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Post by Lakeland Potter on Apr 26, 2008 6:28:11 GMT
Guardian
The 1980s revival currently motoring through Britain is due to gain further momentum today from an unlikely source. Following the BBC's Ashes to Ashes series and last week's announcement that Yazoo are to reform comes news of Stoke City's participation in England's top-division for the first time in 23 years.
Well, almost. The Potters need four points from their remaining two league fixtures to guarantee a place in next season's Premier League, but even taking into account the helter-skelter nature of this year's Championship that should be achieved with minimum fuss. The league's second-placed side visit the already relegated Colchester United this afternoon before hosting the struggling Leicester City at a sold-out Britannia Stadium next Sunday.
Toasting promotion in front of a fevered home crowd would be the most glorious of celebrations but the Stoke manager, Tony Pulis, does not want to wait that long and is aiming for victory in the last ever game at Layer Road. A win, coupled with any failure by Hull City to do likewise at home to Crystal Palace, will allow the club to spend this evening partying like it's 1985. "It's been a fantastic season, hopefully the wait to get this club back in the top flight is over," said Pulis. "But the job hasn't been done yet. We must remain focused."
Caution is understandable but that should not deflect from what has been a season of triumph for the club. Having finished eighth last season, Stoke have secured a play-off place this time around and that after a summer in which they sold seven players, the most high-profile being Danny Higginbotham to Sunderland for £2.5m. Only one arrived in the same period, Richard Cresswell on a free transfer from Leeds United, but Stoke started the season well and, assisted by five permanent signings in January, continued to progress. They have lost only nine of their 44 matches, the fewest in the league, and scored 68 times, second only to the leaders West Bromwich's total of 85.
Pulis has received enormous credit for transforming Stoke from a club that was almost relegated five years ago to one with realistic ambitions of visiting Old Trafford next year, but he is keen to shift as much praise as possible to the chairman Peter Coates who, like him, is in his second spell at the club.
Coates bought Stoke from a group of Icelandic businessmen, led by Gunnar Gislason, in 2006 for £1.7m, seven years after first giving up ownership to the consortium for £3.5m. His first move was to reappoint Pulis, who had led the club between 2002-05. Together the pair have revamped the side and filled the club with ambition. "There's been a massive turnaround here since Peter took over. We knew it would take time, but we've pushed on," Pulis said. "We got slaughtered by the supporters for selling so many players at the start of the season but that has all been reinvested into the team and made us competitive week in, week out."
One of those who returned this season is Andy Griffin, a Stoke trainee between 1996-98. Griffin is one of 14 members of the squad who have Premier League experience, and he feels sure that would stand the club in good stead should they achieve promotion. "When you do go to the likes of Manchester United you can't fear the players. If you do that, you might as well give them the points - that is something those of us who have played at that level are aware of, " said the former Newcastle full-back. "I honestly believe we can establish ourselves as a mid-table Premier League club."
Having finished the 1984-85 season bottom of the old First Division with 17 points, Stoke's priority following promotion would surely be survival. First, however, come the celebrations, which could well start in earnest tonight.
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Apr 26, 2008 6:30:19 GMT
Telegraph
The statues of Stanley Matthews and the less celebrated John Ritchie, the first member of the 1972 League Cup final winning team to die, show that Stoke cling to their glorious past but, after 23 years of mediocrity, today they finally have a chance to add some more glory to their history.
Championship: Club-by-club latest news, results, fixtures and table
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For now, thoughts of their last relegation from the top flight, winning just three times to reach a total of 17 points in 1985, will be forgotten as Tony Pulis' side look to record a win at relegated Colchester that, depending on third-placed Hull's game against Crystal Palace, could see the founder members of the Football League promoted to the Premier League.
On the cusp: Stoke City are closing in on automatic promotion
It would be a remarkable achievement by Pulis, 50, who is with his sixth club and in his second spell in charge at the Britannia Stadium, along with his chairman Peter Coates. The Welshman would never claim to have been a popular appointment when he came back in the summer of 2006 and having just missed out on the play-offs last season, the decision to sell Darel Russell, Danny Higginbotham and Carl Hoefkens just before the start of the campaign was met with open fury.
Although there are few dissenters now, Pulis is not about to become swelled with triumphalism. Asked whether he has been pleased with the public response to him having steered the Potters to the brink of promotion, Pulis jokes: "I don't go out very much. I'm not one of those that goes out shouting my head off about anything. I enjoy my work and I just get on with my job."
With a three-point advantage over Hull with just two matches left, promotion could be sealed today but there is no doubting Pulis when he insists he will not be listening out for the score at the KC Stadium.
