Vale supporter Yates delighted with season
Stoke-on-Trent born Adam Yates reckons you couldn't have scripted Vale's season any better.
Yates who supported Vale as a boy has made 32 appearances in all competitions for Vale this season and the right-back who is likely to feature in the final match of the season against Wycombe Wanderers is confident the club can go from strength to strength.
“The pleasing thing for us is that it was at home, we did it in front of our fans.
“You couldn't have scripted it any differently,” said Yates.
“I don't think if we went up as champions next year and I was at this football club it would eclipse this year because I think we've gone from one extreme to another.
“We've had failed takeovers and players leave us before the start of the season, its just been a roller coaster year.”
Yates is one of a trio of first-team players with Staffordshire roots. Both Yates and Tom Pope were born in the city and grew up Vale supporters whereas midfielder Chris Birchall started his career with Vale after coming through the youth system in 2001.
Yates said: “It's a proud moment, me and Tom are local lads but you need to remember that Chris Birchall has spent a long time here and lives in Newcastle.
“Then you have some of the young lads that are here and some of the lads that haven't played like the YTS lads.
“I don't think they're going to experience something this intense and this turbulent as they have done this year.”
Moving forward Yates reckons the club have the set up and fan base to rival Championship clubs in the future.
He added: “This club doesn't deserve to be in this league, the ground and facilities and certainly the fan base is to big for League Two and now it is up to the club to go out and prove that we are to big for League One.
“I think there's certainly some clubs in the Championship who would love our fan base and the club ultimately wants to be back there.”