I have been a reader of World Soccer Talk (formerly EPLTalk) for around the last 4-5 years and during that time have been one of a privileged minority. As a season ticket holder to Stoke City, I am on the British side of the pond, from a footballing perspective. I’ve learnt over this time that culturally we consume our sport relatively differently, have come to the conclusion that neither way is better or worse than the other.

North American geography dictates that only the lucky few are able to physically attend the matches that the teams they follow are competing in. Relegation is quite literally a foreign concept. And following a front runner does not hold quite the same stigma as what we politely term ‘glory hunting’ in the United Kingdom.

However, my mantra is that if a team is local to you and representing your community in a sport that you follow, you should attend, providing funds permit and the price is reasonable.  Chasing the high of being part of an overwhelmingly amazing atmosphere is essential to enjoying football in my opinion. Talksport’s Johnny Vaughan (love or loathe the Chelsea supporting DJ) is absolutely spot on with his tag line of ‘don’t let the football spoil a day at the football’, which is particularly true when it comes to enjoying the event as an away supporter.   My experiences on the terraces stem from following my team from relegation to League One to promotion to the Premier League, and most surprising and satisfying of all into European competition. I have effectively been living a dream for the past seven seasons after a decade of dismay.

Therefore almost as soon as I had booked my North American odyssey, the first thing I did was search for tickets to MLS matches in the cities that I was visiting nine months later. Having battled foreign ticketing systems to get tickets, usually in the home end, for European ties I have to say that the process was simple. Sign up to North American Ticketmaster (other ticketing agencies are available), sign up for the relevant fan forums and club Twitter feeds, then wait for tickets to be released.

For the price of £70 ($112), I was able to get my hands on two tickets for the Vancouver Whitecaps game against DC United and two more for Seattle Sounders against Real Salt Lake.   Job done and all that was left to do was struggle through nine months of work with the promise of three weeks on cloud nine in September 2014.

Fast-forward to that point and we hit Vancouver on September 3rd. And whilst we were doing our tourist thing, I gamely cajoled the wife into wandering toward BC Place to establish where it was and how best to get there and back on the night of the match. The venue is well served by local transport and is probably best described as a 15-20 minute walk from downtown Vancouver. We had a good look around and took in the excellent Terry Fox statue and learnt about his magnificent story. We were all set for the match then.

Terry Fox Plaza

On the evening of the game we made our way there on foot, which is always the best way to begin savoring an atmosphere in my opinion.   People with their shirts and scarves on were flowing like streams and tributaries along the side street; into the main roads like arterial rivers flowing into the estuary around the stadium, which becomes a sea of bobbing heads and crashing sounds. What always makes this better is when it’s a night match, dusk turning to evening and the senses heightened by the changes in temperature and appearance, familiar to unfamiliar and vice versa. From this romantic point of view, the timing of both matches with 7.45pm and 8.00pm kickoffs was a definite advantage.

Outside BC Place, there was plenty happening to entertain the fans walking up to make their way into the ground. We sampled the atmosphere of the Atlantic opposite the stadium, which was jam packed, and first spotted something which was a theme at both matches – a very large proportion of the following being women and children (some still attached to the breast). Definitely a different demographic to what I have been used to over here in England.

We entered the stadium simply enough, a quick bag check which is the norm in the UK, and away we went. The first difference inside was the width and welcoming nature of the concourse inside, plenty of choices of food and drink enhanced by allowing independent stalls to sell their wares. Interestingly a makeshift club shop selling merchandise made up part of the concourse and was worth a browse.

After having a good look at all this and discussing the differences we had identified already (the wife being a veteran of 50+ stadia in the UK having worked for our local rivals (Port Vale – nicknamed The Soap Dodgers for obvious reasons) and enjoyed a Football League press pass and the complimentary benefits this ‘golden ticket’ imbues), we ventured from the positively bleached bowels of BC Place to our seats. Sitted in a corner of the stadium, the leg room was excellent, and the view perfect for the position. The jumbotron being an excellent piece of technology and a relative anomaly to us in relation to football stadia.

