Div Guide: Stoke City


By TheSaddlersFC
June 30 2003

TheSaddlersFC's guide to Stoke City Football Club. All the things you need to know about the Potters. Walsall

 

 

 

Stoke City

Guide to Nationwide League Division 1 - 2003-2004

The Club

Details
Nickname The Potters
Address  Stanley Matthews Way,  Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 4EG
Telephone 01782 592222
E-mail info@stokecityfc.com
Founded

1863
Former names Stoke
Official Site www.stokecityfc.com
Full Contacts Click Here

Team Colours
Home Colours Red, White
Away Colours Navy Blue, Sky Blue
Third choice None
Sponsor Britannia Building Society
Manufacturer Puma

Stadium Details
Name Britannia Stadium
Capacity  28,000
Away Fans (The Big Stand) 4,500
Record Attendance 28,0000 vs Everton, FA Cup 3rd Round 2001/2002

The Big Stand - Courtesy of Potters Underground

Away Day 

Directions & Essentials
North - You have two choices if you're coming to the Britannia Stadium; either to come off the M6 at Junction 16 or Junction 15. Personally, I'd recommend Junction 15, for two reasons. The first is that I have found it to be slightly quicker as you miss out two very busy roundabouts along the A500 and, secondly, it means you don't have to ruin your day by catching a glimpse of Port Vale's half-built ground! The only time it's really worth getting off at Junction 16 is if there's road works before Junction 15. 

North Alternative -If your impulse to follow the first Stoke-on-Trent sign you see is too strong then get off at Junction 16 and head south along the A500. Just keep on going until you pass two traffic light regulated roundabouts. As soon as you're clear of the second one you'll see the signs for the Britannia Stadium, the A50 and Derby. Turn left here and head up the A50 to the Heron Cross roundabout, where you'll be able to get on the right side of the road to enter the Britannia Stadium site.If you've taken the smart route and stayed on the M6 until Junction 15 then simply following the instructions listed below for visitors approaching from the south.
South - Approach Stoke-on-Trent along the M6 and turn off at Junction 15, following the signs for the A500. Drive along the A500 for a few hundred metres and the Britannia Stadium will come into view. Continue along the A500 until you see the turn-off signs for the Britannia Stadium, the A50 and Derby. You'll have to drive past the stadium first (there's no right turn here!) to reach the Heron Cross roundabout where you'll be able to turnaround and head back down to the Britannia Stadium.
East - If you're coming along the A50 then you simply can't miss the Britannia Stadium. As you approach the end of the A50 you'll see the Holiday Inn, a Harvester Restaurant and then the slip-road which takes you to the Britannia Stadium. It simply couldn't be easier. If you somehow miss the slip-road then simply carry on down to the bottom roundabout, turnaround and head up to the Heron Cross roundabout from where you'll be able to go back and have another try!

The Ground
Drink Outside Power League Bar, Delilah's Bar, The Harvester
Food outside Just the burger vans situated around the Stadium
Drink inside Yes, Fosters, John Smiths, Tetley and Carlsberg available
Food inside All the usual stadia catering available
Away end Covered, Seated, Behind Goal. 

Away Prices 2003 - 2004
Adults TBC
Students TBC
Juniors TBC
OAP's TBC

Worth a read
Official Programme Stoke City
The Sentinel Local Evening Paper
Fanzine The Oatcake
Fanzine A View To A Kiln

The Experience   
Visiting the Brit : The Britannia Stadium is a great example of modern Stadia, It is quite a big stadium with open corners but despite this a good atmosphere is still generated by the supporters. Stoke have a bad reputation for trouble but that comes mainly from the 70's and 80's and an away day at Stoke is quite often an enjoyable experience, providing you get the right result! If you ever visit the Britannia Stadium be sure to wrap up warm because of the open corners and the fact that it was built on a hill means in get get a little bit chilli at times. 
Rivals: Stokes main local rivals are Port Vale, although Crewe Alexandra, Walsall, Albion and Derby will provide the main Derby games for the Potters in the 2003/2004 season. 

The Team - Provided by Potters Underground

Details
Manager Tony Pulis
Assistant Manager Lindsay Parsons
Physio Rick Carter
Squad 2003-2004 -
In's Gifton Noel-Williams
Out's Peter Handyside, Bjarni Gudjonsson, Lee Mills, Mark Williams, Steve Banks
Star Man Sergei Shtaniuk
All Time Great Sir Stanley Matthews

Head2Head
Walsall Draws Stoke
12 5 15
Last 5 Meetings
Stoke City 1-0 Walsall
- 26/2/03 - Div 1 -
Walsall 4-2 Stoke City
- 2/11/2002 - Div 1 
Walsall  4-2 Stoke City
- 16/5/01 - Div 2 Play Offs -
Stoke City 0-0 Walsall
- 13/5/01 - Div 2 Play Offs -
Stoke City 0-0 Walsall
- 14/4/01 - Div 2

League Positions
Walsall  Season  Stoke
16 - D1 2002/2003 21 - D1
18 - D1 2001/2002 5 - D2 - P
4 - D2 - P 2000/2001 5 - D2
22 - D1- R 1999/2000 6 - D2
 2 - D2 - P 1988/1999 9 -D2

Player Links
There are plenty of links between the two sides.  Current fans will remember Kyle Lightbourne, Bryan Small and Gavin Ward turning out for the two sides, while forwards Louis Donowa, Keith Bertschin and Wayne Clarke have also done the same. Ian Brightwell spent a short spell at Stoke after leaving Walsall while Graham Fenton was unable to save Walsall from Relegation in the 99/00 season. Derek Statham went on to finish his career at the Bescot Stadium in the early 1990s, and the other players to play for both sides are Dave Bamber, Noel Blake, Peter Bullock, Alex Maclure,  Willie Macintosh, Graham Matthews, Albert Mullard, Billy Pole, Mark Prudhoe,  Jimmy Robertson, Ronnie Sinclair, Alex Smith, Steve Waddington, Johnny Walker, Ray Wallace, Dennis Wilshaw, John Woodward.

Gavin Ward - Courtesy of Potters Underground

Web Links
Top Fansite - Well updated and informative...

Potters Underground
Official Site
The Oatcake
Stoke City Mad
UNPCStoke
Merseyside Potters
Red And White
StokeSverige
stokecityinthesouth

 

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