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Key information about bet365 Stadium

The bet365 Stadium was built in 1997 and now houses the Championship side Stoke City. The ground is located in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire and is one of the country’s first newly built modern stadiums.

Its capacity stands at 30,089 and it has a pitch that measures 105m by 68m. The surface is covered with natural grass and it has undersoil heating installed with no running track surrounding it.

Bet365 Stadium’s record attendance of 30,022 was achieved during Stoke City’s clash against Everton on 17 March 2018.

A history of bet365 Stadium

Bet365 Stadium was built in 1997 and it served as Stoke City’s replacement for their old home, Victoria Ground, where they played their football for 119 years. The first talk of potentially moving to a different venue started in the early 1990s and following the Taylor report. The idea was to either convert their previous ground into an all-seater or move to a different stadium altogether.

By early 1996, the decision had been made and the construction started during the 1996/97 campaign. In August next year, the bet365 Stadium was born but, back then, it was called the Britannia Stadium due to sponsorship reasons. However, despite the erection of their new home being done rather quickly, the opening didn’t exactly go as planned.

With only one clear access road towards the stadium, supporters from the city had to take different routes, effectively going the other way for over a mile only to use a roundabout and then turn back towards the ground. This, unsurprisingly, caused great congestions on the road. Still, after the initial complications, everything was finally set.

Club legend Sir Stanley Matthews officially opened the stadium and the first game to be played there was between Stoke and Rochdale in the League Cup and it was watched by 15,439 fans on the day. The game ended in a 1-1 draw and unfortunately for Stoke, the whole season ahead was a disaster, ending in their relegation from the league.

A decade after it was first opened, the club finally obtained full ownership of bet365 Stadium in a £6m deal after the previous joint-partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Stoke-on-Trent Regeneration Ltd. Of course, it wouldn’t be until the sponsorship deal in 2016 that the ground would get its current name.

Interestingly, in 2006, the access to the stadium was finally fixed when work took place on the A50 that allowed entrance to the ground from the eastbound direction along with an addition of a bridge across the road.

After long talks and promises of possible expansions, bet365 Stadium finally got a boost in capacity in the summer of 2017, which took the final tally to just over 30,000 that still stands to this day. The ground has been used for other events such as musical concerts, funfairs, firework displays and so on.

Interestingly, in European competitions, the bet365 Stadium is known as the Stoke ground due to UEFA regulations on sponsorships.

Tickets to watch Stoke City at bet365 Stadium

All tickets to watch Stoke City play at bet365 Stadium can be found on the club’s official website. The price varies depending on the age and the stand you choose to be seated in but the cheapest adult ticket costs £25.

The club also offers a season ticket scheme as well as memberships that can get you discounts over the course of the season.

Related links

https://www.stokecityfc.com/ – Official website of Stoke City

https://www.stokecityfc.com/club/bet365-stadium/stadium – History of bet365 Stadium

https://tickets.stokecityfc.com/ – Stoke City Ticket Office

In a disappointing 5-0 thrashing to Manchester City on Wednesday night, Steve Bruce’s Newcastle struggled to cause the home side any problems over the course of the 90 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the Magpies hardly saw any of the ball, registering just 27% possession, and could only manage a measly one shot on target.

Having made some changes to his starting line-up for the clash at the Etihad, Bruce gave some fringe players the opportunity to impress, and none more so than USA international DeAndre Yedlin.

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The right-back has struggled with injury problems this season, making only 19 appearances across all competitions – in fact, since the restart of the Premier League, he had only managed to play 18 minutes of top-flight football before the clash against City.

And on Wednesday night, he failed his huge audition.

As per Sofascore, his overall match rating of 5.7 was the lowest of any player on the pitch, and when you look at the underlying numbers behind his performance, it is clear to see why.

Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Yedlin only attempted 11 total passes, of which only five of them were successful – truly shocking numbers for a Premier League player, even despite the kind of attacking onslaught City put on.

But whilst he was wasteful in possession, and couldn’t offer a threat going forward (he attempted no dribbles or crosses whatsoever), his defensive stats were equally weak.

He contested just three total duels, winning only one of them, whilst he only made one tackle and one interception apiece.

With Bruce having the likes of Javier Manquillo, Emil Krafth and even Valentino Lazaro who can play in that right-back or right wing-back slot, Yedlin needed to have a decent game against City to prove his worth.

Instead, he fluffed his big chance in front of his manager.

Sorry to tease you Blues about signing players when your club can’t until the summer 2020 transfer window.

But the signings from down the years at Stamford Bridge we’re going to be looking at in this list are not the Lampards, the Drogbas or the Hazards, far from it.

