Bill Bratt

Bill Bratt
Born	William Amos Bratt 1945 (age 71–72)
Nationality	British
Occupation	Insurance broker
Title	Port Vale F.C. Chairman
Term	2003–2011
Predecessor	Bill Bell
Successor	Mike Lloyd

William Amos Bratt MBE (born 1945) is the former chairman of Port Vale Football Club, who served the club in this post from 2003 to 2011.

After decades working in the insurance industry, Bratt turned his attention to his hometown club Port Vale, after the club were facing dark times. Leading the 'Valiant 2001' supporter's trust, he gained control from the administrators and previous chairman Bill Bell in 2003. He then faced a constant battle to steady the club's finances whilst also advancing through the leagues. Though the team fared poorly on the pitch throughout his reign, falling to the bottom tier of the Football League, he managed to keep the club afloat financially, though still the club continued to lose money. He left the club after fan protests against his chairmanship.

Bratt's stepfather was a World War II veteran who was taken by the Japanese as a prisoner of war. After the war his father appeared to be mentally scarred from his time in POW camps and regularly beat him, he apologised to his son whilst on his deathbed. He died in the 1960s of cancer.

He lived in numerous children's homes in the Penkhull area, before becoming a miner at Chatterley Whitfield pit. The charity he received from members of the church helped to instil Christian beliefs that he holds to this day (as of June 2009). From an early age he was a Port Vale supporter, something which would have a significant impact upon his life in the future.

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