Gareth Owen

By Francis Pitt: Port Vale’s new player-coach Gareth Owen revealed the return of Micky Adams was the main reason for his dramatic u-turn away from rivals Crewe Alex.

Owen had all but signed for Vale’s League Two neighbours, but Adams’ sudden return and the offer of a new player-coach role was too good to resist.

Speaking exclusively to StaffsLive, Owen said: “Micky is the main factor I decided to stay at the club.

“The opportunity that he’s given me to combine playing with some coaching is the reason I am staying at the club.”

And Owen believes with Adam back at the helm, the team can gain promotion in 2011-12.

“You’ve only got to look at the first half of last season to see what this squad can achieve,” he added.

“We are all disappointed that we did not go on to achieve promotion, but hopefully we can go that one step further now that Micky is in charge.

“Promotion is the minimum target for next season, that’s what we will set out to do. That was the target at the start of last season and nothing will change for next season.”

Listen to the full interview with Owen:

Rumour that Adams had re-signed for the Valiants had emerged on popular fan website onevalefan late on May 12, and this was confirmed by a statement from the club earlier today (May 13).

Adams left the Vale in December to join his boyhood club, Sheffield United, but was dismissed from his position after the Blades were relegated from the Championship.

The three year deal commits Adams to the club until 2014, and in a statement on the club’s website said: “I am delighted to be given the opportunity to come back to Vale Park and hopefully finish the job I had started here.”

Former Captain Owen has re-signed for Port Vale with a two-year deal.  Adams said: “I believe that Gareth is an asset to the club and I am pleased that he has agreed to stay at Port Vale in a coaching role, as well as part of the first-team squad.”

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Gareth Owen

Owen looked set to join Gradi’s team after shaking hands with the manager over a contract.

But he seems to have done a u-turn and now may be staying at Vale Park after cancelling an arranged meeting.

Gradi told the club’s website: “I now hear he has gone back to speak with Port Vale.

“He has cancelled our appointment so it is up in the air.

“If he comes then good. If he doesn’t then it is an opportunity for someone else.”

It appears Owen, 28, changed his mind following reports that former Vale manager Micky Adams could be making a shock return to the Valiants.

Owen, who started his career with Stoke City, played 44 times for the Valiants in all competitions last season and scored one goal away at Oxford United in October.

Micky Adams

The Blades fired Adams on May 9 after just five months in charge.

Reports suggest he would be offered a three-year contract by the Valiants after a meeting with chairman Bill Bratt yesterday  (May 11).

But a spokesperson for the club told StaffsLive although Adams had spoken to Bratt, no contract talks have taken place due to unresolved issues with Sheffield United.

Adams was on a two-and-a-half year deal with United,  the club he supported as a boy.

Marc Richards told StaffsLive exclusively that he would be delighted if Adams returned to the club, and reports are emerging that defender Gareth Owen has changed his decision to leave the club because Adams could be returning.

Marc Richards

By Natasha Kaur: Port Vale skipper Marc Richards “would love” to see his former boss Micky Adams return to Vale Park, he revealed today.

Speaking exclusively to StaffsLive, Richards said he made contact with Adams shortly after he was sacked by Sheffield United yesterday (May 11).

“On a personal note I’d love to see him back,” said Richards.

“He was good for me and he was good for Port Vale.

“I think anyone involved with Vale can see what sort of style he brought to the club – a great work ethic and a real will to win.”

The club has confirmed, despite other reports, no formal contract offer has been made but that they would be interested if Adams applied.

Adams left Vale Park five months ago when the club were on course for promotion to join Championship side Sheffield United.

But he was sacked yesterday (May 10) after the Blades were relegated to League One.

Despite being a lifelong Blades fan, Adams won just four of his 24 games in charge.

Jim Gannon, who succeeded Adams at Vale, lasted just two months before being replaced by current caretaker boss Mark Grew.

Since Adams’ departure, Vale slipped down the League Two table, finishing three points outside the play-offs in 11th.

John McCombe

McCombe received the Player of the Year, Players’ Player of the Year and the Away Travel Player of the Year at the ceremony.

