I COULDN'T ASKEY FOR ANY MORE

UPBEAT manager John Askey has hailed a ‘massive turnaround’ on and off the pitch at Port Vale – and believes continuity can help their pursuit of success.

- John Lyons

JOHN Askey has been left saddened by the plight of his former club, Macclesfield, who have been wound up in the High Court and expelled from the National League.

“The club have been a massive part of my life and there was no need for it,” said Askey, who is Macc’s record appearance holder and led them to the National League title two years ago.

“It’s the only football club to go under that has underspent. When they went into the Football League, revenue came in from the league and the budget didn’t rise that much.

“The club are a big part of the town and have over 130 years of history – it’s really sad. I just hope they can get it going again.”

The former Macclesfield and Shrewsbury boss took the reins when the club were in a tight spot in February last year.

There had been a breakdown in relations between owner Norman Smurthwaite and the club’s fans, leading to protests, and the club were in relegation danger in League Two.

Askey steadied the ship on the pitch before new owners Carol and Kevin Shanahan took over in May 2019 to bring some calm off it.