IRONOPOLIS, BLADES AND POTS

On March 30th there were plenty of goals in the English First Division fixture at Molineux where Wolves beat Middlesbrough 5-3. Probably the most notable goal was scored by Middlesbrough’s left-back Bobby Stuart (below)– an own goal! It was his fifth own-goal of the season – a League record which stands to this day. Ironically he went on to play 247 League matches for Middlesbrough, scoring just twice at the right end!   https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-15-greatest-own-goals-ever

Middlesbrough FC by the way originated from Middlesbrough Ironopolis, after the local industry.

AND in 1982, Fourth Division (the Blades) Sheffield United, (at the time), recorded their best home attendance of the season with 24,593 watching a 1-1 draw against Yorkshire rivals, Bradford City. The average League crowd that season was a shade under 14,900. Three years later, March 30th 1985 another Yorkshire club, Halifax Town FC, recorded their lowest League crowd of the season, 890, when Torquay United turned up to beat Halifax 0-1. The average home attendance was 1,381.

Fourth Division Sheffield United recorded their best home League attendance of the season – 24,593 in the 1-1 draw against Bradford City. Their average home League crowd was 14,891. Exactly three years later – on March 30 1985 – Fourth Division Halifax Town recorded their lowest home League crowd of the season – 890 in the 1-0 defeat against Torquay. Their average home League attendance for the season was 1,381.

Published March 27th 2022.

Meanwhile in the Potteries, Port Vale FC, founded 1876, although others say it was probably formed in 1879 as an offshoot of Porthill Victoria F.C. The Valiants has been "flagged" up to me by a Walking Football colleague, Grant. I know he would appreciate having his name in print, especially with my huge following! Sky Bet League Two side, Port Vale, gave themselves a real boost in their promotion charge at the weekend as they beat fellow promotion hopefuls Sutton United 2-0 at the weekend. Port Vale is the only club in the top four leagues (presumably now) to have beaten all 91 clubs in competitive league games. 

The badge includes, two Portland Vases, representing the industrialist, Josiah Wedgwood, the Scythe coming from the house crest of the Sneyd family and the silver cross appearing from the house crest of the Audley family (local land owners), as well as the Stafford Knot, in orange above the crest.

These days, Port Vale Football Club is based in Burslem, Stoke on Trent.  The team competes in EFL Two, the fourth tier of the EFL. 

Port Vale is one of the few English league clubs not to be named after a geographical location, their name being a reference to the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal system. They have never played top-flight football, and hold the records for the most seasons in the EFL(110) and in the second tier (41) without reaching the first tier, After playing in local Corbridge and in Hanley (where Stanley Matthews was born), the club returned to Burslem when Vale Park was opened in 1950. The club's traditional rivals are Stoke City of course, and games between the two are known as the Potteries Derby, where a smashing time is had by all,