Ray Walker - a crowd favourite





Ray Walker will always be remembered for his stunning strike goal against Tottenham Hotspur, which helped Vale, the underdogs, dump them out of the FA Cup.

 

Ray did much more than score 'that' goal of course and in fact was twice voted Player of the Year, in a spell in which he made over 400 appearances for the Vale.

 

He first came to Vale Park on loan from Aston Villa in 1984, but didn't sign a permanent deal until almost two years later, when John Rudge paid £12,000 for his services - and there was a sell-on clause inserted into the contract.

 

A regular in our 1988/1989 promotion side, he was voted Player of the Year for the first time in 1988 and followed that up when he again got the nod three years later.

 

To add to that, he was twice included in the PFA's Third Division team of the year and once for the equivalent side in Division Two.

 

Ray played the game in a manner in which it was meant to be played and his style will always be remembered at Vale Park.