EXCITEMENT WAS BUILDING AS NEW BOSS CROSBY PREPARED FOR DEBUT CAMPAIGN AS VALIANTS’ MAIN MAN
PORT Vale writer CLIVE YOULTON is taking a look back, week by week, at the Valiants’ campaign. In the first feature, he looks back at the build up to the League One season...
IT was to be another new era in the history of Port Vale Football Club as the club embarked on the 2023/24 League One season. In all probability the Valiants would have stayed in the division whether or not they had sacked Darrell Clarke at the back end of the previous campaign.
Vale’s owners, the Shanahans, and director of football David Flitcroft elected to hand the managerial reins to Andy Crosby, who had always been the best man and never the groom.
The loyal Crosby, assistant to Clarke and a man with a long track record of being a number two, notably with Nigel Adkins, was looking forward to his first game in charge of the club on a permanent contract.
I say, ‘permanent’ but we all know it’s the most ridiculous word in football.
It will be “a proud moment for me and my family” suggested Crosby who, along with Flitcroft, had recruited a host of new signings in the summer.
Notably, Ethan Chislett had arrived from AFC Wimbledon and suffered relegation to League Two in his first season with them.
Mitch Clark returned from Accrington Stanley, Conor Grant was let go by Plymouth Argyle and was handed a fresh challenge, while Alex Iacovitti joined from Ross County.
Jason Lowe came from Salford City, Tom Sang arrived from Cardiff City and two goalkeepers landed – Connor Ripley, fresh from a relegation at Morecambe, and Jayson Leutwiler from Oldham, a man who signed and was destined to sit on the bench for the entirety of the League One campaign with just the odd cup appearance thrown in.
Vale also dipped into the loan
market and, out of all the recruits, struck gold with Ollie Arblaster from Sheffield United and Alfie Devine from Tottenham Hotspur.
Kofi Balmer also joined from Crystal Palace but had nowhere near the same impact.
Crosby had already taken on two caretaker spells in charge of Vale but being in sole control was a significant leap forward for the 50-year-old.
He spoke of his ambition and said of the opening-day clash at
Barnsley: “It’s only one game out of 46 league games so it’s important we are as prepared as we can be for that game.
“We have done a lot of work on and off the pitch with a new group coming together to develop a way in which we think we can develop on the pitch, but also trying to learn about each other off the pitch as well.”
A week away in Spain preceded the season and it was viewed as a bonding session in the main.
Club historian Phil Sherwin was among around 60 fans who travelled to Spain for the brief tour.
On a blisteringly hot day they played Grimsby Town over four half-hour sessions and drew 1-1 with a goal from Ben Garrity.
“It was the culmination of a really good week,” suggested Crosby, who had lost Tom Conlon to injury earlier in the pre-season schedule.
“We go back to the UK in better shape and with a much closer group.”
At that time, Ellis Harrison, Mal Benning and Tommy Mcdermott were in the squad and all played a part, before leaving the club.
Who knows whether Vale would have been a more potent force had Harrison stayed. He sat on the bench at MK Dons for most of the season, but did manage a few goals.
The last pre-season friendly increased the frustration of Crosby and all concerned as a 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers was flat.
While controlling large parts of the game, they just couldn’t score and that was to be the same old story for a lot of the time Crosby was in charge.
Crosby added: “We have recruited certain players with certain positions with real strengths in the way we want to play.”
Funso Ojo, Garrity and Mitch Clark had been prominent and Crosby maintained: “We need competition for places. Ideally you want two players for every single position. The competition Monday to Friday is really high.”
Tellingly, he added: “The most disappointing thing is we gave away the ball to the opposition for their goal and we can’t afford to do that.”
How many times were we to hear and see that over the course of the campaign?
The big issue was the need for a striker. In the event, the club gambled on re-signing James Wilson and to some extent it worked but he had a couple of lengthy spells out and only scored three goals.
“We are certainly lacking in numbers in the number nine position and centre forwards,” said Crosby.
“Obviously, it’s something we are constantly looking at, it’s evolving, we are speaking to players and when we have got something to announce we will do it.” Nothing was announced. Another statement from Crosby now rings hollow with the benefit of hindsight.
“We have done some unbelievably good business
and improved a hell of a lot of things from where we were,” he maintained.
At least off the pitch things were going well.
Under stable ownership, a revamped fanzone, a new playing surface and a new scoreboard were installed.
One thing that irked the supporters, though, was being moved out of the Bycars Stand and told the home end was now the Hamil Road End.
That’s where the fanzone was located so from the club’s point of view it made sense. But long-standing fans were less than impressed with the lack of consultation.
As for on the pitch, supporter Scott Lingard, warned: “In my opinion we are far from ready to kick-off. But we do have the foundations for a decent run this season. Our recruitment so far has been quite good, but the biggest problem we had last season was scoring goals, and we still have not signed anything like a striker.
“Once again with the season upon us we seem to be behind the rest of the teams in filling the one position we really need before the season kicks off.”
He also said: “We appear to also have another problem that quickly needs sorting out. Tickets, and our online booking system and the ticket office in general. For a football club that is aiming to be Championship ready, our ticketing set-up is appallingly bad, and season after season is getting worse.
“Attempting to book online is farcical. In fact it’s probably easier to get a Golden Ticket from Willy Wonka than it is to book a ticket online.”
On the eve of the season Crosby reflected: “What I can’t be is somebody that I’m not. I’ve got to be true to myself and who I am.
“I’ve got my own strengths and my own weaknesses. I have been in the game a long time, seen a lot of things, learned a lot of lessons and done some good things and made some mistakes and it has brought me to where I am now.”
Looking back at his opening two months in the job he stated: “It’s been absolutely amazing. It’s everything I hoped the job would be. There’s a lot of responsibility, lots of challenges, as I expected. I’ve grown into the role and I have been massively supported by my family.
“In the off season, it’s obviously really time-consuming, so again, that’s as I expected. Since I’ve returned to the club [for preseason] there’s been lots of support from Carol [Shanahan, joint owner] and from Dave [director of football, David Flitcroft] and the staff and players.
“And I’ll be learning my lessons along the way. It’s a challenge I’m ready for and enthused by. I want to lead from the front, I want to guide the club to move forward both on and off the pitch.”
The enthusiasm and optimism at the club was palpable.
Crosby had his backroom team in place and all was well.
But amid the buzz of anticipation there was a problem which arose just at the wrong time for all concerned at Vale Park.
The season started.