Welcome to Stoke City FC Club & bet365 Stadium Guide

About Stoke City FC Stoke City Football Club are the second oldest professional team in England. Formed as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, the side merged with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club in 1878 to form Stoke FC, before changing its name again to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was granted its ‘city’ status. Nicknamed The Potters due to the huge historical ceramic industry in the area, the Club have called the bet365 Stadium home since 1997 having previously played at the Victoria Ground for 119 years. Stoke-on-Trent is unique in the fact that it is formed by the federation of six towns - Hanley (the city centre), Stoke town centre, Longton, Fenton, Burslem and Tunstall.

Along with the adjacent independent market town of Newcastle-under-Lyme, the combined Potteries region is home to almost 300,000 people.

bet365 Stadium The bet365 Stadium is the home of Stoke City Football Club and has been so since the summer of 1997. The all-seater Stadium cost nearly £15,000,000 to build and brought the Club up to standards set out in the Taylor Report following 119 years at the Victoria Ground. Rochdale were the visitors for the historic first-ever competitive match on 27th August 1997 - a 1-1 draw in the League Cup watched by 15,439 - and four days later the first-ever League game took place against Swindon Town before a crowd of 23,859 in party mood. At the back of the Boothen End on the North Car Park, a spectacular three figure statue of Sir Stanley

Matthews overlooks the site of the Club’s previous Victoria Ground home. Depicting the Wizard of Dribble in different stages of his 30-year career, the nine-foot statue was unveiled by then England manager Kevin Keegan in October 2001 and is regarded as one of the finest sporting statues in the world. Across from it by the Boothen End is a bust of John Ritchie, the Potters’ leading scorer in all competitions. The bust was put in place in February 2008 to honour his achievements in the red and white stripes. More recently, a statue of Gordon Banks was unveiled on Sir Stanley Matthews Way and depicts the Club’s President holding the aloft Jules Rimet trophy following England’s World Cup success of 1966.

Visiting Supporters Visiting supporters are allocated some or all of the South Stand, dependant on the competition of the match and its demand for tickets. If any away match tickets remain unsold prior to the game, these will be made available on a cash-only basis at the turnstiles. For the latest information on availability, check with your club. Coaches drop supporters off directly outside the South Stand and remain in situ there until departure after the final whistle. Visiting supporters are welcome in both the Harvester and Powerleague 5-a-side football centre nearby for refreshments.

bet365 Stadium

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South Stand Blocks 35 - 40 (dependant on away allocation)

Car Parking

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W2 West 2 Car Park

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South Car Park

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Away Coach Park

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Car Park Pass Collection Point

Points of Interest

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Tile Mountain Stand (East Stand) Blocks 26 - 34 (inc Family Area 32 - 34)

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Boothen End Sponsored by Staffordshire University (North Stand) Blocks 19 - 25

North Car Park

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Franklyn Stand (West Stand) Upper - Blocks 1 - 9 Lower - Blocks 10 - 18

S Stanley Matthews Way

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Stanley Matthews Statue

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John Ritchie Bust

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