It could be a busy January for Port Vale boss John Askey after the club’s owner confirmed she would give him extra funds to invest in his squad following last night’s FA Cup third round draw.
The Valiants owner Carol Shanahan was ecstatic after they were drawn away to Premier League champions Manchester City in what is a massive boost for the club.
League Two Vale will travel to the Ethiad in early January knowing that whatever the result, the magic of the cup means their bank balance will be much healthier, and Shanahan confirmed immediately that extra money would be made available to Askey in January.
Speaking to the Stoke Sentinal, she said: ‘The really good thing about this is that it is the beginning of January, not February, so that means it brings money into the club for the January window. So, John is going to get more yes’s now than he would have done yesterday.’
‘I don’t know what that will mean because I don’t know how much it is. But I know it is a huge bonus for us.’
‘It will give John that bit more freedom to be able to look for what he wants for January.’
An away day at the home of Pep is a well deserved day out for those loyal Vale fans who stuck with the club through the years of decline and stagnation under the previous custodian Norman Smurthwaite.
This was not lost on Shanahan who gave praise to all the club’s supporters, giving a special mention to the 400 who made the trip to Cheltenham for Saturday’s second-round victory when she added: ‘I am so pleased for our fans. I was on the other side of the pitch to the away end, and they were just so loud and so emotional and so strong, it was ridiculous. It was ‘Super Vale Away’, ‘Feed The Pope’, all the things we sing.’
The Valiants host Mansfield tonight in the EFL Trophy second round and then take on Walsall on Saturday at Vale Park. They are ninth in League Two just three points outside the playoff spots having lost only twice in all competitions since the end of September.
Our View
Congratulations Port Vale fans you deserve it, we hope you enjoy your day.
Carol Shanahan and her husband Kevin have injected the club with positivity and enthusiasm after years of misery under Smurthwaite
After a slow start, they have a manager in John Askey who is now showing the talent and ability that tempted League One Shrewsbury to tempt him away from Macclesfield.
With extra money now available, a good January could see them in the playoffs come May.