Famous Managers – Micky Adams

Micky Adams

Port Vale Manager 2009-2010 and 2011-2014

Following a successful professional playing career spanning over 500 games, Micky went into management in 1996 and had already spent 13 years in charge of the likes of Fulham, Brighton, Leicester and Coventry before he joined the Vale as manager in the summer of 2009.

Vale had been struggling in the lower reaches of the fourth tier when Micky took over and he managed to get them to a creditable tenth place finish in his first season.  Then in December 2010, with the Vale sitting comfortably in second place in the League, he left to take up the reigns at his hometown club Sheffield United.

Sadly for Micky it didn’t work out quite as expected at Bramall Lane and by May 2011 he was back at Vale Park for a second time stating that he was ready to “finish the job I started” for the Valiants.  His first season back, 2011-12 was hampered by the fact that the club went into administration and the points deduction incurred resulted in a mid-table finish.  However, the 2012-13 season was a different story, as despite the administration remaining unresolved until well into the campaign, the Vale secured automatic promotion and finished as the division’s top goal scorers.

With the team starting to struggle and Micky’s relationship with the new owner proving difficult, Micky left the Vale in September 2014.

His autobiography “Micky Adams – My Life in Football” was released in 2017.

Management style

Micky was considered to be more of an ‘old-school’ manager because of his emphasis on fitness.  This was epitomised by the gruelling running sessions he focussed on.

He expected his teams to outrun and out-battle the opposition.