Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the club changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was grantedcity status. Stoke's home ground is the 30,089 capacitybet365 Stadium. Before it was opened in 1997, the club was based at theVictoria Ground, which was their home ground since 1878. The club's nickname is The Potters, after thepottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent, and their traditional home kit is a red-and-white vertically striped shirt, white shorts and stockings. Their traditional rivals are Midlands clubsWest Bromwich Albion andWolverhampton Wanderers, whilst their local rivals arePort Vale with whom they contest thePotteries derby.
Stoke were one of the twelve founding members of theFootball League in1888. They failedre-election in 1890, but were re-admitted after winning the1890–91Football Alliance title. The club were relegated from theFirst Division in 1907 and entered liquidation the following year. Though the club was saved, they were not re-elected until 1915, and instead spent the intervening years in theBirmingham & District League andSouthern League. Promoted from theSecond Division in1921–22, the club were relegated twice in four years by 1926. Stoke won theThird Division North in1926–27 and then the Second Division title in1932–33. They remained in the top-flight for twenty years and then spent a decade in the Second Division, before winning promotion as champions in1962–63.
Under the stewardship ofTony Waddington, Stoke won theLeague Cup in1972 with a 2–1 victory overChelsea. Stoke had also been beaten finalists in1964. The club spent fourteen years in the top-flight, and would secure promotion in1978–79 after being relegated two years earlier. Stoke remained in the top-flight from 1979 to 1985, though were relegated to theThird Division in 1990. Having won theFootball League Trophy in1992, they were promoted as champions in1992–93. Relegation in 1998 allowed the club to win another Football League Trophy title in2000, before promotion was secured with victory in the2002 play-off final. ManagerTony Pulis took Stoke into thePremier League at the end of the2007–08 campaign. They played in thefinal of theFA Cup in2011, finishing runners-up toManchester City, which saw the club qualify forEuropean football. Ten years of Premier League football culminated in relegation to the EFL Championship in 2018.
Graph showing Stoke City F.C.'s progress through the English football league system 1888 to the present
Although there are reports of the game being played in Stoke in 1863 and the club gives this as its official date of formation,[1][4][8][9] the Stoke Ramblers club was formed in 1868 byHenry Almond, who had been a student at Charterhouse school where a dribbling form of the game was popular.[10] Almond arrived in the region to become an apprentice with the North Staffordshire Railway Company and, wishing to continue playing the game that he had enjoyed whilst at school, established the first formal association football club in the region.[4] The club's first documented match was in October 1868, against a scratch team brought together for the occasion by E.W May. Harry Almond captained the Stoke Ramblers team and also scored the club's first goal.[4] The club's first recorded away match was at Congleton, a rugby club that were convinced to play a one-off fixture under association rules, in December 1868.[11] From the 1860s, the club played at the Victoria Cricket Club ground; however they switched to a nearby ground at Sweetings Field in 1875 to cope with rising attendances.[1]
The Stoke team of 1877–78
In 1870, after two seasons as the Ramblers, the club dropped the suffix from its title and became known as Stoke Football Club.[12] It became closely aligned with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club, sharing facilities and some administrative responsibilities.[1] The club played at the Athletic Club ground, which soon became known as theVictoria Ground.[4] It was around this time that the club adopted their traditional red-and-white striped kit. In August 1885, the club turned professional.[1]
Stoke were one of the twelve founding members ofthe Football League when it was introduced in 1888.[4] The club struggled in their first two seasons,1888–89 and1889–90, finishing bottom on both occasions.[13] In 1890 Stoke failed to bere-elected, the first club to do so,[14] and joined theFootball Alliance, which they won, and thus were re-elected to the Football League. Stoke spent the next 15 seasons in the First Division and reached the FA Cup semi-final in the1898–99 season before being relegated in 1907 with severe financial problems. Stoke went bankrupt at the end of the1907–08 season and entered non-league football, playing in theBirmingham & District League andSouthern League until 1915, when the First World War meant the Football League was suspended for four years. However, at the League's Annual General Meeting of that year, Stoke was re-elected to theSecond Division at the expense ofGlossop. During the wartime period, Stoke entered theLancashire Primary and Secondary leagues.[15] When football recommenced in August 1919, Stoke was back in the league.
