Stoke City Personalised Football Diary
Special Diary Gifts for Fans of Stoke City!
Stoke City FC originated in 1863, when a group of ex-Charterhouse school pupils formed a football team with apprentices at the North Staffordshire Railway Works. Known then as the Stoke Ramblers, the side eventually merged with the Stoke Victoria Cricket Club before turning professional in 1865. In 1925, Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status and so the club became known as Stoke City FC. By this point the Potters had been developing their team for many years, but they were stuck in the Second Division. Sir Stanley Matthews signed professional terms with the club in 1932 and quickly developed into one of the best footballers in the world. He invigorated Stoke City’s performances and results and the team finally began to assert themselves in English football. When Tony Waddington joined the club as manager in 1960, the Potters were ready to fight for major trophies.
Our Personalised Stoke City Diaries feature a selection of articles and match reports on some of the best games in the club’s history. Starting from the month of your choice, these A5 Diaries are the perfect present for any fan of the Potters.
Diary Highlights
Tony Waddington became manager of Stoke City FC in 1960 and formed a terrific team based around experienced players. His reign in charge provided the Potters with one of its most successful eras and our Personalised Stoke City Diaries incorporate fascinating newspaper coverage of this thrilling period.
The first decision Waddington made was to bring back Stoke City legend Sir Stanley Matthews. He had been away from the club for fourteen years and was now aged forty-six, but his return to the Potters was a masterstroke and had an instant positive effect. The A5 Diary incorporates three articles written in the 1960s that celebrate the legendary Stoke City player. This includes a match report on the 2-0 win against Luton Town in 1963, which secured the Potters’ promotion to the top flight as Second Division champions. Following Matthews’ retirement, Waddington bought England’s World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks. This was a key purchase for the team as they adjusted to life after Matthews and our Diary Gift features a newspaper article on his impending move to the Potters.
The Stoke City Diary also includes a series of stories on the League Cup win of 1972. We start with the 3-2 semi-final win against West Ham, which was the winning leg of a marathon tie that had spawned four matches. During the match, Gordon Banks saved a Geoff Hurst penalty. Fans of the Potters later proclaimed it to be more important than the time Banks famously kept out Pelé for England. Stoke City faced Chelsea FC in the final and beat the Blues 2-1.
Other highlights in this fascinating Stoke City Football Diary include the 6-2 thrashing of Chelsea in the league in 1974. We also include the Potters’ Autoglass Trophy win in 1992 and the 2-1 defeat of Manchester United in the second round of the 1993 League Cup competition. Perhaps saving the best until last, our final article is a report on the 0-0 draw against Leicester City in the last match of the 2008 season. This result guaranteed the club a return to the top flight for the first time since 1984.
Diary Contents At A Glance
Our Stoke City Football Diaries feature newspaper reports on the following matches:
- 21st October 1961 - The Stanley Matthews Story
- 21st April 1963 - Stoke City’s 100th Birthday
- 19th May 1963 - Stoke City beat Luton 2-0 to win Second Division
- 17th April 1967 - Gordon Banks ready to join Stoke City
- 27th January 1972 - Stoke City 3 West Ham 2
- 6th March 1972 - Stoke City celebrate the League Cup win at Wembley
- 6th March 1972 - Chelsea 1 Stoke City 2 (League Cup Final)
- 23rd October 1974 - Stoke City 6 Chelsea 2
- 1st April 1975 - Stoke City 2 Liverpool 0
- 17th May 1992 - Stockport 0 Stoke City 1 (Autoglass Trophy Final)
- 23rd September 1993 - Stoke City 2 Manchester United 1
- 5th May 2008 - Stoke City 0 Leicester City 0 (promoted to Premiership)
Alternative Stoke City Football Gifts
These popular Personalised Diaries are just one of the gift ideas we have for fans of the Potters. We also offer Personalised Stoke City Calendars and Personalised Stoke City Football Books, as well as other general football gifts, such as Stadium Tours and Personalised Football Commentaries.