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Stoke City F.C.

April 26, 2023

"Stoke City" redirects here. For the city itself, see Stoke-on-Trent. For the women's club, see Stoke City F.C. Women.

Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the EFL Championship. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status. Stoke's home ground is the 30,089 capacity bet365 Stadium. Before it was opened in 1997, the club was based at the Victoria Ground, which was their home ground since 1878. The club's nickname is The Potters, after the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent, and their traditional home kit is a red-and-white vertically striped shirt, white shorts and stockings. Their traditional rivals are Midlands clubs West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst their local rivals are Port Vale with whom they contest the Potteries derby.

Stoke City
Full nameStoke City Football Club
Nickname(s)The Potters
Founded1863; 160 years ago (1863) (disputed)[1][2][3]
1868; 155 years ago (1868) (first recorded match)[a][5][6]
as Stoke Ramblers F.C.
Groundbet365 Stadium
Capacity30,089[7]
Ownerbet365 Group
Joint-ChairmanJohn Coates and Peter Coates
ManagerAlex Neil
LeagueEFL Championship
2021–22EFL Championship, 14th of 24
WebsiteClub website
Current season

Stoke were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888. They failed re-election in 1890, but were re-admitted after winning the 1890–91 Football Alliance title. The club were relegated from the First Division in 1907 and entered liquidation the following year. Though the club was saved, they were not re-elected until 1915, and instead spent the intervening years in the Birmingham & District League and Southern League. Promoted from the Second Division in 1921–22, the club were relegated twice in four years by 1926. Stoke won the Third Division North in 1926–27 and then the Second Division title in 1932–33. They remained in the top-flight for twenty years and then spent a decade in the Second Division, before winning promotion as champions in 1962–63.

Under the stewardship of Tony Waddington, Stoke won the League Cup in 1972 with a 2–1 victory over Chelsea. Stoke had also been beaten finalists in 1964. The club spent fourteen years in the top-flight, and would secure promotion in 1978–79 after being relegated two years earlier. Stoke remained in the top-flight from 1979 to 1985, though were relegated to the Third Division in 1990. Having won the Football League Trophy in 1992, they were promoted as champions in 1992–93. Relegation in 1998 allowed the club to win another Football League Trophy title in 2000, before promotion was secured with victory in the 2002 play-off final. Manager Tony Pulis took Stoke into the Premier League at the end of the 2007–08 campaign. They played in the final of the FA Cup in 2011, finishing runners-up to Manchester City, which saw the club qualify for European football. Ten years of Premier League football culminated in relegation to the Championship in 2018.

History

Main article: History of Stoke City F.C.
See also: List of Stoke City F.C. seasons and Stoke City F.C. league record by opponent

Formation and the early years (1863–1919)

 
Graph showing Stoke City F.C.'s progress through the English football league system 1888 to the present

Although there are reports of the game being played in Stoke in 1863, [1][4][8][9] the Stoke Ramblers club was formed in 1868 by Henry Almond, who had been a student at Charterhouse school where a dribbling form of the game was popular.[10] Almond arrived in the region to become an apprentice with the North Staffordshire Railway Company and, wishing to continue playing the game that he had enjoyed whilst at school, established the first formal association football club in the region.[4] The club's first documented match was in October 1868, against a scratch team brought together for the occasion by E.W May. Harry Almond captained the Stoke Ramblers team and also scored the club's first goal.[4] The club's first recorded away match was at Congleton, a rugby club that were convinced to play a one-off fixture under association rules, in December 1868.[11] From the 1860s, the club played at the Victoria Cricket Club ground; however they switched to a nearby ground at Sweetings Field in 1875 to cope with rising attendances.[1]

 
The Stoke team of 1877–78

In 1870, after two seasons as the Ramblers, the club dropped the suffix from its title and became known as Stoke Football Club.[12] It became closely aligned with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club, sharing facilities and some administrative responsibilities.[1] The club played at the Athletic Club ground, which soon became known as the Victoria Ground.[4] It was around this time that the club adopted their traditional red-and-white striped kit. In August 1885, the club turned professional.[1]

Stoke were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League when it was introduced in 1888.[4] The club struggled in their first two seasons, 1888–89 and 1889–90, finishing bottom on both occasions.[13] In 1890 Stoke failed to be re-elected and joined the Football Alliance, which they won and thus were re-elected to the Football League. Stoke spent the next 15 seasons in the First Division and reached the FA Cup Semi-final in the 1898–99 season before being relegated in 1907 with severe financial problems. Stoke went bankrupt at the end of the 1907–08 season and entered non-league football, playing in the Birmingham & District League and Southern League until 1914, when the First World War meant the Football League was suspended for four years. During the wartime period, Stoke entered the Lancashire Primary and Secondary leagues.[14] When football recommenced in August 1919, Stoke re-joined the league.

Victoria Ground and Stanley Matthews (1919–1937)

The club became owners of the Victoria Ground in 1919. This was followed by the construction of the Butler Street stand, which increased the overall capacity of the ground to 50,000.[15] In 1925, Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status and this led the club to change its name to Stoke City F.C.[16]

The 1930s saw the debut of club's most celebrated player, Stanley Matthews. Matthews, who grew up in Hanley, was an apprentice at the club and made his first appearance in March 1932,[17] against Bury, at the age of 17.[18] By end of the decade, Matthews had established himself as an England international and as one of the best footballers of his generation. Stoke achieved promotion from the Second Division in 1932–33 – as champions – however Matthews only featured in fifteen games in this season. He did however score his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win against local rivals Port Vale.[18]

By 1934, the club's average attendance had risen to over 23,000, which in turn allowed the club to give the manager Tom Mather increased transfer funds. The club was now considered one of the top teams in the country. It was in this period that the club recorded its record league win, a 10–3 win over West Bromwich Albion in February 1937. In April of that year, the club achieved its record league crowd – 51,373 against Arsenal. Freddie Steele's 33 league goals in the 1936–37 season remains a club record.[18]

Title challenge and league decline (1937–1960)

Following the resumption of the FA Cup after World War II, tragedy struck on 9 March 1946, as 33 fans died and 520 were injured during a 6th round tie away against Bolton Wanderers. This came known as the Burnden Park disaster.[19] In 1946–47, Stoke mounted a serious title challenge. The club needed a win in their final game of the season to win the First Division title. However, a 2–1 defeat to Sheffield United meant the title went to Liverpool instead. Stanley Matthews left with 3 games remaining of the 1946–47 season, opting to join Blackpool at the age of 32.[19]

Stoke were relegated from the First Division in 1952–53; during the season Bob McGrory resigned as the club's manager after 17 years in the role.[20][21] Former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Frank Taylor took over at the club looking to gain promotion back to the First Division. However, after seven seasons in the Second Division without promotion, Taylor was sacked. Taylor was shocked at being fired and vowed never to be associated with football again.[4]

Tony Waddington years (1960–1977)

Tony Waddington was appointed as the club's manager in June 1960.[22] He joined the club in 1952 as a coach, before being promoted to assistant manager in 1957. Waddington pulled off a significant coup by enticing Stanley Matthews – then 46 years old – back to the club, 14 years after he had departed.[23] The return of Matthews helped Stoke to an improved eighth position in 1961–62. Promotion was achieved in the following season, with Stoke finishing as champions.[23] In their first season back in the top flight, 1963–64, Waddington guided Stoke to a mid-table finish. Stoke reached the 1964 Football League Cup Final, which they lost 4–3 to Leicester City over two legs.[23]

Waddington counted on experience; Dennis Viollet, Jackie Mudie, Roy Vernon, Maurice Setters and Jimmy McIlroy were all players signed in the latter stages of their careers. Matthews was awarded a knighthood for services to football in the 1965 New Year's Honours list. This was followed by his final appearance for the club against Fulham in February 1965, shortly after his 50th birthday. Gordon Banks, England's 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper, joined in 1967 for £52,000 from Leicester.[23] Regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world,[24][25] Banks proved to be a shrewd signing for Waddington as he helped the club maintain stability in the First Division.[23] During the close season of 1967, Stoke City played in the one-off United Soccer Association which imported clubs from Europe and South America. Stoke played as the Cleveland Stokers and finished as runner-up of the Eastern Division.[26]

The club won its first major trophy on 4 March 1972 in the League Cup Final against Chelsea.[27] Stoke won 2–1 in front of a crowd of 97,852 at Wembley with goals from Terry Conroy and George Eastham.[28] Preceding this victory, Stoke had progressed through 11 games in order to reach the final. This included four games with West Ham United in the semi-final; the two-legged tie was replayed twice. Stoke fared well in the FA Cup; the club progressed to the semi-final stage in both the 1970–71 and 1971–72 seasons. However, on both occasions Stoke lost to Arsenal in a replay.[28] Stoke also competed in the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1974 losing at the first attempt to 1. FC Kaiserslautern and Ajax respectively.[28]

In January 1976, the roof of the Butler Street Stand was blown off in a storm.[29] The repair bill of nearly £250,000 put the club in financial trouble; key players such as Alan Hudson, Mike Pejic and Jimmy Greenhoff were sold to cover the repairs. With the team depleted, Stoke were relegated in the 1976–77 season. Waddington, after a spell of 17 years in charge, left the club after a 1–0 home defeat to Leicester in March 1977.[28]

Managerial roundabout (1977–1997)

Waddington's replacement, George Eastham, left in January 1978 after only ten months in charge, and was replaced by Alan Durban from Shrewsbury Town. Durban achieved promotion to the First Division in the 1978–79 season,[28] but after consolidating the club's position in the First Division, he left to manage Sunderland in 1981.[30] Richie Barker was appointed for the 1981–82 season, but was sacked in December 1983 and was replaced by Bill Asprey. Asprey decided to bring back veteran Alan Hudson, and the decision paid off as an improved second half of the season saw Stoke avoid relegation on the final day of the 1983–84 season.[30]

