FORMER Port Vale chairman Bill Bell says he would consider investing in Port Vale....if the club approached him.

Current chairman Bill Bratt has revealed he has been approached by a third party asking if he would welcome investment from Bell.

Bell says that didn't come from him, but hasn't ruled out coming back into the club if the board wanted him.

Bell, pictured, lost control of the then-League One club when it went into administration in December 2002.

However, he is still involved in a legal dispute with Vale over the former club shop.

Bell was Vale's chairman for 15 years, seven of which were spent in the Championship following promotions under manager John Rudge.

He says he is deeply concerned to see the cash-strapped club struggling in League Two.

He said: "I haven't approached the club at all. It would be up to them to approach me.

"It would depend on what they want and would request from me.

"I am very concerned. We have seen Port Vale in the glory days and don't like seeing the club in days like they are now.

"But it is really nothing to do with me, it is other people running it now, not me."

Bell has rarely gone public on his views since Valiant 2001 took the club out of administration in May 2003.

The club has made huge strides off the field since then, including the near completion of the Lorne Street Stand with enterprise units and a children's centre.

They have also won financial support from Robbie Williams and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and have sold 6,400 season tickets.

However, the team has struggled and the board admit there is no money to appoint a manager from outside the club following the dismissal of Lee Sinnott.

Bell said: "I think it is terrible. But that is football, you have ups and downs. I think they need some help.

"I watch the results all the time and I do feel sorry for them. I want to see the club back to what it was.

"I felt they (Valiant 2001) should have done all right, but football is a difficult game. I think people realise it is not easy running a football club."

Bell has taken legal action against Vale after claiming they damaged his Hamil Road shop when moving out of the premises three years ago.

However, he has called for the club to contact him to resolve the dispute and save legal fees.

Bratt said it would be wrong to consider investment from Bell while the club was in a legal dispute with the former chairman.

He said: "We have been approached by someone to ask whether he would be welcome back, but there is still a court case, so it is hardly right that we should talk about that.

"He said we caused damage and took stuff which belonged to him, which we deny.

"It has cost us thousands of pounds in legal fees."

Vale's board are unlikely to welcome Bell back, even when the club-shop dispute is resolved.

Bratt and Valiant 2001 were vehement critics of the former chairman before finally winning control of the club.