Crewe… A derby? To be or not to be
minute Lee Mills goal, reignited the old debate of whether Crewe could ever be regarded as a legitimate derby.th September 1996 saw the first league “derby” between Crewe Alexandra and Port Vale since March 1986. The match, which was duly won by Vale thanks to a 55thAn autumnal night on the 16
occasion that these two sides have met, with Vale coming out on top on 32 occasions to ‘The Alex’s’ 16.thThis Saturday marks the 70
For years Crewe’s lowly position in the league meant that the likes of Walsall would be considered closer rivals, however, the heroics of Dario Gradi brought the two sides onto a level playing field in the 1990s. This, allied with Stoke’s rise, saw the two sides become close rivals throughout the 2000’s.
This Saturday will be the first time in a good while that The Vale will go into a North Staffordshire – South Cheshire “derby” as clear favourites, marking how close the sides have been in recent years.
Some say that only Stoke will ever be our true derby, all I know is, ask any Vale fan and you’ll get the same response… boy would we love to beat em’ this weekend.
Shaun Crank