BC Place

Onto the match itself; studying the line-ups, Vancouver’s captain Andy O’Brian and manager Carl Robinson were recognizable but they were joined by DC United’s Lewis Neal as faces I knew. Neal came through Stoke’s academy during our time in League One and played a fair few games for us, moving onto Preston North End, Shrewsbury Town and Orlando City. The tempo of the game was much slower than I’m used to and whilst the will to craft out the snappy passing game that the sophisticates desire was there, it did feature more than a few long balls up to Darren Mattocks who had something of a cart horse quality. DC were content to play on the break and managed to hit the woodwork on a couple of occasions, generally causing more panic in the Whitecaps defense than they suffered themselves.

Amidst this, we were also watching the fans, probably the most alien experience as they were all supporting Vancouver. The lack of an away following probably reduced this element as a spectacle but that is not to say that the Whitecaps ultras behind their goal had a good go at generating some extra heat to what was turning into an ultimately drab contest with DC United apparently happy with a point and the Whitecaps severely lacking a cutting or creative edge. There was little tension amongst the crowd without the away following, and it is very easy to see why the clubs can target the young family demographic. Given these are the people likely to play the game and develop an understanding of it makes perfect sense to get in early with them and develop an allegiance, for MLS they are miniature pioneers – cash cows of the future and effectively the foundation of continuous fandom in North America.

Overall, I would describe the encounter on the pitch in Vancouver as lower level Championship to upper League One. I have been there, seen that and got the T-shirt. Both teams were content with not losing, to maintain their positions and really neither had that spark needed to blitz the opposition. As a sporting event and everything that goes with it, it easily matched the rugby and football that I have attended over here in England. Off the field, the act really is Premier League, particularly the use of digital media which I found effectively used by the Whitecaps in promoting their brand. I would love to attend a local derby with Portland or Seattle to see the difference again and if there is the same needle generated as we experience when city or county rivals play each other.

Moving onto Seattle this was an altogether more American experience from my perspective. Again to help get our bearings, we had a stroll to Centurylink Field whilst we were enjoying the city. From the outside it looked a beast of a place, and seeing how well located it appeared, it only added to the anticipation of the coming match day.

The facilities on the way and around Centurylink Field are excellent. There are pubs and restaurants galore, all geared up to welcome Sounders fans and literally buzzing in the couple of hours before kick-off. Inside the stadium, again, the set up was second to none, with oodles of choices and a proper club shop set up to allow you to purchase Sounders and Seahawks merchandise. Probably my favorite thing about the way the stadium was set up for the fans was a sign before you entered into the stadium seating, explaining what to expect. Prominently at the bottom of this sign it explained that it would likely be ‘standing up for 90 minutes’, positively encouraging something we get berated for back home.

Spot the Stoke City Shirt

The build-up to kick-off inside the stadium featured much more jazz and razzmatazz than I have ever seen for a run of the mill game. Fireworks, ticker tape, flaming goal posts and a brass band that truly shows the derided shower that follow England around with horns as amateurs.

The match had a true bona fide star playing as well, which made it different to the game in Vancouver. Clint Dempsey was unsurprisingly Seattle’s go-to guy in a much more up-tempo encounter, which was a very tight game. Obafemi Martins missed a couple of gilt-edged chances but Real Salt Lake gave it a good go at subduing the magnificent home support. The atmosphere generated was fantastic, particularly considering the lack of the call and response we get in the UK. Seattle fans really make an effort and have a fantastic identity. We both said we’d love to come back with 2-3,000 Stoke fans and have some fun with the chanting and banter. I am sure we could drag the relatively polite Seattle crowd down to our level rather rapidly. Other MLS sides and the league’s administrators really do need to look to Seattle whilst they grow their clubs and identities. They truly are on a par with any European team in terms of fan experience. The stadium far exceeds the comfort and class of most Premier League grounds, and I would argue that the team on the pitch would have a good chance of pushing for the Championship play-offs at a minimum if they were a UK-based side.

An impressive 45,000 Sounders fans

I have to say that I loved everything about the entire trip we made but being able to experience both these games in what truly are great cities were absolute highlights, and something that I will definitely do again. We are already planning to get back to Vancouver as soon as we can and want to try and take in Portland and Chicago too if possible — both having MLS teams is a bonus. Having taken the time to experience MLS with my own eyes, it is something that I could happily have a long discussion about for a few hours. I do not think people realize the chance they have to get involved in something that could be huge at this stage in its relative infancy.

