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Author Topic: Port Vale Forum Pre Match Interview / Report vrs Swindon  (Read 4894 times)
Robbie Earles Perm

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« on: Monday, August 15, 2016, 17:31:07 »

Hi,

I'm the pre-match reporter for the Port Vale Fans Forum One Vale Fan.

Part of my role is to contact fans of our forthcoming opponents to ask them a few questions and gain their views on the upcoming fixture between our sides in order to produce a report which we release on the site a couple of days prior to the game.
   
I wondered if one or more of you (up to a maximum of 3 due to space constraints) have a few minutes and would kindly be prepared to share a few views  / your feelings on the game by answering the following few questions;

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)?
3. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season & who should we watch out for (danger players)?
4. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
5. Can you tell us up to 3 quirky things opposing fans might not know about your team?
6. Our fans love to read opposing team’s forums and blogs, any recommendations on these for your team?
7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?
8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?
9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides) and what do you expect the attendance to be?
10. Finally can you pass on any decent recommendations for local ‘away friendly pubs’, eateries and the best places to park for our fans travelling to the game?


Please also feel free to include any other information you feel worthy and I will knock it into a report as per the example below regarding contribution from Wigan fans from a game with them;
http://www.onevalefan.co.uk/site/2015/09/wigan-fans-the-jurys-out-on-manager-gary-caldwell/

To enable me to produce this in good time I need a reply by Wednesday and the report will appear on our website prior to the fixture.

Please also let me know if you would like me to include your name on the article and if you are prepared to share one a photo of yourself we can utilise with the article.

Many thanks for your potential support in this matter.

Best Regards,



REP  Grin
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Reg Smeeton
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« Reply #1 on: Monday, August 15, 2016, 18:50:54 »

A visit from REP must portend a game v Vale. How exciting, a chance to continue the Burslem story.

Could we put out a side weaker than our last game v The Valiants?

 Vigouroux, Barry, Thompson (C), Ormonde-Ottewill, Doughty, Kasim, Rodgers, Balmy, Robert, Obika, Hylton

That side actually had no central defenders, now we've 1....by contrast it had one centre forward now we've none. Swings and roundabouts I suppose.

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Jimmy Glass is an Alien

« Reply #2 on: Monday, August 15, 2016, 19:15:54 »

You might want to amend your URL as it doesn't work
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Panda Paws

« Reply #3 on: Wednesday, August 17, 2016, 12:03:29 »

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?

London-based Town fan into season number 25. Work in media and content. Been supporting Swindon since I was five, and my first game was the opening day of the 1992/93 season (v Sunderland, Hoddle screamer, 1-0 win).

2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)?

Fully expect us to progress on from last year. If we can keep the majority of our squad fit and well (which seems impossible at the moment), I expect us to steer clear of trouble completely and, you never know, maybe even threaten the top 6. 10th

3. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season & who should we watch out for (danger players)?

Luke Williams is incredibly highly rated by those in the game, but less so by our own fans. In my mind, he and the Chairman (de facto Director of Football) are doing their best to mould the youngest side in the Football League in to a competitive side at this level, despite being bottom three in terms of budget.

Signings wise, our business isn't completed yet and we always do it late, much to the frustration of the fans. Incomings in the summer included Lawrence Vigoroux from the Scousers for 400k, a big sum for a gk but one who did well last year here on loan and looks to be getting better and better. Michael Doughty signed on loan for the season from QPR and is a bloody good signing at this level - most consistent/impressive player thus far. John Goddard (from Woking, guessing fee would be c. 150k) scored 26 from midfield in the National League last year and Luke Norris (150k from Gills) looked very good on debut but is struggling to be fit for the weekend. Darnell Furlong from QPR on loan looks a great addition at RWB and Lloyd Jones looked assured at CB on debut but, like everyone else, now injured.

Ones to watch: Jon Obika is out, which is a shame as he's in the top three all round strikers in the league. Norris, if fit, should go well on his home debut. Jordan Stewart, a young Norn Ireland attacker we bought last year but struggled to settle, has looked very good in a couple of sub appearances. Doughty loves a goal from midfield. Him to score anytime is always worth a couple of quid.

4. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?

Oh God.... Good luck with this if you get more than my response.

Personally - Lee Power took the club on in an absolute shambles. He openly states he doesn't like the media unless they pay for access, doesn't believe in PR and is behind most of our signings BUT for the first time in memory, we run at breakeven and remain competitive at this level. We have a young, forward-thinking, progressive team with a batch of young players that we own, and are developing having picked up for very little. We sell players, but who doesn't? We also buy players though - and paid a c. 750k out on signings this summer, which is unheard of for us until recently. We also own our own training ground for the first time in generations, developing it (slowly) into a base for the whole club.

Despite all of that, some our fans will not take to him, the manager or the team's style. They'd rather we spent money we don't have signing players who we have no interest in developing. They'll also accuse him of asset-stripping, bankrupting the club and only signing his mates' sons.

5. Can you tell us up to 3 quirky things opposing fans might not know about your team?

Quirky? We're Bubbly, GSOH and like dog-walking...

