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Post by JoeinOz on Dec 22, 2014 0:38:47 GMT
It may not feel like it sometimes and some might not admit it BUT this is actually a golden age for Stoke City. We should do our best to enjoy it.
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Post by Gods on Dec 22, 2014 0:41:48 GMT
It is, and I only wish I could just enjoy it for what it is, but sadly I get more wound up each week that I did when we were in the old Division 3.
It's not the despair, Delilah. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand.
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Post by bertiestan on Dec 22, 2014 0:44:15 GMT
I think so too joe, trips to gay meadow n the old Springfield park and places like that make me really appreciate where we are now. I'm really proud to be a stokie, sayin that I always have been but ya know what I mean.
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Post by JoeinOz on Dec 22, 2014 0:46:41 GMT
I think so too joe, trips to gay meadow n the old Springfield park and places like that make me really appreciate where we are now. I'm really proud to be a stokie, sayin that I always have been but ya know what I mean. I know exactly what you mean!!
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Post by JoeinOz on Dec 22, 2014 0:49:07 GMT
It is, and I only wish I could just enjoy it for what it is, but sadly I get more wound up each week that I did when we were in the old Division 3. It's not the despair, Delilah. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand. Remember to try and enjoy the status. We will probably get beaten by Chelsea but losing to one of Europes top teams isn't a disgrace. Losing at home to Chester was. Don't start me on Wrexham.
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Post by mickstupp on Dec 22, 2014 0:49:22 GMT
We need to win summat
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Post by bertiestan on Dec 22, 2014 0:50:17 GMT
And I can remember watching bojans debut for barca around my brothers, never in a million years did I envisage him turning up here to play for stoke. Amazing how things can turn out. We all need to enjoy this golden age!
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Post by bertiestan on Dec 22, 2014 0:51:44 GMT
I'm optimistic we'll win something soon mick
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Post by Gods on Dec 22, 2014 0:56:07 GMT
It is, and I only wish I could just enjoy it for what it is, but sadly I get more wound up each week that I did when we were in the old Division 3. It's not the despair, Delilah. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand. Remember to try and enjoy the status. We will probably get beaten by Chelsea but losing to one of Europes top teams isn't a disgrace. Losing at home to Chester was. Don't start me on Wrexham. You see that's the thing Joe. This last 2 days rather than the pleasure it should be looking forward to the Chelsea game has felt more like a stay of execution. Someone is about to give me an almighty kick in the bollocks and I have had to wait an extra 2 days in order to receive it!
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Post by bertiestan on Dec 22, 2014 1:00:39 GMT
Remember to try and enjoy the status. We will probably get beaten by Chelsea but losing to one of Europes top teams isn't a disgrace. Losing at home to Chester was. Don't start me on Wrexham. You see that's the thing Joe. This last 2 days rather than the pleasure it should be looking forward to the Chelsea game has felt more like a stay of execution. Someone is about to give me an almighty kick in the bollocks and I have had to wait an extra 2 days in order to receive it! Hahaha I know what you mean there gods, it is a bit like knowin on Friday that the school hard nut is gonna give you a twitting n then havin to wait til Monday to have it.
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Post by mailman44 on Dec 22, 2014 1:07:03 GMT
It is, and I only wish I could just enjoy it for what it is, but sadly I get more wound up each week that I did when we were in the old Division 3. It's not the despair, Delilah. I can take the despair. It's the hope I can't stand. Remember to try and enjoy the status. We will probably get beaten by Chelsea but losing to one of Europes top teams isn't a disgrace. Losing at home to Chester was. Don't start me on Wrexham. How about a cold Tuesday at Blundell Park getting turned over by Grimsby Town?
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Post by generationex on Dec 22, 2014 1:09:40 GMT
If someone had said in 1998 that Micky Owen would play for Stoke - or Crouch in 2002 - you would have been certified.
No doubt it's Golden, but please lets win something before it turns to shit again!
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Post by Gods on Dec 22, 2014 1:14:49 GMT
This 'something' that everyone is saying we must win to truly call it a golden age, that's the League Cup or the FA Cup, anything else is either too small to count or is unobtainable right?
In fact would the League Cup still count? There have been some comedy finalists in recent years and one or two joke winners which suggests to me the big boys have somewhat disengaged from this particular competition.
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Post by bertiestan on Dec 22, 2014 1:23:39 GMT
I'd be happy with the league cup gods, another magical day at wembley n seeing Ryan lift a trophy for stoke is what dreams are made of mate.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2014 1:36:21 GMT
This 'something' that everyone is saying we must win to truly call it a golden age, that's the League Cup or the FA Cup, anything else is either too small to count or is unobtainable right? In fact would the League Cup still count? There have been some comedy finalists in recent years and one or two joke winners which suggests to me the big boys have somewhat disengaged from this particular competition. If we can be happy at winning the Autoglass, and the vast majority of us were at the time, I reckon we can put up with winning the current incarnation of the League Cup as being part of the next level. I'd be happy with it anyway.
