Interesting Coates article from Beeb sport site

[jezzascfc]

Stoke City chairman Peter Coates says that should the club be promoted to the Premier League they can learn from the struggles other teams.

"You do look at how clubs have dealt with promotion and, if we get into that position, then we will give it lots of thought," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"If we got there (the Premier League) then we would want to stay there but we would also want to stay solvent."

Stoke currently sit top of the Championship with seven games to play.

"It couldn't be tighter at the top of the league and two from ourselves, Watford, Bristol City and West Brom will secure automatic promotion," added Coates.

I think we've got some good players who play good football

Stoke City chairman Peter Coates

"There's nothing to call between those teams and it will all depend on who finshes the season the strongest.

"At present, we've had a good season but we want to make it an exceptional season. But I'm sure the other clubs will be feeling much the same."

Coates also lashed out at parts of the media who he says have stereotyped the Potters as an 'ugly' team.

"I think there's a lot of lazy journalism going on. Some journalists make comments when they've never seen us play. I think we've got some good players who play good football."

Coates also commented on Stoke's attempts to sign Portsmouth striker David Nugent on loan, a deal that now looks to be dead.

"It's a shame because at one point it looked like the deal could happen. We obviously respect Portsmouth's decision because they want to keep David for their upcoming FA Cup semi-final."

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Fair play to him for giving it back to the lazy London-based journos and sensible enough to not want to go down the Bradford route on going up, but we will need to splash serious cash to stand any chance of staying there beyond one season!

[potters11]

So if Portsmouth hadn't have caused one of the all time greatest cup shocks, we would have had an England International on our books!

[10 Pint Potter]

with the parachute money we should be alright as long as we don't go completely nuts in the transfer market

[garyhackett]

Yeah in a nutshell the victory against man u meant Nugent wasnt going anywhere

[10 Pint Potter]

damn man u ruining it for us again!