Stoke fan here in peace...

I don't have positive or negative thoughts about Stoke. I have probably been to there ground the most after Leeds. Got ten tickets in their side stand when both clubs went down. However winning the cup in 2011 was the best moment of supporting City. Relief
 
WestGorton said:
I don't have positive or negative thoughts about Stoke. I have probably been to there ground the most after Leeds. Got ten tickets in their side stand when both clubs went down. However winning the cup in 2011 was the best moment of supporting City. Relief
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Their
 
ORFYDUCKMAG said:
Good evening one and all.

Cheers to Ric for letting a guest user post early doors.

I work on the Stoke fanzine, 'Duck' (it's better than it sounds) and I'm planning a new series of articles 'Us and Them.' I ask fans other clubs 5 generic questions and I pool the most interesting responses (however nice/ nasty/ naughty) to from an overview.

Ideally it would be nice to avoid any cliche stuff (long ball thugs, Brexit capital, Stoke is a s***hole) but each to their own. No doubt a certain game in May 2011 might crop up. By all means gloat and take the p*** but some quirky/ honest/ original answers would be much appreciated... if you can be arsed of course. Another game in May 98 might also feature for obvious reasons! The more unusual the anecdotes the better - whether serious or ridiculous.

1. Generally as a club - how do you perceive Stoke City? Through the years? Any rivalry or a complete non-entity? Any reasons for admiration or contempt? Is/ was it a fixture of any interest?
2. Which Stoke vs Man City games do you remember personally (good/ bad/ indifferent) over the years and why?
3. Which Stoke teams/ managers/ players have made impressions on you over the years... good or bad?
4. The Stoke support: home and away - any thoughts? are we typical? Is there anything that makes us distinctive from other clubs?
5. Our grounds old and new - any particular memories/ opinions on the The Victoria Ground or the new Soulless version?

Thanks to anyone who can be bothered. For what its worth, I have lots of time for you lads - back in the third tier you really stuck it out. I have 2 stand out memories visits favourite visits to Maine Road:
1. A third tier clash which I think you won - Dickov was always a pest for us and he scored the winner. I was in that temporary stand and some of your lot kindly donated some house bricks to aid the Stoke-on-Trent regeneration programme!
2. We won midweek at your place - a Ray Wallace winner. I sat next to Nick Hancock and it was proper moody outside afterwards. I was keen on buying the Kippax(?) fanzine but thought better of it.
I try to for get the Mays of 1998 and 2011. The atmosphere for your visit to our place back in January 2009 was something else though. And I think it was boxing Day 87/ 88? when you brought down 12k fans to the Vic and nearly as many inflatables - what a sight! I was 10 and in awe of the the spectacle you created that day.

Anyway, thanks in advance. Stay safe. All the best,

Lee Hawthorne
@ORFYDUCKMAG
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ORFYDUCKMAG said:
Good evening one and all.

Cheers to Ric for letting a guest user post early doors.

I work on the Stoke fanzine, 'Duck' (it's better than it sounds) and I'm planning a new series of articles 'Us and Them.' I ask fans other clubs 5 generic questions and I pool the most interesting responses (however nice/ nasty/ naughty) to from an overview.

Ideally it would be nice to avoid any cliche stuff (long ball thugs, Brexit capital, Stoke is a s***hole) but each to their own. No doubt a certain game in May 2011 might crop up. By all means gloat and take the p*** but some quirky/ honest/ original answers would be much appreciated... if you can be arsed of course. Another game in May 98 might also feature for obvious reasons! The more unusual the anecdotes the better - whether serious or ridiculous.

1. Generally as a club - how do you perceive Stoke City? Through the years? Any rivalry or a complete non-entity? Any reasons for admiration or contempt? Is/ was it a fixture of any interest?
2. Which Stoke vs Man City games do you remember personally (good/ bad/ indifferent) over the years and why?
3. Which Stoke teams/ managers/ players have made impressions on you over the years... good or bad?
4. The Stoke support: home and away - any thoughts? are we typical? Is there anything that makes us distinctive from other clubs?
5. Our grounds old and new - any particular memories/ opinions on the The Victoria Ground or the new Soulless version?

