[5] The pair would later marry and have four children – Kate, Rosie, Patrick and Francesca – before founding fintech company Synectics Solutions in February 1992.

Synectics work to prevent fraud and has international clients that include governments, banks, building societies and insurance companies.

[11] The next month she was voted as the fourth best owner in English football in a poll carried out by the 'Against League 3' pressure group.

[14] A BBC Sport study predicted that Vale would have finished seventh and reached the play-offs if the season had played out.

[16] Shanahan was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to the community of Stoke-on-Trent during the COVID-19 epidemic.

[17][18] She sacked club manager John Askey in January 2021, following a two-month losing run that saw the team drop from the play-off places to 17th in the table.

[23] Clarke returned from a close family bereavement to lead Vale through the League Two play-off semi-finals at the end of the 2021–22 season.

[26] Darrell Clarke was also sacked later that month and his assistant, Andy Crosby, was appointed as the club's new manager.

[32] She also decided to do less public speaking after she was filmed without her knowledge while giving an after-match speech in the Valiant Suite.