The 1984–85 season proved to be disastrous. Stoke finished the season with only 17 points, with just three wins all season. Mick Mills was appointed player-manager for the 1985–86 season,[30] but was unable to sustain a challenge for promotion in his four seasons as manager and was sacked in November 1989. His successor, Alan Ball Jr., became the club's fifth manager in ten years.[30] Ball struggled in his first season in charge, 1989–90, and Stoke were relegated to the third tier of English football after finishing bottom of the Second Division. Ball kept his job for the start of the following season, 1990–91, but departed during February 1991, in an indifferent season that saw Stoke finish 14th in the Third Division, Stoke's lowest league position.[31]

Ball's successor, Lou Macari, was appointed in May 1991, prior to the start of the 1991–92 season. He clinched silverware for the club; the 1992 Football League Trophy was won with a 1–0 victory against Stockport County at Wembley, with Mark Stein scoring the only goal of the match. The following season, 1992–93, promotion was achieved from the third tier. Macari left for his boyhood club Celtic in October 1993 to be replaced by Joe Jordan; Stein also departed, in a club record £1.5 million move to Chelsea.[31] Jordan's tenure in charge was short, leaving the club less than a year after joining, and Stoke opted to re-appoint Lou Macari only 12 months after he had left. Stoke finished fourth in 1995–96 but were defeated in the play-off semi-final by Leicester City. Macari left the club at the end of the following season. His last match in charge was the final league game at the Victoria Ground.[31] Mike Sheron, who was signed two years previously from Norwich City, was sold for a club record fee of £2.5 million in 1997.[32]

Britannia Stadium and the Icelandic takeover (1997–2008)

1997–98 saw Stoke move to its new ground, the Britannia Stadium,[33] after 119 years at the Victoria Ground. Chic Bates, Macari's assistant, was appointed manager for the club's first season in the new ground. He did not last long though, and was replaced by Chris Kamara in January 1998. Kamara could not improve the club's fortunes either, and he too left in April. Alan Durban, previously Stoke's manager two decades earlier, took charge for the remainder of season. Despite his best efforts, Durban was unable to keep the club up, as defeat against Manchester City on the final day of the season consigned Stoke to relegation to the third tier.[31]

Brian Little, formerly manager of Aston Villa,[34] took charge for the 1998–99 season.[35] Despite an impressive start, the team's form tailed off dramatically in the latter stages of the season, which led to Little leaving the club at the end of the season. His successor, Gary Megson, was only in the job for four months. Megson was forced to depart following a takeover by Stoke Holding, an Icelandic consortium, who purchased a 66% share in Stoke City F.C. for £6.6 million.[29] Stoke became the first Icelandic-owned football club outside of Iceland. They appointed the club's first foreign manager, Guðjón Þórðarson, who helped Stoke win the Football League Trophy in the 1999–2000 season, with a 2–1 win over Bristol City in front of a crowd of 85,057 at Wembley.[16][36]

Þórðarson achieved promotion at the third time of asking in 2001–02 after previous play-off defeats against Gillingham and Walsall.[37] Cardiff City were defeated in the semi-final before a 2–0 win against Brentford at the Millennium Stadium secured promotion. Despite achieving the goal of promotion, Þórðarson was sacked by Gunnar Gíslason just five days later.[37][38]

Steve Cotterill was drafted in as Thordarson's replacement prior to the start of the 2002–03 season,[37] but resigned in October 2002 after only four months in charge. Tony Pulis was appointed as Stoke's new manager shortly after.[16][39] Pulis steered Stoke clear of relegation,[37] with a 1–0 win over Reading on the final day of the season keeping the club in the division.[40] However, Pulis was sacked at the end of the 2004–05 season, following disagreement between himself and the club's owners.[41]

Dutch manager Johan Boskamp was named as Pulis' successor on 29 June 2005, only one day after Pulis was sacked.[42] Boskamp brought in a number of new players from Europe, but his side was inconsistent and only a mid-table finish was achieved.[43] Boskamp left at the end of the 2005–06 season amidst a takeover bid by former chairman Peter Coates.[44] On 23 May 2006, Coates completed his takeover of Stoke City, marking the end of Gunnar Gíslason's chairmanship of the club.[45] Coates chose former manager Tony Pulis as Boskamp's successor in June 2006.[46] Pulis took Stoke close to a play-off place, but an eventual eighth-place finish was achieved in the 2006–07 season.[47]

Ten years in the Premier League (2008–2018)

 
Stoke City fans celebrate following promotion to the Premier League, 4 May 2008.

Stoke won automatic promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the 2007–08 season, finishing in second place in the Championship.[48] A 3–1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the 2008–09 season saw Stoke written off by many media outlets as relegation certainties.[49] Stoke managed to turn the Britannia Stadium into a "fortress", making it difficult for teams to pick up points there. In their first home match, Stoke defeated Aston Villa 3–2,[50] and wins also came against Tottenham Hotspur,[51] Arsenal,[52] Sunderland[53] and West Bromwich Albion.[54] After a 2–1 win at Hull City,[55] Stoke confirmed their place in the Premier League as the Potters finished 12th in their return to the top flight, with a total of 45 points.[56] Stoke finished the following 2009–10 season in a respectable 11th place, with 47 points. Stoke also made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1972, defeating York City, Arsenal and Manchester City before losing out to eventual winners Chelsea.

Stoke reached the FA Cup Final for the first time in 2011, beating Cardiff City, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Brighton & Hove Albion, West Ham United and a famous 5–0 win against Bolton, the largest post-war FA Cup semi-final victory.[57] However, they lost the final 1–0 to Manchester City.[58] By reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League.[59] In the Europa League, Stoke advanced past Hajduk Split, Thun and a tough group containing Beşiktaş, Dynamo Kyiv and Maccabi Tel Aviv which Stoke managed to progress through finishing in second position. City's reward was a tie against Spanish giants Valencia and despite putting up a spirited second leg performance, Stoke went out 2–0 on aggregate. In the Premier League, Stoke made the high-profile signing of Peter Crouch as they finished in a mid-table position for a fourth time. The 2012–13 season saw Stoke make little progress, and Pulis left the club by mutual consent on 21 May 2013.[60]

Pulis was replaced by fellow Welshman Mark Hughes, who signed a three-year contract on 30 May 2013.[61][62] Hughes led Stoke to a ninth-place finish in 2013–14, their highest position in the Premier League and best finish since 1974–75.[63] The 2014–15 season saw Stoke again finish in ninth position this time, with 54 points.[64] Despite breaking their transfer record twice on Xherdan Shaqiri and then Giannelli Imbula, in 2015–16, Stoke did not make any progress and finished in ninth position for a third season running.[65] Stoke declined in 2016–17, finishing in 13th position.[66] In January 2018, Hughes was sacked after a poor run left the club in the relegation zone.[67] He was replaced by Paul Lambert,[68] who could not prevent the club ending their 10-year spell in the Premier League.[69]

Return to the Championship (2018–present)

Following their relegation to the Championship, Lambert was replaced with former Derby County boss Gary Rowett.[70] Despite spending nearly £50 million on players in the summer transfer window, results and performances were poor and Rowett was subsequently sacked on 8 January 2019 with the team 14th in the table.[71] He was replaced with Luton Town boss Nathan Jones.[72] Stoke went on to end an uneventful 2018–19 season in 16th place with a record number of draws (22).[73]

After achieving just two wins in the opening 14 games of the following season, Jones was sacked on 1 November 2019 with the team in the relegation zone.[74] Northern Ireland boss Michael O'Neill was confirmed as his replacement a week later.[75] Results improved under O'Neill and the team managed to avoid relegation, finishing in 15th.[76] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the entire 2020–21 campaign was played without supporters present as Stoke again finished in mid-table.[77] The following campaign started brightly with the team challenging for the playoffs, though a poor finish to the season saw them finish in 14th.[78][79] A slow start to the 2022–23 season marked the end for O'Neill's time in charge and he was dismissed in August 2022, with Sunderland boss Alex Neil replacing him.[80][81]

Stadium

Main articles: Victoria Ground and bet365 Stadium
 
Stoke moved to the all-seater ground now known as the Bet365 Stadium in 1997.

It is not clear where Stoke's original playing fields were located. Their first pitch was certainly in the site of a present burial ground in Lonsdale Street, although there is evidence that they also played on land near to the Copeland Arms public house on Campbell Road.[4] In 1875, they moved to Sweetings Field, which was owned by the mayor of Stoke, Alderman Sweeting.[4] It is estimated that as many as 200–250 spectators were attending home matches at Sweetings Field, paying one penny for admission. Stoke were to stay at Sweetings Field until a merger with the Stoke Victoria Cricket Club in March 1878, when Stoke moved to the Victoria Ground.[4]

The first match to be played at the Victoria Ground was a friendly against Talke Rangers on 28 March 1878; Stoke won 1–0 in front of 2,500 fans.[4] The ground was originally an oval shape to cater for athletics, and this shape was retained for the next 30 years. Major development work began in the 1920s, and by 1930 the ground had lost its original shape.[4] By 1935, the ground capacity was up to 50,000. A record crowd of 51,380 packed into the Ground on 29 March 1937 to watch a league match against Arsenal.[4]

Floodlights were installed in 1956 and another new main stand was built. Over the weekend of the 3/4 in January 1976, gale-force winds blew the roof off the Butler Street Stand.[4] Stoke played a home League match against Middlesbrough at Vale Park whilst repair work was on-going.[4] The Stoke End Stand was improved in 1979 and through the 1980s more improvements were made. By 1995, Stoke drew up plans to make the ground an all seater stadium, to comply with the Taylor Report. However, the club decided it would be better to leave the Victoria Ground and re-locate to a new site.[4]