Thanks to anyone who can be bothered. For what its worth, I have lots of time for you lads - back in the third tier you really stuck it out. I have 2 stand out memories visits favourite visits to Maine Road:
1. A third tier clash which I think you won - Dickov was always a pest for us and he scored the winner. I was in that temporary stand and some of your lot kindly donated some house bricks to aid the Stoke-on-Trent regeneration programme!
2. We won midweek at your place - a Ray Wallace winner. I sat next to Nick Hancock and it was proper moody outside afterwards. I was keen on buying the Kippax(?) fanzine but thought better of it.
I try to for get the Mays of 1998 and 2011. The atmosphere for your visit to our place back in January 2009 was something else though. And I think it was boxing Day 87/ 88? when you brought down 12k fans to the Vic and nearly as many inflatables - what a sight! I was 10 and in awe of the the spectacle you created that day.

Anyway, thanks in advance. Stay safe. All the best,

Lee Hawthorne
@ORFYDUCKMAG
Click to expand...

1. Always had a soft spot for Stoke as my mum came from Biddulph. Lots of family support Stoke, and lots of happy memories as a kid going to the old Victoria ground with family.
2. Loads of obvious ones (Boxing Day fancy dress, and the 5-2 relegation, but the one I really enjoyed was the Trevor Francis debut 3-1 win I think, and he scored 2.
3. My era was the 70s/80s and was privileged to watch players like Gordon Banks, Alan Hudson, etc but how many remember Mike Doyle at Stoke from 1978. Would have loved to be around to have seen Stan Mathews.
4. Always had a good core home support. Don’t seem to to recall you travelling in big numbers away. You had a reputation for being very vocal a few years ago when you came back up to the Prem, but not sure you have sustained it over the last few years.
5. Went to many games at the old Victoria Ground. Already mentioned the Fancy dress Boxing Day and the Trevor Francis debut. Always remember us taking huge numbers there. Don’t go to many always now, and the only game I have been to at the new ground was the relegation 5-2.
Cheers
 
ORFYDUCKMAG said:
Good evening one and all.

Cheers to Ric for letting a guest user post early doors.

I work on the Stoke fanzine, 'Duck' (it's better than it sounds) and I'm planning a new series of articles 'Us and Them.' I ask fans other clubs 5 generic questions and I pool the most interesting responses (however nice/ nasty/ naughty) to from an overview.

Ideally it would be nice to avoid any cliche stuff (long ball thugs, Brexit capital, Stoke is a s***hole) but each to their own. No doubt a certain game in May 2011 might crop up. By all means gloat and take the p*** but some quirky/ honest/ original answers would be much appreciated... if you can be arsed of course. Another game in May 98 might also feature for obvious reasons! The more unusual the anecdotes the better - whether serious or ridiculous.

1. Generally as a club - how do you perceive Stoke City? Through the years? Any rivalry or a complete non-entity? Any reasons for admiration or contempt? Is/ was it a fixture of any interest?
2. Which Stoke vs Man City games do you remember personally (good/ bad/ indifferent) over the years and why?
3. Which Stoke teams/ managers/ players have made impressions on you over the years... good or bad?
4. The Stoke support: home and away - any thoughts? are we typical? Is there anything that makes us distinctive from other clubs?
5. Our grounds old and new - any particular memories/ opinions on the The Victoria Ground or the new Soulless version?

Thanks to anyone who can be bothered. For what its worth, I have lots of time for you lads - back in the third tier you really stuck it out. I have 2 stand out memories visits favourite visits to Maine Road:
1. A third tier clash which I think you won - Dickov was always a pest for us and he scored the winner. I was in that temporary stand and some of your lot kindly donated some house bricks to aid the Stoke-on-Trent regeneration programme!
2. We won midweek at your place - a Ray Wallace winner. I sat next to Nick Hancock and it was proper moody outside afterwards. I was keen on buying the Kippax(?) fanzine but thought better of it.
I try to for get the Mays of 1998 and 2011. The atmosphere for your visit to our place back in January 2009 was something else though. And I think it was boxing Day 87/ 88? when you brought down 12k fans to the Vic and nearly as many inflatables - what a sight! I was 10 and in awe of the the spectacle you created that day.

Anyway, thanks in advance. Stay safe. All the best,

Lee Hawthorne
@ORFYDUCKMAG
Click to expand...

