football
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Port Vale: The Dreamers and The Merchants of Doom
Of course they’re right, those merchants of doom. Vale’s prophets of pessimism. Before a ball had even been kicked, they knew. They could see calamity gathering on the horizon, steaming towards us like an express train with no brakes. They… Continue reading
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Durkheim, Collective Effervescence, Emotional Contagion and Port Vale FC
Durkheim’s concept of collective effervescence highlights the powerful connection between emotional contagion and football. We have all witnessed it, we have all been part of it, whether we realise it or not. The shared joy, despair, anticipation and belief that… Continue reading
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Port Vale: The Problems We Already Knew About
Here’s the moment. The moment that tells you everything. Hernandez twists away from his full-back, reaches the byline and hangs an inch-perfect cross into the box. Mo Faal is there, utterly unmarked, seven yards from goal with only the (make-believe)… Continue reading
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Port Vale 2026/27: We Walk This Road Together
Thank fuck that’s over with. May, June, July. Three months of exhausting nothingness. Weeks and days without rhyme or reason, finally, mercifully, behind us. Ok, there was the World Cup, and it did have its moments, just not from us.… Continue reading
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Port Vale: Who’s In, Who’s Out? The Story So Far…
The Vale squad for the 2026/27 season is taking shape, and with football being football there will, of course, be some late twists and turns before the transfer window finally slams shut. An absolute banging new arrival could emerge from… Continue reading
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Port Vale and The Art of Loving a Player You’ve Only Googled Once
The new season looms, and, as ever, I have nothing but unquestioning faith in the squad we’re assembling at Vale. And within that, there’s always a new signing I convince myself will be the story. That player who turns draws… Continue reading
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2025/26 Squad Review Part One: Keepers, Defenders, Wing-backs
Here we go then. No point pretending we need to wait until the final whistle of the season because, honestly, we’ve seen more than enough by now. Everyone’s had their chance, plenty of minutes on the pitch, plenty of time… Continue reading
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Port Vale and the FA Cup: What if Chelsea Shit The Bed?
Saturday is coming. Quarter-finals of the FA Cup. Away at Chelsea. It’s just sitting there on the horizon like some great shimmering promise or threat – I can’t quite tell which, and that’s half the thrill. I’m letting go of… Continue reading
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Port Vale and the Unending Misery of League One
That little bit of hope the Bolton game gave us – do you remember that? Of course you do. It’s still clinging to the edges of the week like smoke that hasn’t quite dispersed. Only last Saturday, wasn’t it? And… Continue reading
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Port Vale and the Art of Graceful Relegation
Three league games since the FA Cup heroics against Sunderland – was that really only ten days ago? – and somehow we’ve squeezed just one point from nine. One point. Even the most devoted optimist, the last believer clinging to… Continue reading
tales from the paddock 