"I just don't think it's important," he added. "The only thing we can affect is what's going on at Colchester so why worry about things you can't affect? It's like gossip, you can't affect it because people want to do it. I'm not interested in Hull against Palace. It's about what we do."
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It is not just their last flirtation with the top flight that will make them bookmakers' favourites for an immediate return to the Championship, but Pulis is adamant he has had no thoughts about what life would be like in the Premier League and has only taken a passing interest in Derby's miserable season. He continued: "Obviously I've noticed and noted what's happened there but it hasn't been a concern of mine and the most important thing is getting this club there and then looking at it."
However, the club's captain Andy Griffin, who spent the first half of the season with Derby, believes Stoke can make a good fist of it in the Premier League but thinks Colchester, who are already down and are playing their final match at Layer Road, offer a significant obstacle.
"It's the last game at Layer Road and they'll want to go out on a high but we've just got to approach the game in the right manner. This is a club I think will suit the Premier League and a club that can survive in it. I don't see why we could not be a mid-table Premier League club fairly quickly, based on recent progress." The number of points Stoke City managed to accumulate the last time they were in the top division, in 1985 ................. AND THERE THE ARTICLE ENDS!
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Post by Lakeland Potter on Apr 26, 2008 6:32:14 GMT
Yes it was yesterday, but here is the Sentinel's 4pm update last night for those who have not seen it.
MAMA Sidibe was still a major cause for concern as Stoke entered the final 24 hours of their preparations for tomorrow’s humdinger at Colchester.
Sidibe was allowed to step up his training slightly as the first-team squad were put through their paces at their pre-match hideaway today.
But manager Tony Pulis remained keen to protect him from a possible recurrence of his ankle injury by going steady with last weekend’s two-goal hero.
“We’re keeping a very close eye on his ankle and not doing anything that might aggravate it,” said Pulis today.
“We’ll only push him as far as we dare in training, no further, and then it’s a late call on the day about whether he’s fit enough or not.”
Stoke travelled east last night to avoid the possible hold-ups awaiting them had they left today and fought with early weekend traffic heading in the same direction.
“I think it was best to leave early,” added Pulis, “because we couldn’t run the risk of being caught on the road for hours on end.
“We’re safely holed up here now and just waiting for the game itself. The players seem fine and eager to get on with it.”
Pulis reported no other last-minute injury concerns and so appears set to name an unchanged team – if Sidibe pulls through.
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Post by nottinghamstokie on Apr 26, 2008 6:39:22 GMT
this is ridiculous, I am nervous enough without this kind of "assumptive" stuff. Colchester will not lie down for us and Hull can very easily stick 3 past palace. Whilst we could be promoted today, we also COULD end today in 3rd place and relying on Hull to slip up at Ipswich
I am going to the gym at 2.45 and staying there until 5, and only THEN will I turn on the car radio and find out. I couldn't cope with the 8 days leading up to the Reading game that kept us up that year, and this time....well, it's gonna be a long day and I just know it will go to next week, and Leicester won't lie down and die either.
Maybe we should talk about the Prem when we are actually IN it ???
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Post by jpm64 on Apr 26, 2008 6:42:01 GMT
Good articles Forny
Makes you realise just how close we are ...... God I hope we do it !!!!
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Post by Red and White Eyes on Apr 26, 2008 6:47:51 GMT
Thanks for the repoerts Fornside- karma1
They have made me feel even worse though. Aaaaghh!!
It feels like we have not so much to gain but SO much to LOSE somehow!
I'm off to make strange inarticulate squeaky noises now until it all unravels.
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Post by Ex-GeordieNeil on Apr 26, 2008 8:11:24 GMT
The Guardian: "partying like it's 1985"... mmm, now that wasn't party time, was it?
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Post by FullerMagic on Apr 26, 2008 8:23:05 GMT
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1091826.ecePulis is looking to EuropeBy JANINE SELF Published: Today rigTeaserImage TONY PULIS is scouring Europe for players good enough for the Premier League. Stoke’s boss has been criticised for an anti-foreign attitude over his transfers. But with Potters on the brink of promotion from the Championship, Pulis has gone Continental. He said: “We’ve explored that market this year and we’re doing our homework on players in France. “I’ve got foreign players now and the ones I work with have been brilliant. “The reason I’ve preferred British players is you can ring managers and ask about character rather than taking a chance. “Someone you look at from abroad is not going to be a top player — otherwise he wouldn’t be interested in coming to you in the first place.” Pulis was sacked from his first stint at Stoke as he did not tap into the foreign market demanded by the ex- Icelandic owners. And that is when he gained his reputation for thinking British is best. But he said: “When I came they had spent £3million on foreign signings. “Their record signing was Sambe Bangoura. They paid £1million for him — and then he could not turn up for pre-season training.” Share this article What is this?
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