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After all that it was no surprise that they were struggling and for most of the season they looked very likely to be relegated. They survived just on the last day of the season. As Brighton went down at already down Grimsby an Ade Akinbiyi goal saw them win at home to Reading to keep their division one place.
There was some transfer activity in the summer as Pulis set about rebuilding and a number of players left including former Burnley striker Andy Cooke who has moved to Busan Icons in South Korea.
Probably the one player they didn’t want to lose was James O’Connor who moved to West Brom at the end of his contract with Stoke still complaining about the tribunal set fee.
Gifton Noel-Williams was the first summer signing from Watford and he was joined by six other players before the big kick off. Chelsea goalkeeper Ed de Goey was one of them as were Clint Hill from Oldham, Coventry skipper John Eustace, Darel Russel from Norwich and Carl Asaba who escaped Neil Warnock at Sheffield United.
Along with them they also signed Keith Andrews on a loan deal from Wolves and since the season started have added Paul Williams from Southampton.
The season got off to a cracking start and they won their first two matches to go top of the league. The first of those wins was a 3-0 victory on the opening day of the season at Derby and they followed that up by beating Franchise 2-1 at home.
Draws against Walsall and Millwall followed before they suffered their first defeat last week at the hands of the Weary Whinger and Preston.
Preston deserved the win and Stoke boss Tony Pulis said after the game, "The end product was not there for us today. We weren’t as good as we have been in the last couple of weeks, but credit to Preston because they worked hard and made it difficult for us."
The Stoke line up at Deepdale was: Ed de Goey, Wayne Thomas, Paul Williams (Lewis Neal 86), Marcus Hall, Darel Russell, Keith Andrews, Chris Greenacre (Marc Goodfellow 55), John Eustace (Chris Ilewumo 86), Clive Clarke, Carl Asaba, Gifton Noel-Williams. Subs not used: Neil Cutler, Petur Martiensson.
Burnley will be looking to stop Stoke getting back to winning ways and will hope to repeat last season’s win at the Britannia Stadium.
Click HERE to see Stoke’s results this season.
Past Results in the last 20 years
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
a | |||||
1990/91 | FAC | h | 2-0 | 12,949 | Francis White |
1992/93 | 2 | h | 0-2 | 16,667 | |
a | 1-1 | 21,840 | Randall | ||
1994/95 | 1 | h | 1-1 | 15,331 | Davis |
a | 0-2 | 13,040 | |||
1998/99 | 2 | h | 0-2 | 10,575 | |
a | 4-1 | 10,965 | Pickering Payton Little(2) | ||
1999/2000 | 2 | h | 1-0 | 11,328 | Payton |
a | 2-2 | 15,354 | Payton(2 1pen) | ||
2002/03 | 1 | h | 2-1 | 14,244 | Gnohere Papadopoulos |
a | 1-0 | 12,874 | West |
One from the Past
Stoke City 4 (Bebbington Ritchie(2) Dobing) Burnley 4 (Lochhead Allen(og) Harris(2))
Football League Division One – Saturday 2nd November 1963
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The big news breaking in Burnley though had nothing to do with football but concerned the Mechanics Institute in Manchester Road. It had opened its doors in 1855 and in its time had been home to such exciting activities as whist, chess, snooker, billiards and even a reading room.
That was all set to change though as the council were considering, and expected to approve, a transfer of the lease to the owners of Casino Club (Bolton) Ltd.
It was going to be an exciting venture with plans for the staging of cabaret shows, gaming and bingo sessions and dancing for both members and local organisations.
A spokesman for Casino Club did stress though that it would be family entertainment and there would be no striptease shows. "They will not be allowed, Burnley wants nothing like that," said the spokesman.
That didn’t concern the Burnley fans who set off for the Victoria Ground and a chance to see Jimmy Mac, there were even Burnley fans going who wanted Jimmy and Stoke to beat us and it nearly happened in a classic.
John Connelly playing his 200th league game turned in a man of the match performance and how it was needed as the Clarets had to stage a storming come back.
When Stoke scored right on half time it gave them a 3-0 lead and all looked lost. As the players left the field Jimmy McIlroy looked up at the directors’ box and beemed at a furious Bob Lord who didn’t want to see the Irishman get one over on him.
But we staged the most incredible of fight backs, even allowing Stoke another goal. We pulled one back on 57 minutes after great work by Connelly set up Andy Lochhead to touch the ball home from point blank range and a minute later it was 3-2 when Allen turned a Connelly cross into his own goal.
Burnley stormed forward but just couldn’t get a third and equalising goal and all looked lost nine minutes from time when former Blackburn player Peter Dobing increased Stoke’s lead to two goals.
But with six minutes to go a game that had always threatened to boil over erupted as Connelly was seen on the ground clutching his face. Top referee Leo Callaghan had no hesitation and sent off Stoke’s Eddie Clamp.
The game restarted with a free kick to Burnley and Gordon Harris hit a rocket from over twenty yards.
It was all Burnley now and with two minutes left it was 4-4 when a Trevor Meredith cross was fumbled by Stoke keeper Leslie and Harris hammered home the loose ball.
It had been a classic and there was no disguising he beeming smile on the face of Bob Lord at the end. The Burnley fans there remained to applaud their former hero from the field, he didn’t look right in a red and white striped shirt.
The teams were:
Stoke: Lawrie Leslie, Eric Skeels, Tony Allen, Calvin Palmer, Eddie Stuart, Eddie Clamp, Gerry Bridgewood, Peter Dobing, John Ritchie, Jimmy McIlroy, Keith Bebbington.
Burnley: Adam Blacklaw, John Angus, Freddie Smith, Brian O’Neil, John Talbut, Brian Miller, Trevor Meredith, Andy Lochhead, Jimmy Robson, Gordon Harris, John Connelly.
Referee: Leo Callagham (Merthyr Tydfil).
Attendance: 37,279.