Stoke fan in peace...

[rob_bridge]

Hello folks – Stoke fan here in peace.

I work on the ‘Duck’ fanzine and I’m planning a different type of article for our next issue – out whenever something approaching normal matchdays return to our lives once more.

I aim to ask supporters of several clubs 5 questions about their perceptions of Stoke City in order a to create a big feature article “Us and Them.”  For the following questions, feel free to answer in varied depth/ brevity but a couple of sentences at least for each is ideal:

1. Generally how do you see Stoke City the club – a rival? Non-entity? Certain type of club? Disdain? Admiration? Pity?! As a fixture – is it of general appeal?

2. Are there any Stoke players/ teams that have made an impression on you over the years? 

3. Are there matches between your team and Stoke you recall hating/ loving?

4. In home / away matches, what have you made of the Stoke support? Any particular memories?

5. The Victoria Ground/ The New One – what did/ do you make our of our home ground(s)’ the grounds? Any particular experiences or impressions?

Given our reputation over the years, this could be a risk but then again, it would be great if I could glean a diverse range of honest/ diverse/ cutting/ funny/ serious or even complimentary views. 

If you can be arsed, thanks for your time. 


Take care of yourselves,

Lee Hawthorne @ORFYDUCKMAG

1) Never had a problem other than 1988 nearly pissing up our promotion. Decent size club - put with Leicester Blues Albion in terms of size. Behind Wolves Forest and Debyb in terms of Midlands, in turn they are behind Villa. Admiration for prior decade. Pity you hired Lamberk.
2) Heath and Chapman in my youth. Both underrated. Obviously Banks historically. Glen Whelan played a pivotal role in 2 key moments in Villa history - stop the Top4 charge and helping get Bruce sacked.
3) Not fond the last one 0.1 in Sept 2015. The one where Pullis came back after his Mom's death. I remember a glory hunting Liverpool fan telling me had Etherington in his team. I was Really pleased for him.
4) Always made a decent noise
5) Not nice places to visit.

That said I am happy to see Stoke as a city undergoing (current climate aside) a bit of resurgence. Went to the china warehouse factories and got some really good clobber for overseas friends and relatives in recent years.

[Brend'Watkins]

I once had a client in Stoke. I know its probably wrong to say so but it was the biggest shithole i've ever been to. It was like an English version of Beirut.

So Stoke it’s full of beautiful architecture And is situated on the Mediterranean coast is it?

[mr underhill]

not sure what point you are trying to superciliously make but when i visited regularly it looked war torn. My opinion no more no less.

[cdbearsfan]

He's saying Beirut is nice.

[Virgil Caine]

It must be hard to support a team that is constantly under the shadow of the footballing mega-giant that is Port Vale.

[Damo70]

Hello folks – Stoke fan here in peace.

I work on the ‘Duck’ fanzine and I’m planning a different type of article for our next issue – out whenever something approaching normal matchdays return to our lives once more.

I aim to ask supporters of several clubs 5 questions about their perceptions of Stoke City in order a to create a big feature article “Us and Them.”  For the following questions, feel free to answer in varied depth/ brevity but a couple of sentences at least for each is ideal:

1. Generally how do you see Stoke City the club – a rival? Non-entity? Certain type of club? Disdain? Admiration? Pity?! As a fixture – is it of general appeal?

2. Are there any Stoke players/ teams that have made an impression on you over the years? 

3. Are there matches between your team and Stoke you recall hating/ loving?

4. In home / away matches, what have you made of the Stoke support? Any particular memories?

5. The Victoria Ground/ The New One – what did/ do you make our of our home ground(s)’ the grounds? Any particular experiences or impressions?

Given our reputation over the years, this could be a risk but then again, it would be great if I could glean a diverse range of honest/ diverse/ cutting/ funny/ serious or even complimentary views. 

If you can be arsed, thanks for your time. 


Take care of yourselves,

Lee Hawthorne @ORFYDUCKMAG

1) Never had a problem other than 1988 nearly pissing up our promotion. Decent size club - put with Leicester Blues Albion in terms of size. Behind Wolves Forest and Debyb in terms of Midlands, in turn they are behind Villa. Admiration for prior decade. Pity you hired Lamberk.
2) Heath and Chapman in my youth. Both underrated. Obviously Banks historically. Glen Whelan played a pivotal role in 2 key moments in Villa history - stop the Top4 charge and helping get Bruce sacked.
3) Not fond the last one 0.1 in Sept 2015. The one where Pullis came back after his Mom's death. I remember a glory hunting Liverpool fan telling me had Etherington in his team. I was Really pleased for him.
4) Always made a decent noise
5) Not nice places to visit.

That said I am happy to see Stoke as a city undergoing (current climate aside) a bit of resurgence. Went to the china warehouse factories and got some really good clobber for overseas friends and relatives in recent years.

A lot of clubs nearly derailed our 1988 promotion. If I remember right we were hit and miss up until November. We then had a very good November, December, January and February and then wobbled in March and April until the last knockings of the season where we got ourselves over the line to promotion (on goals scored if I remember correctly).

