tales from the paddock

ghosts

  • Port Vale and The Return Of 4-4-2

    It went massively out of style, didn’t it? One minute 4‑4‑2 was the backbone of British football, the formation you could sketch on a beer mat over a few pints on a Friday night, the next minute it was treated… Continue reading

    Port Vale and The Return Of 4-4-2

  • Barnsley 0-2 Port Vale: Exorcising Ghosts

    Saturday 27 September 2025, 3pm. Oakwell Stadium, Barnsley. We rolled into Oakwell like pilgrims chasing absolution, minds heavy with the weight of August 5th, 2023 — opening day, opening wound. The sun was high but the memory low, seven goals… Continue reading

    Barnsley 0-2 Port Vale: Exorcising Ghosts