Shellys’s
 
1. As a club - loyal vocal supporters, Victoria Ground gave me the best away day experience - Boxing Day , you beat us , massive away support from us and a big portion of us in fancy dress. We stopped of in a pub in Congleton . We were 2 old ladies , handbags, purses, Clint Eastwood ( slide um down barmaid) me a chicken .Great day in our history.
2- Can’t remember the year but we had just signed Trevor Francis , boiling hot day and Francis scored 2 and we won .
3 . Peter Crouch good player & great goal.
4.I think you lads are very vocal more so in recent years than I remember in the 70/80s.
5. Not been to the new ground so can’t comment on it . Loved going to your old ground , preferred being behind the goal rather than on the side stand like fancy dress game. All I can say it was always edgy at Victoria ground. But good times
 
The season before the Boxing day fancy dress, we played Stoke and Paul Stewart made an absolute mug of George Berry, with us running out convincing winners.
We were kept in and the days other results were read out which were all very favourable to us and the chant of "going up, going up" was as loud as I've ever heard it

So after we capitulated that season and returned the next, I expected a similar performance and result
We all rocked up in fancy dress or with an inflatable, created an unbelievable carnival atmosphere, went one nil up through Gleghorn and then lost!
Very disappointed my brother and myself left the stadium to the total opposite of the previous season it was kicking off everywhere outside
 
1. When we were shit (we were here then as this is something stoke fans always ask) there seemed to be a rivalry, possibly partly due to being relegated together in 98 and aiming for promotion in 99. Seemed to be a fair bit of needle off the pitch around this time but 2011 cup final seemed a peaceful day and to be fair any Stokies we encountered were sound enough.
2. Apart from the obvious games already mentioned my first game at Maine Rd was City v Stoke, night match about 1982. Remember Mark Chamberlain for Stoke as he seemed quick and skilful.
3.Mark Chamberlain see above.
4. Like many teams the WWYWYWS can be tiresome but can generally make a noise. Home atmosphere could be improved by filling in the corners of the ground?.
5.Only went to the Victoria ground once, in 1996, think it was Dickov's debut and Ball's last game in charge of us. Ball was getting stick from both sets of fans. Been to new ground quite of few times. In terms of pre match pubs etc found them both pretty poor as an away fan, although shuttle buses from station to ground work well it is not really an away to look forward to for a day on the pop, more an in and out, but only a short trip.
 
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Delap's lad is showing real promise at City's academy. Before and after the cupfinal a poster from Stoke was a regular on here, Stokie iirc, good laugh despite the agro from some of our BM'ers. The lass who wrote and sang about the cup final to the tune of "Match-stalk men" was pretty good too.
 
The 2011 final was a great day for obvious reasons.

We headed back into London after the match, it was of course the done thing to crack open a couple of bottles of bubbly, our kid sprayed the Stokies with it outside the boozer - funny as fuck for about 30 seconds until we were rounded on and told to leave for our own safety! We had several young uns with us so headed off to celebrate elsewhere.

Most of the ones in our hotel at night were off their tits....offered us some experience enhancing substances too! Decent lads though.
 
Loved the old victoria ground, bit like maine road in a built up area with terraced houses.
Remember a cup game night match that went to pens we won about 12/11, just wishing it would end because we had to get last train home.one of my biggest regrets was missing trevor Francis debut because one of my mates a rag got married that day!!! The marriage only lasted 6 months which makes it worse.always trouble there with bikers one battle went on for about 2 hours,remember a copper on a horse chasing us round a pool table to get us out of a pub before one game, dodgy going back to station past the cemetery, spent a weekend locked up as well.ha ha.
 
No significant feelings either way.

I always liked Thomas Sorenson as a keeper, though.
 
1) I look on Stoke a bit like Burnley, Bolton, or WBA. Clubs with history that exist but don't mean anything in terms of rivalry.

2)Apart from the FA Cup final, an FA Cup game in the '70's when we scored 3 goals in a few minutes. Other than that, I can't recall another home game against you.

3) I remember watching a game back in the days of black and white TV when I was a small boy, and Sir Stanley Mathews was playing his last match at the age of 50. Fuck me, footy must have been easy in those days!

George Eastham, another pensioner, winning a cup medal at Wembley in the early '70's, and Mike Pejic. I have no idea why I remember him, but the name has stuck with me for some reason.

4) No.

5) Ah, the old Victoria ground. It was a bit meaty, wasn't it. The first time I went there as a teenager with my parents, we sat in the main stand and for some reason there was a couple sitting by the side of us giving Dennis Law so much stick he gave them the two fingered salute. They were outraged, we were laughing.

