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Post by alexanderinstone on Sept 2, 2009 17:54:21 GMT
It is impossible to compare today's team with that of the 70's simply because football has changed totally since it has been over-run with foreign players.
The 70's team WOULD have won the old first division (now called the Premier League) IF the directors had insured the ground for it's true value. They didn't, the wind tore down the Butler Street Stand, and that meant the inevitable sale of players to pay for the repairs. They broke our hearts by selling Greenhoff to Man Utd and that was quickly followed by dismantling the whole team.
Our present team is in the early stages of developing in the Premier League. Very few other teams in this league could work out how to deal with our aerial threat last season. This season is seeing more skill being brought in, but we still remain a very difficult side to cope with. Next year will hopefully see us bringing even more' pure football' into our game and as Davesviews recently said - "PC wants to make this club great again"
We oldies know exactly what he means. We are far from being as good as the Waddington team, but we ARE getting there.
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Post by theoldgit on Sept 2, 2009 19:41:43 GMT
The modern team have survived 1 year in the prem and we are comparing it to one of the top teams for the best part of 5+ years. However, it is a changed world, it is no coincidence that todays top teams all have a large catchment area to draw from, for fans and sponsorship (some word wide). MONEY TALKS Could any small city team afford to buy and pay the wages of the best goalkeeper in the world, I think not, never mind the quality of the rest of the team(the best back four I have ever seen at any club). At the risk of sounding like an old git with an opening line of "when I was a lad" I still have my season ticket, still enjoy football at SCFC, and I am optimistic of our current team and have high hopes for it. But to compare it with the 70's side you cannot be serious. P.S. even I am not old enough to remember the 40's team so no comment.
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Post by march4 on Sept 2, 2009 19:55:33 GMT
Matthews, Franklin and Steele were regulars in the England team and Sir Stan was the best known player on the planet. How can any other Stoke team compare. I"m getting on mate but only started going in 1969, so the players are ones that I have only read about and have never seen. Was Frankie Soo and Ratcliffe in the same side, as my uncle tells me they could play a bit as wellFrank Soo was, but Ratty was quite a bit later and as a young fan, he was the first Stoke player I thought was great. He was a real personality and very entertaining. A fine player as well. All together now; 'Rat a tat, rat a tat, rat a tat, tat'
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Post by tony harrison on Sept 2, 2009 20:25:18 GMT
Not there yet, as someone has posted we wouldn't be able to afford some of those players from the 70's in todays market.
Keep up the good work Stoke and maybe just maybe.........................
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Post by mark1661 on Sept 2, 2009 20:39:50 GMT
I am 48 so was a supporter of that team in my formative years.
That team
Shiltom
Marsh Pejic Smith Bloor
Robertson Mahoney Hudsoon Salmons
Greenhoof Ritchie
*** Conroy, Hurst, and others
was incredibly close to winning the equivalent of the Premier League.
We are making massive positive strides but in todays world unless we have Cech (Shilton) , Gerrard (Hudson ...far andway the best ever player to don the red and white stripes) or Greenhoff (Defoe) there really is no comparison.
To even suggest it, you have to realise that we were REALISTIC title challngers in those days.
In no way does that belittle todays team which are relistically battlimg for a top ten finish.
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