Football Season Guide

Port Vale find themselves at something of a crossroads and there will be a few nerves in this part of the Potteries. There are few clubs in the EFL with better owners than Carol Shanahan and she still retains the support of the Valiants faithful. That’s some feat given she made the brave decision to sack Head Coach Darrell Clarke with less than a month of last season remaining. Clarke guided the club to promotion via the play-offs last May, barely three months after losing his young daughter, earning him the loyalty of the fans. It remained despite their form dropping off a cliff after Christmas and it was results from the first half of the season which ultimately kept them up. His assistant Andy Crosby has been appointed as his successor, which was met with bemusement by many Vale fans. It does at least give the club some continuity and stability as they face a potentially difficult second season in League One. The pitch was a big talking point as it deteriorated during a cold winter and significant funds have been spent on a remedy. It has impacted on the playing budget, with several players leaving the club this summer. Centre-back Will Forrester’s sale to Bolton Wanderers came as a surprise and is the most notable. Conor Ripley looks a great addition between the sticks whilst Conor Grant was promoted with Plymouth Argyle and will strengthen the midfield. Crosby’s priority now is to find some firepower as goals were hard to come by last season, and similar problems could prove very costly this time around.