Shock win over Spurs earned Vale a place in Parliamentary history
In the latest of our Memory Match series, JOHN ABBERLEY recalls the famous day in January 1988 when Port Vale beat Spurs 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round. The article was first printed in 2009
ON a gluepot pitch at Vale Park, Port Vale added another eminent scalp to their list as FA Cup giantkillers with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur. The result was virtually settled in the first 25 minutes when Third Division Vale took a two-goal lead through Ray Walker and Phil Sproson.
Spurs pulled a goal back in the later stages, but always struggled in the heavy conditions and were denied a replay by Vale’s defenders.
History was made three days later when the Parliamentary report Hansard contained a reference to the match. Stoke North MP Joan Walley wrote: “I must put it on record that the abilities of Port Vale FC are second to none”.
Ken Hodby, of Weston Coyney, has been a Vale supporter for many years. He says: “It’s fair to say that this was a win out of the blue. No-one among supporters I knew expected it. Vale hadn’t been playing well and were struggling in the Third Division.
“But perhaps we should have remembered that Vale were famous for putting on the style in the cup, if not in the league, and this was one of those occasions.
“But let’s be honest and admit that the heavy pitch at Vale Park was equal to us having an extra player.
When the Spurs manager Terry Venables saw it he pulled out Ossie Ardiles, his key midfield player. Ardiles would have sunk without trace in that mud. He was used to playing on good pitches, like all the Spurs team. I think they would have wiped us out in different conditions.
“On this day there was no room for First Division skills. It was a question of mastering the heavy going.
“This suited Vale’s strong men like Bob Hazell, Phil Sproson and Darren Beckford. Still, the stars of the show were undoubtedly Vale’s midfield pair Ray Walker and Robbie Earle.
“Earle was unlucky not to play for England. Although Robbie’s best was yet to come, even at this stage he showed not just his natural abilities, but a good head for the game.
“But Vale’s midfield general was Ray Walker, a great play-maker who brought the best out of others. And he put Vale in front with a stunning shot from 20 yards which curled away from the keeper into the top corner.
“In that single instant Ray got everything right. And the early goal rocked Spurs and they never really recovered. I think it set the pattern for the rest of the match.
“The second goal by Phil Sproson was typical of the way Vale worked. Phil scored quite a few goals coming forward for set-pieces and he was there again to put the ball away slap in front of goal.
“We had a few scares after Spurs scored in the second half, but I thought Bob Hazell rose to the occasion splendidly. He was a good stopper. And Mark Grew, another experienced player, was at his best in goal in those final 20 minutes.
“At that time John Rudge was trying to build a promotion team, with not much success. He’d been under pressure that season, so the cup run was a welcome relief. In the fifth round we lost to Watford after a replay, but just getting that far was a good performance for a lowly Third Division side.”
Vale goalkeeper Mark Grew says the game against Spurs was the most memorable of his career.
He says: “The match was doubtful because of the heavy pitch, but I believe it was declared playable on the day. Before the game Jimmy Greaves wrote us off on ATV with an insulting comment. He did apologise for it afterwards, but I think it gave us an added incentive.
“Terry Venables knew it wasn’t going to be a footballing game and left out Ardiles. Tottenham weren’t used to playing on a pitch like ours. But we were playing on a bog every week. We won the game in the first 25 minutes with two great goals. They put us under some pressure after scoring and we had a bit of luck when Darren Hughes and myself scrambled the ball away off the goalline.
“Our cup run that year got John Rudge out of trouble. If we hadn’t beaten Macclesfield in the previous round he might have got the sack.”
Phil Sproson says Vale broke down Spurs with hard work and deserved to win.
He says: “Spurs had a team with a string of internationals, so we were the underdogs. Our only chance was to win at Vale Park. They would have hammered us at White Hart Lane.
“The atrocious pitch was certainly a factor in our favour. After Ray Walker scored our first goal, only four or five of the Spurs players seemed to have the heart to keep fighting. Ray’s goal was a beauty and no fluke. I’d seen him score goals like that before.
“Bending a shot the way he did was well within his capabilities. Ray laid on the second goal for me from my set-piece free-kick. Even before he put the ball across he was looking for me at the far post.
“I managed to unsettle Tony Parks, who wasn’t a big goalkeeper. I remember our shoulders colliding and after the ball ran loose it was in front of me six yards out. I belted it into the net with my left foot.
“When the score was 2-1 late in the game I kept a lookout for the Spurs danger man, Clive Allen, who scored 40-odd goals that season.
“But we weathered the storm for a victory we deserved. That Vale team had fantastic team spirit. It was the nucleus of a very good side which would have held its own in the Second Division.”
■ Port Vale: Grew, Steggles, Hughes, Walker, Hazell, Sproson, Ford, Earle, Riley, Beckford (Finney 83), Cole.
■ Tottenham: Parks, Hughton (Howells, 60), Thomas, Ruddock, Fairclough, Mabbutt, C Allen, P Allen, Waddle, Fenwick, Moran.
■ Attendance: 20,045.