Stoke-on-Trent is a city and unitary authority area in Staffordshire, England, with an area of 36 square miles (93 km2). In 2019, the city had an estimated population of 256,375. It is the largest settlement in Staffordshire.
Port Vale Football Club is a professional association football club based in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, England. The team competes in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. Port Vale is one of the few English league clubs not to be named after a geographical location, their name being a reference to the valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal. They have never played top-flight football, and hold the records for the most seasons in the English Football League (109) and in the second tier (41) without reaching the first tier. After playing at the Athletic Ground in Cobridge and The Old Recreation Ground in Hanley, the club returned to Burslem when Vale Park was opened in 1950. Outside the ground is a statue to Roy Sproson, who played 842 competitive games for the club. The club's traditional rivals are Stoke City, and games between the two are known as the Potteries derby.
Robert Fitzgerald Earle MBE is an English-born Jamaican former international footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He played 578 league games in senior club football, scoring 136 goals.
Christopher Birchall CM is a former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He scored 21 goals in 322 league and cup appearances in a 16-year professional career, and scored four goals in 44 international matches.
Lloyd Magnus Owusu is a retired professional footballer who last played for Hakoah Sydney City East in the NSW State League Division One, Sydney, Australia. After a move from non-League Slough Town, his career took off at Brentford, where he scored 64 goals in 163 league games between 1998 and 2002. He then moved to Sheffield Wednesday, and two years later transferred to Reading following a short loan spell. He returned to Brentford in 2005, and two years later signed with Yeovil Town. In 2008, he moved to Cheltenham Town, and also had a loan spell at Brighton & Hove Albion the following year.
Gareth Ainsworth is an English professional football manager and former player who is the manager of Championship club Wycombe Wanderers.
Richard Stuart Walker is an English former footballer who played as a defender. In an eleven-year career he played 185 competitive games, including 158 appearances in the English Football League.
Rowan Lee Mills is an English former footballer who played as a striker.
Leon Charles Constantine is an English former footballer striker. A journeyman of lower league English football, he had 21 separate spells at 19 different clubs within the space of just 12 years. A latecomer to the professional game, he found a Football League club at age 22, and was a regular first-team player for the first time at age 23.
Liam Burns is a Northern Irish former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Paul Harsley is an English former footballer and football coach.
Thomas John Pope is an English professional footballer who plays as a centre forward for EFL League Two club Port Vale.
Scott Peter Andrew Brown is an English footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for EFL League Two club Port Vale.
Shaun Richard Brisley is an English footballer who plays as a defender for League Two club Port Vale.
Luke Richard Chapman is an English former footballer who played as a midfielder.
Ashton John Taylor is a footballer and a former Wales under-21 squad member, who plays as a defender for Aberdeen. He began his career with Tranmere Rovers, and during his time there had a loan spell at Colwyn Bay. He later played for Scottish club Aberdeen before moving to English club Northampton Town for two years, after which he re-signed for Aberdeen.
Abdulai Hindolo Bell-Baggie is a Sierra Leonean professional footballer who plays as a winger for National League club Eastleigh.
Berry Hill High School and Sports College was a mixed, secondary school located on Arbourfield Drive, Berry Hill, Stoke-on-Trent. The school was awarded specialist Sports College status, though was usually just referred to as Berry Hill High School. Now the school is known to be one of the two predecessors to St Peter's Academy.
The 2003–04 season was Port Vale's 92nd season of football in the English Football League, and fourth successive season in the Second Division. Brian Horton resigned in February, and was replaced by Martin Foyle. Vale fought for promotion, but finished outside the play-off zone on goal difference. In the FA Cup, Vale narrowly avoided humiliation by beating non-league Ford United after the replay went to extra-time. However Vale exited at the Second Round with defeat to Conference club Scarborough, who also knocked the Vale out of the League Trophy at the First Round. Vale also left the League Cup at the First Round stage. Stephen McPhee was Player of the Year and top-scorer with 27 goals, but he left the club at the end of the season to play abroad. Financial problems still hounded the club, and Chairman Bill Bratt was desperate to attract investment from fans, though he was unwilling to allow one person to have more than 50% of the club's shares.
Mitchell Reece Clark is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League club Leicester City. He has represented Wales at youth level.
