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Post by madelinesmithmmmh on May 24, 2015 21:34:34 GMT
Its why we go to football (as my son said to me on the way out) Stoke City SIX Liverpool ONE
5 words I never thought I would see Happy, happy day
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Post by BristolMick on May 24, 2015 21:39:09 GMT
Hard to believe that 15 years ago, we were struggling to get out of what is now league one, putting in dire performances against the likes of Brizzle Rovers and Luton on a worryingly regular basis, in front of barely 5 figure crowds. It seems like worlds away now weve not just beat those media darlings, but utterly fucking tore them a new arsehole!!!!! Oi less of the likes of Bristol Rovers please! Rovers are a good club with a massive fan base and had the not unformidable pair of Roberts and Cureton up top and Ian Holloway as manager the day they hammered us at the Brit. But yes I remember those third tier days, the football was painful but the craic at away games was fantastic. Watching all of the playoffs so far - Rovers v Grimsby, Southend v Wycombe and Swindon v Preston brings back memories good and bad. Gudjon's first game at Wycombe and we won 4-0 with two new Icelanders in the team one of whom scored a wonder goal. Pulis's first game second time, away at Southend and we lost 1-0 with his first signing Vincent Pericard leading the line! BM
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Post by Robo10 on May 24, 2015 22:20:30 GMT
I did a best man speech a few weeks ago (brothers wedding) - I reminisced about when we were 16-18 and I used to drive us to all the glory places like Wigan (Springfield Park, grass bank and all!) away
We even went to Autoglass games at Wrexham and Mansfield to see Stoke lose 3-0 in front of hundreds lol - Mick Kennedy sent off etc!
Good times...make me savour whats going on at the minute!
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Post by SamB_SCFC on May 24, 2015 22:40:09 GMT
I was constantly referencing the 8-0 game today as this was karma for what happened that night. Back then the clubs were poles apart, I'd grown up watching Stoke in the 90s and up to that point had only really known shit apart from a couple of decent years under Macari. My parents went on about the 70s when Stoke were able to compete with and beat the best in the top flight and I never thought I'd see the day when we'd be able to do that. I could maybe see us scraping a backs to the wall 1-0 completely against the run of play in the cup or something but never an absolute annihilation against Liverpool's strongest side in a Premier League game.
8k on a Saturday against Oldham in the mid 90s, 7-0 against Birmingham, Alan Ball, Brian Little. Today was for those who lived through the dark times and kept the faith despite all logic telling us that we were destined to be shit forever. Obviously the younger fans aren't excluded from the joy and this isn't a veiled bash against the so called Johnny come latelys, all Stoke fans deserve equal respect. But for those who did live through those days I'm sure it makes it just that little bit sweeter.
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Post by Jamo on the wing on May 24, 2015 22:44:49 GMT
As I said to Jamo jnr, he needs to soak this in and embed it into his brain because days like today don't come around too often. Milk the moment boys, breathe it in! It really doesn't get better than this does it Jamo? I had the privilege to experience today with my old man, a man who shared those 70s stories with me as I hung on every word, completely agog! We are currently as good as we've ever been. What a time to be a Stoke fan. These are indeed heady days, mate. I kept reiterating to Max on the walk to the car that this is what it's all about when times get shit. These are the moments that make it all worth while and if it ever gets as bad as we have seen it nobody can ever take these memories away from him.
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Post by wuzza on May 24, 2015 22:48:40 GMT
Speaking as a Stokie who has grown up and lived in the N.West of England I can honestly say I have never ever anticipated results and performances like today - blimey it feels good!
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Post by Somebody_Told_Me on May 24, 2015 22:55:07 GMT
For us Stokies in our fourties. Games like these have been a long time coming, but worth the wait, and has made them taste sweeter!!!!!!!
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Post by CalgaryPotter on May 24, 2015 23:01:22 GMT
I know two of us in the world were still questioning whether we would win at 5-0 up. That's a sure sign you've been through the mill with Stoke over the last 38 years. A day to treasure
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Post by mozzer on May 25, 2015 9:05:52 GMT
That today was for you folks Take a bow I think most of the 8K were out and about town after the game yesterday, cracking turn out.
