PORTER SEES GOOD VALE TIMES UNDER NEW BOSS
PORT Vale Supporters’ Club chairman Mark Porter says he’s finally daring to dream of an exciting 2021/22 season still in the Football League after the club pulled away from the relegation zone.
The Vale were 10 points clear of the bottom two before last night’s fixtures, after back-to-back wins at home to Newport and away to Colchester.
Porter, who hosted the club’s fans’ forum a fortnight ago, says he was impressed with Clarke then and so isn’t surprised he has started to improve results.
He said: “Things are looking a lot more positive. A couple of wins behind us have put us in a better position. Teams below us might have games in hand, but they have to have the ability to put points on the board.
“We look now like a team that is starting to gel. I’m not saying we are guaranteed to stay up – the manager hasn’t said that either. There are nine games to play, 27 points to play for, so let’s build on the momentum.
“Let’s see what we can do to build for next season. I have been really impressed with Darrell Clarke.”
Clarke was joined at the fans’ forum by club owner Carol Shanahan and director of football David Flitcroft.
Porter added: “I thought the forum was very interesting and it gave the panel the chance to put their feelings across. Sometimes we forget that it’s their job, and no one wants to not succeed at a job.
“He was putting the right things in place but at times the rub of the green hasn’t gone for us.
“I think he’s getting the best out of the players. Nobody can dispute that we had been underperforming and been very poor.
“I really think we have a bright future. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does in the summer because he has decisions to make on certain players. It is up to those players over these nine games to show him they want to play for Port Vale.”
Vale head to Crawley on Saturday looking for three wins in a row for the first time since October.
Porter added: “The manager has made us more resolute at the back, with Leon Legge coming back in. He and Dave Worrall have come in and been phenomenal. Tom Conlon has started to push forward again. There have been a few mistakes but I think the players can hold their heads up with a bit of pride.
“We’ve had a year with supporters not being able to go to football. I long for the day when we can all go back. Hopefully it is not too far away and, hopefully, that will be in League Two. He would have a blank canvas then to start building a team that is capable of getting promotion.”