PORT VALE v Mansfield Town - League Two Play Off Final
Everything you NEED to know ahead of the big game
It's match day, and there's only one place to start... the Facts.
The facts of the game
Kick Off at 4pm
Venue: WEMBLEY STADIUM
Match Officials
Referee: Jarred Gillett
Assistant Referees: Neil Davies and Nick Greenhalgh
Fourth Official: James Linnington
Reserve Assistant Referee: Matthew Smith
VAR: Peter Bankes
AVAR: Constantine Hatzidakis
PORT VALE WEMBLEY HISTORY
1993 Port Vale 2-1 Stockport County EFL Trophy Final
1993 Port Vale 0-3 West Bromwich Albion Second Division Play-Off Final
2001 Port Vale 2-1 Brentford EFL Trophy Final
MANSFIELD TOWN WEMBLEY HISTORY
1987 Bristol City 1-1 Mansfield Town (4-5 on penalties) EFL Trophy Final
2004 Huddersfield Town 1-1 Mansfield Town (4-1 on penalties) Third Division Play-Off Final
2011 Mansfield Town 0-1 Darlington FA Trophy Final
... and now, for the emotion...
1992
It's a special day for Valiant's fans and a day that will be forever be etched into the history of Port Vale and of Burslem. The 22nd of May 1993. That was the day Port Vale faced Stockport County, in their last trip to Wembley Stadium for the Football League Trophy Final. It was the old Wembley; the Valiants are making their first trip to the New Wembley today. - but the feeling of pride and perhaps trepidation - remains the same. One man who knows those feelings all too well, Is John Rudge. He was the gaffer on that fateful day and Port Vale's most successful manager ever.
Is this an emotional time for yourself and everybody else connected with the club?
"It's absolutely fantastic, I'm really pleased for the supporters the players the staff and everybody else. It's great if you can win. Obviously everybody is just thrilled to get there Wembley). Lets just hope we can achieve the accolade of promotion as well.
What are your memories from the last trip to Wembley?
I can remember coming back and we were in the town hall, just 5 or 10 minutes away. And we got the trophy there and had a meal. There were so many supporters in Burslem town square. It was 30 years ago and my memory isn't that great, but it something that I shall never forget.
"That's what football's like, you're up and down, you have success then you get beat - you get relegation, promotions, new owners, new players. But we've got fantastic supporters, especially for the size of our club. To actually achieve promotion would be great for everybody involved. I just hope it happens.
How much would it mean to you personally, to win today?
I've been very lucky in the sense that I came here over 40 years ago now. Coming from the likes of Carlisle, Bournemouth, Bristol rovers, Torquay - then coming here... it's incredible to have been here for such a long spell and for it to have been so good for me and my family. I mean it's just great to be still living here with the people who say 'ooh you know are you living in Stoke on Trent' I say: 'you know what, there's no friendlier people than in Stoke on Trent'.
And a message for the fans today John?
"Just support the team, get behind them as you always do. Enjoy the day, we all want to win, there's no question about that - there'll only be one winner and hopefully it's Port Vale. The support they've shown in previous weeks has been superb. As they were with me, absolutely fantastic. They've still got that tremendous fuel for port vale and let's hope that continues!"
The Darrell Clarke Factor
It's no understatement to say Manfield town fans love Darrell Clarke. He's a local lad, born in the town and started his career with the Stags. He joined their youth set up when he was just 10. Made his first-team debut on 21 December 1996. And then made 173 league and cup appearances for the club, scoring 27 goals.
In the 8th Minute of the game, Mansfield town fans will applaud their former number 8 for a full minute. But even that won't shake the Valiant's gaffer steely focus on the task at hand.
We caught up with him this week: "Preparations have been good, we've been working towards this all season"
"It's a bit of fate isn't it and fate's a strange way of showing it's hand sometimes... but we're here for business - we want to win! We know the carrot at the end of the game. It could be potentially league one football so that's the focus, we have to take all of the emotion out of it - because there has been a lot of emotion and just focus on the job in hand.
How are the lads feeling, are they prepared for the game?
"It is difficult to keep the player's feet on the ground but we enjoyed, but we enjoyed the fact that we're gong to play in Wembley. But when that's out the way it's down to business. We're working away on how were trying to win the game with a plan A, plan B - what needs to be done t do that.
The lads have been focused, we've got all the tickets and the stuff that needs to be done out the way. Because the players perform at Wembley, families want 40 or 50 tickets! It's for the families to see their boys out on the pitch! We got that out the way early doors. Preparation is the key.
We took the lads to Wembley for a look around. I did that when I won with Bristol Rovers there. It was an opportunity clubs can use. I though we could get all the pictures out the way because if I see lads with their phones out on match day I'll stamp on them. We're there to win a football match, I want them focused.
We got back to the hotel and the lads are calling for bingo, so I'll be bingo calling with the players and the staff. Maggie's Den Number ten! Then the boys will be having a really, really early night!
You've done all your research and you know Mansfield town inside out. And you know Nigel Clough too, he's very thorough like yourself isn't he?
Nigel (Clough, Mansfield manager) is a great guy, I cant speak highly enough of him - we get on great. We're great competitors though. He knows that - I know that. We';ll have a beer after. He's a good man and it's a good club. But all that comes out the way - it's about US getting the result.
It's a boring old saying - you play the game not the occasion - because the more players that do that, that are focused, that don't get draw into how big the game is - the more chance you've got. That's why the top players in the world, don't fear that - they embrace that! Players have to find a way to be able to cope with that pressure. Unfortunately that's something I cant put into them.
Finally from us Darrell, do you have a message for the fans?
"Thank you for the tremendous support which we'll get on the day. But not just that. Through the whole season, and on a personal level. A massive thank you - I hope they enjoy it and we can give them the rewards after the game"
VAR will be used for the first time at league two level
The EFL announced earlier this month that Video Assistant Referee would be used for the final. It followed ‘ongoing’ discussions with all of the four competing semi-finalists over whether they would welcome it or not.
An EFL statement read: "With VAR having already been confirmed for the Sky Bet Championship Final on Sunday, 29 May, it will also be used at this Saturday’s Sky Bet League One Final between Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers, as well as the Sky Bet League Two Final on Saturday, 28 May.
It will be the first season VAR will be used at the EFL Play-Off Finals".
Port Vale gaffer Darrell Clarke told us: "It's something we've had to adapt to, and we have to crack on with it. We had half an hour's meeting with the Var official yesterday which was quite helpful".
Defender MAal Benning says it won't be a problem: "There's a few thinsg we have to e aware of but it's just about playng to the whistle. It's something we have talked about as a team, we know the ins and out of it - but the focus isjust getting on with the game ad the task at hand"
"The main thing about VAR being introduced in the final is no matter what - you have to play to the whistle"
Trailblazer - Mal Benning
A win today means every single one of the players who turn out for Vale today will go down as a hero, but for one player in particular - the promise of being a role model for young people means so much. Left Back Mal Benning has Indian Sikh parents and joined Vale from Mansfield last summer. Signal Sport and our colleagues at Sky Sports news spoke to him about being a trailblazer.
First things first, how are the lads feeling before the game?
"Everyone is excited, playing at Wembley! But the week has been focused on getting our game heads on and game strategy. It's about being focused now.
Pride for all the players today to be sure, but for you personally, is there pride that you can represent a very small number of players in this country that share your background?
"Playing at Wembley, it's my first time and it's a massive thing for me - but being from an Indian, Sikh origin and playing at Wembley - a lot of kids can hopefully look up to that and say 'he's playing at the biggest football stage'. There's that hope for all the young lads coming through. Because there are quite a few now. I take pride in that because I want to see more in the game. I am very proud to be representing that.
"Obviously this is my 10th year playing professionally and when I did start there weren't many (Indian Sikh footballers) at all. Over the years more events have been happening about Asians in football and there are more role models to an extent.
There are a lot of lads coming through so hopefully we can all act as role models- but playing at Wembley that's one thing I take pride in - representing my ethnicity for younger lads coming through.
Obviously**, like the gaffer you have history with Mansfield, will factor into your thinking at all?**
As much as there's noise about me playing against Mansfield because I played there for 6 years. I've got great admiration for Mansfield but I'm a port vale player now. My focus is on port vale. We focus as a team to get the result we all want.
Getting to Wembley is a special thing so hopefully playing there we're focused to give the fans what they want. But we cab't think about the outcome, we need to think how we do in the game and the outcome will think about itself.
Pitch Invasions
On the 20th of May, the Professional Footballers Association provided an update on their stance over pitch invasions:
"Since the return from lockdown, police data shows that incidents of fan disorder have been on the increase, and this has coincided with a rise of assaults on players by fans.
While the broader issue of increased fan disorder requires a coordinated and long-term strategy, the clubs, leagues and police need to put their immediate focus on stopping large scale pitch invasions.
Encroachment on the field of play is against the law".
We spoke to the Chairman of the Port Vale Supporters Club, Mark Porter to see what he makes of it.
Are you expecting any trouble?
Listen nobody's gonna go to Wembley and just run on the pitch. Everybody knows the magnitude of where they are. Should fans go onto a football pitch... NO! Do they go on, when there's that level of exuberance because their team got to Wembley? YEAH! You know that's gonna happen, it's always happened. If you're telling me next season Accrington Stanley knock Manchester Untied out the cup, they're not gonna run on the pitch. Course they will, that's always gone on. But it's the way you conduct yourself when you go on the pitch.
"These pitch invasions are very few and far between. They probably shouldn't happen but they do happen in times of great emotion and celebration. I think that's all it is, they're not going on there to disrupt a match and cause trouble. but to celebrate.
I think football is a fantastic story, it's about not publicizing the wrong behavior, but all the fantastic work like the community foundations and how fans help those that are disadvantaged.