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Post by skemstokie on May 25, 2015 9:20:19 GMT
That today was for you folks Take a bow I was one of the 8 thousand can`t get tickets very often nowadays
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Post by manchesterpotter on May 25, 2015 9:28:23 GMT
It's ridiculous that it's not that long ago that we were fucking dogshit.
I'm only 24 but I'm still old enough to remember watching us get fucked at home by Birmingham and Bristol Rovers and travelling to Wigan to see us get smashed 6-1.
One of my early memories of the Brit was that 4-1 kicking at the hands of Bristol Rovers. Even the 8 year old me was singing 'We're shit and we're sick of it'.
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Post by Laughing Gravy on May 25, 2015 9:36:09 GMT
PS I remember being beaten 6 nil at Swindon on Nov 5th 1989! Stood on that open end in the rain, hail, sleet and snow watching Stoke get a good tonking! Fuck me I was there in 2003 when we lost 6-0 to Forest and we were dire. If anyone had said at that point that in 12 years time we'd be a strong, mid-table, Premier League team, capable of walloping Liverpool 6-1, you'd have had them certified. THAT'S where we've come from.
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Post by Laughing Gravy on May 25, 2015 9:39:31 GMT
I know two of us in the world were still questioning whether we would win at 5-0 up. That's a sure sign you've been through the mill with Stoke over the last 38 years. A day to treasure And me I only calmed down at Wembley in the semi after the fifth went in as well.
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Post by bathstoke on May 25, 2015 9:42:25 GMT
More than made up for this... If Thorney had scored that sitter in the opening minutes, I still think that game would have panned out differently
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Post by Northy on May 25, 2015 9:43:58 GMT
Cheers It certainly made up for some of the 1985 - 2008 years
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Post by bathstoke on May 25, 2015 9:50:34 GMT
I was constantly referencing the 8-0 game today as this was karma for what happened that night. Back then the clubs were poles apart, I'd grown up watching Stoke in the 90s and up to that point had only really known shit apart from a couple of decent years under Macari. My parents went on about the 70s when Stoke were able to compete with and beat the best in the top flight and I never thought I'd see the day when we'd be able to do that. I could maybe see us scraping a backs to the wall 1-0 completely against the run of play in the cup or something but never an absolute annihilation against Liverpool's strongest side in a Premier League game. 8k on a Saturday against Oldham in the mid 90s, 7-0 against Birmingham, Alan Ball, Brian Little. Today was for those who lived through the dark times and kept the faith despite all logic telling us that we were destined to be shit forever. Obviously the younger fans aren't excluded from the joy and this isn't a veiled bash against the so called Johnny come latelys, all Stoke fans deserve equal respect. But for those who did live through those days I'm sure it makes it just that little bit sweeter. I remember going Exeter away when Ball was "in charge" & Stoke fans were queuing up at the kiosk to buy scalding tea, which was so hot I don't know how it didn't melt the polystyrene cups, only to march down to the dug-outs & throw it at him! RIP
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Post by citynumberten on May 26, 2015 10:13:32 GMT
I went to quite a few allegedly low gates and sometimes I was convinced the figures given were understated Wasn't just me then. There were plenty of times that I looked around and thought no way is there only 11k here. Happened regularly under the Icelanders, me and my old man always thought they were creaming a bit of their investment back off the top. Can't blame em really though, seems a lifetime ago now
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Post by podolipotter on May 26, 2015 10:21:03 GMT
I presume we mean the 8k before Matthews came back????
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Post by Maccca100 on May 26, 2015 10:22:21 GMT
Felt good Wezza. Worth every ounce of pain. With the possible exception of Gillingham away n the play offs! Was there that night .. Cheers Ref. Also the 6 goal defeats to Swindon and Oxford, defeats to fucking Exeter. Grim days
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Post by dutchstokie on May 26, 2015 10:57:37 GMT
Mick, we've been there when there has been less than 8000. That Tuesday night 84/85 v norwich. That was painful...I remember the turnout against Everton being painfully low as well....
