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Post by stokecityscott on Jun 13, 2008 11:05:56 GMT
After an absence of 23 years from the top flight it seems that all and sundry want to be at Stoke next season. Season ticket sales of 17,000 should ensure that there are regular attendances of over 20,000 at the Britannia Stadium next season.
That hasn't happened since the 1979-80 campaign and is proof that the paying public of the Potteries are hungry for success. However, if newspaper reports are to be believed then there is a whole army of players waiting for an opportunity to play under Tony Pulis next season.
A plethora of players have been linked with moves to the Britannia Stadium and there will undoubtedly be a revamp of last year's successful squad. Dean Whitehead – who is on the books of the PFAs Player Management Agency – has been linked with a move from Sunderland.
However PFA senior executive Phil Sproson maintains that the rumour mill is spiralling out of control at present. Sproson said: "He is under contract with Sunderland and we only did that last year. He has had one or two people interested in him during the last couple of years.
"I know Tony Pulis has been an admirer of his for a while, but that is only to say he is Tony's sort of player. Maybe people have picked it up from there."
Another name being linked with a move north is Birmingham City's Maik Taylor. The Northern Ireland international has been offered a new two-year deal by the freshly relegated club but the prospect of regular first team football could see him switch to Stoke on Trent.
Coventry are also believed to be interested but Taylor would definitely favour a move to the Premier League.
Wolves and Bolton Wanderers are in the hunt for Brian Howard along with Stoke. The Barnsley midfielder was selected in the PFA Divisional team of the year last season and appears to be on the market for around £1.5m.
The Daily Mirror and the Sun have linked Portsmouth's David Nugent with a move to Stoke and apparently Pulis won't baulk at splashing out £4m for the former Preston striker.
Rangers' Daniel Cousin and Villa's Marlon Harewood are another brace of strikers apparently on Stoke's radar for a fee of £3m and £4m respectively.
Stoke are battling Hull for the signature of Danish defender Magnus Troest whilst another defender – Tottenham's Anthony Gardner – is allegedly keen to move back to the Potteries after starting his career at Port Vale.
Manchester City's Sun Jihai and Rangers' Lee McCulloch are two more names that could be arriving at the Britannia Stadium whilst Marton Fulop is another possibility should the move for Maik Taylor not maetrialise.
Will any of these transfers happen? Who knows? However, one thing is for sure and that is plenty more column inches will be written about Stoke as they enjoy life back in the elite of English football.
Welcome back Stoke – you have been missed...
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Post by glouscesterstokie on Jun 13, 2008 11:06:23 GMT
cheers mate
have some karma
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Post by stokecity4eva on Jun 13, 2008 11:09:25 GMT
at least somebody missed us
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Post by Beebster on Jun 13, 2008 11:12:15 GMT
Who wrote that - ie Paper, website etc
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Post by stokecityscott on Jun 13, 2008 11:13:04 GMT
I think he is a everton fan who wrote it.
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Post by Beebster on Jun 13, 2008 11:15:03 GMT
Oh rite - good lad!! Nice one Everton fan!!
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Post by stokecity4eva on Jun 13, 2008 11:16:25 GMT
on the PFA website
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Post by Beebster on Jun 13, 2008 11:16:57 GMT
Yea PFA - Ian Clarkson the article is by!!
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Post by stokecityscott on Jun 13, 2008 11:17:18 GMT
Yes, other fans do run it you know.
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Post by Not_Nick_H on Jun 13, 2008 11:32:52 GMT
Yea PFA - Ian Clarkson the article is by!! Ian Clarkson as in the guy who used to play for us? |
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Post by lordb on Jun 13, 2008 12:43:40 GMT
good lad Clarky.
lacked a bit of pace perhaps.
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