Stoke City boss proud of club’s community role

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has admitted he is proud of the part his team his team plays in the local community, writes Jonathan Doubtfire.

The Potters boss believes the commitment and passion of his players on the pitch can be an inspiration to a city suffering during tough financial times.

He said: “As a football club we understand that we are a massive part of the community.

Tony Pulis

“We sometimes forget that there’s a very big world out there and there’s lots of things going on outside the club that we can help with. If we can help, we will help.

“I think that what we have managed to achieve is a football club that has grown right through the community and I think they realise how important they are to us and how important we are to them.

“I always feel proud when I see red and white striped shirts on kids in the street. Six or seven years ago, you wouldn’t really have seen that. It would have been Man United, Liverpool or even Arsenal shirts.

“Even seeing the club stickers on car windscreens gives me a great lift.”

Stoke City players and coaching staff have been growing moustaches during this month as part of the Movember campaign to raise money for the Prostrate Cancer Charity.

Pulis joked: “The lads have been saying it’s much easier growing a moustache than climbing Mount Kilimanjaro but they have done it for a really good cause and that’s the most important thing.”

Pulis praises character after West Brom win

Stoke City made it three-successive wins on Saturday (Nov 20) with a superb 3-0 win over Midlands rivals West Bromwich Albion.

The match-winning second-half performance included converted penalties from Matthew Etherington and Jon Walters.

Walters rubbed salt into West Brom wounds three minutes into injury time as he shot and then reacted quickest to the rebound.

Speaking after the match, Tony Pulis said he was delighted with his side’s performance.

Tony Pulis

He added: “It is a massive win. We have played better before in some games away from home and not picked up any points so I am pleased.

“They shaded the first-half but as soon as we scored the first goal I could not see anybody else winning it.”

The Potters run is on the back of five successive defeats in the league and cups, but Pulis said this reaction from the players is a sign of good character.

He added: “It is another great result for the players. We have won two local derby’s and beaten Liverpool.

“The players thrive on confidence but we will try and stay as level headed as we can but it is such a tough league.”

Potters head to West Brom in search on third-successive win

Stoke City will be looking to build on an impressive win against Liverpool last weekend when they take on West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns this Saturday, writes Ted Woodward.

Despite a run of five matches without a win Tony Pulis’ side have enjoyed resurgence in with a mid-week victory against Birmingham (Nov 9) and a 2-0 win over Liverpool (Nov 13).

West-Midland rivals West Brom on the other hand have not won in their last five Premier League fixtures – a fact that Tony Pulis was quick to dismiss.

Tony Pulis

Speaking to the clubs official website The Potters boss said: “Albion have had some fantastic results so far, they look much stronger than before and we know that it is going to be an incredibly tough game for us.”

Pulis admitted that his players were excited ahead of the fixture and that the fortunes of the club had greatly changed with the teams last two wins.

He added: “It’s amazing how quickly things can change. It’s only 10 days ago that people were talking about five successive defeats, and it seemed all doom and gloom.

“Now, all the talk is about the possibility of three successive wins and how high we could be in the Premier League come five o’clock on Saturday afternoon.”

Stoke are without any injury worries apart from long-term absentee Mamady Sidibe who is expected to be back in the New Year.

Stoke City hope to build on midweek win

Stoke City entertain an in-form Liverpool side at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday (Nov 13), writes James Hale.

The Potters managed to secure an excellent 3-2 win over rivals Birmingham City midweek and it was a much needed win for the Potters having not tasted success since the opening week of October.

The result means that Tony Pulis’s men go into the game sitting16th in the Premier League.

Liverpool visit North Staffordshire on the back of a recent run of good form which has seen them rise to 9th in the Premier league.

Fernando Torres

More ominously for Stoke City, Liverpool striker Fernando Torres (pictured) appears to have recaptured his goal-scoring prowess, having scored three in his last two appearances.

Liverpool have won four of their last five matches in all competitions while Stoke have recorded just one victory in six.

However the Potters are likely to go into the game on a new found self belief following their last gasp victory last time out. Liverpool meanwhile stuttered to a score draw at Wigan Athletic.

Victory for Stoke could see them rise into the top half of the table, victory for visitors Liverpool could see them rise into the European Cup positions.

North Staffs football predicts a 1-1 draw.

Let us know what you think the result will be by voting in our poll below.

Pulis urges fans to put in ‘another big performance’

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has hailed fans for their support in his side’s 3-2 win against Birmingham City on Tuesday (Nov 9) night.

He has also urged for more of the same during the Potters key clash with Liverpool this weekend.

Tony Pulis

Pulis said: “Our supporters are magnificent and we knew we could rely on them to get behind us.

“They sensed we were a bit deflated at 2-2 and they raised their volume and helped us to grab the winning goal.

“The Liverpool match is an incredibly tough one, so we will need another big performance from the crowd.”

Kick-off at the Britannia Stadium is 5.30pm.

Kidsgrove to avoid taking Cammell Laird lightly

Kidsgrove Athletic face Cammell Laird tonight (Nov 2) in the second-round of the League Challenge Cup and boss Peter Ward is wary over the Liverpool outfit.

Cammell Laird are 19^th in the Evo-Stik First Division North having won just two game this season.

They beat Prescot Cables with a 90^th-minute winner to progress through to tonight’s game and Ward said that his side will have to be on their guard.

Kidsgrove Athletic

He added: “I have watched them (Cammell Laird) play against Witton Albion and they had 80% of the position.

“Fortunately they didn’t seem to do a lot with it and create any clear cut chances but on the day anything can happen.

“They have quite a young side, with a few players from Liverpool and Everton Academy’s so they will be a tough team to beat.

“We look forward to the game because a good cup run keeps the fans happy and provides the club with a bit of money”.

Kick-off at the Seddon Stadium is 7.45 pm.