As we approach our 150th anniversary fixture against Barnsley on Sunday 4th January, read an exclusive Q&A with defender Connor Hall, as he discusses his love for the club, pride in the supporters and hopes for the future...
Firstly Connor, you're in your second spell here at Vale Park, and we know from speaking to you just how much you love the club...
"It's a very family-orientated club. I think the amount of staff you come across day-to-day is a lot different to any other club I've been at. It's everyone; you walk past people and they always say hello. Even to the point, a few months ago, we had the drug testers in, and they made a comment saying 'do you have to be a nice person to work this football club, because it's one of the nicest clubs we've come to?' It's true, everyone is really polite and it goes a long way. It's an easy thing to do, but a lot of people forget, and it's what makes this club really special."
Does that make you even more proud to wear the shirt? You recently hit 125 appearances for the Vale...
"Yeah, absolutely. I think even more so, now that it's my second spell at the club. In my previous spell, when you leave, you realise how good this club is and how much it means to you. When I got the opportunity to come back, it wasn't a hard decision at all. I thought it was really easy, and I was really pleased to be able to get the opportunity to come back again. I felt really lucky. I take it with pride, a lot more pride than last time to know that I've actually got the chance to pull on the shirt again. Every time I do, I really enjoy it."
Tell us what it's like to play for these fans too...
"It's great. I've got a little routine when I walk out, I go obviously in front of the fans and clap them, and then they start singing before the game. I think all the music goes off and then it's just left for the fans singing, and it gives you goosebumps. It's incredible. And they all get behind you before the kick off and then you're ready for the game. I think it's the sheer numbers that they come with, especially at away games. At this club, you feel it, and I've felt it both times I've been here. The support you get - it's just the noise, the passion. Sometimes people can feel like it's something negative when it's not going well, but they're entitled to their opinion, they pay their money, and it's up to us on the pitch to keep it as positive as possible, as well as them backing us."
What sense of responsibility do you feel representing the club in its 150th year as vice-captain?
"It's a big responsibility, in terms of representing the club. Obviously being a vice-captain, it gives you more to do than maybe other players in the team. I feel privileged to have that position, and I feel like when times are going tough, it's a really important part for me to step up. When things are going really well, it's important to get around people, not let standards slip and keep striving for more. We always want to become better."
When you think of 150 years of the club, what comes to mind?
"No disrespect, but I just think of Rudgie! One hundred and fifty years this football has been around and he's obviously been a really important figure. I've been lucky enough to meet him and to be here when his statue was unveiled. I think you can take a lot from what he's done from this football club, and none of us are going to get anywhere near to what he's done, but I want to make sure when I leave, people are talking about me in a positive way, in terms of the way that I handle myself on the pitch and the way that I communicate to the fans. I want to be a positive influence, and I think we all want to be like that."
He sums up the pride and passion that surrounds this club, doesn't he?
"Yeah, it's the pride of passion we feel from the fans, from the people at the top of this football club. We had some really important meetings last year when we were trying to get back into League One, and we had fans come in and do presentations about their own history with the football club - their passion, their pride, their father's passion and their father's pride. It's built into their family, built into the family of Port Vale and you take a little bit from each person that communicates with you and have to take it on board."
How has this club had an impact on you personally?
"It's had a massive impact on my life. Not even just me, but my family, my whole family. It's given me some incredible memories that will last forever. To have my kids come and walk out with me but also be at Wembley on the pitch with me afterwards when we got promoted through the Play-Offs, was unforgettable. Moments like the Play-Off Semi-Final when all the fans stormed the pitch to celebrate us getting to Wembley. And then obviously last season, being able to do it within a league season. It's just been an incredible journey for me, and incredible for my partner and kids to be there too. My mum and dad put everything into me from when I was younger. There's a lot of stuff that I could go into that has happened early on in my career, that my parents really helped me out with, to get me here today. I'm really proud to be able to give them something back, and it's all thanks to this amazing football club."
Is there a moment at Vale Park that's made you feel especially connected to the club?
"Yeah, there's been many, many memories that have made me feel very special at this football club. Probably my first game back when I came back, the first game of the season and the reception that I was given. My name was played around the stadium and all the supporters got behind that, and it really made me feel like I'd arrived, and I'd come here off of a difficult season previously. To hear that just cemented all of the memories I'd had in my first spell for this football club and helped me to start the season well and be in a good place. The comments they gave me when I signed back here were just incredible, and it gave me the confidence to feel like I'm going to play my best football again."
What did that feel like, in that moment?
"It's a great feeling, it's such a good feeling of pride. You hear the song coming on in the stadium and you know; you're just waiting for the bit where they say your name. It's just brilliant. As a kid, or even in my early 20s, because I didn't turn professional until 26, I never thought anything like that would happen to me in football. I just feel so lucky. This football club has taken to me so well, and I feel like I've applied myself and worked so hard for the team."
What does the phrase 'home' mean to you as a player?
"This is our home. As well as you've got your own home with your family, you're coming to work alongside the people you play with, they're your family too because you're with them probably longer than your actual family! From top to bottom, Carol and Kevin, they treat you like family, it's incredible. I know everybody has their own experiences of football clubs and some can vary. But, speaking for myself, it's such a family-orientated club. It means so much to them that everybody is happy as well, and they take real pride in making sure everyone is. If they're not, they will try to make sure that they can change. I'm proud to call it home. The club and fans give you a massive platform to go out on the pitch and perform, and when I step onto that pitch, I always pride myself on trying to be the best I can be in every single game and be really consistent with my work."
And in a word, what does Port Vale mean to you?
"To me, it means family. Everybody knows it. It gets talked about a lot, because it's a family-orientated club, from Carol and Kevin to everyone else - they make it that as soon as you walk through the door. And it's been like that both times I've been here, nothing's changed in that respect. If anything, it has become even better, and they always strive to become better at that as well. If speak to anybody, not even just the players, the staff here as well, they'll say exactly the same, and it's just an absolute honour to be able to call it a family."
Finally, what's your message as we go into the second half of the season?
"We knew this year was going to be a big year after getting promoted. But ultimately, it's all about performing on the pitch and making it a successful year. This fanbase is so passionate; they've gone through a lot of tough times, and all they want to do is turn up on a Saturday and watch the football team perform and become successful. There are many positives at this football club now, and I just hope and pray that it can last for a very long time because the fans deserve it. It's on us as players to go out and make a difference in front of the fans that come to watch us play, to give them something to shout about. They go to work every day to be able to have the excitement of Saturday come around, and if we can give them three points, then that's made their day. It's important that we show our appreciation to the supporters."