I bet the West Londoners wished they did have a transfer ban when they tried to acquire these ill-fated stars…

Tiemoue Bakayoko

We start with one of the more recent ones in Tiemoue Bakayoko, someone who technically still plies his trade at Stamford Bridge but we’re unlikely ever to see in blue again.

The fact that Antonio Conte’s Chelsea forked out a remarkable £40m-ish on the sub-standard midfielder will send shivers down the spine of anyone in west London and unless the club can sell up, they’re still lumbered with him until 2022.

Jiri Jarosik

From one pricy Pensioners flop to another and Jiri Jarosik, a name synonymous in Blues folklore as one of the worst to ever represent them.

The centre-back signed from CSKA Moscow in 2005 and lasted no more than half-a-season before a loan to Birmingham City and his subsequent sale to Celtic, enough time for the Chelsea faithful to very much make up their minds on him.

Asier Del Horno

Well, Asier Del Herono’s name meant that one way or another he was always going to be laughed at in English football but he would have hoped the sniggers wouldn’t have also been caused by his performances.

The overwhelming memory most were left with from the defender’s only campaign at the Bridge was not his shoddy showings, rather his horrendous UEFA Champions League tackle on a young Lionel Messi – simply shocking.

Juan Sebastian Veron

Juan Sebastian Veron, what a player, Manchester United, Internazionale, Lazio, Argentina, countless trophies and memorable moments – so what’s he doing on this list?

That’s a good question.

Having joined for around £20m from Old Trafford in the summer of 2003, things never really clicked for the seminal central midfielder in west London as his successful spell in English football ended in an anti-climax and Veron went down as one of Chelsea’s worst ever signings.

Mateja Kezman

Much like Veron, Mateja Kezman represented some very prestigious clubs throughout his career, somehow.

The hit-and-miss poacher only spent the one term in England, making 41 appearances for a meagre return of just seven goals, streets away from what Jose Mourinho would have hoped for when he captured him from PSV – at least Kezman’s only real Chelsea highlight was a special one though, scoring the winner against Liverpool in the 2005 League Cup final.

Winston Bogarde

When a manager has no idea a player is signing due to the whole deal being conducted by the sporting director behind his back, it doesn’t have the makings of a great transfer. And so this proved with Winston Bogarde.

No one seemed to want the former Ajax, Barcelona and Holland centre-back at Chelsea, however, he was determined to stay until the end of his contract in 2004 to pick up his lofty £40k-per-week salary and who could blame him?

Bogarde only ever made 12 competitive appearances for the Blues, ridiculous.

Adrian Mutu

Adrian Mutu’s Chelsea tale is a sad one. It could have been one of greatness if the Romanian hadn’t let him substance abuse issues ruin it by being sacked for his addiction to cocaine.

Mutu had a great record on the pitch in west London, registering ten goals and nine assists in just over a season before the cocaine story came out and the world came crashing down on him.

The reason the talented centre-forward makes the is the £15m the Blues threw away on him.

Marko Marin

There would be no such drama in the short Stamford Bridge stay of another failed attacker, ex-Germany prodigy Marko Marin.

The Pensioners thought they were getting something special when Werder Bremen finally gave up their budding 16-time German international in 2012 though he would only ever join the long list of Blues youngsters to be prolifically sent out on loan before exiting at the end of their contracts.

Franco Di Santo

Argentine frontman Franco Di Santo was once nicknamed the “new Maradona” as well as the “little Crespo,” the fact that he’s a Wigan Athletic cult hero probably explains how far he got in living up to those tags.

After a switch from hometown club Audax Italiano, the ex-Argentina international barely made any impact at all in west London and swapped Stamford Bridge for the DW Stadium in 2010 with zero strikes to his name.

Andriy Shevchenko

In contrast to Di Santo, Chelsea supporters certainly haven’t forgotten the name Andriy Shevchenko and they’re never likely to however much they might have wanted to.

The world football icon is another who enjoyed a near-perfect career apart from the one blemish on his CV, the spell with the Blues.

Just 77 matches and 22 goals will never endear yourself at a club when they’ve broken all kinds of records to bring you in for £30m, a whopping sum back then – if only he could have been like the man he’s pictured with above.

Timo Werner’s chances of joining Liverpool this summer have taken a huge dent, and it has left some sections of the Anfield faithful absolutely reeling.

According to Sky Sports, the Reds are ‘very unlikely’ to sign the German forward as it is claimed they have no plans to pursue him when the transfer window reopens at the end of the current campaign.

