History of Stoke City F.C.

The history of Stoke City F.C., an English football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, covers the years from the club's formation to the present day. The Stoke Ramblers were formed in 1863 and moved in 1878 to the Victoria Ground, which was to be their home for the next 119 years. In the same year, the club merged with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club to become Stoke Football Club. The club joined the Football League upon its formation in 1888, making them the second oldest club in the Football League. In 1928, the club's name was changed for the final time to Stoke City Football Club when Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status. The club moved in 1997 to the Britannia Stadium, a 28,383 all-seater stadium; the Victoria Ground was demolished later that year.

In the 2007–08 season, Stoke won promotion from the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football, and as of 2008–09 are playing in the top flight (currently English Premier League) for the first time since the 1984–85 season, when they were relegated with a total of 17 points, a record low unsurpassed for 21 years. Stoke's only major trophy was the 1972 Football League Cup, won when they beat Chelsea 2–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 97,852. The club have also won the Associate Members Cup—a competition for clubs in the two lower divisions of The Football League—in 1992 and 2000.

1863–1930: Early years

Stoke Ramblers was formed in 1863 when former pupils of Charterhouse School formed a football club while apprentices at the North Staffordshire Railway works in Stoke-on-Trent.] In April of that year, the club achieved its largest league crowd—51,373 against Arsenal. Steele's 33 league goals in the 1936–37 season remains a club record in 2007.

By 1938, rumours purported that Stanley Matthews wanted to leave Stoke to further his career. This led to a meeting at Kings Hall, attended by three thousand people with a further thousand outside. Matthews opted to stay with Stoke and helped the club to finish in seventh place in the 1938–39 season.

The outbreak of the Second World War prevented further progress as the league was suspended for six years. After resumption of the FA Cup, 33 fans died and 520 were injured during a sixth round away game against Bolton Wanderers when the crush barriers gave way on the terraces. [] [] Alan Durban, arriving from Shrewsbury Town, [] and Mark Chamberlain from Port Vale, [] decided to bring back veteran Alan Hudson, [] The start of the 1990–91 season in the Third Division marked the first time Stoke had played at this level in 63 years. Ball kept his job for the start of this campaign but departed in February 1991 in the midst of an indifferent season that saw Stoke finish 15th. This remains the club's lowest league position, as of 2007.] The following season, 1992–93, promotion was achieved from the third tier, now known as Division Two, [The name was changed from Third Division to Division Two due to the formation of the Premier League. For more information, see Origins of Premier League.] with Stoke finishing as league champions. Stein, a £100,000 purchase from Oxford United, [] Durban was unable to keep the club up, with a 23rd place finish consigning Stoke to relegation from Division One. [] and Stoke began the season impressively, holding first place until December with six straight wins. The team's form tailed off in the latter stages of the season, leading to Little's departure at the end of the season. His successor, Gary Megson, was only in the job for four months. [cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/managers2.sd?managerid=482|title=Gary Megson's managerial career|work=soccerbase.com|accessdate=2007-07-03] Megson was forced to depart following a takeover by Stoke Holding, an Icelandic consortium that purchased a 66 percent share in Stoke City F.C. for £6.6m. [cite web|url=http://www.redstripe.com/history.htm|title=The History of Stoke City Football Club|work=redstripe.com|accessdate=2007-07-02] The club's new owners appointed the club's first foreign manager, Icelander Gudjon Thordarson, in November 1999. [cite web|url=http://www.soccerbase.com/managers2.sd?managerid=1587|title=Gudjon Thordarson's managerial career|work=soccerbase.com|accessdate=2007-07-03] [cite web|url=http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~djandyp/stokecity/stoke_ice.htm|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070624021609/http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~djandyp/stokecity/stoke_ice.htm|archivedate=2007-06-24|title=Gudjon Thordarson - Stoke City Manager 1999 - 2002|work=totalise.co.uk|accessdate=2007-07-02]

