Port Vale partner with Virtual Pro Gaming to launch esports team

Ollie Ring
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Port Vale football club has launched an esports team in partnership with Virtual Pro Gaming. The partnership will see the Valiants sign eleven players to compete in the ‘Pro Clubs’ game mode.

As part of the launch, fans are encouraged to sign-up and trial for Port Vale’s eleven-a-side FIFA team, with trials taking part in a live game on Saturday January 13th. The squad, once picked, will then compete on a regular basis in the VPG league against other organisations. The matches will be streamed on Port Vale’s YouTube channel on a weekly basis.

Port Vale Sales and Marketing Manager, Chris Turner said: “We are excited to become a part of this movement. eSports is an expanding market, and a market that we definitely want to be a part of.

“eSports is huge in Asia and it was not going to take long to travel over to us and we are eager to strike whilst the iron is hot and use this to our advantage.

“It is also a great way to involve our younger market more.”

Port Vale become the second club to join forces with Virtual Pro Gaming after Queens Park Rangers did so last year. It’s fair to say that eleven versus eleven FIFA is not the biggest name in the esports world, with the official FIFA esports format being one versus one. The FIWC, the pinnacle of esports in the football simulation world is played using FIFA Ultimate Team so this marks an interesting move from Port Vale.

Esports Insider says: Certainly an interesting move from Port Vale as they enter the realm of eleven versus eleven Pro Clubs FIFA. We’re tempted ourselves to try out on Saturday. Fancy yourself as the virtual Danny Pugh? Get involved and become a Valiant. 

 

Ollie Ring

Contributing Editor
Ollie swapped the abacus for Sonic on the SEGA Mega Drive at neighbor Frank's house at an early age and has never looked back. With thousands of hours in Dota 2 (and no ability to show for it), he still clings on to the hope that one day, he will replicate Natus Vincere at gamescom 14 years ago and lift the Aegis of Champions. Ollie has been at the intersection of video games, esports, and gambling for over ten years and has also worked in consultancy in the gambling industry. Ollie's work can be found on the likes of: BBC, Red Bull Gaming, Esports Insider, CasinoBeats, PC Gamer, Green Man Gaming as well as his own thought-leadership substack "Esprouts" looking at specific studies and stories where games meet gambling.
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