Port Vale 2023-24

Click to go Back to our Main Index

PREVIOUS Bottle Kiln

After a 7-0 opening day defeat to Barnsley, Port Vale significantly improved but ruined the chance to go top of the league in mid-September. A 1 – 0 win at Mansfield Town though took the Vale into the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup for the first time in the club’s history, with an Alfie Devine strike. Vale were knocked out with a disappointing 3-0 defeat at home to Championship side Middlesbrough in front of 12,006 fans, the biggest crowd at Vale Park in ten years.

In mid-season, the Valiants launched a third kit boasting a Wedgwood inspired pottery blue colour, finished with a classy white pattern across the shirt. Jack Shorrock became the youngest goal-scorer in the club’s history at 16 years and 242 days in a 3-2 boxing day defeat against Barnsley. The club also appointed Robbie Williams as the club president, Manager Andy Crosby left the club in early February but new manager Darren Moore failed to inspire the players to avoid relegation to League Two finishing 2nd from bottom with 41 points.

In April it was announced that Johnson Tiles was set to shut its factory in Stoke-on-Trent with the loss of more than 100 jobs. It marks the end of a century of history after the company was set up in 1901 to design, manufacture and supply high-quality ceramic and porcelain tiles.

2024 also saw Projects from Pallets CIC complete our latest project, heading towards our target of co-creating 2000 Bottleoven / kiln shaped products.

Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players while working alongside the Port Vale Foundation and other local businesses, 50 vintage and retro player planters were handmade with local youth organisations, community groups and charities to celebrate the Valiant’s sporting history alongside Stoke-on-Trent’s pottery and industrial heritage.

The art, culture 3.0, education and heritage project has shown that we all can think about recycling, both as individuals and businesses, making use of the waste material around us and creating a circular economy story.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES…