Port Vale secured promotion from League Two at the weekend - in the eyes of all but a mathematical pedant - with the scenes of celebration on the pitch at full-time proving memorable for a club that has fallen on hard times recently.
Achievements
Pope was named League Two Player of the Year, an accolade that Dad is extremely proud of. "Oh it's fantastic, I knew he'd done really well but it's great that the other managers have seen that side of it," said Pope senior. "Personally I thought Gary Jones the Bradford captain might have won it because of their achievements, but over the season Tom's scored goals and been fantastic and I think other managers have seen that. It is credit to him he's won that. It's Vale's Player of Season Awards on 28th April and it's my 30th wedding anniversary so we're hoping he wins the Vale player of the Year as well, that'd be a nice touch."
It will be a night of celebration for all Vale supporters. Few predicted such success at the start of the season. Yates remembers the time 12 months ago when the players were told they wouldn't be paid.
"Yeah, we missed out on a month's wages," he recalled. "We're League Two footballers we're not Premier League footballers earning a hundred grand a week that can afford to miss out. We might be able to scramble through a month or two without wages but after that we're struggling. A lot of players I know where struggling through that month. Obviously we got it back in the end with the help of the PFA and the new owners that have come in. But the manager has assembled a great squad of players. I think without his man-management we wouldn't be in the position we're in."
For Pope and Yates there could be more success around the corner. The Sentinel Cup Final is another day to look forward to and Sneyd's Vale following will be out in force, even if the venue for the match isn't quite ideal - it's to be played at Stoke City's Britannia Stadium.