In general, people really need to give the MLS a chance to grow and develop. Administrators will make mistakes but as everyone knows they are far from perfect in established leagues, and the less said about FIFA and UEFA the better. I would argue that for the league to grow, and for some real spice and edge, a two tier system with promotion and relegation needs to be introduced. Until you follow a team that has gone through the drama of both these things, it really is difficult to understand the maelstrom of emotions that you go through in either set of circumstances.

My final conclusion might be surprising but attending these matches has mellowed my opinion towards the 39th game concept that fittingly has raised it’s head this past week. Providing that it is handled sensitively in the UK, clubs responding by treating home fans with respect and not milking them for more when given less, considering the timing of the event and the number of clubs affected, I would not be against it. I would even go so far as saying that in the interests of fairness, if it did take off and it was not just the top six who were in demand; there should be no reason why a match every couple of weeks couldn’t be staged abroad. One ‘road game’ per season, per club should not be any massive hardship and in all honesty, I would probably be first in the queue for tickets.

Saturday ‘s match against Aston Villa marks the start of Stoke City’s 2014/15 Premier League season. Pre-season matches have been more about fitness than flash, with results being draws or close defeats, and a solitary victory against Real Betis at the Britannia Stadium.

Squad changes have been swift and significant this pre-season, which is something of a shock to hardened Stoke fans used to being prime contenders in Sky’s transfer deadline day festivities at the end of August.

Transfers into the club include; Mame Biram Diouf, Diontan Teixeira, Phil Bardsley, Steve Sidwell and, of course, Bojan Krkic.  All bar Bojan are free transfers, and local media reports infer that the fee paid for Bojan’s services is much less than is being suggested by the national newspapers.  These incomings have been balanced by the offloading of Matthew Etherington, Juan Agudelo and Michael Kightly – none of whom made any significant impact for Stoke last season so are effectively dead wood being cleared (although in Agudelo’s case, this is forced by the FA’s stance on work permits for non-EU passport holders).

Diouf has been tracked for at least a season and a bid of £6million was turned down by Hannover last summer.  But finally Mark Hughes has secured his top striking target, obviously impressed by 26 goals in 57 games for Hannover.  A return of 15+ goals should be a challenging yet realistic target for Diouf to achieve.

Sidwell and Bardsley are proven Premier League stalwarts; steady, experienced and unglamorous – much like the team they have joined.  As a specialist right back, Bardsley puts pressure on the USMNT star Geoff Cameron. Sidwell will be up against Le Sulk (Steven Nzonzi), Glen Whelan and Charlie Adam for a place in the center of midfield.  Sidwell is a player who has seemed destined to sign for Stoke, with former gaffer Tony Pulis attempting to sign him when he was at Brentford. Therefore it’s something of a surprise that he did not end up at Crystal Palace this summer given his London roots.  Sidwell explained to The Sentinel newspaper that “when I looked at the whole package and came up to see how the club was run, it was a no brainer really.  I’ve also worked for Mark Hughes before . . . it was probably one of the most enjoyable times.”

Teixeira is an unknown quantity though has been stalked by Hughes since his time at Manchester City.  He faces the tough task of displacing either Ryan Shawcross, Robert Huth or Marc Wilson.  However he could have three no better center backs to learn from and if he could assimilate their individual qualities into a single package he could prove a real prospect, and as proven by Marc Muniesa last season Hughes will play youngsters.

Bojan Krkic has probably had as many words written about him this summer as any individual Stoke player has since their return to the top flight.  A signing that stunned everybody outside the ST postcode area but was rumored by The Oatcake message board in the-knows for a good portion of the off season. Krkic needs to look at Marko Arnoutovic as a mercurial talent who is slowly harnessing their talent and abilities and stringing together regular consistent performances.

A major strength this season will be that the management team at the club has a full season behind them after having successfully exorcized the ghost of Tony Pulis, whilst respectfully evolving his legacy.

At this point in time Stoke retain the services of their stalwarts Begovic and Shawcross. And if both are still at the club post-August, efforts must be made to secure signatures on new contracts, particularly in the case of Asmir Begovic.  He is a world-class player who is not recognized as such by the vast majority, though is greatly appreciated by Stoke fans who have already accepted the fact that it is inevitable that he will grace a much higher stage.

