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Post by huuuuuth on Apr 9, 2011 11:00:30 GMT
I know it's almost impossible to compare teams and players from different eras, but is this possibly the best period in our history?
We all know that Waddo's side from the 70s were brilliant, FA cup semis 2 years on the trot (cheated out of both finals), winning the league cup, which was taken seriously then, UEFA cup and just falling short of winning the league after an unbelievable series of injuries.
The sheer difficulty of even getting into the Prem these days makes promotion a major, major achievement in itself and we're, hopefully, staying here for a third season. We're starting to have good cup runs again, we're playing in a sell-out ground every week in what is widely regarded as the most competitive league in the world.
Given the unlevel playing field we're on these days due to some clubs being the plaything of bored, mega rich people, it would take a miracle to get near the top of the table, but for sheer pants-wetting excitement and joy is this a better time to be a Stoke fan than ever before?
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Post by stokie23 on Apr 9, 2011 11:25:01 GMT
Great time to be a stokie, and you don't want fans to get carried away but it could just be the start of something big as well ... 1 win away from European football, club with no debt and a chairman willing to spend if needs be , a stadium that could be extended within the next few seasons....  The cups don't seem to mean as much these days sadly , but the league certainly does, and finishing 12th, 11th and this year hopefully top half ...is amazing! |
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Post by mickstupp on Apr 9, 2011 11:30:41 GMT
Possibly. Lets see how the season pans out. We still need a few more points to be safe, and have a Cup Semi that could go either way.
IF we get to the Cup Final (and with it Europe), and stay up then yes, at the very least its comparable to the early 70`s.
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Post by scfcmacca on Apr 9, 2011 11:34:24 GMT
it is a great time to support stoke especially if you did the dark days down the bottom as said cups sadly dont seem to mean much except from the champions league anymore but stoke-on-trent and stoke fans have showen in the last 2weeks we really do still care about the fa cup and imo is still the best the cup to go and win
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Post by Winge on Apr 9, 2011 11:36:51 GMT
Could be ... lets see.
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Post by huuuuuth on Apr 9, 2011 11:51:30 GMT
Lets put it another way.
Bearing in mind how tough our top league is these days, do you think where we are now and what we're doing now is possibly the biggest achievement in our history?
Like I said earlier, we're on a completely unlevel playing field now. We wouldn't be able to go out and spend a world record fee for a keeper (even though he was a tosspot) or buy the likes of Hudson, which would probably be comparable to us buying someone like Lampard or Gerrard (even though the pair of them would't be fit to lace Huddys boots).
I'm in no way belittling our great history, I just think it's a hell of a lot harder to try and compete now.
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Post by sheikh al dubai bin stokie on Apr 9, 2011 12:03:27 GMT
Having been a stoke fan for nearly 40 years this is the third era of good times for me.
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Post by huuuuuth on Apr 9, 2011 12:12:58 GMT
Having been a stoke fan for nearly 40 years this is the third era of good times for me. True. Having gone through some very dark times (been going since around '76-'77) it makes you appreciate the highs a lot more |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2011 12:13:49 GMT
Best time in my lifetime, think my 1st game was 84/85 so these days are actually a dream for me.
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Post by bettsy on Apr 9, 2011 12:15:02 GMT
In my life yes but not in our history, we haven't quite reached the heights of the waddington era just yet
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Post by pretzel on Apr 9, 2011 12:20:19 GMT
The early to mid seventies were a fantastic time to be a Stoke fan. Now is also a great time to be a Stoke fan. I don't see the point in comparing and saying which is best. Just enjoy these times while you can. I remember walking away from a night game around the time of the 70's cup exploits and hearing someone say to my dad "I wonder if we truly apreciate what a great side Stoke are at the moment?" I didn't fully understand what it meant at the time but I've had a long time to reflect on those words. I think this is a chance, not to wipe away the memories of those epic cup-ties of 71/72 but to provide the younger fans with some special moments of their own to bore their kids with in years to come |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 9, 2011 12:29:38 GMT
Good time to be a Stokie yes BUT, compared to the seventies where we had a very strong team front to back
we stilll have some pretty obvious weaknesses
you only need to look at the bench last week to see, we've still quite a way to go yet before we are a top six side because, thats what we were when I first started watching em in 1970
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Post by huuuuuth on Apr 9, 2011 12:38:46 GMT
Great points. I think there's a lot of people on here (perhaps the younger ones as well as a few who should know better, you know who you are  ) who are losing sight of and taking for granted what a great time this is. We have done brilliantly to get to where we are now but we should never forget what we've been through to get back here and how quickly it can bite you on the arse and dissappear once more. |
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Post by march4 on Apr 9, 2011 12:49:37 GMT
This can still be the greatest season in our history.
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) who are losing sight of and taking for granted what a great time this is.
