It's Port Vale

ARGYLE have been drawn away to Port Vale in the third round of the FA Cup with Budweiser.

The game will be played on the weekend of January 3, 4 and 5. Ticket details for this trip to Staffordshire will appear on this website as soon as we have them.

Vale, managed by Micky Adams, are currently ninth in Sky Bet League 1, having been promoted from League 2 last season.

The Valiants have reached round three by virtue of victories against non-leaguers Shortwood United and Salisbury City, winning those ties 4-0 and 4-1 respectively.

Port Vale and Argyle have never met in any cup competition outside of the football league before.

Argyle will return to Vale Park almost exactly a year to the day since their last visit. On that occasion, on January 5 this year, John Sheridan watched the match from the stands prior to officially agreeing to become manager of Argyle. Unfortunately the Pilgrims lost that meeting 4-0 with Vale in terrific form at the time.

Other famous visits to Port Vale include Paul Sturrock's Greens' sensational 5-1 victory in 2003 during our Championship-winning campaign, and Argyle's first ever Sunday fixture, in 1974. On that occasion, dubbed Black Sunday due to fixtures being played then because of a nationwide power dispute, Argyle lost 2-1 and had three players - Steve Davey, Dave Provan and Bobby Saxton - sent off in a fiery encounter.

In 1952, Argyle lost 1-0 at Vale in a Third Division (South) game. This was remarkable for the game being played in appalling weather conditions, including snow and fog. The Sunday Independent's report for that game stated "Do not ask me happened. I just couldn't tell you. In fact, I haven't the foggiest idea. I only that Argyle lost 1-0. The players told me so when they came off."