The 26-year-old has been one the bright lights in Vale’s rollercoaster season.

After initially emerging as strong play-off contenders early in the season, the poor form under Jim Gannon, boardroom wrangling over take-over bids, and reports of weight issues within the squad eventually saw them finish in a disappointing 11th place.

McCombe has been an integral part of the Port Vale side, racking up 48 appearances and scoring four goals this season.

Other award winners at the ceremony last night (May 9) were Mark Grew, who won Clubman of the Year, and Marc Richards who was presented with the top goalscorer honour.

Jason McAteer (Gareth Irvine Photography)

By James Drakeford: Liverpool Legends face an All Star Charity XI team at Kidsgrove’s Seddon Stadium tomorrow (Sunday May 8).

Four-time European Cup winner Phil Neal will play alongside former stars including Jason McAteer, John Durnin, Jan Molby, Mark Wright, Gary Gillespie and Rob Jones.

The All Star Charity XI boasts former Manchester City player David Brightwell, and Port Vale legend Ray Walker, known as the ‘Hoddle of the lower leagues’.

The charity game kicks off at 2pm and will raise funds for The Wingate Special Children’s Trust in Wrenbury, Nantwich, who provide holidays and leisure activities for children with disabilities.

Tickets cost £2.50 each and can be bought on the gate or by contacting Barry on 07831 345621.

By Tom Fairhurst: Port Vale shareholder and leading fan Rob Fielding has accused the club’s board of ‘below the belt tactics’ over the timing of upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting.

Details of the EGM were revealed on Thursday (May 5). It will take place on June 1 at 10:30am.

Shareholders will have a chance to remove the current board in a ballot after the meeting was requested by supporters’ group North London Valiants.

The time set for the meeting has angered many fans and shareholders.

Founder and editor of fansite ‘One Vale Fan’, Rob Fielding, is unhappy as he believes the early start time is a tactic by the club’s board to discourage shareholders attending.

He told StaffsLive:  “I do think it’s another below the belt tactic from the board to make it as difficult as possible for shareholders to turn out in person.  However, because there is the ability for shareholders to proxy vote, I don’t think it’s going to dissuade the shareholders from having their say and voting against the board.

“I think the board have consistently shown that all they want to do is protect their own privileged position, so I think they will fight to the bitter end.  They must know in their heart of hearts they don’t have the backing of the fans and so they won’t survive in their positions in the long term.”

Pop star Robbie Williams is a majority shareholder at the club but has already declared he will not be voting.

Fielding claimed Williams should be doing more to help decide the future of the club. He said:  “He [Robbie] has claimed he is too far removed from the club affairs to do anything other than abstain but as a fellow shareholder I can’t really accept that as an excuse, he is the club’s major shareholder and with that comes certain responsibilities.

“There are other shareholders who live abroad who are able to remain well enough informed to take a viewm, so why shouldn’t Robbie?  If he does abstain, then that action could, in effect, put the very future of this club in doubt.”

Mark Grew claimed 18 out of the 20 members of the squad he inherited from Gannon, had put on weight during Gannon’s 75 day reign.

He said: “When we took them over, there was an (overall) weight gain of 5 stones 7 pounds.

“We had to try to get that off to get them back to the fitness levels we’d had.”

According to Grew, Vale’s end of the season form has been poor compared with the start they made under ex-boss Micky Adams.

He said: “We tried to play the way as Micky did as soon as he left. The fitness levels weren’t anywhere near, so after 15, 20 minutes, our tempo came off, so we allowed teams to get back at us. You can’t get them fit overnight.”

Grew took over from Gannon when his 75 day reign ended earlier this year.

Shareholders will have a chance to remove the current board in a ballot after a a request by supporters’ group North London Valiants.

The voting system works on a one share, one vote basis with 51 per cent needed to disband the current board.

Popstar and major shareholder Robbie Williams has already said he will not be voting.

In a recent statement Williams declared:  “I will be abstaining from any vote on the future ownership and running of the club.”