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2015 11:08:21 GMT
was there watching when we were getting 8 - 9000s
would not claim all games but plenty of em
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Post by Miles Offside on May 26, 2015 11:18:41 GMT
That today was for you folks Take a bow Thanks. I will It also struck me that the 6-1 was a bit of long-time coming revenge for the 8-0 thumping we got when they had a decent side and we were the "minnows".
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Post by stokerstayinup on May 26, 2015 11:21:15 GMT
Under 6k for the last game of the season v Brighton back in 89.Unbelievable,where we are now.
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Post by madelinesmithmmmh on May 26, 2015 11:41:56 GMT
With the possible exception of Gillingham away n the play offs! Was there that night .. Cheers Ref. Also the 6 goal defeats to Swindon and Oxford, defeats to fucking Exeter. Grim days God, I'd forgotten a couple of Oxford evening matches - and the one when our latest saviour (Mr Kamara) sat on a plastic chair with his back to the pitch with his head in his hands! Oxford!
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Post by skip on May 26, 2015 11:51:11 GMT
As I said to Jamo jnr, he needs to soak this in and embed it into his brain because days like today don't come around too often. Milk the moment boys, breathe it in! I've been trying to explain to my nippers how results like this don't happen very often and having gone week in week out during the holocaust season which was dispiriting enough and then watch some of those games in the 3rd division where you honestly began to question your sanity if not your loyalty, and yes, that 0-8 tonking against Liverpool in the cup, the result on Sunday did kind of make it all worthwhile. I'm still yet to come down from the feeling of hammering one of the giants of English football, on the last day of the season, with a media golden boy taking all the attention, it could so easily have been horrible, but the players nailed it. afterword: I think this recent result even tops the Bolton FA Cup semi in terms of "we've only gone a made it back to where we want Stoke to be". I honestly thought we would never be promoted again to the first division, let alone survive, grow and develop into a truly solid top flight club again. Almost makes me a bit weepy thinking about it.
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Post by Pretty Little Boother on May 26, 2015 11:59:03 GMT
I've been going since '95, can't remember too many League games when we were getting that few? Thought 10/11kish was more usual apart from the odd 14/15k "bumper" games?
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Post by skip on May 26, 2015 12:01:48 GMT
I've been going since '95, can't remember too many League games when we were getting that few? Thought 10/11kish was more usual apart from the odd 14/15k "bumper" games? I've said it before on here and I know I got the date wrong, but there was a winter game in the mid 1980s when the crowd was that low (and the game so fucking dire) that I took to wandering up and down the empty seats in the Butler Street to keep warm and sane. I don't think I watched much of a the second half, I just wanted to go home but insisted on staying until the final whistle. Players nowadays are paid a fortune but it makes you wonder what the players of the day made of all of it too, must have broken a few spirits in the dressing room too, and they didn't even support the club. *shudder*
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Post by Vestan Pance on May 26, 2015 12:07:15 GMT
Remember going Wigan at home under the ball era. We just scraped 8,000 and even my dad, as big a fan as there is, was close to calling it a day.
Can't help but feel i earned Sunday's result for all those years of shite. Thanks.
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Post by block30row19 on May 26, 2015 12:35:45 GMT
We actually only got 8,000 for a home league game first season at The Brit. Forgot who against but remember a picture being in the sentinel of the now Novus Stand looking completely empty. Who was that against ?
Can't imagine the Brit now with 20,000 empty seats !!.
Great great times to be a Stokie.
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Post by stokerstayinup on May 26, 2015 12:39:06 GMT
We actually only got 8,000 for a home league game first season at The Brit. Forgot who against but remember a picture being in the sentinel of the now Novus Stand looking completely empty. Who was that against ? Can't imagine the Brit now with 20,000 empty seats !!. Great great times to be a Stokie. 8423 v Oxford.The game Ally Pickering flicked the v's to the home fans.
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