The Victoria Ground on The #1 Un-Official Stoke City FC Web-Site

"..Okay, I have to confess this was the part of the Victoria Ground that I spent the least of my time in.. In fact I only went one game, thsi being the 6/4/92, an evening match and a very important one too as Stoke played Peterbough United in the Autoglass Southern Semi Final 1st leg. Stoke went two up in the first few minutes as Wayne Biggins scored first with a glancing header then a 25 year free kick in front on the Boothen End.. Then everything seemed to fall apart with Peterborough pulling it back to 2-2 and finally going 3-2 up in the second half when Stoke's on loan Goalkeeper/ clown Kevin Pressman made a a series total piss ups that would put a certain Mr G Marshall to shame... But not to worry, in the end Lee Sandford managed to equalize to make it 3-3 right in front of where I was sitting.. 3-3 was a bad result overall but as it turned out we won the second leg at London road and went on to beat Stockport at Wembley to lift the Autoglass Trophy.. A happy ending!!!.."

FACTS AND THOUGHTS ON THE STOKE END STAND

"..Overall I kinda liked the Stoke Stand, at the time it was fairly modern and the plastic seats made a change from the wooden ones in the Butler Street and Boothan Stand's. During our promotion from Divison 2 in 1993 it was often used (both the terrace at the bottom and the seats up above) by Stoke fans and the away fans were often stuffed into this little corner of the Butler Street that you can see above from where the picture was taken from, but as we stepped up to a higher division this obviously meant that away fans would be bringing allot more supporters and so they were also given the terracing area behind the goal whilst the Stoke fans remained in the upper seated area of the Stoke Stand.."

"..The seating area would be used to occupy school children when the club gave free tickets to schools and often when this was the case you would get the bizarre contrast of drunken male singing in the Boothen end whilst at the opposite end of the pitch all you could here were 10 / 11 year old kids in squeeky voices singing Delilah and abusing (and seriously taking the piss) out of the visiting fans in the terrace below them.. Away fans were often victims of various school kid ambushes and grenades from the school kids above them.. these included meat pies, red hot Bovril drinks and for the kids who didn't want to waste decent Bovril they used to gulp it down, go in the bogs, fill their empty cups up with piss, return to the seats and drop it on to unsuspecting away fans... Believe me, this did happen! and I know who was responsible for most of it but I won't name names or he'd kill me!.."

"Conflict between the two sets of supporters eventually led to the club fencing of a section of seat in the seating area and pushing Stoke fans towards the back of the stand.. Probably a design fault with the Stoke End stand was that if you sat right at the back you could barely see the goal at the other end of the pitch as it was obstructed by the roof of the Stoke End Stand..."

"..All in all this was a great football stand and it didnt have a very long life and its a shame to see it go, it also looked very impressive when we used to get big away games and the Away support were given both teh terracing at the bottom and the seats in the upper section (eg: Newcastle United in 1995 Coca Cola Cup and Wolverhamton Wanders when they used to turn it in to what looked like a wall of gold.. still, they always seemed to come away empty handed.. "

* Want to know more intresting facts about the Stoke End??.. Okay, I think I can remember Carl Beeston hitting the Stoke End Roof in one game, and I'm sure Martin Carruthers hit it many many times in training...

* The Stand was sponsored by A D Booth for as long as I can remember.. A Pre Season Team Photo was normally taken in front of the Stoke End Stand, other wise they always looked shit taken anywhere else..

* I think this was the end where Peter Coates first started watching Stoke(!) This then led to him buying the club and leading them right in the shit until he kindly buggered off a few season's back although he still has a place on the board...

* I never had a piss in the Stoke End Stand bogs...

* ..Above shows the view looking across the seats in the top section of the Stoke End Stand, The Boothen Stand can be seen in the left hand background.. See how the roof of the stand begins to tilt down as it reaches the pitch?.. well that's the reason you could never see the other end of the Vic whilst you sat up at the back of this section of the ground.."

* ..oh, and we had odd flood lights.. the ones at the other end of the ground were different to the big , bulky things found on the roof of the Stoke End Stand..

GAMES, GOALS AND MOMENTS

"..."..OH VINNIE, VINNIE!!!..."

Vince Overson collects his man of the match prize and wonders how the hell he's going to fit it in his car to take home after his brilliant m.o.m performance against Glenn Hoddle's Chelsea in the Coca Cola cup at the Victoria Ground in October 1995. Vince out did Chelsea's Ruud Gullit on the night and is seen here collecting his prize for his efforts in front of a flood lit Stoke End Stand in the Background. Stoke went on to beat Chelsea in the replay at Stamford Bridge to set up a big money home tie in the next round against Kevin Keegan's Hign flying Newcastle United.

STOKE 1 DERBY COUNTY 1

(22/10/95) DIV 1

Oh, memories!! ..Martin Carruthers is shown making a brilliant run here, carving through the Ram's defence like the proverbial knife through butter.. he beats the last couple of defenders, rounds the goal keeper, and.... Guess what?.. Yes he thrills us all with a typical "Carruthers finish" and doesn't bloody score!

Note the Stoke End Stand in the background where Rams fans are located in the rerracing behind the goal, also note the upper red plastic seating.. the first several rows are cut off in an attempt to keep Stoke fans away from the visitors below...

LOCAL DERBY VICTORY

A view of the Stoke End Stand looking through the Boothen End net,, In the picture Mark Stein blasts home the winning goal from the penalty spot to make the score 2-1 against near local rivals Port Vale in the 92/93 season. Paul Kerr had earlier put Port Vale in front only for Ian Cranson to equalize a minute later with a header from a set piece, and late on Mark Stein popped up to net the winner.

..THE LAST MARCH..

Stoke City players march around the perimeter of the Victoria Ground pitch for the last time after the final game against West Bromich Albion.

This view shows the scenes from the Butler Street Stand looking across to the Boothen Stand on the opposite touch line and the Stoke End Stand behind the far Goal where an army of Baggies fans have traveled up from the Black Country in the terracing behind the goal.. The seats in the top seating section of the Stoke End Stand are packed with Stoke fans with only the first 2 rows of seating sealing them off from the away fans below...

..IN ALL ITS GLORY..

The Stoke End stand was probably the area of the Vic where I spent the least of my time but no one can deny what an impressive structure the stand is.

The stand was one of the youngest at the Victoria ground and therefore did have a short life in comparison to the rest of the stadium and I suppose when big clubs visited and were given the whole of the Stand for themselves it was a very impressive away end for them to occupy..