Heroes & Villains – Port Vale
Hero – John Rudge
There can only be one main contender for a Port Vale hero and that is John Rudge. He was manager of the club for sixteen years and oversaw three promotions, a trophy won at Wembley and several giant-killings during his time at Vale Park.
The fans see him as such an icon that a statue of him now stands outside their ground. It has Rudge wearing his trademark flat cap that he wore on the touchline during matches.
Villains – Stoke City
It is fair to say that both Port Vale and Stoke City fans hate each other. It is known as the Potteries Derby and sadly for Vale fans, Stoke have the bragging rights when it comes to the head-to-head record.
Stoke have recorded 19 wins to Vale’s 16, with 17 draws in the 52 games that have been played between them over the years.
The last Potteries Derby was played in 2002, with Vale winning 1-0 at Stoke’s Brittania Stadium.
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