'Despite misgivings, I believe Vale will be all right this season'

With Vale anchored in the bottom four, Vale fans have their say about the season so far after promotion last year

- IAN WOODWARD

HIT SIGNING: Devante Cole scores for Port Vale. Fan Eddie Jackson says he is a good acquisition.

LIKE a good number of fans from both clubs I chose to stay at home and watch Monday night's televised encounter against Stockport County from the warmth and comfort of my living room rather than venture out on a cold and damp evening and negotiate the various roadworks which have sprung up across the area.

A five-figure attendance would no doubt have been guaranteed if it had been played at 3pm on the Saturday afternoon - I had planned to go then - but that's the way it is now with fixtures moved and kickoff times altered at will with little thought of the impact for those supporters.

There's no doubt the clubs benefit more financially from all this TV money, but once fans tire of the inconvenience and lose the habit of attending there's a chance they may well drift away. There's a disconnect growing and football needs to be very careful.

As for the game itself, like many, I was disappointed.

The Vale were clearly second-best with their opponents looking likely automatic promotion contenders whereas we looked like a team deservedly occupying a place in the bottom four as things currently stand.

Stockport were clinical, moved the ball quicker and more purposefully and could have scored more, whilst our lads missed a couple of good early chances and ran out of ideas in the second half. There's no doubt they tried their best but one or two were by and large rather anonymous.

Nevertheless, with just under a third of the season gone, I partly go along with manager Darren Moore's assertion that our current league position is not a true reflection of his side.

I do think that the Vale have put in some good performances in their 14 league games to date and with a bit of luck could easily have had another five or six points on the board and be occupying a mid-table position.