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It’s also believed that January addition Takumi Minamino’s role amongst Jurgen Klopp’s attack is set to increase next season, meaning the noises around a potential swoop for Werner is that it will not happen.

And this has left supporters fuming.

Werner has been a prolific talisman for RB Leipzig this season, scoring 27 goals in 36 appearances whilst also contributing 12 assists, via Transfermarkt.

He has also become one of the national team’s first choice options, notching a total of 29 caps since a debut in 2017.

With Klopp possessing the talents of Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, the 24-year-old may find it hard to cement his name down amongst Liverpool’s starting XI, unless one of the trio were to depart Merseyside anytime soon.

Here’s what fans have been saying…

AND in other news, Liverpool fans react to James Pearce’s verdict on Henderson…

Manchester United have relished in success and silverware over the years as they boast being one of the best clubs on the planet.

But like any other, there have been darker days – here are just three moments from the vault that really got Reds fans fuming…

Cristiano Ronaldo’s wink

A relic from both Man United and international football history. In the 2006 World Cup quarter-final between England and Portugal, Wayne Rooney was sent off after a stamp on Carvalho.

What looked like it would be a stern talking to or a yellow card at best, turned into a dismissal for the Englishman thanks to club teammate Ronaldo.

The Portuguese star can take credit for his side’s win after pleading with the referee to give Rooney an early bath. As if getting a teammate and friend sent off wasn’t enough, Ronaldo gave the famous wink towards the Portugal bench afterwards as if to say ‘got him’.

Not only did it rile United fans, but it had the English nation’s blood boiling after Portugal went on to knock the Three Lions out on penalties.

Gabriel Heinze’s Liverpool dream

United fans truly couldn’t forgive the Argentinian for this huge faux pas. Heinze joined Old Trafford in 2004 and claimed all his dreams had come true after signing on a five-year deal. However, those dreams didn’t last too long, considering he tried to force a move to arch-rivals Liverpool just three years later.

The last player to move from Manchester United to Anfield was in 1964 – it’s a completely unheard of notion. But Heinze was adamant he belonged on Merseyside and both he and Liverpool did what they could to make it happen.

Of course, it never did and Heinze moved to Real Madrid instead in 2011 but his relationship with the fans was completely broken and he will always be viewed as a Judas in their eyes.

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Paul Pogba’s fun with Kurt Zouma

In 2019, United’s controversial Frenchman was slammed for laughing and joking with Everton’s Zouma ahead of their match, which was literally about to unfold. In their kits and ready to go, the two were filmed together in the tunnel before going out and facing each other on the pitch.

Fans and pundits alike were baffled and irritated by the players’ exchange, with United fans especially annoyed with Pogba after recently sporting the captain’s armband.

International friendships can obviously blossom, but when battling it out in the top tier of English football, it really doesn’t go down well when it looks like your top players aren’t taking the game seriously.

According to the Daily Record’s Duncan Castles, Jose Mourinho is working hard on getting Lille’s Luis Campos to Tottenham Hotspur as their new technical director.

The same source claims that the man in question is currently one of the hottest prospects in his position – best known for his stints at Monaco and his current gig at Lille – and Mourinho sees him as a suitable man to fill in the vacant spot at the London club.

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Bringing in such a big name would definitely go a long way to helping the Special One bring some silverware back to the club, and for that reason, many of the Spurs fans were actually delighted to hear this update.

They even called Campos a potential long-term game-changer and would seemingly prioritise signing him over getting new players to join Tottenham.

Needless to say, they are all up for this move.

You can see some of their reactions and comments down in the tweets below:

Elsewhere, Graham Roberts suggested a bold transfer move just recently and it seemed to divide many Spurs fans in the process…

Manchester City fans have reacted to the reports that the club won’t receive a ban from the Champions League following investigations into Financial Fair Play.

The news comes from The Athletic’s Sam Lee, who states that the findings on the case are set to be revealed next month, but sources say they will only receive a fine.

Lee also touches on how many within the sport expected Pep Guardiola’s men to be banned from Europe following such expensive spending.

This comes after reports from Der Spiegel suggested the club had lied about spending millions in the transfer market, hiding various costs which should have been calculated for FFP.

Now, with this incredible report, the fans are buzzing with the result. A lot of fans have laughed at the fact they might be free from trouble, as another supporter said: “We can spend what we want”.

Another fan joked by saying “get the bubbly out”, whilst another follower touched on how they will just spend big in the summer again.

Here’s what some of them have had to say…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Injury News series, which considers the impact of the latest updates on players’ fitness.

Lee Bowyer has revealed that it is uncertain whether Lyle Taylor will be able to play for Charlton Athletic against Cardiff City, as reported by London News Online.

