Port Vale FC : Ask Biography

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Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire - one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's main rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as the "Potteries derby". However, the last derby match took place on 10 February 2002 and so rivalry has increased between Port Vale and other local clubs, namely Burton Albion, Macclesfield Town, Shrewsbury Town, Walsall, Wrexham, and especially Crewe Alexandra.

Port Vale are one of the few English league clubs not to be named after a city or town. The name Port Vale exists on maps pre � dating the 1876 formation of the club, and is a reference to a valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal, associated with the city's pottery industry. They have played more seasons in the second tier of English football (41) than any other club who have never reached the top tier.

Possibly the club's most successful times have been in the 1950s, where they were FA Cup semi � finalists in 1954 and won numerous league titles. John Rudge was manager from 1983 to 1999 and steered the club through some of its best years, certainly in recent times. Under his leadership the club reached 8th in the second tier in the 1996 � 97 season and enjoyed cup glory and numerous promotion campaigns. Since his reign the club have declined; Bill Bratt's Valiant 2001 supporters group took the club out of administration in 2003 but failed to halt the club's slide down into the basement division of the Football League.

Port Vale F.C.

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