This week a game that will be well known to many Vale fans, the first home game of the 1993/94 promotion season. The match saw Vale take on Barnet for the first time in their history.
A game memorable for many reasons, firstly Barnet's player manager Gary Phillips was forced to go in goal due to injury and I seem to remember was subject to some interesting banter from the first minute onwards! The game didn't start well for the Valiants with an early sending off for centre half Peter Billing seemingly leaving them in a spot of bother! However the match proceeded to offer a thrilling home performance as Vale scored 6 times in the remain 70 minutes! This is believed to be a record for a football league game for a team with ten 10 men(since red and yellow cards became part of football!) scoring the most goals against a team with the full compliment!
A match also remembered for Martin Foyle and Bermie Slaven hitting hattricks, which are incidentally the last home league hattricks at Vale Park! 16+ years and counting!
Unforunately for Barnet this was a sign of things to come and they were relegated back to the 4th tier at the first attempt, however Vale completed a richly deserved promotion in May the following year!
The front cover of the programme shows the aforementioned Martin Foyle and I believe ex Villa defender Paul McGrath which must be in action from a pre-season friendly.
On the back as is normal the team/squad lists. Although some interesting names to note in the Barnet side that day! Future Vale centre back Dave Barnett was on their books along with brother of former England player and manager Glenn Hoddle, Carl Hoddle!
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