A fan's view of things Port Vale

round ties at home, Everton and Spurs, both won by the way, but it represents an excellent chance of progress.^thIt’s been a long time coming, but an outbreak of cup fever is sweeping Burslem! Fair enough Brighton aren’t in the class of our last two 4

If we play how we can play then we will give them a hell of a game. As Vale defender Bob Hazell famously said in the first minute of the Spurs game when he trod Clive Allen into the turf, “They don’t fancy it!” and we need to make Brighton feel about as welcome. Cult hero Carl Dickinson would have been the ideal man to inflict that sort of attitude and he will be a big miss for us.

It is good that Jack Grimmer can play, he looks as if he has got a great future in the game on the two games he has played so far, unfortunately probably not with us long term, but hopefully he can stay here as long as possible during his development.

If we can get an early goal, maybe in the first 20 minutes, the Brighton players can console themselves with chasing the Championship play offs. Let’s hope so anyway and get Vale Park rocking!

I must send all the best to Florent Cuvelier for a full recovery after his horrific injury last week. It is one of them things in football, but sad when it happens to one of your own.

Phil Sherwin