There is no shortage of FA Cup pedigree at Port Vale. Emblazoned on plaques and walls around Vale Park are memories of their 1996 victory against Everton under the legendary manager John Rudge. That 2-1 victory, in a fourth-round replay having held the Cup holders at Goodison Park, was the last time Vale had reached the fifth round until Tuesday’s extra-time win over Bristol City. Now Sunderland await at Vale Park on Sunday – another chance to make history.
“It’s been 30 years since we’ve been to this stage – but it’s now about putting in a performance that can be memorable,” said their head coach, Jon Brady. “You want to put in performances they can go home talking about, and that they can be proud of. You want to see smiles on faces and people feeling really upbeat about the team. You want to create special memories that will live long, and the other night will live long in the players’ and fans’ memories.”
Brady counts scoring a 40-yard “fluke” in the FA Cup against Sheffield United as a player for Rushden & Diamonds among his most cherished footballing memories. Striker Andre Gray, meanwhile, is forever proud of helping Watford to the 2019 final though still a little sore from the day itself, which saw his team hammered 6-0 by Manchester City.
“Winning a game at Wembley, I don’t think you can really top that,” he said. “It’s a shame it wasn’t the final. And a shame we got the best team in the world in the final.”
To say it’s been a whirlwind few days for the club since beating Bristol City would be an understatement. At the start of the week Brady’s men thought they would be travelling to Peterborough for a crucial game in their quest to avoid relegation from League One. But then Ben Waine’s goal in the 111st minute on Tuesday night thrust the Valiants away from the survival scrap, momentarily, and into the spotlight.
It has also been a whirlwind season for Gray. The striker arrived at Vale a month ago having left the Turkish club Fatih Karagumruk, but it was his pass that released Waine for the winner against Bristol City. The 34-year-old is now in a hurry to create more FA Cup memories.
“These occasions are massive,” he said. “I’ve played in cup games abroad and it’s nothing like this. For some reason when you’re abroad it’s always the usual big teams that are in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, whatever. And the atmosphere is nothing compared to here in England in the FA Cup.”
Brady was forced to move some plans around after Tuesday night’s win over Bristol City. The Australian had signed up to run the Cambridge half marathon on Sunday, in preparation for the London Marathon. “That was booked in a long time ago,” he laughed. “It’s not that I didn’t think we would get through!”
Vale have been able to sell more than 10,000 tickets for the Sunderland tie in the past few days with the attendance expected to brush the 12,000 mark. There is the sense around the club, located in the Stoke suburb of Burslem, that the Cup run can aid their battle against relegation.
“I think the occasion of Sunday, all that [relegation battle] gets forgotten,” said Gray. “It’s fantastic, a sort of carnival atmosphere. I’m sure the stadium will be bouncing and that’s why we play football, for occasions like this.
“We’re one game away from the quarter-finals. And we don’t know what the draw would be but it could be a big team away and a lot of the lads, and the supporters, haven’t experienced that. I’ve been there and done it but it’s still a big occasion. As a footballer you want to play at the highest level as much as you can.”
Having arrived at the club in January and February respectively, Brady replacing Darren Moore as head coach and Gray bringing vital experience to a callow squad, it feels like the pair have brought a fresh energy to Vale. The club are quite accustomed to bouncing between League One and League Two but went on a run of one win in nine in October and November.
Although they remain bottom of the third tier, Brady feels a “momentum” building in the past few games, which have seen them draw with Luton and Reading at home and beat Northampton away, as well as the Bristol City upset. Imagine what a win over a high-flying Premier League team would do for their confidence.
Now Vale are facing up to the challenge posed by Sunderland, Gray – a scorer of a Premier League hat-trick against the Black Cats for Burnley in 2016 – has imparted some words of wisdom to his less experienced teammates.
“It’s a completely different level,” he said of playing against Premier League teams. “You think you’re strong, you think you’re fast, you think you’re smart… until we come across these teams and you realise they’re stronger, they’re faster and they’re smarter.
“But the good thing is, and the reason we love the game, is giant-killings, moments like this. That’s why FA Cup games are different. They’re going to come here and they’re not going to enjoy playing against a League One team. It’s possible, it’s always possible.”
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