Port Vale backroom staff
We hold the names of 22 people on Port Vale's staff for 2025/26, beyond the players. Jon Brady manages the first team, with Gary Mills and Jamie Smith as assistant managers. Port Vale's is the joint 9th longest staff list of the 24 League Two clubs we hold.
Coaching staff
The manager, the assistants and the coaches at every level of the club, 5 people
| NAME | ROLE | TEAM | AGE | NATIONALITY | PREVIOUSLY AT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jon Brady | Manager | First team | 50 | Australia |  |
| Gary Mills | Assistant manager | First team | 44 | England |  |
| Jamie Smith | Assistant manager | First team | 50 | England |  |
| Danny Lloyd | Coach | Under-18s | 34 | England | - |
| Gary Walsh | Goalkeeping coach | First team | 57 | England |  |
Medical and sports science
Doctors, physios and sports scientists, 6 people
| NAME | ROLE | TEAM | AGE | NATIONALITY | PREVIOUSLY AT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Hine | Head physio | Club-wide | 34 | England |  |
| Cameron Jepson | Physio | First team | 23 | England | - |
| Alex Walker | Physio | Under-18s | 25 | - | - |
| Christos Christofides | Physio | Under-18s | 40 | Wales |  |
| James Walsh | Head of sports science | Club-wide | 40 | England |  |
| Aaron Watkin | Sports scientist | First team | 31 | England | - |
Scouting and analysis
Scouts, recruitment analysts and performance analysts, 7 people
| NAME | ROLE | TEAM | AGE | NATIONALITY | PREVIOUSLY AT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lee Darnbrough | Chief scout | Club-wide | 47 | England |  |
| Chris Hirst | Scout | Club-wide | 35 | England | - |
| Frank Elford | Scout | Club-wide | 65 | England | - |
| Tom Fry | Scout | Club-wide | 31 | England | - |
| Tommy Johnson | Scout | Club-wide | 32 | England |  |
| Sam Baker | Head performance analyst | Club-wide | 29 | England |  |
| Daniel Wakeham | Performance analyst | Under-18s | 28 | England | - |
Football management
The people who run the football side, from the sporting director to the academy, 1 person
| NAME | ROLE | AGE | NATIONALITY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rob MacFarlane | Loan manager | 59 | England |
Owners and directors
Who owns Port Vale and sits on its board
| NAME | ROLE | AGE | NATIONALITY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Shanahan | Owner | 76 | England |
| Carol Shanahan | Chair | 67 | - |
| John Rudge | Director | 80 | England |
Backroom staff at every League Two club
The names we hold at each club in the division, 2025/26
Port Vale's list is the joint 9th longest of the 24, against a median of 20 across the division. Northampton Town names the most, 30. Crawley Town names the fewest, 11.
Port Vale against the League Two, department by department
Names held in each department, beside the average and the most at any one club
| DEPARTMENT | PORT VALE | AVERAGE | MOST | AT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coaching | 5 | 7 | 10 |  |
| Medical and sports science | 6 | 4 | 10 |  |
| Scouting and analysis | 7 | 4 | 8 |  |
| Football management | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Owners and directors | 3 | 4 | 9 |  |
Backrooms the size of Port Vale's, in every league
Port Vale's 22 names make the joint 512th longest staff list of the 815 clubs we hold one for
| # | CLUB | LEAGUE | STAFF |
|---|---|---|---|
| 512 |  | La Liga | 22 |
| 512 | FC Annecy | Ligue 2 | 22 |
| 512 |  | Major League Soccer | 22 |
| 512 | FC Energie Cottbus | 2. Bundesliga | 22 |
| 512 | FK Jablonec | Czech First League | 22 |
| 512 |  | Süper Lig | 22 |
| 512 | KFUM-Kameratene Oslo | Eliteserien | 22 |
| 512 |  | - | 22 |
| 512 | Mito Hollyhock | J1 League | 22 |
| 512 |  | Major League Soccer | 22 |
| 512 | | League Two | 22 |
| 512 |  | Süper Lig | 22 |
| 512 |  | Brasileirão Série A | 22 |
| 512 | SC Telstar | Eredivisie | 22 |
| 512 | Strømsgodset Toppfotball | Eliteserien | 22 |
| 512 |  | Primeira Liga | 22 |
| 512 |  | Austrian Bundesliga | 22 |
| 512 | Wuhan Three Towns | Chinese Super League | 22 |
| 538 |  | Saudi Pro League | 21 |
| 538 | Al-Fayha Club | Saudi Pro League | 21 |
| 538 |  | - | 21 |
Where Port Vale's staff come from
3 nationalities across the 20 staff whose nationality we hold
England supplies 18 of the 20, 90%. The median age is 40. The oldest is John Rudge, director, at 80, and the youngest Cameron Jepson, physio, at 23. 10 members of staff came from another club.
Where Port Vale's former staff work now
On Port Vale's staff in an earlier season and at another club in 2025/26, 11 people
| NAME | ROLE NOW | NOW AT |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Shan | Manager |  |
| Myles Cooper | Manager | Solihull Moors |
| Gary Brabin | Assistant manager |  |
| Simon Ireland | Assistant manager | |
| Matt Done | Coach |  |
| Simone Lioce | Goalkeeping coach |  |
| Daryl Taylor | Fitness coach |  |
| James Rowland | Head physio |  |
| Gareth McClelland | Chief scout | FC Halifax Town |
| Michael Johnson | Head performance analyst |  |
| Stephen Corns | Head performance analyst | |
Frequently asked questions
Who is Port Vale's manager?
Jon Brady is the Port Vale first-team manager, aged 50. Gary Mills and Jamie Smith are the assistant managers.
Who is the goalkeeping coach at Port Vale?
Gary Walsh coaches the Port Vale first-team goalkeepers.
Who is Port Vale's head physio?
Michael Hine is head physio at Port Vale.
Who is Port Vale's chief scout?
Lee Darnbrough is chief scout at Port Vale.
How many backroom staff do Port Vale have?
We hold the names of 22 people on Port Vale's staff for 2025/26: 5 in coaching, 6 in medical and sports science, 7 in scouting and analysis, 1 in football management and 3 owners and directors. That is the joint 9th longest list of the 24 League Two clubs we hold, against a median of 20. Across every league we hold, that list is the joint 512th longest of 815.
Where to next
For what Port Vale pays its squad, see Port Vale player wages. What each of these jobs pays across football is on backroom staff wages. Every club in the division is on League Two wages.