In 1997, Stoke left the Victoria Ground after 119 years, and moved to the modern 28,384 all seater Britannia Stadium at a cost of £14.7 million. Stoke struggled at first to adjust to their new surroundings and were relegated to the third tier in the first season at the new ground. In 2002, a record 28,218 attended an FA Cup match against Everton. With Stoke gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2008, attendances increased. However, the capacity was reduced to 27,500 due to segregation.[82] The name of the ground was changed to the Bet365 Stadium in June 2016.[83] Work began on expanding the stadium to over 30,000 in February 2017 and was concluded in the summer of 2017.[84]

Supporters

 
Stoke fans at the 2011 FA Cup Final
See also: The Oatcake and Naughty Forty

While much of the support that the club enjoys is from the local Stoke-on-Trent area, there are a number of exile fan clubs, notably in London and stretching from Scandinavia to countries farther afield such as Russia, the United States and Australia.[85] A capacity crowd regularly turned out to see them in the Premier League.[86]

Stoke have had problems with football hooliganism in the 1970s through the early 2000s, due to the actions of the "Naughty Forty" firm which associated itself with the club and was formed by supporter Mark Chester.[87][88][89] Chester reformed himself and now works as a youth inclusion promoter.[90] In 2003, the BBC described Stoke City as having "one of the most active and organised football hooligan firms in England". In response to these criticisms, the club introduced an Away Travel ID scheme.[91] It was subsequently suspended in 2008 as a result of improved behaviour and an enhanced reputation.[92] More recently, Stoke City's fans and stadium have been perceived as loud, friendly, passionate and modern,[93] welcoming as guests Sugar Ray Leonard[94] and Diego Maradona.[95] There is in the media now "genuine admiration for the volume and volatility of the club's loyal support".[93] Stoke announced that they would offer supporters free bus travel to every Premier League away game in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons.[96]

In November 2008, a group of Stoke fans was forced by the Greater Manchester Police to leave Manchester before a league match against Manchester United.[97] The human rights group Liberty took up their case,[98] and the Greater Manchester police eventually apologised for their actions and the fans received compensation.[99][100]

Supporters of the club have adopted "Delilah" as their anthem since the 1970s, when a supporter was heard singing it in a local pub. Some of the song's lyrics have been adapted for the terraces, but most remain the same.[101] Stoke's official club anthem is "We'll be with you", which was recorded by the Stoke players prior to the 1972 Football League Cup Final.[4]

Between 2008 and 2011, local fan "Pottermouth" contributed a series of raps to BBC Radio Stoke about Stoke's promotion, their battle to stay in the Premier League, and the 2011 FA Cup Final.[102]

Rivalries

See also: Potteries derby

Stoke's local rivals are Port Vale, based in the Burslem area of Stoke-on-Trent. As the two clubs have regularly been in different divisions, there have only been 46 league matches between the two sides, with the last match being in 2002.[103] Regardless of the lack of matches, the Potteries derby is often a tight and close game of football with few goals being scored. Stoke have won 19 matches while Vale have won 15.[104]

Due to the rarity of this fixture, Stoke have more established rivalries with Midlands clubs Derby County, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.[4][105][106] A rivalry with Welsh side Cardiff City was formed in the 2001–02 season where the sides played each other in the Second Division play-offs.[107][108]

Kit and crest

Kit

Stoke's traditional kit is red and white striped shirts with white shorts and socks.[4] Their first strip was navy and cardinal hoops with white knickerbockers and hooped stockings.[4] This changed to black and blue hoops before the club settled on red and white stripes in 1883.[4] However, in 1891 the Football League decided that only one club could use one style of strip per season and Sunderland were allowed to take red and white stripes. So between 1891 and 1908 Stoke used a variety of kits with plain maroon being the most common.[4] In 1908, Stoke lost their League status and were able to finally revert to red and white and when they re-joined the league in 1919 the rule was scrapped.[4] Since then, Stoke have forever used red and white striped shirts, with the only time when they diverted from this was for two seasons in the mid-1980s, which saw them wear a pin-striped shirt.

 
Stoke-on-Trent coat of arms, used as club crest from the 1950s to 1977, and from 1992 to 2001

Crest

Stoke's first club crest was a stylised "S" which was used by players in 1882 who would stitch the crest on to their shirts; however, this practice soon faded away.[4] In the 1950s Stoke began using the shield from the Stoke-on-Trent coat-of-arms which was used infrequently until 1977.[4] A new and simpler club crest was introduced a Stafford knot and pottery kiln represented local tradition while red and white stripes were also added.[4] This lasted until 1992 when the club decided to use the entire Stoke-on-Trent coat-of-arms which included the club's name at the top of the crest.[4] They changed their crest in 2001 to the current version which includes their nickname "The Potters". For the 2012–13 season, they used a special version to mark the club's 150th anniversary which included the club's Latin motto "Vis Unita Fortior" ("United Strength is Stronger").

Sponsorship

Period Sportswear Sponsor
1974–1975 Admiral None
1975–1980 Umbro
1981–1985 Ricoh
1985–1986 None
1986–1987 Hi-Tec Cristal Tiles
1987–1989 Admiral
1989–1990 Scoreline
Period Sportswear Sponsor
1990–1991 Matchwinner Fradley Homes
1991–1993 Ansells
1993–1995 Asics Carling
1995–1996 Broxap
1996–1997 Asics
1997–2001 Britannia
2001–2003 Le Coq Sportif
Period Sportswear Sponsor
2003–2007 Puma Britannia
2007–2010 Le Coq Sportif
2010–2012 Adidas
2012–2014 bet365
2014–2015 Warrior
2015–2016 New Balance
2016–0000 Macron

Records

Main article: List of Stoke City F.C. records and statistics

Record appearances:

  • Eric Skeels – 592 appearances (league and cup)
  • John McCue – 675 appearances (including war-time games)

Record goalscorers:

Record signing:

Record sale:

Record results:

Attendance records:

European record

Main article: Stoke City F.C. in European football
Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate
1972–73 UEFA Cup First round   1. FC Kaiserslautern 3–1 0–4 3–5
1974–75 First round   Ajax 1–1 0–0 1–1 (A)
2011–12 UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round   Hajduk Split 1–0 1–0 2–0
Play–off round   Thun 4–1 1–0 5–1
Group E   Beşiktaş 2–1 1–3 2nd
  Dynamo Kyiv 1–1 1–1
  Maccabi Tel Aviv 3–0 2–1
Round of 32   Valencia 0–1 0–1 0–2

Players

First-team squad

As of 31 January 2023[114]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK   MNE Matija Sarkic (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
3 DF   WAL Morgan Fox
5 DF   ENG Axel Tuanzebe (on loan from Manchester United)
6 DF   ENG Phil Jagielka
7 MF   ENG Sam Clucas
8 MF   ENG Lewis Baker (captain)
9 FW   SCO Jacob Brown
10 FW   ENG Tyrese Campbell
11 FW   ENG Dwight Gayle
13 GK   IRL Jack Bonham
14 DF   ENG Josh Tymon
15 MF   NIR Jordan Thompson
16 DF   ENG Ben Wilmot
17 DF   NED Ki-Jana Hoever (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 MF   IRL Will Smallbone (on loan from Southampton)
20 DF   ENG Dujon Sterling (on loan from Chelsea)
22 MF   ENG Ben Pearson (on loan from AFC Bournemouth)
23 MF   KOS Bersant Celina (on loan from Dijon)
25 MF   ENG Nick Powell
28 MF   ENG Josh Laurent
32 DF   ENG Connor Taylor
33 DF   SCO Lewis Macari
34 GK   ENG Frank Fielding
37 FW   ENG Emre Tezgel
40 GK   CMR Blondy Nna Noukeu
45 FW   ENG Nathan Lowe
— DF   ENG Tom Edwards

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
4 DF   ENG Aden Flint (at Sheffield Wednesday)
19 MF   SCO Liam McCarron (at Port Vale)
21 DF   ENG Demeaco Duhaney (at İstanbulspor)

Under-21s and Academy

Main article: Stoke City F.C. Under-21s and Academy

Former players

For details of former players, see List of Stoke City F.C. players, List of Stoke City F.C. players (25–99 appearances), List of Stoke City F.C. players (1–24 appearances) and Category:Stoke City F.C. players.

Player records

For player records, including player awards, see List of Stoke City F.C. records and statistics.

Stoke City Women

Main article: Stoke City F.C. Women

Player of the Year

Main article: Stoke City F.C. Player of the Year

Club management

Source:[115]

Board of Directors & Club Management
  • Joint-chairman: John Coates & Peter Coates
  • Vice-chairman & Managing Director: Richard Smith
  • Chief Operating Officer: Simon King
  • Technical Director: Ricky Martin
First Team Management
Academy Staff

