Tom Pope is banking on the support at Rochdale
With 32 goals so far this season striker Tom Pope is closing in on Andy Jones’ tally of 37 scored in the 1986/87 season, but he has more important things on his mind.
He explains: “I try not to think about it to be honest. At this stage of the season you don’t care who is getting the goals, as long as someone is scoring.
“I will celebrate just as much if Daniel Jones scores as I would if I score, as long as it is the winning goal it makes no odds to me, I just want the three points.
“If I score a few goals in the last three games then so be it, but it is something that doesn’t interest me, I just want to win the games of football and if we can do that and get promoted, we will all be drinking out of the same glass.”
The supporters will certainly be taking several drinks out of the same glass if and when Vale do clinch promotion and as Tom says, they have played a big part this season.
Vale are known for taking a big following wherever they go and at Rochdale they will no doubt make it feel like a home fixture.
Tom says: “Our supporters have been excellent away from home, even long distances like Gillingham and places like that, they have been superb all year.
“That is probably why our away form has been so good. When you go to these smaller grounds we have probably got more support than the home team – it certainly makes it feel like a home game with the following we have got.
“They never stop singing and it helps to spur you on, so hopefully they can get behind the lads again on Saturday and we can give them something to shout about.
“They can help see us over the line, but we have got to give them something to shout about, if we get off to a sloppy start and concede early it can work against you.
“If the crowd are nervous you can sense it, so we need to get them on our side, perhaps get an early goal and get them in full voice and hopefully we can go on from there and win by two or three.”