Just read this on bbc, great to see a club looking after their fans, hope this makes a few other chairmen/owners take a look at themselves, doubt it though! Be interested to know if there's any stipulations though, no drink etc
Great idea, hope more clubs do the same would help keep fans at grounds rather than in front of the box
Personally I think it's the club begging it's fans to look after it not the other way round. Your team deserve more away support. Not a dig, I can't afford to get to most home games so I have no moral high ground. But it doesn't look good. You guys can belt some noise out at home but a lot of teams are just a bit stale, turn 400 travelling fans into 4000 and make some noise then you'll get more success on the road. Good luck for the season fellas!
To be fair we only take 400 to sunderland/newcastle because it's ages away! if it was closer i'm sure it would be more 2000 fans going.
Mate, that is no excuse, Think about the miles Sunderland and Newcastle fans have to clock up every season as the leagues most northern teams. Bad excuse to use on a fan of a North East club fella.
Sunderland's away support is never anything special, newcastle's is in a different league. But they do have a home gate of 52000 or you have around 40000 dont you? We dont always fill our 28000 seater, that needs to be taken into consideration. We are a smaller city with less fans.
Yeah just over that. But Stoke is more than double Sunderland's population and it doesn't have a massive rival virtually merging it's town. Plus Sunderland is officially one of the most poverty ridden towns in the uk. 400 fans is **** mate, give the dog a bone and back your club more (not you personally, but you know what I mean).
I think what you all seem to be forgetting is that our away support dropped off under Pulis. Who wanted to go and see a negative manager park the bus game after game and hold out for a point? Travelling away costs a fortune and the fans were not being treated fairly. You will see a huge difference under Hughes and our support home or away is one of the best in the premier league. I travel away a lot and Sunderland is one of the few places we take many fans!
You are also forgetting that last season both the Sunderland game and Newcastle games were not played Saturday. Sunderland was in midweek on the box and Newcastle Sunday at 4pm if memory serves me. So really for a lot of supporters not feasible. Also away from home we were negative in the extreme.
Towards the latter part of the season it became a stand off between the fans and Pulis........but as you say Tent there were additional logistical issues with those particluar games.
It seems like a good idea and a fine gesture from the club. For me personally, I might give it a go. As a lad in the 60s I regularly travelled to away games on the old footy special trains but mainly to grounds in the Midlands, or Maine Road/Old Trafford. I have always wanted to visit White Hart Lane for instance but never have done. I may take the opportunity to do so this coming season. It would mean driving to Stoke to catch the coach but if it's free that would be good. It depends on how the system is to be operated but I would be interested in using the service.
a very good idea and nice for us to be the first to announce that we will be giving free travel, well done stoke city
Yes great PR by the club. I have commented on the thread by Malcolm Clarke on the Oatcake. 85% of Stoke supporters live locally within North Staffs and the Supporters Council had influence on the club following this through. So as Malcolm has said it is good that supporters can influence the thinking of a club. No benefit to me travelling to home or away games, but I understand the club has got to keep it simple in order to make it work! Maybe this year we may be more positive away from home! Best Wishes
Waddo Good last post that! And I HAVE my ticket for the Liverpool away game and it's not because of the free travel ( well done SCFC) it's because PULIS is no more. I just HOPE that more Stoke fans do as I will be doing support the lads be attending more away games. Only downer is bleedin Newcastle AWAY on Boxing Day!!
As I said in my earlier post, it's a great gesture by the club and I may well take advantage of it. However, Potts, I will not be travelling by coach to Newcastle. I'll just spend Xmas/Boxing Day with my daughter/son-in-law and go to the game with him, I hope. Could not have worked out better for me.