Managerial history

Main article: List of Stoke City F.C. managers
Dates Name Notes
August 1874 – June 1883   Thomas Slaney
June 1883 – April 1884   Walter Cox
April 1884 – August 1890   Harry Lockett
August 1890 – January 1892   Joseph Bradshaw
January 1892 – May 1895   Arthur Reeves
May 1895 – September 1897   Bill Rowley
September 1897 – March 1908   Horace Austerberry
May 1908 – June 1914   Alfred Barker
June 1914 – April 1915   Peter Hodge First manager not from England
April 1915 – Feb 1919   Joe Schofield
February 1919 – March 1923   Arthur Shallcross
March 1923 – April 1923   John Rutherford
October 1923 – June 1935   Tom Mather
June 1935 – May 1952   Bob McGrory
June 1952 – June 1960   Frank Taylor
June 1960 – March 1977   Tony Waddington Most honours won as manager
February 1977 – January 1978   George Eastham
January 1978   Alan A'Court Caretaker manager
February 1978 – June 1981   Alan Durban
June 1981 – December 1983   Richie Barker
December 1983 – April 1985   Bill Asprey
April 1985 – May 1985   Tony Lacey Caretaker manager
May 1985 – November 1989   Mick Mills
November 1989 – February 1991   Alan Ball
February 1991 – May 1991   Graham Paddon Caretaker manager
May 1991 – October 1993   Lou Macari
November 1993 – September 1994   Joe Jordan
September 1994   Asa Hartford Caretaker manager
October 1994 – July 1997   Lou Macari
July 1997 – January 1998   Chic Bates
January 1998 – April 1998   Chris Kamara
April 1998 – June 1998   Alan Durban Caretaker manager
June 1998 – June 1999   Brian Little
July 1999 – November 1999   Gary Megson
November 1999 – May 2002   Guðjón Þórðarson First manager from outside the United Kingdom
May 2002 – October 2002   Steve Cotterill
October 2002 – November 2002   Dave Kevan Caretaker manager
November 2002 – June 2005   Tony Pulis
June 2005 – May 2006   Johan Boskamp
June 2006 – May 2013   Tony Pulis First manager to reach the FA Cup Final with Stoke
May 2013 – January 2018   Mark Hughes
January 2018   Eddie Niedzwiecki Caretaker manager
January 2018 – May 2018   Paul Lambert
May 2018 – January 2019   Gary Rowett
January 2019 – November 2019   Nathan Jones
November 2019   Rory Delap Caretaker manager
November 2019 – August 2022   Michael O'Neill
August 2022   Dean Holden Caretaker manager
August 2022 –   Alex Neil

Honours

Stoke City's honours include the following:[116]

League

Second Division / Championship (2nd tier)

Third Division North / Second Division (3rd tier)

Football Alliance

Birmingham & District League

Southern League Division Two

Cups

 
Stoke won the League Cup in 1972, their first major trophy.

FA Cup

League Cup: 1

Football League Trophy: 2

Watney Cup: 1

Regional/reserve

Staffordshire Senior Cup: 19

  • Winners: 1877–78, 1878–79, 1903–04, 1913–14, 1920–21, 1929–30, 1933–34, 1938–39, 1947–48, 1964–65, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1981–82, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2016–17
  • Runners-up: 1882–83, 1885–86, 1890–91, 1895–96, 1896–97, 1900–01, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1923–24, 1925–26, 1934–35, 1951–52, 1971–72, 1973–74, 1980–81, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2010–11

Birmingham Senior Cup: 2

  • Winners: 1901, 1914
  • Runners-up: 1910, 1915, 1920, 1921

Isle of Man Trophy: 3

References

Notes

  1. ^ According to Stoke City's official website – and badge – the club were formed in 1863 but they admit that "little evidence still exists of any official matches taking place". The first recorded match played by Stoke Ramblers was in October 1868 against EW May's XV.[1][2][4]

Citations

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External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stoke City FC.

