He took over as chairman of Port Vale i It was revealed that Smurthwaite had funded the initial takeover, and that the pair had a disagreement following defeat to Bristol Rovers in March, with Smuthwaite insisting on a more public approach to take pressure off the manager and players. But having initially claimed to buy the club for "philanthropic" reasons, Dale put Bury into administration this summer and engineered a debt repayment scheme, known as a company voluntary arrangement, that would see creditors paid only 25 per cent of what they are owed, with him and his associates being the main beneficiaries. We dont have much information about Hes past relationship and any previous engaged. But Smurthwaite believes it is too late to save Bury because he says Dale wants at least 1million to walk away. It's only fair to point out here that The Sentinel has had an uneasy relationship with Smurthwaite, to put it mildly. Neil Aspin was a popular appointment and did well to keep Vale up last season. Norman Smurthwaite was born on 8 August, 1960 in Coventry, United Kingdom, is a Businessman; property developer. [14][15] Smurthwaite invested 500,000 into the playing budget in order to help Micky Adams strengthen the squad. It is understood Smurthwaite, who is also the club's chairman, has been actively looking for a buyer. [13] Smurthwaite continued to effect changes at the club, controversially axing the system of door-to-door lottery collectors and banishing the Port Vale Community Trust out of Vale Park. That combative style was also evident in a couple of dramatic supporters' meetings in which, to Smurthwaite's credit, he's taken unvetted questions from the floor for close to three hours. This was the amount Dale called on supporters and the local business community to pledge when he was interviewed by talkSPORT on Friday. [64][65] Two months later he was reported to have launched an unsuccessful bid to purchase crisis-hit club Bury. Under him, the wages were always paid on time so Vale weren't in the same boat as Macclesfield and Bolton, to name two recent examples. Tensions are running high between League One neighbours Port Vale and Crewe Alexandra, with the Vale chairman claiming his wife "fears for her life" when visiting their rivals' ground [3] After promotion from League Two to League One was secured, Smurthwaite said that "I've never had any hobbies to speak of, but buying Port Vale has given me a passion. [47] Smurthwaite appointed Neil Aspin as the club's new manager on 4 October, and also brought in John Rudge in an advisory role. It's far easier to criticise an owner, especially with the benefit of hindsight, than to actually be the person under pressure in charge and making the decisions. If everything is right I don't see there being a problem, but once again Norman is talking about things instead of doing things.". "Of course, as a local club we want to see our local players do well. Vale can move on and so can he - as far away as possible would be a popular option. [49], He bought the Liberty Way stadium off Nuneaton Town in July 2018 after the club entered financial difficulties. Norman Smurthwaite (born August 1960) is an English businessman who served as the chairman of Port Vale Football Club from 2013 to 2017. Norman entered the career as Business executive In his early life after completing his formal education.. Born on 8 August 1960, the Business executive Norman Smurthwaite is arguably the worlds most influential social media star. Smurthwaite was part of the investment group, led by Paul Wildes, that took Port Vale out of administration in November 2012. Something went wrong, please try again later. [11] The concern in January was over the future of manager Micky Adams, and the apparent reluctance of Smurthwaite to offer a contract despite the positive results on the field as the manager's contract came close to its expiry at the end of the season; once a contract was promised Adams stated that "He has talked about it, now he has to deliver. He bought the Liberty Way stadium off Nuneaton Town in July 2018 and sold Port Vale in May 2019. NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) When she was a teenager, Miranda Lambert listened at the dinner table while her grandmother, her mother and their friends swapped gossip, life lessons and stories from East Texas. He was responding to comments made by long-serving Alex supporter John Ford in a letter to the Chronicle, and suggested they had been subjected to 'vulgar and threatening behaviour' from fans at Crewe Alex. Port Vale Football Club is officially up for sale, owner Norman Smurthwaite has confirmed. He was hospitalised after being struck by a car whilst walking outside Vale Park on 25 January 2019. Harry and his wife . If everything is right I dont see there being a problem, but once again Norman is talking about things instead of doing things.. Smurthwaite bought the Vale from the administrators for 1.25m but sold to Carol and Kevin Shanahan for more than 4m in May. Aspin resigned five days later following a run of poor results. now please get back to your day job and continue the sterling work in the community. He went on to claim that fans protests against him had cost the club a 500,000 stadium sponsorship deal, that he had never received a formal offer for the club and that he would put the club into administration if no new owner was in place by 5 May. One of the last two remaining survivors of the USS Arizona battleship, which sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. More worry came in December, when The Sunday People revealed that Smurthwaite had e-mailed agents pleading poverty over the club's finances. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Smurthwaite went on to issue a statement to condemn "disgraceful abuse" he had received and to urge supporters to not to use "inappropriate language" during protests and to consider the effect of protests on the club and the players; he stated that he was only involved in "major" decisions at the club and left day-to-day decisions to CEO Colin Garlick. Discover today's celebrity birthdays and explore famous people who share your birthday. Norman Smurthwaite has stood down as Port Vale chairman, saying he has "seriously damaged the club", and has been succeeded by .