Plans to reopen Port Vale Market

Mr Bratt hopes the market will be open in time for Christmas

The chairman of Port Vale Football Club is planning to bring back its weekly market, 18 years after Stoke-on-Trent city council closed it down.

The market at Vale Park raised about £130,000 a year, but was closed in 1991 by the council which wanted to run its own, Bill Bratt said.

The council started a market in Burslem but the licence has now been withdrawn as it attracted too few stall-holders.

Mr Bratt said he hoped Vale Park Market would be open in time for Christmas.

Parking issues

The League Two football club has submitted a planning application to reopen the market, which ran for 15 years until 1991.

Mr Bratt said: "The council closed the market down because they wanted to start their own in Burslem to regenerate the town centre. The trouble was there was no parking."

He said the club would use its stadium parking for market shoppers and that he had already been contacted by two market traders "anxious" to reserve the best spot.

Mr Bratt said: "The club went into administration seven years ago, but if we had had the market income, perhaps we would not have been in that situation."

He said the market would also help the town. The council has not been available for comment about the club's plans.

"What happened before was people came to the market and, as they were parked, they then went into town to do the rest of their shopping," Mr Bratt added.

"We hope they will do that again."