over the last 5 years I’ve watched the club I’ve supported for the last 30 years fall into a steady decline due to bad management of the running of the club. All fans of Port Vale are starting to go through the motions as our beloved club moves closer to the abyss of non league football. We’ve all heard the stories that Norman Smurthwaite has come out with and in a strange kind of way it seems to be not just uniting fans of Port Vale but fans of football in the city. As big as the rivalry between Stoke City and Port Vale has been over the years fans of both teams seem to be feeling sorry for each other with one group of fans from the other side of town openly admitting that they were going to come and give the Vale a bit of support in the last home game. They were adamant that they would never want to see them fall out of the football league especially with the reasoning behind it and this is what brings me to the decision to create this petition. Vale Park has long been the home of Port Vale football club if for any reason the club should fall out of the football league rumours are abound that the owner Norman Smurthwaite is planning to knock down the stadium and use the site location for the building of property. In my opinion Vale Park has become a pillar of the community in not just burslem but in Stoke On Trent as a whole and for that reason I call on Stoke On Trent City Council to step in and make the premises listed so as to stop owner Norman Smurthwaite who has as good as admitted running the club in to the ground from destroying not just a landmark but a symbol of Stoke On Trent. 

This is a call not just to fans of Port Vale Football Club but for all the people in the city of Stoke On Trent to sign this petition and stop Norman Smurthwaite turning a landmark full of memories in to another pile of bricks and mortar. If this petition is passed then hopefully we can carry on enjoying football as Well as other community events at Vale Park for many more years to come.

kind regards 

Ricky Cuthbertson 

‘Smexit Valiant’