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Post by stokiejohn on Dec 22, 2014 1:51:04 GMT
Is this really a " golden age " ? Where at best we survive and have an opportunity in the lottery that is an cup run ( which is our only chance if the big boys don't take them seriously) it's of course good to be in the premier league but I find myself continually talking about must win games if we are to keep some distance from the bottom 3. The only golden age I was fortunate to see was the 70's side who really did compete with the best teams in the country ( and the first division then had more than the 4/5 teams that could win the league or a cup competition ) I still love going to see stoke play as it's in the blood but for me it's not golden, maybe a bronze age or something like that!!
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Post by bertiestan on Dec 22, 2014 1:58:01 GMT
Is this really a " golden age " ? Where at best we survive and have an opportunity in the lottery that is an cup run ( which is our only chance if the big boys don't take them seriously) it's of course good to be in the premier league but I find myself continually talking about must win games if we are to keep some distance from the bottom 3. The only golden age I was fortunate to see was the 70's side who really did compete with the best teams in the country ( and the first division then had more than the 4/5 teams that could win the league or a cup competition ) I still love going to see stoke play as it's in the blood but for me it's not golden, maybe a bronze age or something like that!! I think it depends on age john, I'm 33 and wasn't lucky enough to see the side we had in the 70's so as far as I'm concerned it is.
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Post by stokiejohn on Dec 22, 2014 3:02:07 GMT
Bertiestan, I mean a golden age is where things are as good as they get ? I hope this isn't as good as it gets or we can only go downwards from here! Imo it's a good time to be a Stokie after the wilderness years ( that weren't all bad you know! ) let's all hope we can continue to attract quality players like Bojan and move on to another golden age for Stoke. We can start by beating Chelsea tonight!!
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Post by chiefdelilah on Dec 22, 2014 6:23:14 GMT
Is this really a " golden age " ? Where at best we survive and have an opportunity in the lottery that is an cup run ( which is our only chance if the big boys don't take them seriously) it's of course good to be in the premier league but I find myself continually talking about must win games if we are to keep some distance from the bottom 3. The only golden age I was fortunate to see was the 70's side who really did compete with the best teams in the country ( and the first division then had more than the 4/5 teams that could win the league or a cup competition ) I still love going to see stoke play as it's in the blood but for me it's not golden, maybe a bronze age or something like that!! By the standards of recent times yes, of course it is. Whether we win something or not.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Dec 22, 2014 6:59:33 GMT
I'm convinced, Joe. To me, the fact that our fate will always be uncertain in the Premier League is what keeps me digging deep to support the club. I could never support a franchise team, like they have in the MLS, with quite the same degree of passion as I can in the dog eat dog situation we are in.
The lows are pretty grim - but that only makes the highs more sweet. If you'd told me after those gut wrenching playoff defeats, in what I still think of as the 3rd division, that by now we'd be top flight veterans, watching a player like Bojan playing for us and looking like he could get back to the form which made him one of the brightest prospects in World football, I'd have asked you what you were smoking.
But it isn't me, or people like me, who need convincing. So long as there are still Benjaminbiscuits in our midst, there is still work to be done!
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Post by Naughtyfarty on Dec 22, 2014 8:03:52 GMT
Definitely a golden age. As a club, I can't see how it can get much better for us, we are not realistically never going to be in the top 4, maybe with a few more years in this league we might sneak into sixth, but very unlikely. But wow!!, how good is this period, like the original poster said, it might not always feels like it, but its great, it really is. Stoke have never won much anyway, I would say our golden years have been the mid-late thirties, maybe the two years following WW2, the 70's and this period. Its great being talked about again, Wenger not emerging from the dug out, Delaps legendary throws and signing international stars we never would have dreamt.
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Post by miggo on Dec 22, 2014 8:34:53 GMT
Certainly a interesting question I suppose for those that lived in the 70s that certainly was the golden era, but for me this is as close as it can get.
I am finding it difficult to pin point our next step and what is classed as a step up, the premier league seems to get tighter every year with minimal points separating 9th - 17th we could well finish on more points yet still finish10th or finish 9th on slightly less points, what is seen as an improvement? The other side of me thinks we are a mid table team and we should be happy finishing anywhere from 7th - 15th as long as we don't ever fall into any real danger of a relegation fight and go for a cup run.
