Burslem Port Vale Football Club

Port Vale Football Club were founded in 1876 as Burslem Port Vale, making them one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Based in Burslem, one of the six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent, the Valiants have spent their entire existence in the shadow of neighbours Stoke City while forging a fiercely independent identity rooted in the working-class pottery communities of North Staffordshire.

Vale Park, the club's home since 1950, was originally designed to hold 70,000 spectators but was never completed to that specification. The ground's current capacity of 19,052 still makes it one of the larger venues in the lower leagues and a reminder of the ambition that once surrounded the club. Sir Stanley Matthews, one of the greatest players in football history, ended his playing career at Port Vale in 1965, providing the club with a direct connection to the game's golden age.

The modern era has been characterised by fluctuation between League One and League Two, with a spell outside the Football League entirely between 2017 and 2019. Carol and Kevin Shanahan acquired the club in 2019 and oversaw promotion from League Two via the play-offs in 2022. After relegation back to League Two in 2023-24, the Valiants won promotion again and currently sit 24th in League One — bottom of the table but buoyed by a remarkable FA Cup run that included a victory over Sunderland. Jon Brady was appointed manager in January 2026 following the departure of Darren Moore.