Another time I went there was just after the roof had collapsed on that same stand, we lost, Willie Donachie chopped one of your players down, knew what was happening, and walked off without even looking at the referee. 1975 I think.

As for the new ground, I've been there a few times, and I've never got my head around the noise levels. It's ear piercing in the stand, so heaven only knows how loud it is on the pitch.
 
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1) don’t really have much of an opinion on Stoke, they fit right into the middle of the 70-80% of other clubs I have no real opinion on.

2) the cup final is the obvious one. A more personal one from me was the game from a few years back in the snow, he snowball fight outside was memorable.

3) nothing really sticks out to me pre-Pulis, all I think about when I hear stoke is long balls, Delap throw ins etc, I know it’s a cliche but it’s one that’s stuck and will take a while to lose even though I’m fully aware you changed style ages ago.

4) stokes away fans I consider bog standard, good respectable numbers, vocal enough, but all rather generic besides from Delilah, home fans I think went through a mini Liverpool syndrome phase for a few years believing your home support was something special based on a bit of choreographed atmosphere pre-kick off. Once you had become an established premier league side and support had become a bit stale you seemed to shake yourself out of that phase to your credit.

5) not old enough for the old ground, been to the Britannia plenty of times, stadium is fine, I don’t smoke personally but I like how they enclose the away end and open it up at halftime, one of the select few to do that. Lack of pubs isn’t great but they have it fairly well organised when it comes to bussing I’m away fans to the station. Away days are made with the people you go with rather than where you are but overall I always seem to have a great day at Stoke.

I know these answers are a bit bland and not particularly interesting to read but that’s kind of my point, don’t have many reasons to hate them and don’t have many reasons to think favourably of them. Stoke are just there.
 
manclad said:
Forgot to add to my post earlier, Stoke have only won ONE trophy in their entire history.
Which was the 1972 League Cup .
Which is pretty poor for a club who were founder members of The Football League.
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Careful. You’ll be saying they have no history soon...

their lack of trophies, is A worse record than City’s was prior to 2011, But they still have history.

we don’t ever want to become a member of the red shirt gang with how we perceive others and the distorted concept of ‘history’
 
Isn’t Stoke Away absolutely vile? Friends were denied leaving the station and pushed in to some university bar. There was a post office style queue for a drink and they were then bussed in. Even inside, the kiosk staff were behind barriers by all accounts. It sounds draconian. They were held afterwards too.

Stoke is one of those pointless East Midlands satellite towns where non locals are viewed with suspicion. I can’t imagine the population is too diverse with a variety of people. You wouldn’t get excited about playing them.
 
ORFYDUCKMAG said:
1. Generally as a club - how do you perceive Stoke City? Through the years? Any rivalry or a complete non-entity? Any reasons for admiration or contempt? Is/ was it a fixture of any interest?

My second team because I was at Keele University from 1978 to 1981 and they were the most carefree days of my life. Some of the lads I played football with were Stokies and we're still friends now with periodic reunions.

2. Which Stoke vs Man City games do you remember personally (good/ bad/ indifferent) over the years and why?

I remember the banana game because I went with the aforementioned mates rather than in the away end and I'd told them to expect something special which was duly delivered.

3. Which Stoke teams/ managers/ players have made impressions on you over the years... good or bad?

The biggest impression I have was George Eastham lifting the League Cup and, when I went to Uni, my mate had a commemorative plate in his room with a picture of the team on it with the cup. One of the players has his hand on one of the other player's knee.

4. The Stoke support: home and away - any thoughts? are we typical? Is there anything that makes us distinctive from other clubs?

The home support, when it has something to go at is one of the loudest in the country. Hard to comment when the team produces very little for the fans to get behind. Last time I was there for a night game, my mate's wife produced a blanket and a flask of whisky which I thought was quaint.

5. Our grounds old and new - any particular memories/ opinions on the The Victoria Ground or the new Soulless version?

I loved the Victoria Ground. My very first away game we came on the train and my abiding memory, I think Stoke won 4-0, is of bricks flying out of the away end embankment towards a car show room in the street behind. Not nice thinking about it now.

On the train home the police told us to get under the tables and, sure enough, as we passsed the cemetery, bricks and stones started landing on the roof with the odd one coming through the window.

It was just the way things were.

As for the new stadium. If the team give you something to cheer about, it won't be soul-less.

Good luck !

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