EXCLUSIVE
THERE will be no local fire brigade drenching the pitch when Port Vale take on Manchester City tomorrow, but there will still be an FA Cup sparkle in John Rudge’s eyes.
Rudge masterminded cup shocks over three top-flight teams during his 16 years in charge of the Valiants, including a famous 1988 win over Tottenham when hosepipes formed part of the pre-match preparation.
The 75-year-old’s teams also defeated then cup-holders Everton in 1996 and Southampton two years earlier and took Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal to penalties after a replay in 1998.
Now back at Port Vale in an advisory capacity to manager
John Askey, as well as being club president, Rudge admits memories of those giant-killing days will flood back at the Etihad Stadium.
And none more so than his innovative approach to beating Spurs 2-1 at Vale Park over 30 years ago.
Rudge recalled: “The fire station wasn’t too far away and
I thought their apprentices needed a bit of practice. [Spurs boss] Terry Venables went onto the pitch in his new brogues shoes and the mud covered them straight away. We needed a little bit of extra water to slow Tottenham down because they had a great team then, and Venables was obviously a great manager.
“Before the match Saint and Greavsie said on their TV programme that the only thing Spurs needed to worry about was finding the ground. But we had some good players, too, and Ray Walker and Phil Sproson scored the goals to pull off a fantastic cup shock.” Rudge remembers his job being at risk before that Tottenham win, with the team struggling in the Third Divsion, but he went on to have 16 years in charge of Port Vale before spending 14 years as director of football at neighbours Stoke.
He took Vale – now 10th in League Two – to within touching distance of a First Division play-off that would have provided a chance of topflight football for the first time in the club’s history. He was so popular that supporters organised a flat-cap march in his honour when he was sacked in 1999 and superfan Robbie Williams took to the stage at a gig in Coventry in the same trademark head gear. Rudge also beat City three times during his spell as Vale manager, including once when he prepared to