The club became owners of theVictoria Ground in 1919. This was followed by the construction of the Butler Street stand, which increased the overall capacity of the ground to 50,000.[16] In 1925, Stoke-on-Trent was grantedcity status and this led the club to change its name toStoke City F.C.[17]
The 1930s saw the debut of club's most celebrated player,Stanley Matthews. Matthews, who grew up inHanley, was an apprentice at the club and made his first appearance in March 1932,[18] againstBury, at the age of 17.[19] By end of the decade, Matthews had established himself as anEngland international and as one of the best footballers of his generation. Stoke achieved promotion from the Second Division in1932–33 – as champions – however Matthews only featured in fifteen games in this season. He did however score his first goal for the club in a 3–1 win against local rivalsPort Vale.[19]
By 1934, the club's average attendance had risen to over 23,000, which in turn allowed the club to give the managerTom Mather increased transfer funds. The club was now considered one of the top teams in the country. It was in this period that the club recorded its record league win, a 10–3 win overWest Bromwich Albion in February 1937. In April of that year, the club achieved its record league crowd – 51,373 againstArsenal.Freddie Steele's 33 league goals in the1936–37 season remains a club record.[19]
Following the resumption of theFA Cup afterWorld War II, tragedy struck on 9 March 1946, as 33 fans died and 520 were injured during a 6th round tie away againstBolton Wanderers. This came known as theBurnden Park disaster.[20] In1946–47, Stoke mounted a serious title challenge. The club needed a win in their final game of the season to win the First Division title. However, a 2–1 defeat toSheffield United meant the title went toLiverpool instead. Stanley Matthews left with 3 games remaining of the 1946–47 season, opting to joinBlackpool at the age of 32.[20]
Stoke were relegated from theFirst Division in1952–53; during the seasonBob McGrory resigned as the club's manager after 17 years in the role.[21][22] FormerWolverhampton Wanderers defenderFrank Taylor took over at the club looking to gain promotion back to the First Division. However, after seven seasons in theSecond Division without promotion, Taylor was sacked. Taylor was shocked at being fired and vowed never to be associated with football again.[4]
Tony Waddington was appointed as the club's manager in June 1960.[23] He joined the club in 1952 as a coach, before being promoted to assistant manager in 1957. Waddington pulled off a significant coup by enticing Stanley Matthews – then 46 years old – back to the club, 14 years after he had departed.[24] The return of Matthews helped Stoke to an improved eighth position in1961–62. Promotion was achieved in thefollowing season, with Stoke finishing as champions.[24] In their first season back in the top flight,1963–64, the team celebrated its centenary[25] and Waddington guided Stoke to a mid-table finish. Stoke reached the1964 Football League Cup final, which they lost 4–3 toLeicester City over two legs.[24]
Waddington counted on experience;Dennis Viollet,Jackie Mudie,Roy Vernon,Maurice Setters andJimmy McIlroy were all players signed in the latter stages of their careers. Matthews was awarded aknighthood for services to football in the 1965 New Year's Honours list. This was followed by his final appearance for the club againstFulham in February 1965, shortly after his 50th birthday.Gordon Banks,England's1966 World Cup-winninggoalkeeper, joined in 1967 for£52,000 from Leicester.[24] Regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world,[26][27] Banks proved to be a shrewd signing for Waddington as he helped the club maintain stability in the First Division.[24] During the close season of 1967, Stoke City played in the one-offUnited Soccer Association which imported clubs from Europe and South America. Stoke played as theCleveland Stokers and finished as runner-up of the Eastern Division.[28]
In January 1976, the roof of the Butler Street Stand was blown off in a storm.[31] The repair bill of nearly £250,000 put the club in financial trouble; key players such asAlan Hudson,Mike Pejic andJimmy Greenhoff were sold to cover the repairs. With the team depleted, Stoke were relegated in the1976–77 season. Waddington, after a spell of 17 years in charge, left the club after a 1–0 home defeat to Leicester in March 1977.[30]
Waddington's replacement,George Eastham, left in January 1978 after only ten months in charge, and was replaced byAlan Durban fromShrewsbury Town. Durban achieved promotion to the First Division in the1978–79 season,[30] but after consolidating the club's position in the First Division, he left to manageSunderland in 1981.[32]Richie Barker was appointed for the1981–82 season, but was sacked in December 1983 and was replaced byBill Asprey. Asprey decided to bring back veteranAlan Hudson, and the decision paid off as an improved second half of the season saw Stoke avoid relegation on the final day of the1983–84 season.[32]
