Team set to face Chelsea next after win even club’s manager says left him ‘a little bit in shock’
When the referee blew the final whistle at Vale Park in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, on Sunday, Paul Dixon, a 56-year-old painter and decorator, was in disbelief.
Port Vale, which sits at the bottom of League One, had defeated the Premier League side Sunderland to secure a place in the FA Cup quarter-final – the first time in 72 years.
A goal from Ben Waine in the first half saw a rapturous reaction from Vale fans in the stands before an all-out celebration at the end of the fixture, as they witnessed their team knock out a club ranked 57 places above them in the pyramid.
Dixon, who has attended Vale fixtures since 1973, entered the stadium with low expectations. “I thought we’d get turned over,” he said. “We’re bottom of the league for a reason.”
