New Port Vale archive at Haywood

What does supporting the Vale mean to you? Are your memories of autumn evenings hurrying home from the match talking excitedly about a win or commiserating after a defeat? Can you recollect the exploits from the past of great goals, defence splitting passes and wonderful saves. If you asked people of a certain age what they can recall of their time supporting a football club that memory will be a variety of descriptions. But all memories help to bring back the past.

The aim of Port Vale Tales funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund is to also to collect the stories of players, families, supporters and people living in the neighbourhood of Port Vale Football Club from the 50s to the 80s. It focuses on a number of themes such as the perspectives of the fans and players, the characters, the traditions and the atmosphere. We therefore have pleasure in announcing the existence of a film and photographic record which illustrates the history of the Vale over the last 50 years.

Professor Ray Johnson from Staffordshire University has kindly donated a great deal of archive film and photographs to Haywood Learning Centre in Burslem. In the future supporters of today and tomorrow can connect with the supporters of the past by the medium of film and memories stored at the centre. The Learning Centre (Telephone 01782 233541) is ensuring that the material is stored and easily available for community use. The opening times of the Learning Centre are

Monday: 8.45am - 5pm
Tuesday: 8.45am - 7pm
Wednesday: 8.45am - 5pm
Thursday: 8.45am - 7pm
Friday: 8.45am- 4.30pm
Saturday 9am-1pm

The archive will be officially opened to the public from Wednesday 28th May from 2pm

While you are there take the opportunity to look at the DVD produced by Haywood high school students with the help of Ray Johnson’s team at Staffs University. The DVD has interviews of supporters and past players talking about the glory years of the Vale.