The1984–85 season proved to be disastrous. Stoke finished the season with only 17 points, with just three wins all season.Mick Mills was appointedplayer-manager for the1985–86 season,[32] but was unable to sustain a challenge for promotion in his four seasons as manager and was sacked in November 1989. His successor,Alan Ball Jr., became the club's fifth manager in ten years.[32] Ball struggled in his first season in charge,1989–90, and Stoke were relegated to the third tier of English football after finishing bottom of the Second Division. Ball kept his job for the start of the following season,1990–91, but departed during February 1991, in an indifferent season that saw Stoke finish 14th in theThird Division, Stoke's lowest league position.[33]
Ball's successor,Lou Macari, was appointed in May 1991, prior to the start of the1991–92 season. He clinched silverware for the club; the1992 Football League Trophy was won with a 1–0 victory againstStockport County at Wembley, withMark Stein scoring the only goal of the match. The following season,1992–93, promotion was achieved from the third tier. Macari left for his boyhood clubCeltic in October 1993 to be replaced byJoe Jordan; Stein also departed, in a club record £1.5 million move to Chelsea.[33] Jordan's tenure in charge was short, leaving the club less than a year after joining, and Stoke opted to re-appoint Lou Macari only 12 months after he had left. Stoke finished fourth in1995–96 but were defeated in the play-off semi-final by Leicester City. Macari left the club at the end of the following season. His last match in charge was the final league game at theVictoria Ground.[33]Mike Sheron, who was signed two years previously fromNorwich City, was sold for a club record fee of £2.5 million in 1997.[34]
Britannia Stadium and the Icelandic takeover (1997–2008)
1997–98 saw Stoke move to its new ground, theBritannia Stadium,[35] after 119 years at the Victoria Ground.Chic Bates, Macari's assistant, was appointed manager for the club's first season in the new ground. He did not last long though, and was replaced byChris Kamara in January 1998. Kamara could not improve the club's fortunes either, and he too left in April.Alan Durban, previously Stoke's manager two decades earlier, took charge for the remainder of season. Despite his best efforts, Durban was unable to keep the club up, as defeat againstManchester City on the final day of the season consigned Stoke to relegation to the third tier.[33]
Brian Little, formerly manager ofAston Villa,[36] took charge for the1998–99 season.[37] Despite an impressive start, the team's form tailed off dramatically in the latter stages of the season, which led to Little leaving the club at the end of the season. His successor,Gary Megson, was only in the job for four months. Megson was forced to depart following a takeover byStoke Holding, anIcelandic consortium, who purchased a 66% share in Stoke City F.C. for £6.6 million.[31] Stoke became the first Icelandic-owned football club outside of Iceland. They appointed the club's first foreign manager,Guðjón Þórðarson, who helped Stoke win theFootball League Trophy in the1999–2000 season, with a2–1 win overBristol City in front of a crowd of 85,057 at Wembley.[17][38]
Steve Cotterill was drafted in as Guðjón's replacement prior to the start of the2002–03 season,[39] but resigned in October 2002 after only four months in charge.Tony Pulis was appointed as Stoke's new manager shortly after.[17][41] Pulis steered Stoke clear of relegation,[39] with a 1–0 win overReading on the final day of the season keeping the club in the division.[42] However, Pulis was sacked at the end of the2004–05 season, following disagreement between himself and the club's owners.[43]
Dutch managerJohan Boskamp was named as Pulis' successor on 29 June 2005, only one day after Pulis was sacked.[44] Boskamp brought in a number of new players from Europe, but his side was inconsistent and only a mid-table finish was achieved.[45] Boskamp left at the end of the2005–06 season amidst a takeover bid by former chairmanPeter Coates.[46] On 23 May 2006, Coates completed his takeover of Stoke City, marking the end of Gunnar Gíslason's chairmanship of the club.[47] Coates chose former manager Tony Pulis as Boskamp's successor in June 2006.[48] Pulis took Stoke close to a play-off place, but an eventual eighth-place finish was achieved in the2006–07 season.[49]
Stoke City fans celebrate following promotion to thePremier League, 4 May 2008.