6. Our fans love to read opposing team’s forums and blogs, any recommendations on these for your team?

Well, this forum obvs. For a club our size, we're blessed with a brilliant blog (https://thewashbag.com/) and a quite frankly incredible archive of all our results, players, videos and more (www.http://swindon-town-fc.co.uk/)

7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?

I fully expect your experiment to blow up and your loud-mouth chairman to have egg on his face by Xmas, where he gets pushed to implement the much talked about plan B, which I assume is a combo of Micky Adams and Tom Pope.

8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?

Great chance to plug this site again: http://www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk/HeadToHead.asp?Team=Port%20Vale#HeadToHead

I mostly recall absolutely smashing you on a regular basis, but the one that stands out is the 3-3 at Vale in March 2004. We were pushing hard to go up. Came from 3-0 down with 30 mins to go, Rory Fallon scoring the equaliser.

9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides) and what do you expect the attendance to be?

All depends on who we have back from injury. If we can start Norris, Kasim and Jones then we'll win this 2-1 after going a goal behind - Norris and Doughty for us and someone from Benfica's reserves for you. If we're still as thin on the ground as last night, 0-0. Attendance: 7350.

10. Finally can you pass on any decent recommendations for local ‘away friendly pubs’, eateries and the best places to park for our fans travelling to the game?

Park in the cricket club next to the ground then drink pints of Stowford Press in their bar while watching the cricket. For the half dozen sunny games a season, no better pre-match watering hole.

Feel free to use my name and Twitter handle below. Take my pic from Twitter too.
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Robbie Earles Perm

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« Reply #4 on: Thursday, August 18, 2016, 08:27:21 »

Smashing thanks Panda Paws, this will feature on our site before the game.

Thanks for the heads up on the broken link, the editor has clearly changed or moved and not told me!  
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wheretherealredsare
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« Reply #5 on: Thursday, August 18, 2016, 14:43:55 »

Aah, the editor's fault. Are you Mark Cooper in disguise?
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Robbie Earles Perm

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« Reply #6 on: Thursday, August 18, 2016, 15:04:40 »

A great reporter always blames his editor!  Girl Giggle Girl Giggle
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ronnie21

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« Reply #7 on: Thursday, August 18, 2016, 15:20:22 »

A great reporter always blames his editor!  Girl Giggle Girl Giggle
Mark Cooper blames everyone . . . . except himself!
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JayBox325

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« Reply #8 on: Thursday, August 18, 2016, 15:57:43 »

1. Tell us a bit about yourself & history as a fan?
Town End Season ticket holder and part of the Great Western Reds supporter's group. (www.greatwesternreds.com)

2. How do you expect your team to do this season (including a forecast for a positional finish for the entire season)?
Up until the Friday before the season I predicted a lower-midtable finish, but now I feel we could aim higher. Upper-midtable finish would be achievable. Tongue

3. What are your thoughts on your manager and his signings this season & who should we watch out for (danger players)?
We've made some good signings, but quantity is an issue. Barry & Brophy down the wings are great outlets for our attack with their pace.

4. What are your thoughts on your board & off field club activities?
Don't even get us started.

5. Can you tell us up to 3 quirky things opposing fans might not know about your team?
Come on... we do this every year. We're running out of things.

6. Our fans love to read opposing team’s forums and blogs, any recommendations on these for your team?
You've clearly found it.

7. How do you expect Vale to do this season?
Lower-midtable.

8. What is your team's most memorable game with Vale (good or bad reasons)?
So many to choose from, we always seem to score a hatload. 5-2 where Fraser Digby got sent to the stands was pretty good.

9. A score prediction (and potential scorers for both sides) and what do you expect the attendance to be?
3-1 Town. Kasim, Goddard and Brophy with the Town goals. Attendance of 8,103.

10. Finally can you pass on any decent recommendations for local ‘away friendly pubs’, eateries and the best places to park for our fans travelling to the game?
There are plenty about. Again, you guys come here every year Tongue
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Ells

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« Reply #9 on: Friday, August 19, 2016, 18:16:25 »

I think I did this last season.

The link works fine it just needs a / before the 2015 Smiley
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Reg Smeeton
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« Reply #10 on: Friday, August 19, 2016, 18:58:05 »

I think I did this last season.

The link works fine it just needs a / before the 2015 Smiley

I did it last season....the game was postponed, and by the time it was played again, we'd lost a manager, several players, and I think Vale had also....so my predictions looked a bit silly.
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« Reply #11 on: Friday, August 19, 2016, 21:08:57 »

I did it last season....the game was postponed, and by the time it was played again, we'd lost a manager, several players, and I think Vale had also....so my predictions looked a bit silly.

Yes, I think I remember my answer to "what are your thoughts on your manager" being akin to "I'll let you know when we find out who he is."  The year's certainly gone quick!
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Reg Smeeton
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« Reply #12 on: Saturday, August 20, 2016, 00:45:53 »

The year's certainly gone quick!

Time is relative...I've no idea when we were supposed to play Burslem originally, but know when we had the rearranged game we could barely fill the bench, it may have even been this year. Unsurprisingly we lost 0-1.
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