April 26, 2023
stoke, city, stoke, city, redirects, here, city, itself, stoke, trent, women, club, women, stoke, city, football, club, professional, football, club, based, stoke, trent, staffordshire, england, which, competes, championship, founded, stoke, ramblers, 1863, ch. Stoke City redirects here For the city itself see Stoke on Trent For the women s club see Stoke City F C Women Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke on Trent Staffordshire England which competes in the EFL Championship Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863 it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke on Trent was granted city status Stoke s home ground is the 30 089 capacity bet365 Stadium Before it was opened in 1997 the club was based at the Victoria Ground which was their home ground since 1878 The club s nickname is The Potters after the pottery industry in Stoke on Trent and their traditional home kit is a red and white vertically striped shirt white shorts and stockings Their traditional rivals are Midlands clubs West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers whilst their local rivals are Port Vale with whom they contest the Potteries derby Stoke CityFull nameStoke City Football ClubNickname s The PottersFounded1863 160 years ago 1863 disputed 1 2 3 1868 155 years ago 1868 first recorded match a 5 6 as Stoke Ramblers F C Groundbet365 StadiumCapacity30 089 7 Ownerbet365 GroupJoint ChairmanJohn Coates and Peter CoatesManagerAlex NeilLeagueEFL Championship2021 22EFL Championship 14th of 24WebsiteClub websiteHome coloursAway coloursThird coloursCurrent seasonStoke were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888 They failed re election in 1890 but were re admitted after winning the 1890 91 Football Alliance title The club were relegated from the First Division in 1907 and entered liquidation the following year Though the club was saved they were not re elected until 1915 and instead spent the intervening years in the Birmingham amp District League and Southern League Promoted from the Second Division in 1921 22 the club were relegated twice in four years by 1926 Stoke won the Third Division North in 1926 27 and then the Second Division title in 1932 33 They remained in the top flight for twenty years and then spent a decade in the Second Division before winning promotion as champions in 1962 63 Under the stewardship of Tony Waddington Stoke won the League Cup in 1972 with a 2 1 victory over Chelsea Stoke had also been beaten finalists in 1964 The club spent fourteen years in the top flight and would secure promotion in 1978 79 after being relegated two years earlier Stoke remained in the top flight from 1979 to 1985 though were relegated to the Third Division in 1990 Having won the Football League Trophy in 1992 they were promoted as champions in 1992 93 Relegation in 1998 allowed the club to win another Football League Trophy title in 2000 before promotion was secured with victory in the 2002 play off final Manager Tony Pulis took Stoke into the Premier League at the end of the 2007 08 campaign They played in the final of the FA Cup in 2011 finishing runners up to Manchester City which saw the club qualify for European football Ten years of Premier League football culminated in relegation to the Championship in 2018 Contents 1 History 1 1 Formation and the early years 1863 1919 1 2 Victoria Ground and Stanley Matthews 1919 1937 1 3 Title challenge and league decline 1937 1960 1 4 Tony Waddington years 1960 1977 1 5 Managerial roundabout 1977 1997 1 6 Britannia Stadium and the Icelandic takeover 1997 2008 1 7 Ten years in the Premier League 2008 2018 1 8 Return to the Championship 2018 present 2 Stadium 3 Supporters 4 Rivalries 5 Kit and crest 5 1 Kit 5 2 Crest 5 3 Sponsorship 6 Records 6 1 European record 7 Players 7 1 First team squad 7 1 1 Out on loan 7 2 Under 21s and Academy 7 3 Former players 7 4 Player records 7 5 Stoke City Women 7 6 Player of the Year 8 Club management 8 1 Managerial history 9 Honours 9 1 League 9 2 Cups 9 3 Regional reserve 10 References 10 1 Notes 10 2 Citations 11 External linksHistory EditMain article History of Stoke City F C See also List of Stoke City F C seasons and Stoke City F C league record by opponent Formation and the early years 1863 1919 Edit Graph showing Stoke City F C s progress through the English football league system 1888 to the present Although there are reports of the game being played in Stoke in 1863 1 4 8 9 the Stoke Ramblers club was formed in 1868 by Henry Almond who had been a student at Charterhouse school where a dribbling form of the game was popular 10 Almond arrived in the region to become an apprentice with the North Staffordshire Railway Company and wishing to continue playing the game that he had enjoyed whilst at school established the first formal association football club in the region 4 The club s first documented match was in October 1868 against a scratch team brought together for the occasion by E W May Harry Almond captained the Stoke Ramblers team and also scored the club s first goal 4 The club s first recorded away match was at Congleton a rugby club that were convinced to play a one off fixture under association rules in December 1868 11 From the 1860s the club played at the Victoria Cricket Club ground however they switched to a nearby ground at Sweetings Field in 1875 to cope with rising attendances 1 The Stoke team of 1877 78 In 1870 after two seasons as the Ramblers the club dropped the suffix from its title and became known as Stoke Football Club 12 It became closely aligned with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club sharing facilities and some administrative responsibilities 1 The club played at the Athletic Club ground which soon became known as the Victoria Ground 4 It was around this time that the club adopted their traditional red and white striped kit In August 1885 the club turned professional 1 Stoke were one of the twelve founding members of the Football League when it was introduced in 1888 4 The club struggled in their first two seasons 1888 89 and 1889 90 finishing bottom on both occasions 13 In 1890 Stoke failed to be re elected and joined the Football Alliance which they won and thus were re elected to the Football League Stoke spent the next 15 seasons in the First Division and reached the FA Cup Semi final in the 1898 99 season before being relegated in 1907 with severe financial problems Stoke went bankrupt at the end of the 1907 08 season and entered non league football playing in the Birmingham amp District League and Southern League until 1914 when the First World War meant the Football League was suspended for four years During the wartime period Stoke entered the Lancashire Primary and Secondary leagues 14 When football recommenced in August 1919 Stoke re joined the league Victoria Ground and Stanley Matthews 1919 1937 Edit The club became owners of the Victoria Ground in 1919 This was followed by the construction of the Butler Street stand which increased the overall capacity of the ground to 50 000 15 In 1925 Stoke on Trent was granted city status and this led the club to change its name to Stoke City F C 16 The 1930s saw the debut of club s most celebrated player Stanley Matthews Matthews who grew up in Hanley was an apprentice at the club and made his first appearance in March 1932 17 against Bury at the age of 17 18 By end of the decade Matthews had established himself as an England international and as one of the best footballers of his generation Stoke achieved promotion from the Second Division in 1932 33 as champions however Matthews only featured in fifteen games in this season He did however score his first goal for the club in a 3 1 win against local rivals Port Vale 18 By 1934 the club s average attendance had risen to over 23 000 which in turn allowed the club to give the manager Tom Mather increased transfer funds The club was now considered one of the top teams in the country It was in this period that the club recorded its record league win a 10 3 win over West Bromwich Albion in February 1937 In April of that year the club achieved its record league crowd 51 373 against Arsenal Freddie Steele s 33 league goals in the 1936 37 season remains a club record 18 Title challenge and league decline 1937 1960 Edit Following the resumption of the FA Cup after World War II tragedy struck on 9 March 1946 as 33 fans died and 520 were injured during a 6th round tie away against Bolton Wanderers This came known as the Burnden Park disaster 19 In 1946 47 Stoke mounted a serious title challenge The club needed a win in their final game of the season to win the First Division title However a 2 1 defeat to Sheffield United meant the title went to Liverpool instead Stanley Matthews left with 3 games remaining of the 1946 47 season opting to join Blackpool at the age of 32 19 Stoke were relegated from the First Division in 1952 53 during the season Bob McGrory resigned as the club s manager after 17 years in the role 20 21 Former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Frank Taylor took over at the club looking to gain promotion back to the First Division However after seven seasons in the Second Division without promotion Taylor was sacked Taylor was shocked at being fired and vowed never to be associated with football again 4 Tony Waddington years 1960 1977 Edit Tony Waddington was appointed as the club s manager in June 1960 22 He joined the club in 1952 as a coach before being promoted to assistant manager in 1957 Waddington pulled off a significant coup by enticing Stanley Matthews then 46 years old back to the club 14 years after he had departed 23 The return of Matthews helped Stoke to an improved eighth position in 1961 62 Promotion was achieved in the following season with Stoke finishing as champions 23 In their first season back in the top flight 1963 64 Waddington guided Stoke to a mid table finish Stoke reached the 1964 Football League Cup Final which they lost 4 3 to Leicester City over two legs 23 Waddington counted on experience Dennis Viollet Jackie Mudie Roy Vernon Maurice Setters and Jimmy McIlroy were all players signed in the latter stages of their careers Matthews was awarded a knighthood for services to football in the 1965 New Year s Honours list This was followed by his final appearance for the club against Fulham in February 1965 shortly after his 50th birthday Gordon Banks England s 1966 World Cup winning goalkeeper joined in 1967 for 52 000 from Leicester 23 Regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world 24 25 Banks proved to be a shrewd signing for Waddington as he helped the club maintain stability in the First Division 23 During the close season of 1967 Stoke City played in the one off United Soccer Association which imported clubs from Europe and South America Stoke played as the Cleveland Stokers and finished as runner up of the Eastern Division 26 The club won its first major trophy on 4 March 1972 in the League Cup Final against Chelsea 27 Stoke won 2 1 in front of a crowd of 97 852 at Wembley with goals from Terry Conroy and George Eastham 28 Preceding this victory Stoke had progressed through 11 games in order to reach the final This included four games with West Ham United in the semi final the two legged tie was replayed twice Stoke fared well in the FA Cup the club progressed to the semi final stage in both the 1970 71 and 1971 72 seasons However on both occasions Stoke lost to Arsenal in a replay 28 Stoke also competed in the UEFA Cup in 1972 and 1974 losing at the first attempt to 1 FC Kaiserslautern and Ajax respectively 28 In January 1976 the roof of the Butler Street Stand was blown off in a storm 29 The repair bill of nearly 250 000 put the club in financial trouble key players such as Alan Hudson Mike Pejic and Jimmy Greenhoff were sold to cover the repairs With the team depleted Stoke were relegated in the 1976 77 season Waddington after a spell of 17 years in charge left the club after a 1 0 home defeat to Leicester in March 1977 28 Managerial roundabout 1977 1997 Edit Waddington s replacement George Eastham left in January 1978 after only ten months in charge and was replaced by Alan Durban from Shrewsbury Town Durban achieved promotion to the First Division in the 1978 79 season 28 but after consolidating the club s position in the First Division he left to manage Sunderland in 1981 30 Richie Barker was