http://www.footballcourier.com/news...-manor-ground-to-the-mestalla/full_story.html Cast your mind back, if you can, to 2001. Sven-Goran Eriksson has just taken over as England manager and Atomic Kitten's Whole Again is number one. No-one has heard of the X Factor - in fact HearSay are about to be spawned from Popstars - and the UK is set to be hit by foot and mouth disease. The Europa League did not yet exist, but an appearance in the last 32 of its predecessor, the Uefa Cup, would have seemed fanciful to Stoke City fans as the Potters drew 1-1 at Oxford on 20 February of that year in what was then Division Two. On the same night, City's opponents at the Britannia Stadium on Thursday, Valencia - the return leg in Spain follows on 23 February - were drawing 1-1 against Manchester United on the way to the Champions League final. City, with Icelander Gudjon Thordarson in charge after a consortium of his compatriots took over the club in 1999, would eventually lose to Walsall in the play-off semi-finals. "We'd not long moved to the Britannia Stadium and we were desperately trying to get out of Division Two," Clive Clarke, a full-back with the Potters at the time, told BBC Sport. "We probably should have beaten Walsall and won promotion but Gudjon decided to mess with the team and played players out of position. We ended up getting beaten quite easily." The Icelandic invasion of the Britannia Stadium not only included the chairman and manager, but also saw seven players from the country arrive during a six-and-a-half-year period. On his arrival at the helm, chairman Gunnar Gislason stated that his target was Premier League football within five years, an ambition welcomed by fans who were glad to see the back of previous majority shareholder Peter Coates after Stoke had been relegated from Division One in their first season at the Britannia. "They didn't have any experience of English football, so when they first came in it was new to us all and it took a little while to adapt," continued Clarke. "In their first full season at the club, there were high expectations around the place. "Gudjon came in with a lot of good ideas, but he probably didn't know the level and it took a little while for us to adjust." Although that first season under the new regime ended in play-off disappointment, the Potters did manage to win promotion the following season. However, the play-off final win over Brentford proved to be Thordarson's last match in charge. What followed, predominantly under current manager Tony Pulis, was a period of second-tier obscurity, a spell that gradually wore down the good will from Stoke fans towards the Icelanders. "Coming towards the end of Tony's first spell in charge, we were wondering if the club had any ambition," said Clarke, who made 265 appearances for the Potters between 1996 and 2005. "Good players turned up to sign, but they came, had a look around and then left without any reason for not signing. We thought that was a lack of ambition from the board. "The lads who came for talks - Bobby Zamora, Steve Sidwell, Damien Francis, Rob Hulse - they slipped through the net and would have made us a better team. "The Icelanders came in with big ideas and eventually it was shown that there wasn't much money to be spent." Pulis would be sacked by Gislason in the summer of 2005 after a failure to "implement the strategy of exploiting foreign markets", but the Icelanders would follow him through the Britannia Stadium exit door a year later. Their departure paved the way for Coates, a man vilified by Stoke fans in the final stages of his first spell at the helm, to re-emerge, backed now by millions of pounds from a successful gambling business. His first move was to seek out Pulis, the Welshman - by this time managing at Plymouth - who had impressed Coates during his spell in charge of the Potters. His return was a move not universally popular with City fans. "The objective was to get in the Premier League - that was it," said Coates. "I felt if we could get there within a five-year period, that would be good." In fact, it took Coates and Pulis only two seasons to return City to the top flight after a 23-year absence. The pair followed that with Stoke's first FA Cup final appearance and, though they lost out to Manchester City at Wembley, a European trip where the next stop is Valencia. One of the quirks of the journey from the third tier of English football to a date with the Spanish giants is the fact that in Oxford in 2001, the Potters had supposedly embarked on a new era under the Icelandic owners. But in a delightful twist of footballing fate it is Coates and Pulis, two men seen off by the Icelanders, who have led the Stoke revival. "It's a great time for the club. What we want do is enjoy it, especially if we can win," continued Coates. "The achievements of the present manager and his team and are probably the best ever in the history of the club. "Football is a great game when things are going well and it's very difficult when it's going badly. I've experienced it and that's how it is. "You move on in life and try not to dwell on the past. I'm just pleased we're doing well now and trying to make sure it stays that way."