Defensively, there is real strength in depth and versatility. However a weakness is when Begovic, Shawcross or both are missing.  This occurred last season and despite experienced players taking their place, all sense of leadership was lost and Stoke looked likely to ship goals incredibly easily.  Mark Hughes needs to tackle this by identifying at least a couple of more vocal understudies to prepare for this situation.

Centrally, the situation is settled with Sidwell challenging the regular triumvirate of Whelan, Nzonzi and Adam or Ireland.  Hughes liked to rotate Assaidi, Arnoutovic, Odemwingie and Walters on the wings last season, but a mystery foreign winger is mooted on the message boards, Yarmalenko maybe). It’s likely that Krkic may spend some time in a similar position, being allowed to roam inside and support a front man.  Assaidi has long been rumored to sign but his alleged extortionate wage demands have caused this to drag on.

Up front, Crouch and Diouf will fight it out for a starting spot, Crouch’s qualities are still valued by manager and fans alike.

Stoke has everything to hit the ground running this season however Mark Hughes admits that his sides are set up to develop and improve over the season, reaching their peak from Christmas onwards.  If this happens again it could unsettle the fans who are generally buoyant but feel uncomfortable when used to pessimism and perpetual status as an underdog.

Predicted finish: 9th, with at least one lengthy cup run.

It’s a brave new world at The Britannia Stadium with Hughes continuing to boldly go where no Stoke manager has gone before.  Last season was a giant leap for all Stoke kind, and hopefully the new wave will live long and we’ll continue to prosper.

For more Potters news, analysis and opinion, bookmark the Stoke City team page.

As a Stoke City supporter, I was initially quite despondent when Mark Hughes was appointed manager to replace Tony Pulis. Hughes switched Stoke’s style practically overnight to one that focused on playing the ball out from the back, passing for passings sake, becoming slow and ponderous, and pretty much inviting the opposing team on and priming our defenders to make mistakes. A style that we laughed at under Pulis — one that was too light weight and lacking in substance.

For someone who had sampled the full ten years of Pulis-ball, this seemed a change too far, too soon, and slightly sacrilegious.  However Hughes asked for patience, reasoning that sides under his tutelage always improved in the second half of a season. The turning point in my attitude towards Hughes came in the 3-5 defeat at home to Liverpool. On paper, the score looks like we were steamrollered. In truth we gave a very good game, and showed the best form for more of a match than we had for weeks. Liverpool breathed a collective sigh of relief when they were awarded their penalty. Stoke raged at a perceived injustice. Anyone there or watching on television would probably put the match in their top 5 games last season, for the way both sides played.

Quietly, and despite the disappointment, we gained some belief that things were beginning to progress and Hughes team was starting to gel.

Following that match, we beat Manchester United at home. While it sounds impressive, it was nothing special based on the United side under Moyes, but something we always failed to do under Pulis.

The match, however, was the turning point in our season under Mark Hughes, where Stoke City went on a tremendous run culminating in the following:

• Finishing in our highest league position (9th),
• Picking up 36 points at home and 50 in total – our highest tally since promotion,
• 
More passes than ever
 (30% more goals than the previous 2 seasons),

These were all marked improvements given the tepid start we experienced.

In the transfer market, Hughes spend has been limited. He spent £5m on Marko Arnautovic and Erik Pieters, and exploited the loan market for Oussama Assaidi and Stephen Ireland. Things took time to gel but bar the disappointing John Guidetti on loan, everyone has settled and performed exceptionally well.

This summer, Hughes has done his business early in the window, signing Mame Biram Diouf, Dionatan Teixeira, Steve Sidwell, Phil Bardsley and Bojan Krkic for the cost of a third of Ross McCormack – echoing last year’s minimal spend of £5m. Our strategy is now quiet and efficient rather than the last minute, balls out, who’s got the biggest check book attitude of the past era. If I were Sky Sports, I wouldn’t bother sending Rob Dorset on deadline day.

