Ben Waine, a Newcastle fan from New Zealand, reproduced Alan Shearer’s trademark single-arm celebration in front of the travelling Sunderland fans after scoring the goal that knocked the Premier League side out of the FA Cup as Port Vale, bottom of League One, reached the quarter-finals of this competition for the first time in 72 years.
The Newcastle legend did not hesitate to retweet the BBC’s post as Waine, who scored the fourth-round winner against Bristol City in the delayed tie five days earlier, helped Jon Brady’s side to make light of the 56 league places between them and Sunderland. Waine also scored the second‑round winner against Bristol Rovers as Vale, 11 points adrift of the safety line in League One, have found solace in the Cup. Indeed their five Cup triumphs are only one short of their number of league wins.
Régis Le Bris’s side have enjoyed an excellent first season back in the Premier League, while Vale have struggled to adapt to the higher level after their own promotion, leading to Brady succeeding Darren Moore in January. But here, on a rutted pitch in front of a vociferous and increasingly believing capacity 10,685 crowd, Vale rose to the challenge.
“I was in dreamland,” Waine said. “I knew I would get a bit back from the Sunderland fans, so it was nice to run past them and give it back. Mum’s family are from Newcastle and I went back there a few times as a kid. I didn’t have much of a choice about who I supported. That kicked off the dream to come over here and play.