Stoke won automatic promotion to thePremier League on the final day of the2007–08 season, finishing in second place in theChampionship.[50] A 3–1 defeat toBolton Wanderers on the opening day of the2008–09 season saw Stoke written off by many media outlets as relegation certainties.[51] Stoke managed to turn the Britannia Stadium into a "fortress", making it difficult for teams to pick up points there. In their first home match, Stoke defeated Aston Villa 3–2,[52] and wins also came againstTottenham Hotspur,[53] Arsenal,[54] Sunderland[55] andWest Bromwich Albion.[56] After a 2–1 win atHull City,[57] Stoke confirmed their place in thePremier League as thePotters finished 12th in their return to the top flight, with a total of 45 points.[58] Stoke finished the following2009–10 season in a respectable 11th place, with 47 points. Stoke also made it to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1972, defeatingYork City, Arsenal and Manchester City before losing out to eventual winners Chelsea.
Stoke reached theFA Cup final for the first time in 2011, beating Cardiff City,Wolverhampton Wanderers,Brighton & Hove Albion,West Ham United and a famous 5–0 win against Bolton, the largest post-war FA Cup semi-final victory.[59] However, they lost thefinal 1–0 to Manchester City.[60] By reaching the final, Stoke qualified for the2011–12 UEFA Europa League.[61] In theEuropa League, Stoke advanced pastHajduk Split,Thun and a tough group containingBeşiktaş,Dynamo Kyiv andMaccabi Tel Aviv which Stoke managed to progress through finishing in second position. City's reward was a tie against Spanish giantsValencia and despite putting up a spirited second leg performance, Stoke went out 2–0 on aggregate. In the Premier League, Stoke made the high-profile signing ofPeter Crouch as they finished in a mid-table position for a fourth time. The2012–13 season saw Stoke make little progress, and Pulis left the club by mutual consent on 21 May 2013.[62]
Pulis was replaced by fellow WelshmanMark Hughes, who signed a three-year contract on 30 May 2013.[63][64] Hughes led Stoke to a ninth-place finish in2013–14, their highest position in the Premier League and best finish since1974–75.[65] The2014–15 season saw Stoke again finish in ninth position this time, with 54 points.[66] Despite breaking their transfer record twice onXherdan Shaqiri and thenGiannelli Imbula, in2015–16, Stoke did not make any progress and finished in ninth position for a third season running.[67] Stoke declined in2016–17, finishing in 13th position.[68] In January 2018, Hughes was sacked after a poor run left the club in the relegation zone.[69] He was replaced byPaul Lambert,[70] who could not prevent the club ending their 10-year spell in the Premier League.[71]
Following their relegation to the Championship, Lambert was replaced with former Derby County bossGary Rowett.[72] Despite spending nearly £50 million on players in the summer transfer window, results and performances were poor and Rowett was subsequently sacked on 8 January 2019 with the team 14th in the table.[73] He was replaced with Luton Town bossNathan Jones.[74] Stoke went on to end an uneventful2018–19 season in 16th place with a record number of draws (22).[75]
After achieving just two wins in the opening 14 games of the following season, Jones was sacked on 1 November 2019 with the team in the relegation zone.[76] Northern Ireland bossMichael O'Neill was confirmed as his replacement a week later.[77] Results improved under O'Neill and the team managed to avoid relegation, finishing in 15th.[78] Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic the entire2020–21 campaign was played without supporters present as Stoke again finished in mid-table.[79] The following campaign started brightly with the team challenging for the playoffs, though a poor finish to the season saw them finish in 14th.[80][81] A slow start to the2022–23 season marked the end for O'Neill's time in charge and he was dismissed in August 2022, with Sunderland bossAlex Neil replacing him.[82][83] Neil was unable to end Stoke's mid-table positioning and was replaced byPlymouth Argyle'sSteven Schumacher in December 2023, who lasted less than a year in charge before also being sacked in September 2024.[84][85]Narcís Pèlach was announced as Stoke's new manager on 18 September 2024,[86] but was sacked in December 2024;Mark Robins was appointed as manager on 1 January 2025.[87]
Stoke moved to the all-seater ground now known as thebet365 Stadium in 1997.