All in all, I would argue that Mark Hughes has won the confidence of Stoke fans. He’s now delivered five top 10 Premier League finishes and has recovered from his nightmare at QPR. I get the impression that similar to his predecessor, he makes his best signings when his budget is restricted, having to think about a signing and how they will fit in, rather than being dazzled by a big name or wealthy chairman.

Another top 10 finish and a cup run would be evidence of continued evolution for Stoke City. Shipping out some dead wood along the way would be a bonus, as well as hopefully dispelling a few myths along they way with our new brand of soccer.

As I write this, it’s 78F without a cloud in a gorgeous blue sky. Bojan must be wondering what all the fuss was about playing on a cold, rainy night in Stoke.

I’ve reached an age now where I shouldn’t really have English football heroes; I should have grown out of it by now but English football gives you the excuse to behave like an eight year old, not an adult.

Every now and again, you’ll spot a player at another team and take an interest in their progress. It might just be me but eventually this can turn into the thought “they’ll play for us one day.” There’s no rhyme or reason why but you just get inkling. It’s happened to me a few times with my club, Stoke City: Carl Asaba (let down), Eidur Gudjohnsson (bigger, fatter let down), Cameron Jerome (not given a chance), Ricardo Fuller (second only to Mark Stein) and finally the subject of this piece, Rory Delap.

I spotted Rory’s name popping up in the results when he first started out at Carlisle. This was in a time in England when you’d be lucky to get lower league highlights on television. I started looking at snippets in the national dailies, Sunday match reports etc. At the time (1998), he was performing in the sort of pool we should have been fishing in for transfers, only then a more skilful manager went angling after him and spirited him off to Derby County. He was actually on trial with Matt Jansen who was feted by many a club at the time but Derby went for Delap. Progressing well when Derby hit financial trouble and had to cash in, Rory began his association with red and white stripes moving to Southampton for £4m, a club record fee that stood for 11 years.  Spending five years at Southampton, playing in an FA Cup final and scoring a goal, Delap eventually moved on to Sunderland where things didn’t go so well. He was farmed out on loan by Roy Keane, finally joining Stoke.

We made quite a few signings around the same time — Ricardo Fuller, Lee Hendrie and Rory Delap. Despite the well-known skill and goal scoring threat that the others brought with them, Delap’s was the capture that most delighted me. His first game for us was a four-nil away win against Leeds United; a good start. His second didn’t go quite so well, suffering a double leg break ironically against Sunderland of all teams. Delap recently described looking down at the break thinking “how the hell is someone going to fix that?”

Given the furor over broken legs at The Britannia Stadium, here’s where Stoke’s management team really showed some class, and I believe laid the foundations for the performances we drew from Rory. Before Delap was even operated on, Tony Pulis, the club chairman Peter Coates, and CEO Tony Scholes all visited him in hospital and told him not to worry and that they’d honor the deal for his permanent signing that had been agreed with Sunderland prior to the drama occurring.

Rory recovered sufficiently to make his way back into the first team and helped Stoke to gain promotion to the Premier League. In all honesty, I can’t remember his trademark throw-in being used much bar towards the end of season run in.

However, his freakish throw-in ability was unleashed that first season in the top flight in our first home game against Aston Villa. A tense affair, 2-2 late on and still in with a shout but one of those where you’d settle for a point. A throw was awarded in the opposition half just past the halfway line. Delap launched an exocet throw, flat and low across the pitch and into the penalty area, which was flicked backwards by Mama Sidibe.  Goal! 3-2, with no time for Villa to come back. A migraine inducing celebration resulted, caused by the tension, shouting and singing like an extra from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.

Suddenly it became a regular occurrence; Boaz Myhill memorably putting the ball out for a corner rather than a throw in; Arsene Wenger requesting that the rules be changed to deal with this skill that ‘Le Professeur’ could not combat.

A rather unwitting global star was born thanks to the ability to throw a soccer ball up to 40m at 60km/h. At the time, it was what we needed and it got us noticed for more than just our determined struggle to prove the experts and ordinary fans wrong, who’d written us off before the season started.

As seasons passed, teams wised up to the tactic and learnt how to defend against Rory’s throw but he consistently featured in our first team for more than just that. You could see that he was able to guide younger players through a game, steady the ship when it came under bombardment, and pick himself up, standing up to be shot at when things were against us. He was a ‘steady eddie’ player that we needed, a water carrier with the ball at his feet and a magician with it in his hands.