Then there is the financial side of the club, of course now we must be in our most healthiest position ever but how do we progress do we continue to go with the current strategy of spending little on slight improvements to the squad looking for the bojan's of the world who just want to feel loved or does PC get to a point where he's recouped his £100mil of spending in the early prem days and he thinks it's time to gamble and go for that next step, (and by next step I mean 6th-8th) and then there is the stadium naming rights which could be a big influx in cash for the club what do we do with this is it pumped into the team and again a gamble to push on or does PC try to secure for the longer term.
One thing is certain it's great to be a stokie right now and win lose or draw we should enjoy it whilst it lasts, nothing lasts forever and it was only last week I was watching the premiership years on sky sports and seeing us play pompey really brought home how easily it could all change and you don't have to look far to see many teams that spent years in the prem but are now lingering in the lower end of the championship and league 1.
Sent from my C6603 using proboards
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Post by 2004 on Dec 22, 2014 9:17:37 GMT
I would say so. However I'm very young so I don't know about the really bad times.
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Post by dutchstokie on Dec 22, 2014 9:39:13 GMT
Certainly a interesting question I suppose for those that lived in the 70s that certainly was the golden era, but for me this is as close as it can get. I am finding it difficult to pin point our next step and what is classed as a step up, the premier league seems to get tighter every year with minimal points separating 9th - 17th we could well finish on more points yet still finish10th or finish 9th on slightly less points, what is seen as an improvement? The other side of me thinks we are a mid table team and we should be happy finishing anywhere from 7th - 15th as long as we don't ever fall into any real danger of a relegation fight and go for a cup run. Then there is the financial side of the club, of course now we must be in our most healthiest position ever but how do we progress do we continue to go with the current strategy of spending little on slight improvements to the squad looking for the bojan's of the world who just want to feel loved or does PC get to a point where he's recouped his £100mil of spending in the early prem days and he thinks it's time to gamble and go for that next step, (and by next step I mean 6th-8th) and then there is the stadium naming rights which could be a big influx in cash for the club what do we do with this is it pumped into the team and again a gamble to push on or does PC try to secure for the longer term. One thing is certain it's great to be a stokie right now and win lose or draw we should enjoy it whilst it lasts, nothing lasts forever and it was only last week I was watching the premiership years on sky sports and seeing us play pompey really brought home how easily it could all change and you don't have to look far to see many teams that spent years in the prem but are now lingering in the lower end of the championship and league 1. Sent from my C6603 using proboards Poignant comments but try telling that to some of the moaning bastards on here.....
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Post by dutchstokie on Dec 22, 2014 9:40:44 GMT
I would say so. However I'm very young so I don't know about the really bad times. They were bad with a capital 'B'...apocolyptically BAD, badder than a bad thing thats gone bad.....
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Post by stokiejoe on Dec 22, 2014 9:51:09 GMT
Having lived through the 70's golden age, it didn't happen overnight. We are currently travelling in the right direction with a better quality of football and attrracting players of a higher standard. Remember Waddo was in charge for about 17 years, Hughes has had 18 months. I disagree that we cannot compete with the best in this league, clearly we lack some of their strength in depth as recent injuries have shown, but we are able to beat the best and have done. We need to be more consistent and beat those around us.
Didn't think Hughes was the man to do it but I am convinced that he is now. Things will continue to get better but it takes a season or three to do. This summer sees a number of players out of contract and the opportunity to change the team without too much disruption. Hughes and his pals seem to be able to spot quality and persuade them to play for Stoke. If the Academy starts to contribute as well, we will have the money to spend. It's an upward spiral that becomes self feeding, the more we improve the more players will want to join us. To me it isn't individual cups that will do that, it is somehow qualifying for European competition, how we do so is less important. It pays to advertise and Europe is the platform.
Happy days as far as I am concerned, win or lose tonight, we are on our way.
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Post by barrypottersot on Dec 22, 2014 10:04:29 GMT
We should enjoy it while we can, because as anyone who followed Stoke in the early 70's knows, what goes up must come down.
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Post by Mint Berry Barks on Dec 22, 2014 10:40:08 GMT
My first year at Stoke was the 97/98 season.
A swift kick in the bollocks is a golden age compared to that shite.
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Post by lancer on Dec 22, 2014 11:14:20 GMT
Believe me, any age when I can watch Stoke is a Golden Age. I enjoyed watching them when I was aged twelve, I'm aged seventy eight on New Years Day, and God willing, I'll be watching them play The Shite. I repeat, any age when you can watch Stoke, regardless of which division, which team, or when, is time to be treasured. Make that time your, Golden Age.
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Post by Staffsoatcake on Dec 22, 2014 11:17:09 GMT
Too true, we may not get another chance to win something for a long time in the future.
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