A brilliant article

[surreystokie]

Although some on here seem illogically and sometimes vindictively against anything produced by The Sentinel, I recommend Spinksie's article (the first of three) today.

Martin has his own style and I have found his match reports and FC summarising, throughout the season, an interesting and thought-provoking read. His humour, too - such a contrast to the late Peter Hewitt, duirng our previous heady days - has produced many a smile, in this household.

I don't always agree with him, indeed would give up reading him, if it was monotonously so, Today's piece, however, is spot-on and exactly how I feel about the club and this season.

If you find it difficult to read The Sentinel, just pretend that Ted has written it.

[rorymscfc]

Any chance of a link? (Yes I am too lazy/busy to go hunting for it! )

RoryM

[Lakeland Potter]

This is the one!

www.whydelilah.co.uk/news/12_May_2009/Old-fashioned+values+inspire+Stoke+to+safety.html

[jpm64]

Excellent Read

[rorymscfc]

Yep, superb article. Thanks for the link Forny!

RoryM

[johnnysoul60]

Yes its great, posted a comment that this should be a model for our local leaders to follow in terms of how to bring success to the area.

[Inverness Stokie]

Great article.

[Mr Rottweiler]

I'd rather read that from a national newspaper hack than the designated Stoke-Spinks.

[The special one]

The amount of hard work that has gone into stoke city this year is greater than the building of the great wall of china. Im pleased that people are acknowlodgin this in and out of the area

[lancer]

That article deserves a place of honour somewhere at the club. What a truly moving, inspirational artricle, and clearly written from the heart. Makes me even prouder to be a Stokie. He describes so much what I and all Stokies feel obout our great club, and what is so manifest at the Bri right now, as we again occupy the sunny uplands of our game.
So true in every aspect ,of the whole make up of SCFC.

[wizzardofdribble]

The Spirit of Nye Bevan lives on

[crimesy]

Great read.

[dexter97]

"The volume of their support has been a nostalgic reminder of the good old days, their industrial language offending none but the middle-class onlookers sampling a sold-out Brit for the first time."

Very well-put. Someone should send that to Jeremy Alexander.

[wizzardofdribble]

Who said Marxism was Dead?

It's alive and kicking (no pun intended) down at The Brit..encapsulated and personified by the footballing equivalents of Marx and Engels...Coates and Pulis (co-authors of Das Crapital..A History of The Premier League)

The Workers United Will Never Be Defeated..

[Dr Oetcake]

Fair brought a tear to my eye, now, get Dicko up them chimneys to give em a quick once over after training....

[MarkWolstanton]

May 12, 2009 9:34:11 GMT surreystokie said:

Although some on here seem illogically and sometimes vindictively against anything produced by The Sentinel,

It is hardly illogical as I suspect you know Monica and to brand it as vindictive is a touch ironical.

However the fanzine or more accurately Martin has kissed and made up with the Sentinel on the basis that the current regime has nothing to do with or can be held responsible for the actions of the Dooley days.

Many boycotted and refused to appear in that regimes supporter question time articles for very sound and understandable reasons during those times.

There is a refreshing attitude from the Sent these days and as you say well written thought provoking sports pieces.

[JoeinOz]

Very good article yes.

[Do eet fer Paddock]

I read it and thought it was a load of sugar laced toss. Do you really think the players driving home in their Audi R8's eveb know about the industrial left wing heritage of the area?

I'm as happy as anyone with how we've done this season. But let's not get dewy eyed about how our grandad's toiled down t'pit, we're where we are in no small part due to the booty of a debt and misery inducing gambling empire. Hardly the legacy of hard industry.

[Linx]

I was inspired to comment and sent this:

"This article says it all. A key strength, in my opinion, of Stoke's recent profile has been how its club structure harks back to the best traditions of football in this country. Our finances are not a house of straw and our fanbase does not result from selling a brand that appeals to a materialistic desire for reflected success. Our Chairman is a local boy made good, who lives locally and is a passionate, life-long supporter. He is not a foreign investor, nor does he head a consortium of shareholders whose first consideration is the profits or the reflected kudos that heading a Premeirship football club brings. He understands football, the club, and how its identity is intrinsic to the community that supports it. The manager has years of experience, is a student of the game, has a clear strategic vision, runs a tight and disciplined ship, and is highly respected by other managers (Alex Ferguson wouldn't have loaned Stoke players of Shawcross' quality if he didn't trust Pulis to develop them along the right lines). The players are all solid pro's, mainly from a traditional core of British/Irish stock, with a sprinkling of Africans who fit with the manager's values of integrity and old-fashioned values. 'Fancy Dan' big stars who don't appreciate the culture of the English game's virtues and heritage just don't exist at Stoke and dressing room spirit is vital catalyst in our chemistry. In forty years of supporting Stoke City, I have never felt so proud of our club - and that includes the Waddington era. Even in the glory days we were chronically underfunded, mis-managed at an executive level, and lacked a strategic vision, and those pigeons came home to roost in the mid-70s, sowing the seeds of 'the wilderness years' of 1985-2008."

[ted1965]

a very good read and very much sums up why we are unique in many ways at the moment.

[Will_75]

spot on paddock. what a load of misty-eyed bollocks.