been few and far between recently.
5. Barnsley legend but finding the going tough. Basically had to sign a whole new team following relegation. The average age of the team is about 22 and it shows. Must do better.
6.a chairman who is a fan and has invested lots of his money you can't ask more (though plenty do)
7. Tom Pope is a quality player at this level but hopefully still injured.
8. Marc Richards as above
9. Close game 1 nil to either team.

 

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?

My dad started taking me when I was 3, so around the 92/93 season although I remember very little from before the ground was redeveloped. Had a season ticket since 1997. Went to quite a few away games from around 05 to 10, can't get as much anymore though.


2. How are your team doing (current form and in relation to the expectation of fans at the start of the season)?

We're on a dreadful run of form. Injuries haven't helped but I do think some of Danny's decision making has been poor also. I expected us to have periods like this at the start of the year and still think we could finish in the top half with a little run of form.


3. Where you think you will finish in terms of league position?

Hopeful for a top half finish, think we'll finish about 15th.


4. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?

If he's fit, Sam Winnall. If not, none of them have really been setting the place alight recently. If I was pushed I'd say that Hourihane has the ability to be a game changer.


5. What are your thoughts on your manager?

Makes some strange decisions but has been given the backing of the board and he fans need to give him our patience. He's trying to build a squad, we've had far too many managers over the last 20 years.


6. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?

An improvement over past seasons, still feel the club is a little out of touch with the fans though.


7. Any views on the current Port Vale team & specific players?

Always rated Tom Pope


8. Any views & memories of players / managers that have been involved with both teams?

Loved Marc Richards, bit of a cult hero.


9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?

0-0

 

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
Retired steelworks Payroll Manager, now studying to become the next Indiana Jones. Been a fan since the 1960's.
2. How are your team doing?
Current displays and results have been extremely disappointing, although we have previously played some excellent football and scored quite a number of spectacular goals. We've badly missed the injured Sam Winnall up front. Most fans were expecting a transitional season, without dropping to the edge of a relegation battle as we have.
3. Where you think you will finish in terms of league position?
I don't honestly know, but would pitch a guess at mid table.
4. Who should we watch out for?
Although currently out of form (which can end in an instant), Conor Hourihane. Scored some important & wonderful goals, as well as being a dead ball specialist. Had Winnall been fit, then he would also have proved to be a handful for the Vale defence.
5. What are your thoughts on your manager?
I like & rate him and believe he's the best man to steer us through this transitional period.
6. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
After years of stagnation, they finally seem to be moving in the right direction, with regards to various sponsorship deals & monies being made available to the manager.
7. Any views on the current Port Vale team & specific players?
Intense dislike of Michael Brown, who displays all that is distasteful & disgusting in a footballer.
8. Any views & memories of players / managers that have been involved with both teams?
Enjoyed watching Carl Dickinson when we was on loan with us. Sam Togwell & Marc Richards were both honest hard working pros, but out of their depth in the Championship.
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?
2-0 home win, with both goals from Hourihane.

 

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?

21, Dad started taking to Oakwell in the early 00's somehow got hooked during arguably the worst period of the clubs history and pretty much stuck with us now.

2. How are your team doing (current form and in relation to the expectation of fans at the start of the season)?

Struggling to adapt to eachother/the league/the managers style of play/not very good. Alot of people expected us to do well this year but if I'm honest were not really living up to that, but I'm not that surprised we've had an unsettled squad all season. It's young it's raw, and it's very very in experienced.

3. Where you think you will finish in terms of league position?

I'd like to think we might get out of the relegation battle but I'd be happy if we stay up with how things have gone so far.

4. Who should we watch out for (one or more danger player/s)?

Maybe Milan Lalkovic, but really you should be alright unless Hourihane and Berry turn up.

5. What are your thoughts on your manager?

Never go back, but we've backed him in the summer to do a full rebuild and now we have got to stick with him otherwise the money we've spent so far is wasted as a new manager would probably wan't to replace the lot.

6. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?

Until last week I was confident but then it came out that we had lost £2m in the last financial year which is a disappointment and it might not sound much but to us it is stupid money. Also heard rumors of Oakwell needing to be sold etc.

Starting to get abit worried about what they are actually doing, love Patrick Cryne to bits, saved the club from admin and has invested alot of his money but it's best for the club and himself if he can find a decent buyer in my opinion.

7. Any views on the current Port Vale team & specific players?

Micheal Brown will be in for a shed load of stick, hopefully.

Impressed by Tom Pope, hope for M'voto's sake he's still injured.

8. Any views & memories of players / managers that have been involved with both teams?

Marc Richards springs to mind, used to love watching him play for some reason. Once scored with his backside.

Carl Dickinson was a quality LB and is a great player for this level, absolute powerhouse.

9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides)?

Not very good at this sort of thing....

1-0 Vale

8,345 in attendance with it being all ticket.

 

Please tell me this is severe sarcasm? I'd love to know if them two are ever gunna turn up at Oakwell



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Thanks guys,

Lots of great replies and more than I need so I will create an article from there that should appear on our site Friday.

Best Regards,


REP

 

Did Robbie Earle have a perm? Thought he was just naturally curly-haired

 

They were our two most consistent performers up until about early December. They've got the ability, they're just lacking form.

 

9. Sean McClare. Any memories of him at Vale?

 

Well it certainly left him when he went to Wimbledon, its the air up north I think!

 

I remember being desperate to sign him during his loan spell, when he did sig permanently I was less than impresssed though I'm sure he only scored one goal and I'm sure I saw it!