Port Vale 1992-93

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The 1992 – 93 season saw Vale Park host its first international game, an England under-18 friendly in November. England secured a 7-2 win over Switzerland which saw a hat-trick from Liverpool’s Robbie Fowler and appearances from Ben Thatcher, Sol Campbell and Manchester United youngsters Phil Neville, Nicky Butt and David Beckham.

Vale were Football League Trophy Winners. John Rudge’s Valiants were playing brilliantly throughout the campaign. Riding high in the League, their form carried on in the Autoglass Trophy as they defeated Fulham, Northampton Town and Stoke City to face Exeter in a two-legged semi-final. Vale won the first leg 2-1 and Bernie Slaven’s goal secured a 1-1 draw at St James Park to reach Wembley for the first time in the club’s history.

This was the first of two appearances at the ‘Twin-Towers’. The Valiants narrowly missed out on automatic promotion facing West Bromwich Albion in the play-off final the following week.

Royal Stafford was formed in March 1992 with the combination of two famous pottery factories, Royal Stafford China and Barratts of Staffordshire, both with a history in keeping with their well-known names. The old works opposite the Queen’s Theatre at the top of Waterloo Road in Burslem was entirely taken down and a new and extensive manufactory was erected in 1869.

Records indicate that the Royal Overhouse Manufactory site was in use in 1787 and operated by Thomas Wedgwood (the fifth child of Josiah Wedgwood) before Edward Challinor took over the factory in 1819. Evidence of this shows a commemorated ornamental scroll stonework over the entrance and factory gates.