What’s the story?

Taylor has been unavailable for Charlton’s last 10 Championship games, having suffered knee ligament damage while on international duty with Montserrat.

It had initially been hoped that he would be available for the Addicks’ match against Preston North End at the very beginning of November, but he eventually missed that game, as well as the 2-1 loss against Millwall.

The aim now is that the 29-year-old will be able to make his comeback against Cardiff on Saturday, though it is not a certainty, as Bowyer told London News Online: “He’s got a bit of tightness somewhere and it’s just going to be a case of trying to manage him this week and seeing how he goes.

“Whether he makes it or not is touch and go, I’m going to try everything in my power to try and get him ready.”

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Can’t be rushed

Having Taylor would be a massive boost for Charlton because he can be a key member of the team.

This is signified by the fact he scored 5 goals and got an assist during the first 6 league games of the campaign.

This would also be the perfect time to have an influential player come back from injury, as Bowyer’s side have now only picked up 1 point from their last 4 games.

However, it is the extent of his importance that suggests he shouldn’t be rushed back as a recurrence of the injury would be a massive blow for Charlton’s season.

They should definitely get Taylor into the team if he is able to play, but Bowyer shouldn’t rush the striker back if he is not completely fit.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

As the January transfer window beckons, fans become more and more excited about the prospect of new arrivals at their club.

However, they also have to keep one eye on potential departures as players’ contracts enter the final few months before they’re able to move for free.

Leeds United have a number of key players whose contracts expire next summer, but we have just been given an insight into the club’s priorities when it comes to getting these deals done.

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What’s been said then?

In a Q&A session for Leeds Live. Beren Cross revealed where Leeds currently are in terms of negotiating new contracts for four of their current playing staff. He said:

“Klich is the next one to be signed off. There is intent to get something done for Pablo too. Berardi seems to be the last man standing when it comes to 2020 expiry dates. Not heard anything on Alioski.”

Mixed bag

This update is a real mixed bag.

The fact that Mateusz Klich is seemingly set to be signed to a new deal is great news as he’s started every single league game under Marcelo Bielsa and is creating the highest number of opportunities, 2.3 each outing.

Find out what happened when a world-record-holding freestyler attempting skills with the worst pair of boots available on eBay in the video below…

Likewise, hearing that the club are wanting to get Pablo Hernandez tied down to a new deal is a promising development as the two-time Player of the Year winner is arguably the Whites’ most important player – something elevated by their run of just two wins from their previous five matches when he’s been out injured.

However, his updates on Ezgjan Alioski and Gaetano Berardi paint a more glum future as their situations don’t look like being resolved in the near future.

With rumours circulating that Ben White could be on his way back to Brighton, it may be key to get Berardi signed onto a new deal, and with Alioski becoming Bielsa’s first-choice left-back in recent weeks, tying him down to updated terms could be equally important.

All in all, this is a mixed bag, and only time will tell what happens with all four of these players.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to allnigeriasoccer.com, Wolverhampton Wanderers are one of three Premier League clubs fighting to clinch the signature of Chelsea goalkeeper Prince Adegoke.

What’s the word?

Adegoke is a member of the academy squad over at Stamford Bridge, and with the club yet to decide on their next intake of scholars, the 16-year-old could well be available to sign elsewhere in the near future.

It is believed that he is highly-rated by the youth team staff at the club as he was once named on the bench for an U18 fixture aged just 14, and he was part of the side that won the Premier League International Tournament last month.

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The report also suggests the Nigerian is keen on staying with the west London outfit, but his hand may be forced if they do not keep him on.

Meaning Wolves could swoop in, though, they will have to beat off interest from Arsenal and Bournemouth to do so.

Statement

On the face of it, capturing a young starlet doesn’t seem too much like a statement of intent, but if they are to convince Adegoke to join the club ahead of both Chelsea themselves and Arsenal, then they are doing something right.

Even more so when you consider how Blues boss Frank Lampard has been handing chances to youth this season – it would only take a good season or two to throw his name into the reckoning.

The move would also double up as a positive to Fosun’s ambitions to start transforming their own academy to a standard that would allow progression into the first team.

Check out a hilarious review of Wolves’ new ‘Mexico’ kit in the video below…

Several of their youngsters featured in the Carabao Cup defeat last week, but that is merely the first stage in the process as only Morgan Gibbs-White has truly come through the system to become somewhat a squad player under Nuno – he has played 64 times in the old gold shirt.

By beating off two European finalists to such a highly-regarded prospect, it would only go to show that the west Midlands club has enough about it to lure such talents – which is a major benefit going forward.