Thursday 22 November 2012 13:38, UK
Tom Pope's goalscoring exploits have triggered an automatic contract extension for the Port Vale striker.
The Vale players' contracts have been honoured by new owner Paul Wildes, who completed his £1.25million takeover of the League Two club this week, and Pope's one-year deal included a clause for another 12 months should he score 15 goals this season. The 27-year-old took his tally for the campaign to 20 goals with a hat-trick in the 4-0 home win over Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night, meaning he is now tied to the Valiants until the summer of 2014. Pope's treble against the Pirates saw him become the quickest player in the club's history to score 20 goals in a Football League campaign, eclipsing Wilf Kirkham's 86-year-old record by a single day.
