by Brad Clark

DEAN Glover never dreamed he'd get his hands on the FA Cup when he took over as Port Vale manager.

What's more, no-one imagined seeing the prestigious trophy at Vale Park before local rivals Stoke City got it back to the Britannia Stadium.

But that's what happened yesterday ... and all without the need for a trip to Wembley.

More than a hundred school children were at Vale Park for the first stop of an FA Cup Roadshow which will visit 50 clubs across the country ... but Stoke City's turn doesn't come until December 12.

Vale won the right to host the cup first because of their stirring first-round comeback at Huddersfield where they rallied from 3-1 down to triumph 4-3. It was declared the performance of the round by the FA ... and earned Vale a home tie against local rivals Macclesfield Town in round two on November 28.

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During the day, pupils and members of the public were given the chance to hold the trophy and learn about its illustrious history.

Glover said: "As a player it's one in a million and you have to be pretty fortunate to get your hands on the cup, so its a lovely opportunity for the kids to get close to it."

Moorpark Primary school pupil Katie Johnson, aged 10, was thrilled to hold the cup.

She said: "I've been looking forward to this day for ages. It feels so good to be able to celebrate with the cup."