Vale snap up Chasetown aces

Chasetown FA Cup heroes Chris Slater and Kyle Perry today completed dream moves back to the Football League when they signed for Port Vale.

Central defender Slater, 23, and 21-year-old striker Perry have signed 18-month contracts with the League One club, pending medicals.

The Scholars will receive a nominal fee for the pair, but have negotiated sell-on fees of 30 per cent for both players.

It means Slater will give up his job as a £400 a week block paver with Maddox on Chasetown High Street, and Perry will quit his £500 a week graphic designer job in Bloxwich.

Both – who will boost their earnings to around £600 a week – are set to be available for Vale’s home clash against Millwall tomorrow.

The moves complete a fairytale journey for the pair after they were rejected by Wolves and Walsall respectively as trainees.

“When I sorted the contracts out at 12.20am on Wednesday night, you could sense the joy in the lads’ voices,” said Chasetown boss Charlie Blakemore.

“This has made me as proud as anything I have achieved at Chasetown.”