New Delhi: The soccer fever courtesy English football will soon grip many fans around the world. Here we tell you all you need to know about Stoke City, one of the teams featuring in the English Premier League this season.
One of the many clubs in the English Premier League that has been often accused of just making up the numbers. While it is a very subjective issue of why do some clubs struggle to perform at the top level despite having a presence for well over a century as well as a great infrastructure in place, Stoke City are at times unfairly criticised.
Stoke is a club that is having a history of over 150 years but has never come even close at having a fair shot at the title in the top tier of English football, its critics point out. But one would also like to defend it even if you are not a staunch supporter. It has a small pool of talent to aim at, located in the sleepy and quaint place called Staffordshire in England.
It does not have big names on its roster and is generally a breeding ground for both rising talents as well as journeyman footballers.
Stoke’s coach Mark Hughes is not your in-your-face, hyperactive manager but is rather a cool, collected man. And maybe at times one gets a feeling that the club is just getting along, not pushing for improvement.
But you have to give one thing to them. They have stayed in the Premier League for 10 seasons in a row (including the upcoming 2017-18 season) and have had no threat of being relegated all these years, keeping themselves at the mid level of the league table season after season. It is the next step that the club will like to take if they are to pose a serious challenge.
Founded
The understated football club was founded in the year 1863.
Ground
The club’s home is the Britannia Stadium which is now called bet365 Stadium due to sponsorship reasons. It is located in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.
Manager
The club is coached by Mark Hughes.
Captain
The club is captained by Ryan Shawcross.
Best finish
The best that the club has finished in the top tier is number four in the seasons 1935-36 and 1946-47.
Last season's position
The club finished outside the top 10 at number 13.