Slowly the appearances reduced, injury took away much of Rory’s last season at Stoke and time began to catch up with him.  This season he started out at Burton Albion in League Two but decided to call time on his career just before Christmas after 587 professional appearances and 35 goals, along with 11 caps for Ireland.

I’m sure not everybody will be interested in this potted history of a player they consider a journeyman, workaday footballer; but not everyone who gives us the game we love can be Messi, Ronaldo or even Rooney, so to me he’s more than worthy of a mention.

Watch and enjoy (difficult if you’re an Arsenal fan):

Editor’s note: For the latest Potters news, analysis and opinion, visit the Stoke City team page.

There are often people at different football clubs who play a pivotal role in the day-to-day running of the business who are often overlooked by the average football supporter. One example of this is the kit man, the person responsible for ordering, sorting and maintaining all of the kits and equipment for the playing staff. It’s a thankless job but someone has to do it.

One kit man in particular that deserves mention is Neil “Nello” Baldwin, a kit man who was at Stoke City in the 1990s while Lou Macari was manager of the club.

Nello recently was awarded an honorary degree from Keele University in recognition of his positive impact on university life over fifty plus years in residence. That Nello had never actually attended the university as a student or teacher says much about his impact on the community, which has taken him to their heart.

Similarly, Nello was accepted by the Stoke City community and was described by Macari as his “best ever signing.” Impressively, the Scot devoted an entire seven pages to Nello in his autobiography.

When Nello recently received the honorary degree, stories were shared of some of the antics he got up to while he was at Stoke. His appearance in a chicken suit on the substitutes bench away at Bournemouth, and making an appearance as a substitute in Gordon Cowan’s testimonial, were just a couple that were told.

Stoke’s local newspaper The Sentinel recently featured a story by Simon Lowe. He explained that at an away game against Tranmere Rovers as the players left the dressing room for the second half, Macari ordered Nello to undress and put on all the players underwear. Starting with a pair of silk boxer shorts belonging to Martin Carruthers, he adorned himself with 13 pairs of briefs in total.  On returning to the dressing room Nello removed the under garments striptease style. The players were then waiting to see whose underwear were closest to his skin, much to Carruthers chagrin.

Macari explained that Nello was the dressing room spirit and that he knew he was the man for the job when he was told his last role was as a circus clown. Macari told the tale of Nello attending an away fixture at Hartlepool in top hat and tails, being introduced at the hotel they were staying at as Lord Baldwin of Keele.  So successful was the ruse that by the end of the evening a hotel employee offered a selection of tobacco for Nello’s perusal, asking if “Lord Baldwin would care to choose a cigar.”

Here’s one of my favorite YouTube clips of Nello in action:

Rio Ferdinand could have done with Nello’s comic timing on his awful ‘Merk’d’ offering.

Nello is a memory from my youth, when the club were located in the center of the city and, without the Internet, you hung in and around the area to pick up on news emanating from it and became immersed in it. In this modern, clinical, PR and spin-based age, individuals like Nello are airbrushed out as they don’t suit the Premier League image.

This story and the recent discussion on World Soccer Talk regarding foreign ownership spurred me to write this piece as something of a retort to an assertion that community is no longer relevant to football in the Premier League age, which Kartik Krishnaiyer made in a post during the argument over foreign ownership.

Seeing first-hand the impact promotion to the Premier League has had on my community, I feel well placed to offer a retort. The local pub industry has profited from the increase in home crowds and has taken advantage of the ability to televise all away games. Local schools are used regularly by soccer schools operated by Stoke’s ‘football in the community’ scheme.  A new generation of local fans have been born, adopting the red and white stripes rather than slavishly slipping into a shirt of one of the usual glory-hunted sides. You pass a playing field or see kids running around during the school holidays, and it’s Stoke shirts that make up the uniform.

Believe me this is something I never thought possible growing up. Following Stoke across the country, the club became the first in the country to offer free travel to all away games; this in addition to refusing to increase their ticket prices since we were promoted. I would argue that Stoke are a club in touch with the community.  And along with all the heroes who made it onto the pitch, Nello is afforded a complimentary ticket whenever he fancies it.