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Steve Cotterill was drafted in as Thordarson's replacement before the start of the 2002–03 season. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/2009256.stm|title=Stoke unveil Cotterill|work=BBC Sport|date=2002-05-27|accessdate=2007-07-06] Cotterill quit in October 2002, after only four months in charge, to take the role of Howard Wilkinson's assistant at Sunderland. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/2315421.stm|title=Cotterill quits Stoke|work=BBC Sport|date=2002-10-10|accessdate=2007-07-06] [cite news|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire/sport/2002/10/10/cotterill.shtml|title=Cotterill moves to Sunderland as Howard Wilkinson's number two|work=BBC Gloucestershire Sport|accessdate=2007-07-08|date=2002-10-10] Dead link|date=September 2008 The club were close to unveiling George Burley as their new manager after Cotterill's departure; however, a last minute charge of heart led the former Ipswich manager to decline the club's offer. The club acted swiftly and Tony Pulis was appointed as Stoke's new manager shortly afterwards. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/2385193.stm|title=Pulis gets Stoke job|work=BBC Sport|date=2002-11-01|accessdate=2007-07-10] Pulis steered Stoke clear of relegation with a 1–0 win over Reading on the final day of the season that kept the club in the the Championship. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/2967967.stm|title=Akinbiyi keeps Stoke up|work=BBC Sport|date=2003-05-04|accessdate=2007-06-12] The club's position in the league was consolidated in 2003–04. [cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=eng.2&season=2003&column=none&order=false&cc=5739|title=English League Championship Table - 2003/04|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-10] Pulis was sacked at the end of the 2004–05 season, following a disagreement between himself and the club's owners. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/4630755.stm|title=Manager Pulis is sacked by Stoke|work=BBC Sport|date=2005-06-28|accessdate=2007-07-01] Dutch manager Johan Boskamp was named as Pulis' successor on 29 June 2005, only a day after Pulis was sacked. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/4633511.stm|title=Boskamp named as new Stoke boss|work=BBC Sport|date=2005-06-29|accessdate=2007-06-12] Boskamp broke the club's transfer record in signing Sambegou Bangoura for a fee in the region of £1m. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/4181162.stm|title=Potters complete Bangoura signing|work=BBC Sport|date=2005-08-30|accessdate=2007-07-01] Another significant addition was the signing of Belgium international Carl Hoefkens, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/4683543.stm|title=Stoke complete deal for Hoefkens|work=BBC Sport|date=2005-07-26|accessdate=2007-07-01] who subsequently won the Fans' Player of the Year Award for the 2005–06 season. [cite web|url=http://www.wba.premiumtv.co.uk/page/ProfilesDetail/0,,10366~33987,00.html|title= Player Profiles - Carl Hoefkens|work=West Bromwich Albion F.C.|accessdate=2007-09-04] Despite his spending on new players, Boskamp's side was inconsistent and only a mid-table finish was achieved. [cite web|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=eng.2&season=2005&column=none&order=false&cc=5739|title=English League Championship Table - 2005/06|work=ESPN|accessdate=2007-07-01] The season was marred by a feud between Boskamp and the club's director of football, John Rudge, which escalated to the point where Boskamp threatened to quit. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/4584396.stm|title=Boskamp may quit over Rudge row|work=BBC Sport|date=2006-01-05|accessdate=2007-07-06] Boskamp left at the end of the 2005–06 season, amidst a takeover by former chairman Peter Coates. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/4960852.stm|title=Boskamp confirms exit from Stoke|work=BBC Sport|accessdate=2007-07-01|date=2006-04-30]

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2008–present: Promotion and the Premier League

On 4 May 2008, Stoke City won promotion to the top flight of English football after a 23 year absence, and as of 2008–09 are playing in the Premier League for the first time. [citenews|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/7368631.stm|title=Stoke 0-0 Leicester|work=Vital football|date=2008-05-04|accessdate=2008-05-05] On 18 July 2008, the club broke their transfer record to purchase striker Dave Kitson for £5.5m from Reading. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/7511777.stm|title=Stoke seal £5.5m Kitson transfer|work=BBC Sport|date=2007-07-18|accessdate=2007-07-18] The following weekend, the Britannia Stadium hosted its first ever top-flight game, against Aston Villa, with a home win courtesy of Mamady Sidibe's injury-time goal giving Stoke City their first ever Premier League points. [citenews|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/7565062.stm|title=Stoke 3-2 Aston Villa|work=BBC Sport|date=2008-08-23|accessdate=2008-09-25]

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