It is not clear where Stoke's original playing fields were located. Their first pitch was certainly in the site of a present burial ground in Lonsdale Street, although there is evidence that they also played on land near to the Copeland Arms public house on Campbell Road.[4] In 1875, they moved to Sweetings Field, which was owned by the mayor of Stoke, Alderman Sweeting.[4] It is estimated that as many as 200–250 spectators were attending home matches at Sweetings Field, paying one penny for admission. Stoke were to stay at Sweetings Field until a merger with the Stoke Victoria Cricket Club in March 1878, when Stoke moved to theVictoria Ground.[4]
The first match to be played at the Victoria Ground was the inauguralStaffordshire Cup final againstTalke Rangers on 28 March 1878,[88] Stoke won 1–0 in front of 2,500 fans[4] with the goal scored by William Boddington at about the 80th minute.[89] The ground was originally an oval shape to cater for athletics, and this shape was retained for the next 30 years. Major development work began in the 1920s, and by 1930 the ground had lost its original shape.[4] By 1935, the ground capacity was up to 50,000. A record crowd of 51,380 packed into the Ground on 29 March 1937 to watch a league match against Arsenal.[4]
Floodlights were installed in 1956 and another new main stand was built. Over the weekend of the 3/4 in January 1976, gale-force winds blew the roof off the Butler Street Stand.[4] Stoke played a home League match againstMiddlesbrough atVale Park whilst repair work was on-going.[4] The Stoke End Stand was improved in 1979 and through the 1980s more improvements were made. By 1995, Stoke drew up plans to make the ground an all seater stadium, to comply with theTaylor Report. However, the club decided it would be better to leave the Victoria Ground and re-locate to a new site.[4]
In 1997, Stoke left the Victoria Ground after 119 years, and moved to the modern 28,384 all seaterBritannia Stadium at a cost of £14.7 million. Stoke struggled at first to adjust to their new surroundings and were relegated to the third tier in the first season at the new ground. In 2002, a record 28,218 attended an FA Cup match againstEverton. With Stoke gaining promotion to the Premier League in 2008, attendances increased. However, the capacity was reduced to 27,500 due to segregation.[90] The name of the ground was changed to the bet365 Stadium in June 2016.[91] Work began on expanding the stadium to over 30,000 in February 2017 and was concluded in the summer of 2017.[92]
While much of the support that the club enjoys is from the localStoke-on-Trent area, there are a number of exile fan clubs, notably in London and stretching from Scandinavia to countries farther afield such as Russia, Canada, the United States and Australia.[93] A capacity crowd regularly turned out to see them in the Premier League.[94]
Stoke have had problems withfootball hooliganism in the 1970s through the early 2000s, due to the actions of the"Naughty Forty" firm which associated itself with the club and was formed by supporter Mark Chester.[95][96][97] Chester reformed himself and now works as a youth inclusion promoter.[98] In 2003, theBBC described Stoke City as having "one of the most active and organised football hooligan firms in England". In response to these criticisms, the club introduced an Away Travel ID scheme.[99] It was subsequently suspended in 2008 as a result of improved behaviour and an enhanced reputation.[100] More recently, Stoke City's fans and stadium have been perceived as loud, friendly, passionate and modern,[101] welcoming as guestsSugar Ray Leonard[102] andDiego Maradona.[103] There is in the media now "genuine admiration for the volume and volatility of the club's loyal support".[101] Stoke announced that they would offer supporters free bus travel to every Premier League away game in the 2013–14 and 2014–15 seasons.[104]
In November 2008, a group of Stoke fans was forced by theGreater Manchester Police to leaveManchester before a league match againstManchester United.[105] The human rights groupLiberty took up their case,[106] and the Greater Manchester police eventually apologised for their actions and the fans received compensation.[107][108]
