This coming Saturday, Walsall Football Club face Port Vale in Sky Bet League One, once again we've teamed up with tothe92.co.uk to bring you all the local information and help you find those all-important pre-match refreshments;Vale Park is all seated with a decent view from all areas and with the capacity being set at 17,900 it is never a problem to get in on the day. It has only ever been 100% sold out for a league game once, v Stoke City in 1990, the first meeting at the ground for 33 years. There is a small track which separates the pitch from the stands and runs all the way round the ground. With the exception of the Lorne Street Stand, all are single-tier with supporting pillars which can obstruct your view somewhat, though this is only rarely a problem due to the average attendances at Vale Park over recent seasons.
Away Fans
Visiting supporters are situated in the Phones4U End, and this is the first stand you come to on Hamil Road. The view is very good generally although there are 4 supporting pillars that can get in the way if you sit more than half way back. It caters for more than 4,500. Leg room is reasonable but if you're 6'5 like me, you may want to find a seat with no-one in front of you!
Where To Drink
The nearest pub is on the away fans car park, called Tommy Cheadle's and everyone is welcome apart from large groups of away fans for obvious reasons. The licencee of this place used to be Pete Conway, Robbie Williams' father. The walk into the centre of Burslem is no more than 10 minutes. Half way into town, you’ll come across the Vine at the bottom of Hamil Road which welcomes both sets of fans and gets absolutely crowded pre-match.
Outside there are usually a couple of burger vans, but further up Hamil Road there is a cafe just past the church. Further on still, the second street on the right, May Street has a chip shop 100 yards from Hamil Road. Down into the town you fill find restaurants and a Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Parking
Car parking is available opposite the stadium in a large carpark charging £4 per car on matchdays. However, street parking is also available in the roads surrounding the stadium if you arrive early enough to take advantage. It's worth doing so at a lot of grounds nowadays as the cost of parking is only going upwards by the season.
By Train
The nearest / closest train station to Port Vale's Vale Park Stadium is Longport, less than two miles from the ground, although not many trains stop there nowadays with just the hourly service from Crewe to Derby using the station. Journey time from Crewe is 20 minutes and a single costs £3.80. From Derby, the journey time is just under an hour and the cost £6.50.
The more widely-used mainline station is Stoke-on-Trent which is served by regular trains from Birmingham, Manchester and London and is located around four miles away. It's not really viable to walk from here so a bus or taxi ride to the ground is the best option. There is a taxi rank at the station so you wont struggle to find one neither will you have to wait long.
© 2014. Bescot Banter: An independent look at Walsall Football Club, in association with www.tothe92.co.uk.