One Million Good Reasons To Spend

Monday 18th January, 1999

After fifteen years Port Vale manager John Rudge has been sacked from the First division strugglers, and after seeing his side score only 29 goals in 28 games, how he must rue selling 19 goal striker Lee Mills (right) to Bradford at the start of the season.

On the surface One million pounds for the 29 year old forward seemed like good money and the Vale boss banked on using the proceeds to fund a number of young players, players who at the moment are failing to get the goals to keep the Potteries side in the Division.

It is great credit to Jewell as a manager that he recognised the quality of Mills and was brave enough to pay the fee even after the former Bradford boss Chris Kamara had been on the verge of signing the player for half that fee.

As John Rudge will testify after selling Mills and his winger Gareth Ainsworth to Wimbledon for over three million pounds, money in that bank can not get you goals and as Richmond, his pockets 3.5 million lighter, will affirm, spent it on the team it will.

Comments on the web page to MichaelWood@Iname.com