Supporters of the club have adopted "Delilah" as their anthem since the 1970s, when a supporter was heard singing it in a local pub. Some of the song's lyrics have been adapted for the terraces, but most remain the same.[109] Stoke's official club anthem is "We'll be with you", which was recorded by the Stoke players prior to the1972 Football League Cup final.[4]
Stoke's local rivals arePort Vale, based in theBurslem area of Stoke-on-Trent. As the two clubs have regularly been in different divisions, there have only been 46 league matches between the two sides, with the last match being in 2002.[111] Regardless of the lack of matches, thePotteries derby is often a tight and close game of football with few goals being scored. Stoke have won 19 matches while Vale have won 15.[112]
Stoke's traditional kit is red and white striped shirts with white shorts and socks.[4] Their first strip wasnavy andcardinal hoops with whiteknickerbockers and hooped stockings.[4] This changed to black and blue hoops before the club settled on red and white stripes in 1883.[4] However, in 1891the Football League decided that only one club could use one style of stripper season andSunderland were allowed to take red and white stripes. So between 1891 and 1908 Stoke used a variety of kits with plainmaroon being the most common.[4] In 1908, Stoke lost their League status and were able to finally revert to red and white and when they re-joined the league in 1919 the rule was scrapped.[4] Since then, Stoke have forever used red and white striped shirts, with the only time when they diverted from this was for two seasons in the mid-1980s, which saw them wear a pin-striped shirt.
Stoke-on-Trent coat of arms, used as club crest from the 1950s to 1977, and from 1992 to 2001Crest to be used from the 2026-27 season
Stoke's first club crest was a stylised "S" which was used by players in 1882 who would stitch the crest on to their shirts; however, this practice soon faded away.[4] In the 1950s Stoke began using the shield from the Stoke-on-Trent coat-of-arms which was used infrequently until 1977.[4] A new and simpler club crest was introduced aStafford knot and pottery kiln represented local tradition while red and white stripes were also added.[4] This lasted until 1992 when the club decided to use the entire Stoke-on-Trent coat-of-arms which included the club's name at the top of the crest.[4] They changed their crest in 2001 to the current version which includes their nickname "The Potters". For the2012–13 season, they used a special version to mark the club's 150th anniversary which included the club's Latin motto "Vis Unita Fortior" ("United Strength is Stronger"). In August 2025, Stoke unveiled a new crest to be used from the 2026–27 season based on the created used from 1977 to 1992, featuring abottle kiln,Staffordshire knot, foundation year and red and white stripes.[117]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^According to Stoke City's official website – and badge – the club were formed in 1863 but they admit that "little evidence still exists of any official matches taking place". The first recorded match played by Stoke Ramblers was in October 1868 against EW May's XV.[1][2][4]
^abcdef"1863–1888 In the Beginning".Stoke City. Retrieved7 May 2019.The story goes that in 1863, former pupils of the Charterhouse School formed a Football Club whilst working as apprentices at the North Staffordshire Railway in Stoke. Little evidence still exists of any official matches taking place, even though at that time some form of soccer may have already existed in the area as the headmaster of Stoke St Peter's School, J. Thomas, was an active sportsman and secretary of the local Victoria Athletic Club. Five years following the Club's official formation, a report in The Field magazine of September 1868, it was stated a new Association Football Club had been registered in Stoke-on-Trent ...and its founder member was ex-Charterhouse School pupil Henry Almond. Evidence proves that Almond had played for the Club during the five years prior to 1868. In terms of official records, though, the first game played by Almond's team, known as Stoke Ramblers and consisting largely of railway employees, was in October 1868. The historic match, against an EW May XV, ended in a 1–1 draw and was played at the Victoria Cricket Club ground, near to Lonsdale Street and Church Street. Almond, the skipper, scored the first-ever goal by a Stoke player, although he was soon to leave the Club and the area to pursue his career as a civil engineer.