[The Edge]

Badges can be deceiving. Birmingham City have a football on theirs.

Birmingham City have two balls on their badge.

Most tellingly and rather appropriately neither of them are in the back of a football net.

I can totally understand you not being too familiar with the Small Heath badge but their badge actually has a globe and a ball. I think it's to represent their worldwide influence on the game of football.

[SoccerHQ]

1. Nice easy away trip. Went to Uni at Keele so went to a few Stoke games in your promotion season. 10k v Sheffield United in November 2007, 25k 12 months later! In those early prem days it always amused me how many premier league clubs with many international players couldn't deal with a long throw, us included.

2. Ryan Shawcross. My mum supports Arsenal.....

3. Stoke were bogey club in your early seasons up in prem. We at least started winning a few in later seasons. Lowton wonder goal game obviously sticks out although can also remember us going 1 up at VP and then being battered rest of the game. Final score was 1-4 so sobering afternoon seeing how far we were falling behind even Stoke in those times.

4. Support was fantastic in those early prem seasons. As I've said I could feel it building up in the promotion season. As you got settled and complacent in the prem it became similar to so many premier league grounds, silence for long periods and impatience if you weren't a goal or two up by half time.

Too young for the Vic. Brit/Bet 365 is ridiculously cold of course, some decent pubs  nearby in Heron Cross over the A50.

[SoccerHQ]

Interesting reading the responses.

I think Stoke see the whole Delap thing as part of their identity at the time. A jobbing journeyman midfield player suddenly becoming a ridiculous source of goals (he's played on and off in the premier league since 1998) with international defenders and keepers seemingly scrared of defending throw ins.

Of course with the flat pace it was hard to defend but they should never have scored so many from it in their first season, they certainly didn't score anywhere near that amount in the championship the previous year.

It's certainly true their away followings to VP weren't that great even when they were doing well in premier league. From reading Oatcake at the time it seems they were put out by us charging 40 quid given it was a local fixture while at the time I think we were paying 25 quid for trips there. Imagine with the 30 quid cap they'd sell out no problem next time we meet in premier league.

[SoccerHQ]

I do remember the Lou Macari days. He had a short spell at Birmingham where he won the football league trophy and then quit and won it again at Stoke. The Birmingham fans were not happy as they had really taken to Macari. I think the season after Stoke won the football league trophy they won promotion to the first division. Mainly due to Mark Stein scoring loads of goals if my memory is correct.

Someone on first page mentioned Peter Coates being a hero in Stoke, Macari is reaching deity status now.

https://www.stoke.gov.uk/news/article/533/new_five-year_lease_being_finalised_for_homeless_shelter

Lou also played his part in the Neil Baldwin story which became a feature film on the BBC a few years back. Didn't Nello have his testimonial against us?

[SoccerHQ]

Gary Shaw? Really?

Don’t remember that either, which is rather apt I suppose.

I feel pretty bad about our responses, he’s been polite and nearly all replies have a vague recollection of something that might have happened when playing his team

Don’t mind Stoke, had a great dance club back in the 90s but I can’t remember what it was called.

Used to date a girl from Longton when at Uni (Longton makes Erdington seen like a twin borough of Kensington). Was talking to her Mum one day and she was on about a laserdome rave club in the early 80s so that might've been the one you're thinking of, it closed in early 90s.

[in exile]

not sure what point you are trying to superciliously make but when i visited regularly it looked war torn. My opinion no more no less.

I had to live in Meir, Stoke On Trent for a few years. Horrible place as is most of The Potteries. I tend to agree with you Mr U

[dave.woodhall]

I do remember the Lou Macari days. He had a short spell at Birmingham where he won the football league trophy and then quit and won it again at Stoke. The Birmingham fans were not happy as they had really taken to Macari. I think the season after Stoke won the football league trophy they won promotion to the first division. Mainly due to Mark Stein scoring loads of goals if my memory is correct.

Someone on first page mentioned Peter Coates being a hero in Stoke, Macari is reaching deity status now.

https://www.stoke.gov.uk/news/article/533/new_five-year_lease_being_finalised_for_homeless_shelter

Lou also played his part in the Neil Baldwin story which became a feature film on the BBC a few years back. Didn't Nello have his testimonial against us?

He came on in Sid's at Villa Park.

[PeterWithe]

Gary Shaw? Really?

Don’t remember that either, which is rather apt I suppose.

I feel pretty bad about our responses, he’s been polite and nearly all replies have a vague recollection of something that might have happened when playing his team

Don’t mind Stoke, had a great dance club back in the 90s but I can’t remember what it was called.

Used to date a girl from Longton when at Uni (Longton makes Erdington seen like a twin borough of Kensington). Was talking to her Mum one day and she was on about a laserdome rave club in the early 80s so that might've been the one you're thinking of, it closed in early 90s.

Yeah that was it, Shelleys. It came back to me eventually. The disco biscuits played havoc with your memory.

[aldridgeboy]

Yes Shelley’s. My sisters boyfriend at the time, got 12 months for
dealing pills there.
We didn’t mention it to mum