Last time City played pathetically at home in midweek, the team responded with what I’d say was their best away performance of the season so far. I reckon Coventry is the one away game we’ve deserved to win so far and I suppose one reason for optimism is that whatever Stoke’s ground is called these days, it’s a place where we’ve not lost often in recent seasons.
Trouble is, any neutral watching us take on Sheffield Wednesday, QPR and Preston recently would struggle to believe we have another win in us all season, let alone tomorrow!
There’s no doubt that the club is in a right mess currently. I think it’s generally accepted now that the decision making at the top is seriously flawed and will continue to be so until there’s a change of ownership. Furthermore, the manager has done his cause no favours with how he’s handled the last two home games and, now you sense attitudes are changing towards the players.
As I mentioned elsewhere, what are you to make of a squad of players that puts it out to the media that they want the current caretaker manager to stay and then, less than a month later, are playing as if they’re trying to get him sacked?
I still hear from plenty of people that this isn’t a relegation squad, but Wednesday finally convinced me that, after nearly half a season of pretty compelling evidence, they certainly have the “potential” to be one.
It’s about time the players started to repay the faith of those who still have the belief that they can finish in the top half, but I’m not holding my breath.
On to the quiz then..
60s. This Staffordshire born forward did not make his first team debut until he was twenty six, yet he, just about, made it into a fourth decade of service to the club and I think he may be the first player in the history of the quiz whose career started pre World War 2. Furthermore, his departure from Stoke was a controversial one, coming as it did with him well within reach of breaking the club’s scoring record. He only played for two clubs, the second one being as player manager of a non league team, which has since experienced league football, that had a ground which featured the name of a flower. Can you name him?
70s. On one level, he had the career of a typical lower league journeyman, but dig a little deeper and it could be that he was unique. For a start, he was one of very few players who have turned out for Stoke, Crewe and Port Vale – indeed, he was spat at when he first signed for Vale because of his Stoke affiliation. Stoke were his first club, but he never made it to more than a squad player during his six years with them, He was certainly a nomad as he went to play for clubs in South Africa, USA, the Netherlands and Wales and his unusual career continued after his retirement as, besides managing three local non league teams, he became one of what must be a very small number of ex footballers to operate his own burger van. Who is he?
80s. Which Stoke player of this decade shares their name with a modern day Baroness who was once an MP?
90s. Stable crone transforms the Stoke midfield! (4,7)
00s. “Lady of the night” takes wing by the sound of it.
10s. Which two members of the last Stoke squad to be relegated are currently hoping for a promotion while wearing the same design shirts as they with the Potters?
20s. One time percussionist with Swansea affiliation?
Answers:
60s. Frank Bowyer signed for Stoke as a teenager in 1936, but his debut was delayed until after the war. Bowyer was in the Stoke team beaten 1-0 by City at the Victoria Ground late in the 59/60 promotion season and got within three goals of the club scoring record before accepting an offer to become player manager at Moss Rose, the home of Macclesfield Town.
70s. Terry Lees was an unused sub for Stoke’s League Cup winning team in 1972. He went on to play for fifteen clubs, one of them being Newport County..
80s. Nicky Morgan was a centre forward for Stoke in the eighties, while his namesake is the current Baroness Morgan of Cotes and was an MP for Loughborough between 2010 and 2019.
90s. Carl Beeston.
00s. Tom Soares.
10s. Tyrese Campbell and Harry Souttar, now both with Sheffield United ,
20s. Jack Bonham (the late John Bonham was Led Zeppelin’s drummer).