appointed for the 1981 82 season but was sacked in December 1983 and was replaced by Bill Asprey Asprey decided to bring back veteran Alan Hudson and the decision paid off as an improved second half of the season saw Stoke avoid relegation on the final day of the 1983 84 season 30 The 1984 85 season proved to be disastrous Stoke finished the season with only 17 points with just three wins all season Mick Mills was appointed player manager for the 1985 86 season 30 but was unable to sustain a challenge for promotion in his four seasons as manager and was sacked in November 1989 His successor Alan Ball Jr became the club s fifth manager in ten years 30 Ball struggled in his first season in charge 1989 90 and Stoke were relegated to the third tier of English football after finishing bottom of the Second Division Ball kept his job for the start of the following season 1990 91 but departed during February 1991 in an indifferent season that saw Stoke finish 14th in the Third Division Stoke s lowest league position 31 Ball s successor Lou Macari was appointed in May 1991 prior to the start of the 1991 92 season He clinched silverware for the club the 1992 Football League Trophy was won with a 1 0 victory against Stockport County at Wembley with Mark Stein scoring the only goal of the match The following season 1992 93 promotion was achieved from the third tier Macari left for his boyhood club Celtic in October 1993 to be replaced by Joe Jordan Stein also departed in a club record 1 5 million move to Chelsea 31 Jordan s tenure in charge was short leaving the club less than a year after joining and Stoke opted to re appoint Lou Macari only 12 months after he had left Stoke finished fourth in 1995 96 but were defeated in the play off semi final by Leicester City Macari left the club at the end of the following season His last match in charge was the final league game at the Victoria Ground 31 Mike Sheron who was signed two years previously from Norwich City was sold for a club record fee of 2 5 million in 1997 32 Britannia Stadium and the Icelandic takeover 1997 2008 Edit 1997 98 saw Stoke move to its new ground the Britannia Stadium 33 after 119 years at the Victoria Ground Chic Bates Macari s assistant was appointed manager for the club s first season in the new ground He did not last long though and was replaced by Chris Kamara in January 1998 Kamara could not improve the club s fortunes either and he too left in April Alan Durban previously Stoke s manager two decades earlier took charge for the remainder of season Despite his best efforts Durban was unable to keep the club up as defeat against Manchester City on the final day of the season consigned Stoke to relegation to the third tier 31 Brian Little formerly manager of Aston Villa 34 took charge for the 1998 99 season 35 Despite an impressive start the team s form tailed off dramatically in the latter stages of the season which led to Little leaving the club at the end of the season His successor Gary Megson was only in the job for four months Megson was forced to depart following a takeover by Stoke Holding an Icelandic consortium who purchased a 66 share in Stoke City F C for 6 6 million 29 Stoke became the first Icelandic owned football club outside of Iceland They appointed the club s first foreign manager Gudjon THordarson who helped Stoke win the Football League Trophy in the 1999 2000 season with a 2 1 win over Bristol City in front of a crowd of 85 057 at Wembley 16 36 THordarson achieved promotion at the third time of asking in 2001 02 after previous play off defeats against Gillingham and Walsall 37 Cardiff City were defeated in the semi final before a 2 0 win against Brentford at the Millennium Stadium secured promotion Despite achieving the goal of promotion THordarson was sacked by Gunnar Gislason just five days later 37 38 Steve Cotterill was drafted in as Thordarson s replacement prior to the start of the 2002 03 season 37 but resigned in October 2002 after only four months in charge Tony Pulis was appointed as Stoke s new manager shortly after 16 39 Pulis steered Stoke clear of relegation 37 with a 1 0 win over Reading on the final day of the season keeping the club in the division 40 However Pulis was sacked at the end of the 2004 05 season following disagreement between himself and the club s owners 41 Dutch manager Johan Boskamp was named as Pulis successor on 29 June 2005 only one day after Pulis was sacked 42 Boskamp brought in a number of new players from Europe but his side was inconsistent and only a mid table finish was achieved 43 Boskamp left at the end of the 2005 06 season amidst a takeover bid by former chairman Peter Coates 44 On 23 May 2006 Coates completed his takeover of Stoke City marking the end of Gunnar Gislason s chairmanship of the club 45 Coates chose former manager Tony Pulis as Boskamp s successor in June 2006 46 Pulis took Stoke close to a play off place but an eventual eighth place finish was achieved in the 2006 07 season 47 Ten years in the Premier League 2008 2018 Edit Stoke City fans celebrate following promotion to the Premier League 4 May 2008 Stoke won automatic promotion to the Premier League on the final day of the 2007 08 season finishing in second place in the Championship 48 A 3 1 defeat to Bolton Wanderers on the opening day of the 2008 09 season saw Stoke written off by many media outlets as relegation certainties 49 Stoke managed to turn the Britannia Stadium into a fortress making it difficult for teams to pick up points there In their first home match Stoke defeated Aston Villa 3 2 50 and wins also came against Tottenham Hotspur 51 Arsenal 52 Sunderland 53 and West Bromwich Albion 54 After a 2 1 win at Hull City 55 Stoke confirmed their place in the Premier League as the Potters finished 12th in their return to the top flight with a total of 45 points 56 Stoke finished the following 2009 10 season in a respectable 11th place with 47 points Stoke also made it to the quarter finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1972 defeating York City Arsenal and Manchester City before losing out to eventual winners Chelsea Stoke reached the FA Cup Final for the first time in 2011 beating Cardiff City Wolverhampton Wanderers Brighton amp Hove Albion West Ham United and a famous 5 0 win against Bolton the largest post war FA Cup semi final victory 57 However they lost the final 1 0 to Manchester City 58 By reaching the final Stoke qualified for the 2011 12 UEFA Europa League 59 In the Europa League Stoke advanced past Hajduk Split Thun and a tough group containing Besiktas Dynamo Kyiv and Maccabi Tel Aviv which Stoke managed to progress through finishing in second position City s reward was a tie against Spanish giants Valencia and despite putting up a spirited second leg performance Stoke went out 2 0 on aggregate In the Premier League Stoke made the high profile signing of Peter Crouch as they finished in a mid table position for a fourth time The 2012 13 season saw Stoke make little progress and Pulis left the club by mutual consent on 21 May 2013 60 Pulis was replaced by fellow Welshman Mark Hughes who signed a three year contract on 30 May 2013 61 62 Hughes led Stoke to a ninth place finish in 2013 14 their highest position in the Premier League and best finish since 1974 75 63 The 2014 15 season saw Stoke again finish in ninth position this time with 54 points 64 Despite breaking their transfer record twice on Xherdan Shaqiri and then Giannelli Imbula in 2015 16 Stoke did not make any progress and finished in ninth position for a third season running 65 Stoke declined in 2016 17 finishing in 13th position 66 In January 2018 Hughes was sacked after a poor run left the club in the relegation zone 67 He was replaced by Paul Lambert 68 who could not prevent the club ending their 10 year spell in the Premier League 69 Return to the Championship 2018 present Edit Following their relegation to the Championship Lambert was replaced with former Derby County boss Gary Rowett 70 Despite spending nearly 50 million on players in the summer transfer window results and performances were poor and Rowett was subsequently sacked on 8 January 2019 with the team 14th in the table 71 He was replaced with Luton Town boss Nathan Jones 72 Stoke went on to end an uneventful 2018 19 season in 16th place with a record number of draws 22 73 After achieving just two wins in the opening 14 games of the following season Jones was sacked on 1 November 2019 with the team in the relegation zone 74 Northern Ireland boss Michael O Neill was confirmed as his replacement a week later 75 Results improved under O Neill and the team managed to avoid relegation finishing in 15th 76 Due to the COVID 19 pandemic the entire 2020 21 campaign was played without supporters present as Stoke again finished in mid table 77 The following campaign started brightly with the team challenging for the playoffs though a poor finish to the season saw them finish in 14th 78 79 A slow start to the 2022 23 season marked the end for O Neill s time in charge and he was dismissed in August 2022 with Sunderland boss Alex Neil replacing him 80 81 Stadium EditMain articles Victoria Ground and bet365 Stadium Stoke moved to the all seater ground now known as the Bet365 Stadium in 1997 It is not clear where Stoke s original playing fields were located Their first pitch was certainly in the site of a present burial ground in Lonsdale Street although there is evidence that they also played on land near to the Copeland Arms public house on Campbell Road 4 In 1875 they moved to Sweetings Field which was owned by the mayor of Stoke Alderman Sweeting 4 It is estimated that as many as 200 250 spectators were attending home matches at Sweetings Field paying one penny for admission Stoke were to stay at Sweetings Field until a merger with the Stoke Victoria Cricket Club in March 1878 when Stoke moved to the Victoria Ground 4 The first match to be played at the Victoria Ground was a friendly against Talke Rangers on 28 March 1878 Stoke won 1 0 in front of 2 500 fans 4 The ground was originally an oval shape to cater for athletics and this shape was retained for the next 30 years Major development work began in the 1920s and by 1930 the ground had lost its original shape 4 By 1935 the ground capacity was up to 50 000 A record crowd of 51 380 packed into the Ground on 29 March 1937 to watch a league match against Arsenal 4 Floodlights were installed in 1956 and another new main stand was built Over the weekend of the 3 4 in January 1976 gale force winds blew the roof off the Butler Street Stand 4 Stoke played a home League match against Middlesbrough at Vale Park whilst repair work was on going 4 The Stoke End Stand was improved in 1979 and through the 1980s more improvements were made By 1995 Stoke drew up plans to make the ground an all seater stadium to comply with the Taylor Report However the club decided it would be better to leave the Victoria Ground and re locate to a new site 4 In 1997 Stoke left the Victoria Ground after 119 years and moved to the modern 28 384 all seater Britannia Stadium at a cost of 14 7 million Stoke struggled at first to adjust to their new surroundings and were relegated to the third tier in the first season at the new ground In 2002 a record 28 218 attended an FA Cup match against Everton With Stoke gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2008 attendances increased However the capacity was reduced to 27 500 due to segregation 82 The name of the ground was changed to the Bet365 Stadium in June 2016 83 Work began on expanding the stadium to over 30 000 in February 2017 and was concluded in the summer of 2017 84 Supporters Edit Stoke fans at the 2011 FA Cup Final See also The Oatcake and Naughty Forty While much of the support that the club enjoys is from the local Stoke on Trent area there are a number of exile fan clubs notably in London and stretching from Scandinavia to countries farther afield such as Russia the United States and Australia 85 A capacity crowd regularly turned out to see them in the Premier League 86 Stoke have had problems with football hooliganism in the 1970s through the early 2000s due to the actions of the Naughty Forty firm which associated itself with the club and was formed by supporter Mark Chester 87 88 89 Chester reformed himself and now works as a youth inclusion promoter 90 In 2003 the BBC described Stoke City as having one of the most active