Thank you on our birthday
A message to readers one year after The Valiant was launched
Hello everyone.
I won’t keep you – we’ve all got this afternoon’s big game at home to Swindon to get to.
But this special Saturday edition is just to say thanks to all of you for backing us and subscribing since we launched one year ago today.
I’ll be honest, I had no idea what to expect when we explained the plans at a fans’ forum. The supporters in the room gave us a fair hearing, the reaction has been great over the last year and, 180 editions later, I can’t thank you enough for the way you have supported this idea.
That’s been through subscribing, taking part in our comments section, voting in the man-of-the-match polls or through words of encouragement when I have bumped into you at matches, Supporters’ Club meetings or just out and about.
I’ve also been lucky to be able to use great pics from Tom Green and Pete Stonier and had the invaluable help, advice and incredible Vale knowledge of Phil Sherwin.
The aim is to deliver a minimum of 150 editions over 12 months, so just under 27p per edition for the £40 annual fee. But actually the 180 editions in the first year have worked out at 22p each which I hope you feel has been value for money.
Anyway, enough rambling from me. I’ll leave you with some favourite pictures we have used over the first 12 months of The Valiant.
Up the Vale!
Mike
A great picture of Carol Shanahan by Tom Green. An in-depth interview with the club owner in October remains one of our most popular editions.
We know that the running of the club and what happens behind the scenes is something you enjoy reading about so look out for plenty more.
Another cracker from Tom Green in our November 1 edition. Alfie Devine celebrates scoring at Mansfield in the Carabao Cup. Forgive the self-indulgence but a personal memory of this is Mrs B and I had booked a midweek holiday before Vale made this unprecedented run so far in the cup. So, the game was covered via a stream from rainy South Wales.
Not the most glamorous picture ever taken at Vale Park but a favourite all the same because it came from a special edition in November of a tour behind the scenes.
Director Claire Halket and maintenance officers Dave Cumberbatch and Nathan Dunne gave myself and Pete Stonier the tour and didn’t hide anything. They showed us how the club had spent £2m on improvements in the last two years but also the challenges of maintaining a 74-year-old stadium. This collapsed roof in the Railway toilet block was one example.
This picture by Pete Stonier might seem an odd choice because director of football David Flitcroft would lose his job in March as the club slid to relegation. But back in December he agreed to an interview for a special edition which again proved very popular.
Readers didn’t agree with all he said but he answered everything in a session that lasted over an hour talking about all things from the playing style, recruitment, managers, the academy and the budget.
A behind the scenes tour of Vale’s new T-Zone included a look at the new dressing rooms. Thanks to the club for great access and thanks to Pete Stonier for the pics.
And from that same tour, Pete Stonier took this pic of the fines list. No doing what in the showers?!
This one wasn’t taken by Tom or Pete but by readers Jean and Eddie Jackson.
The picture was for our fan-in-focus section which has become a regular feature on a Thursday. It’s one my favourite parts of the newsletter as a different reader or readers each week talks about how they fell in love with the Vale, their favourite game, the best thing about the club, the one thing they would change and their favourite XI.
Your contributions to this have been brilliant and have emphasised how following your team is about far more than what happens for 90 minutes on a Saturday.
Pete Stonier’s picture of a Darren Moore press conference in March. Press conference talking points are an important part of our Thursday edition coverage.
I don’t transcribe every word of the pressers for The Valiant because they are very well covered by PVTV and by BBC Radio Stoke’s Phil Bowers.
Instead, I focus on key talking points from the conference. The manager and club give me time at the end of the conference to ask questions after the PVTV interview has finished.
Press conferences are generally only as good as the manager allows them to be. Darren Moore is excellent, answering everything you put to him, including injury news.
Pete Stonier’s picture of chief executive Matt Hancock at a Supporters’ Club meeting. Covering the Supporters’ Club is an important part of the job and always worthwhile because they represent fans’ interests, are responsible for great projects such as the John Rudge Statue Fund and always have interesting guests.
Matt is a regular at the meetings and never ducks a question.
The Vale groundstaff, from left to right, Glenn Jeneson, Isaac Quinn and Steve Alderson. Pete Stonier’s picture was part of a feature with head groundsman Steve in May.
A big part of The Valiant has been hearing from the team behind the scenes at the Vale. So, we’ve also had features with, for example, Patrick Shanahan, directors Matt Hancock and Claire Halket, academy head Will Ryder and head of supporter services Josh Podmore.
Another quality picture from Tom Green - this one of Ben Garrity celebrating after scoring Vale’s second in the opening day win at Salford. We’re lucky to be able to use Tom’s matchday pictures in our Sunday edition when we reflect on the game.
The post-match Sunday editions usually attract the most comments but your contribution to our comments section throughout the week has been brilliant.
A belter from Pete Stonier. Ben Heneghan shows just what it means as Antwoine Hackford scores a late equaliser at Accrington on Saturday.
The Valiant has a nostalgia feature in every regular edition - and that means making the most of access to the Sentinel’s Vale archives. We use the pictures and tell the stories behind them.
Here’s a cracker of John Rudge and chairman Jim Lloyd after Rudgie is appointed permanent boss 40 years ago.
And finally…
Do you read The Valiant through the Substack App? If you don’t, it’s worth using because there are a some extra features on there such as our direct message and notes sections which help me communicate with readers.
For example, I’ve been asking for your views and questions ahead of press conferences so I can put them to the manager. There is also a live chat function which I’m looking at as a possibility for discussing editions with readers, for example after we’ve had a big interview with someone at the club.
Download the app by clicking this link. Substack Chat is now available on both iOS and Android.
Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading The Valiant as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together over the last year. Thanks for your support and here’s to the next 12 months. I’ll be back tomorrow with full reaction to the Swindon game.
Mike
Really enjoyed the coverage over the last year Mike, the best its ever been on vale. Totally agree with the comments about the comment section aswell. I don’t put any opinion on social media because there is someone who will always pick fault, but on here it’s been balanced and fair, not everyone agrees but it’s never abusive. Just signed up for year 2. Although I do still blame you for the drop in form! We were top when you started. 🤔 😂
Yes. Been a success as far as I’m concerned. Hope the owners are happy with it and want it to continue.
Great that you don’t appear to have a space restriction on here, unlike in the paper version, which I also buy every day.
I hope next May that picture of the two of us (do we get paid image rights?) at Wembley can be replaced by another, assuming we have not already been crowned League Two Champions. Only fans something like my age will remember our last title, in 1958/59.
One of the things I like about the comments section is the lack of childish personal abuse you often witness elsewhere. People tend to play the ball rather than the man (can you say ‘man’ these days?).
All the best Mike. You almost give the impression of liking this work!
Eddie J