For apathetic Port Vale supporters, the promotion party on the pitch at Wycombe on the final day of the 2012-13 season when fans donned Smurf costumes in homage to their owner, or the moment they chaired Norman Smurthwaite round a Burslem pub, feels a lifetime ago.
These days they are in no mood for fancy dress; Vale are in a relegation battle for the third consecutive season, their 100-year run in the Football League under threat. There is a fractious relationship between swells of supporters and the owner, who was assigned Karl Oyston, the much-maligned former Blackpool chairman, as a mentor by the EFL after he acquired the club from administrators seven years ago. Even the rare joy of consecutive league victories, including a 3-0 win over Yeovil on Tuesday, fails to mask the disconnect.
Related: Championship roundup: Hernández double fires Leeds back to the top
Continue reading...