and organised football hooligan firms in England In response to these criticisms the club introduced an Away Travel ID scheme 91 It was subsequently suspended in 2008 as a result of improved behaviour and an enhanced reputation 92 More recently Stoke City s fans and stadium have been perceived as loud friendly passionate and modern 93 welcoming as guests Sugar Ray Leonard 94 and Diego Maradona 95 There is in the media now genuine admiration for the volume and volatility of the club s loyal support 93 Stoke announced that they would offer supporters free bus travel to every Premier League away game in the 2013 14 and 2014 15 seasons 96 In November 2008 a group of Stoke fans was forced by the Greater Manchester Police to leave Manchester before a league match against Manchester United 97 The human rights group Liberty took up their case 98 and the Greater Manchester police eventually apologised for their actions and the fans received compensation 99 100 Supporters of the club have adopted Delilah as their anthem since the 1970s when a supporter was heard singing it in a local pub Some of the song s lyrics have been adapted for the terraces but most remain the same 101 Stoke s official club anthem is We ll be with you which was recorded by the Stoke players prior to the 1972 Football League Cup Final 4 Between 2008 and 2011 local fan Pottermouth contributed a series of raps to BBC Radio Stoke about Stoke s promotion their battle to stay in the Premier League and the 2011 FA Cup Final 102 Rivalries EditSee also Potteries derby Stoke s local rivals are Port Vale based in the Burslem area of Stoke on Trent As the two clubs have regularly been in different divisions there have only been 46 league matches between the two sides with the last match being in 2002 103 Regardless of the lack of matches the Potteries derby is often a tight and close game of football with few goals being scored Stoke have won 19 matches while Vale have won 15 104 Due to the rarity of this fixture Stoke have more established rivalries with Midlands clubs Derby County West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers 4 105 106 A rivalry with Welsh side Cardiff City was formed in the 2001 02 season where the sides played each other in the Second Division play offs 107 108 Kit and crest EditKit Edit Stoke s traditional kit is red and white striped shirts with white shorts and socks 4 Their first strip was navy and cardinal hoops with white knickerbockers and hooped stockings 4 This changed to black and blue hoops before the club settled on red and white stripes in 1883 4 However in 1891 the Football League decided that only one club could use one style of strip per season and Sunderland were allowed to take red and white stripes So between 1891 and 1908 Stoke used a variety of kits with plain maroon being the most common 4 In 1908 Stoke lost their League status and were able to finally revert to red and white and when they re joined the league in 1919 the rule was scrapped 4 Since then Stoke have forever used red and white striped shirts with the only time when they diverted from this was for two seasons in the mid 1980s which saw them wear a pin striped shirt Stoke on Trent coat of arms used as club crest from the 1950s to 1977 and from 1992 to 2001 Crest Edit Stoke s first club crest was a stylised S which was used by players in 1882 who would stitch the crest on to their shirts however this practice soon faded away 4 In the 1950s Stoke began using the shield from the Stoke on Trent coat of arms which was used infrequently until 1977 4 A new and simpler club crest was introduced a Stafford knot and pottery kiln represented local tradition while red and white stripes were also added 4 This lasted until 1992 when the club decided to use the entire Stoke on Trent coat of arms which included the club s name at the top of the crest 4 They changed their crest in 2001 to the current version which includes their nickname The Potters For the 2012 13 season they used a special version to mark the club s 150th anniversary which included the club s Latin motto Vis Unita Fortior United Strength is Stronger Sponsorship Edit Period Sportswear Sponsor1974 1975 Admiral None1975 1980 Umbro1981 1985 Ricoh1985 1986 None1986 1987 Hi Tec Cristal Tiles1987 1989 Admiral1989 1990 Scoreline Period Sportswear Sponsor1990 1991 Matchwinner Fradley Homes1991 1993 Ansells1993 1995 Asics Carling1995 1996 Broxap1996 1997 Asics1997 2001 Britannia2001 2003 Le Coq Sportif Period Sportswear Sponsor2003 2007 Puma Britannia2007 2010 Le Coq Sportif2010 2012 Adidas2012 2014 bet3652014 2015 Warrior2015 2016 New Balance2016 0000 MacronRecords EditMain article List of Stoke City F C records and statistics Record appearances Eric Skeels 592 appearances league and cup John McCue 675 appearances including war time games Record goalscorers John Ritchie 176 goals league and cup goals Freddie Steele 140 goals league goals Record signing Giannelli Imbula signed from Porto 18 3 million 1 February 2016 109 Record sale Marko Arnautovic sold to West Ham United 20 million 22 July 2017 110 Record results Record win 26 0 v Mow Cop 1877 Record League victory 10 3 v West Bromwich Albion 4 February 1937 Record League defeat 0 10 v Preston North End 14 September 1889 Record FA Cup victory 11 0 v Stourbridge 26 September 1914 Record FA Cup defeat 0 8 v Wolverhampton Wanderers 22 February 1890 Record League Cup victory 6 2 v Chelsea 22 October 1974 Record League Cup defeat 0 8 v Liverpool 29 November 2000 Record Premier League win 6 1 v Liverpool 24 May 2015 111 Record Premier League defeat 0 7 v Chelsea 25 April 2010 112 Attendance records 51 130 at the Victoria Ground v Arsenal 29 March 1937 30 022 at the bet365 Stadium v Everton 17 March 2018 113 European record Edit Main article Stoke City F C in European football Season Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate1972 73 UEFA Cup First round 1 FC Kaiserslautern 3 1 0 4 3 51974 75 First round Ajax 1 1 0 0 1 1 A 2011 12 UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round Hajduk Split 1 0 1 0 2 0Play off round Thun 4 1 1 0 5 1Group E Besiktas 2 1 1 3 2nd Dynamo Kyiv 1 1 1 1 Maccabi Tel Aviv 3 0 2 1Round of 32 Valencia 0 1 0 1 0 2Players EditFirst team squad Edit As of 31 January 2023 114 Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player1 GK MNE Matija Sarkic on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 DF WAL Morgan Fox5 DF ENG Axel Tuanzebe on loan from Manchester United 6 DF ENG Phil Jagielka7 MF ENG Sam Clucas8 MF ENG Lewis Baker captain 9 FW SCO Jacob Brown10 FW ENG Tyrese Campbell11 FW ENG Dwight Gayle13 GK IRL Jack Bonham14 DF ENG Josh Tymon15 MF NIR Jordan Thompson16 DF ENG Ben Wilmot17 DF NED Ki Jana Hoever on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers No Pos Nation Player18 MF IRL Will Smallbone on loan from Southampton 20 DF ENG Dujon Sterling on loan from Chelsea 22 MF ENG Ben Pearson on loan from AFC Bournemouth 23 MF KOS Bersant Celina on loan from Dijon 25 MF ENG Nick Powell28 MF ENG Josh Laurent32 DF ENG Connor Taylor33 DF SCO Lewis Macari34 GK ENG Frank Fielding37 FW ENG Emre Tezgel40 GK CMR Blondy Nna Noukeu45 FW ENG Nathan Lowe DF ENG Tom EdwardsOut on loan Edit Note Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules Players may hold more than one non FIFA nationality No Pos Nation Player4 DF ENG Aden Flint at Sheffield Wednesday 19 MF SCO Liam McCarron at Port Vale 21 DF ENG Demeaco Duhaney at Istanbulspor No Pos Nation Player29 FW ENG D Margio Wright Phillips at Northampton Town 39 DF WAL Tom Sparrow at Hamilton Academical MF ENG Tashan Oakley Boothe at Lincoln City Under 21s and Academy Edit Main article Stoke City F C Under 21s and Academy Former players Edit For details of former players see List of Stoke City F C players List of Stoke City F C players 25 99 appearances List of Stoke City F C players 1 24 appearances and Category Stoke City F C players Player records Edit For player records including player awards see List of Stoke City F C records and statistics Stoke City Women Edit Main article Stoke City F C Women Player of the Year Edit Main article Stoke City F C Player of the YearClub management EditSource 115 Board of Directors amp Club ManagementJoint chairman John Coates amp Peter Coates Vice chairman amp Managing Director Richard Smith Chief Operating Officer Simon King Technical Director Ricky MartinFirst Team ManagementManager Alex Neil Assistant Manager Martin Canning First Team Coach John O Shea Goalkeeper Coach Jonathan Gould Head of Football Operations Andy Cousins Head of Sports Science Paul Walsh Kit Manager Max ShaplandAcademy StaffAcademy Director Gareth Owen Stoke City Under 23s manager Kevin Russell Stoke City Under 23s assistant manager David Hibbert Stoke City Under 18s manager Richard WalkerManagerial history Edit Main article List of Stoke City F C managers Dates Name NotesAugust 1874 June 1883 Thomas SlaneyJune 1883 April 1884 Walter CoxApril 1884 August 1890 Harry LockettAugust 1890 January 1892 Joseph BradshawJanuary 1892 May 1895 Arthur ReevesMay 1895 September 1897 Bill RowleySeptember 1897 March 1908 Horace AusterberryMay 1908 June 1914 Alfred BarkerJune 1914 April 1915 Peter Hodge First manager not from EnglandApril 1915 Feb 1919 Joe SchofieldFebruary 1919 March 1923 Arthur ShallcrossMarch 1923 April 1923 John RutherfordOctober 1923 June 1935 Tom MatherJune 1935 May 1952 Bob McGroryJune 1952 June 1960 Frank TaylorJune 1960 March 1977 Tony Waddington Most honours won as managerFebruary 1977 January 1978 George EasthamJanuary 1978 Alan A Court Caretaker managerFebruary 1978 June 1981 Alan DurbanJune 1981 December 1983 Richie BarkerDecember 1983 April 1985 Bill AspreyApril 1985 May 1985 Tony Lacey Caretaker managerMay 1985 November 1989 Mick MillsNovember 1989 February 1991 Alan BallFebruary 1991 May 1991 Graham Paddon Caretaker managerMay 1991 October 1993 Lou MacariNovember 1993 September 1994 Joe JordanSeptember 1994 Asa Hartford Caretaker managerOctober 1994 July 1997 Lou MacariJuly 1997 January 1998 Chic BatesJanuary 1998 April 1998 Chris KamaraApril 1998 June 1998 Alan Durban Caretaker managerJune 1998 June 1999 Brian LittleJuly 1999 November 1999 Gary MegsonNovember 1999 May 2002 Gudjon THordarson First manager from outside the United KingdomMay 2002 October 2002 Steve CotterillOctober 2002 November 2002 Dave Kevan Caretaker managerNovember 2002 June 2005 Tony PulisJune 2005 May 2006 Johan BoskampJune 2006 May 2013 Tony Pulis First manager to reach the FA Cup Final with StokeMay 2013 January 2018 Mark HughesJanuary 2018 Eddie Niedzwiecki Caretaker managerJanuary 2018 May 2018 Paul LambertMay 2018 January 2019 Gary RowettJanuary 2019 November 2019 Nathan JonesNovember 2019 Rory Delap Caretaker managerNovember 2019 August 2022 Michael O NeillAugust 2022 Dean Holden Caretaker managerAugust 2022 Alex NeilHonours EditStoke City s honours include the following 116 League Edit Second Division Championship 2nd tier Champions 1932 33 1962 63 Runners up 1921 22 2007 08 Third place promoted 1978 79Third Division North Second Division 3rd tier Champions 1926 27 1992 93 Play off winners 2001 02Football Alliance Champions 1890 91Birmingham amp District League Champions 1910 11Southern League Division Two Champions 1909 10 1914 15 Runners up 1910 11Cups Edit Stoke won the League Cup in 1972 their first major trophy FA Cup Runners up 2010 11 Semi finalists 1898 99 1970 71 3rd place 1971 72 4th place League Cup 1 Winners 1971 72 Runners up 1963 64Football League Trophy 2 Winners 1991 92 1999 2000Watney Cup 1 Winners 1973Regional reserve Edit Staffordshire Senior Cup 19 Winners 1877 78 1878 79 1903 04 1913 14 1920 21 1929 30 1933 34 1938 39 1947 48 1964 65 1968 69 1970 71 1974 75 1975 76 1981 82 1992 93 1994 95 1998 99 2016 17 Runners up 1882 83 1885 86 1890 91 1895 96 1896 97 1900 01 1901 02 1902 03 1923 24 1925 26 1934 35 1951 52 1971 72 1973 74 1980 81 2002 03 2005 06 2010 11Birmingham Senior Cup 2 Winners 1901 1914 Runners up 1910 1915 1920 1921Isle of Man Trophy 3 Winners 1987 1991 1992 Runners up 1985References EditNotes Edit According to Stoke City s official website and badge the club were formed in 1863 but they admit that little evidence still exists of any official matches taking place The first recorded match played by Stoke Ramblers was in October 1868 against EW May s XV 1 2 4 Citations Edit a b c d e f 1863 1888 In the Beginning Stoke City Retrieved 7 May 2019 The