Sounds familiar? I remember those days, sitting at the newley built Brit with no more than 6000 or 8000 fans, it was awful! Its nice to see in Black & While the rapid rise we have experienced and goes some way to highlighteing the superb job Peter Coates & TP have done, a combination of clevery management (especially in the loan market on the eay to promotion) and the willingness to spend large amounts of money to create a squad (through Coates and his unquestionable support for the manager). All in all it has been a wondeful journey and one I think EVERY fan is grateful and appreciative off! Whether the romance is built to last is a different question?
Saw this write up on BBC sport, alongside these bullets of dates/events in the main article. 1999 - Icelandic consortium takes over at Stoke, with Gudjon Thordarson appointed manager 2000 - Stoke win Football League Trophy 2001 - City lose to Walsall in Division Two play-off semi-finals May 2002 - Potters win promotion to Division One, beating Brentford in play-off final, but Thordarson is sacked November 2002 - After Steve Cotterill leaves for Sunderland, Tony Pulis begins his first spell in charge 2005 - Pulis is sacked and replaced by Johan Boskamp, who spends one season in charge 2006 - Peter Coates returns as majority shareholder, with Pulis reappointed as manager 2008 - City win promotion to the Premier League 2011 - Stoke reach the FA Cup final for the first time
To be fair Nick we have come a mighty long way and I honestly believe we couldn't have had a better manager to get us promoted! However, as you and everybody else is aware, I think there are a hat full of maangers out there that could have delievered the same results in the prem on half the money, or given us the same results whilst deliverying a decent standard of football that paying fans would enjoy!
Huthy, absolutely not, aimed at the original article. Smithers, totally agree with you, I have ALWAYS said 'well done' when posting about Pulis and promotion, ALWAYS said that he did a fantastic job to keep us up for the first 2 seasons and yes I will ALWAYS be grateful to him for that. BUT.................... For the last 2 seasons or so, not so good, no progression and I am not going to mention the money spent, that's been done to death. Of course I am happy that we are where we are, all I will say, it could be better. Before anyone says it, I do not have unrealistic expectations for us, no Champions League, no top 6 finishes etc, but I don't believe there is any one of us that are happy at the style of football that we play, we all know that given playing the players in their correct positions and by playing with 2 wingers, we can and DO play much more attractive AND effective football. If setting up a team not to win, but not to lose is your thing, then Pulis is your man. So I do not want to hear 'look where we are now' you could say 'look where we could have been' but how good would it be to say 'look where we are going'
100% with you on that Nicky.. Morning guys!! Smither's of course this is IMHO one of the biggest, if not the biggest days in our history.. I can remember sitting at the new stadium, half full zero atmosphere and it was awful. At the time I said. "I wish we we're back at the "Old Vic" I aways remember how good it felt to stand in the old Boothen End and everyone singing their heads off. Gujon was a love him or hate him type of Manager, much like Tony Pulis I think? The football more often than not was great to watch and we would win games by the odd goal.. but usually shipping at least 2 and scoring 3. Exciting I think it was for a while. Coates came back and what an amazing turnaround since then.. I too think to some extent we've stood still for about a season and a half.. Last season apart from the Cup Final was a massive anti climax. Lost to wigan which if we had won would have seen us finish top hall. But tonight, I will be well up for the game, WE ALL should BE. Just enjoy the occasion, they don't come around too often and I HOPE that Tony picks a really good attacking team and just goes for it. I watched Arsenal get hammered last night and it got me thinking.. Many fans keep saying that Arsenal for all their good passing, tippy tappy stuff do not achieve what is "expected by their fans and Arsene Wenger" I also noticed that Milan for all their good football, I thought they were brilliant. That hey showed they can tackle back and play it long too! I'm not sure when compared to Barcca just how good they are.. NOT that far behind the top two in Spain league wise.. let's just get at them and IF we can pull off a win.. it's something we will ALL remember for a long, long time. Of course Mighty Huth is right, Cup Final ect not just about tonight's game.. thanks Mr Coates and of course Tony Pulis for getting us this far, NO mean acheivement and many clubs would love to be in our position tonight.... although many scough at the idea the Europa means nothing.. of course it does and I'm well up for it. Don't let this game pass us by Mr Pulis... let's go out and SHOW everyone that we can compete with the best.. because I KNOW we can. I just hope that T.P. and the player's know it.. KTF guys and ENJOY IT, sing your'e heads off and who knows, anything is possible.. ONE excited Pott's today... I can't wait until 8:05p.m. Let's ROCK and ROLL.