story goes that in 1863 former pupils of the Charterhouse School formed a Football Club whilst working as apprentices at the North Staffordshire Railway in Stoke Little evidence still exists of any official matches taking place even though at that time some form of soccer may have already existed in the area as the headmaster of Stoke St Peter s School J Thomas was an active sportsman and secretary of the local Victoria Athletic Club Five years following the Club s official formation a report in The Field magazine of September 1868 it was stated a new Association Football Club had been registered in Stoke on Trent and its founder member was ex Charterhouse School pupil Henry Almond Evidence proves that Almond had played for the Club during the five years prior to 1868 In terms of official records though the first game played by Almond s team known as Stoke Ramblers and consisting largely of railway employees was in October 1868 The historic match against an EW May XV ended in a 1 1 draw and was played at the Victoria Cricket Club ground near to Lonsdale Street and Church Street Almond the skipper scored the first ever goal by a Stoke player although he was soon to leave the Club and the area to pursue his career as a civil engineer a b Landmarks Stoke City Retrieved 9 May 2019 Stoke City English Football League Retrieved 9 September 2022 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Matthews Tony 1994 The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City Football Club 1868 1994 Lion Press ISBN 0 9524151 0 0 The Crest Dissected Stoke City The Football History Boys Retrieved 19 January 2023 Stoke City Football Club History Of The Club Formation History of Soccer Retrieved 19 January 2023 bet365 Stadium Premier League Retrieved 13 August 2017 Brown Paul 29 May 2013 The Victorian Football Miscellany Superelastic ISBN 9780956227058 Goldblatt David 2002 World Soccer Yearbook The Complete Guide to the Game Dorling Kindersley Cooke Martyn Myths and truths in the history of sport exploring the origins of Stoke City Football Club Playing Pasts Retrieved 18 December 2022 Football Match Birmingham Daily Post 11 December 1868 Stoke Football Club Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial amp General Advertiser 15 October 1870 p 5 Retrieved 17 May 2022 1888 1900 Election Fever Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 1910 1920 Rebirth Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 1920 1930 The Fall And Rise Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 a b c The Oatcake 19 July 2000 SCFC History oatcake co uk Archived from the original on 24 October 2005 Retrieved 8 April 2009 The first gentleman of soccer BBC News British Broadcasting Corporation 23 February 2000 Retrieved 29 June 2007 a b c 1930 1940 Stan s The Man Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 6 February 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 a b 1940 1950 So Near So Far Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 1950 1960 A Foreign Affair Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 Bob McGrory s managerial career Soccerbase Centurycomm Limited Archived from the original on 1 October 2007 Retrieved 12 July 2007 Tony Waddington s managerial career Soccerbase Centurycomm Limited Archived from the original on 1 October 2007 Retrieved 12 July 2007 a b c d e 1960 1970 Waddo You Believe It Part One Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 18 February 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 Gordon Banks International Footballer Hall of Fame IFOF West LLC Retrieved 2 July 2007 Gordon Banks England Planet World Cup Jan Alsos Retrieved 2 July 2007 Holroyd Steve Litterer Dave The Year in American Soccer 1967 USA Soccer History Archives Archived from the original on 2 November 2008 Retrieved 8 November 2007 The English League Cup Napit co uk Retrieved 12 July 2007 a b c d e 1970 1980 Waddo You Believe It Part Two Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 7 August 2011 Retrieved 13 May 2010 a b The History of Stoke City Football Club Red Stripe Archived from the original on 17 July 2007 Retrieved 29 June 2007 a b c d 1980 1990 Five Managers Five Chairmen Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 a b c d 1990 2000 Two Relegations A Promotion amp A Takeover Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2013 Mike Sheron ex canaries co uk Retrieved 2 July 2007 Britannia Stadium The Stadium Guide Retrieved 1 July 2007 Little resigns from Villa BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 24 February 1998 Retrieved 2 July 2007 Brian Little s managerial career Soccerbase Archived from the original on 1 October 2007 Retrieved 12 July 2007 Wembley glory for Stoke City BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 29 June 2000 Retrieved 1 July 2007 a b c d 2000 2009 The Decade of Success Stoke City Official Website Archived from the original on 14 March 2012 Retrieved 13 May 2010 Stoke sack Thordarson BBC Sport 16 May 2002 Retrieved 3 March 2017 Pulis gets Stoke job BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 1 November 2002 Retrieved 10 July 2007 Akinbiyi keeps Stoke up BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 4 May 2003 Retrieved 12 June 2007 Manager Pulis is sacked by Stoke BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 28 June 2005 Retrieved 1 July 2007 Boskamp named as new Stoke boss BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 29 June 2005 Retrieved 12 June 2007 English League Championship Table 2005 06 ESPN Disney Corporation Retrieved 1 July 2007 Boskamp confirms exit from Stoke BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 30 April 2006 Retrieved 1 July 2007 Coates takes over as Stoke owner BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 23 May 2006 Retrieved 1 July 2007 Pulis confirmed as Stoke manager BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 14 June 2006 Retrieved 1 July 2007 English League Championship 2006 2007 Statto com Archived from the original on 8 May 2012 Retrieved 6 May 2016 Stoke 0 0 Leicester BBC Sport 4 May 2008 Retrieved 7 March 2017 Phillips Owen 16 August 2008 Bolton 3 1 Stoke BBC Sport Retrieved 6 September 2008 May John 23 August 2008 Stoke 3 2 Aston Villa BBC Sport Retrieved 6 September 2008 Hughes Ian 19 October 2008 Stoke 2 1 Tottenham BBC Sport Retrieved 24 October 2008 Hughes Ian 1 November 2008 Stoke 2 1 Arsenal BBC Sport Retrieved 18 May 2009 Lewis Aimee 31 October 2008 Stoke 1 0 Sunderland BBC Sport Retrieved 18 May 2009 Phillips Owen 22 November 2008 Stoke 1 0 West Brom BBC Sport Retrieved 18 May 2009 Hull City 1 2 Stoke BBC Sport 9 May 2009 Retrieved 18 May 2009 Stoke 2 0 Wigan BBC Sport 16 May 2009 Retrieved 18 May 2009 The long wait is finally over for Potters thisisstaffordshire co uk Archived from the original on 5 May 2013 Retrieved 14 March 2011 Man City 1 0 Stoke BBC Sport 14 May 2011 Retrieved 14 May 2011 City Boosted By Europa League Spot stokecityfc com Stoke City FC 11 May 2011 Archived from the original on 16 June 2011 Retrieved 11 May 2011 Tony Pulis leaves Stoke City after seven years in charge BBC Sport 21 May 2013 Retrieved 22 May 2013 Mark Hughes Stoke City appoint former QPR manager BBC Sport 30 May 2013 Retrieved 30 May 2013 Three year deal for Mark Hughes as new Stoke City era begins The Sentinel 30 May 2013 Archived from the original on 14 June 2013 Retrieved 30 May 2013 West Brom 1 2 Stoke BBC Sport Retrieved 23 May 2014 Stoke 6 1 Liverpool BBC Sport Retrieved 19 July 2015 Stoke 2 1 West Ham BBC Sport Retrieved 1 June 2016 Southampton 0 1 Stoke BBC Sport Retrieved 22 May 2017 Mark Hughes Stoke City sack manager after poor run BBC Sport 6 January 2018 Paul Lambert appointed Stoke manager BBC Sport 16 January 2018 Henson Mike 5 May 2018 Stoke City 1 2 Crystal Palace BBC Sport Retrieved 5 May 2018 Gary Rowett Stoke City name Derby County boss as their new manager 22 May 2018 Retrieved 22 May 2018 Gary Rowett Stoke City manager sacked after less than eight months 8 January 2019 Retrieved 8 January 2019 Nicholson Fraser 9 January 2019 Jones named new manager Stoke City F C Retrieved 9 January 2019 Revealed Stoke City have drawn more games than anyone else in world football Stoke Sentinel 28 April 2019 Retrieved 5 May 2019 Nathan Jones Stoke City sack manager with Potters second bottom of the Championship BBC Sport November 2019 Michael O Neill Stoke City appoint Northern Ireland boss as new manager BBC Sport Retrieved 8 November 2019 Nottingham Forest 1 4 Stoke City BBC Sport Retrieved 26 July 2020 AFC Bournemouth 0 2 Stoke City BBC Sport Retrieved 2 March 2022 Michael O Neill Stoke City boss says it s a testing time for under pressure Potters BBC Sport Retrieved 1 June 2022 Stoke City 1 1 Coventry City BBC Sport Retrieved 1 June 2022 Michael O Neill Stoke City sack manager after poor start to the season BBC Sport Retrieved 29 August 2022 Alex Neil Sunderland boss leaves to become Stoke City s new manager BBC Sport Retrieved 29 August 2022 The Britannia Stadium merseysidepotters com Retrieved 30 October 2010 Home of Stoke City Now Known As bet365 Stadium Stoke City F C Archived from the original on 1 June 2016 Retrieved 1 June 2016 Redevelopment to boost access at Stoke City Premier League Retrieved 28 January 2017 Stoke City Supporters Clubs Stoke City F C Retrieved 29 February 2012 Record Breaking Attendances stokecityfc com Archived from the original on 31 May 2010 Retrieved 3 January 2011 Running with the Naughty Forty BBC News 2 May 2002 Retrieved 1 April 2010 Hooligan Troublespots BBC News Retrieved 7 February 2011 More thugs banned from Cardiff City BBC BBC 11 October 2009 Retrieved 11 October 2009 Reformed Naughty Forty hooligan tells his tale BBC News Retrieved 29 February 2012 ID scheme big success BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 22 January 2003 Retrieved 18 January 2008 Stoke axe ID cards for away fans BBC Sport British Broadcasting Corporation 24 October 2008 Retrieved 25 October 2008 a b Fanatical supporters backing City to hilt thisisstaffordshire co uk Retrieved 7 February 2011 Sugar Ray s Surprise Visit stokecityfc com Archived from the original on 12 January 2016 Retrieved 31 January 2011 McNulty Phil 10 January 2009 Stoke 0 0 Liverpool BBC Sport Retrieved 31 January 2011 Stoke City fans offered free travel for away games BBC Sport 19 July 2013 Retrieved 20 July 2013 Porter Henry 24 November 2008 The phantom fan menace The Guardian London Retrieved 1 April 2010 Liberty fight for football fans rights politics co uk Retrieved 7 February 2011 Police apologise to Stoke City fans Sentinel Sentinel 14 January 2009 Retrieved 11 October 2009 Stoke City fans receive 185 000 after police bar them from Man Utd game thisisstaffordshire co uk Retrieved 7 February 2011 Stoke City fans back Tom Jones s Delilah to top charts BBC 5 May 2011 Retrieved 25 May 2011 Pottermouth the story BBC Radio Stoke Retrieved 8 June 2021 Stoke City v Port Vale footballderbies com Retrieved 7 February 2011 Potteries Derby Records stokecityfc com Archived from the original on 16 July 2011 Retrieved 7 February 2011 Stoke City When will the ugly truth finally dawn on Baggies thisisstaffordshire co uk Retrieved 7 February 2011 Heaven Frank Unexpected Rivalries 4 Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion The Two Unfortunates Retrieved 7 May 2020 Doolan Rob Unexpected Rivalries 7 Stoke City And Cardiff City The Two Unfortunates Retrieved 7 May 2020 Rivalries set to resume in Cardiff ESPN 17 April 2014 Retrieved 7 May 2020 Transfer deadline day Stoke City sign Giannelli Imbula from Porto February 2016 Retrieved 1 February 2016 Marko Arnautovic West Ham sign Stoke City and Austria forward for 20m 22 July 2017 Retrieved 29 July 2017 Stoke 6 1 Liverpool BBC Sport 24 May 2015 Retrieved 24 May 2015 Chelsea 7 0 Stoke BBC Sport 25 April 2010 Retrieved 18 May 2011 Stoke 1 2 Everton BBC Sport Teams First team Stoke City F C Retrieved 24 August 2018 Club Directory Stoke City Retrieved 25 January 2018 Club Honours Retrieved 2 March 2022 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Stoke City FC Official website Stoke City F C on BBC Sport Club news Recent results and fixtures Stoke City at Sky Sports Stoke City at Premier League Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Stoke City F C amp oldid 1151486333, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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