triumph marred by attacks

OUT OF THE BLUE: From left, Sam Bamford, Nick Bloom and Andrew Brown were attacked by Hajduk Split fans. Pictures: Phil Radcliffe

STUDENTS were punched and kicked in the head as Stoke City supporters fell victim to Hajduk Split's notorious hooligan contingent before one of the greatest nights in the Potters' long history.

About 600 Stoke fans watched their club record their first ever European tie victory in Croatia last night, but several were nursing bruises from the previous evening's encounter with local thugs.

Biology student Sam Bamford, business management student Nick Bloom and their friend Andrew Brown, aged 22, were walking near the harbour when they were attacked by a gang of about 15 young men late on Wednesday night.

The trio, who had followed police advice to not wear Stoke shirts around Split, were making their way home from a city centre bar when they were confronted.

Sam, aged 22, suffered a black eye and a 10cm scratch down his face from a kick while Nick, also aged 22, and Andrew were punched and chased but escaped relatively unharmed.

In a separate incident, four Stoke supporters were pursued back to their hostel near the sea-front by a 40-strong mob of young men.

Hostel staff helped barricade the doors to the reception until the troublemakers finally retreated.

Sam, from Trentham, said: "It had been a good night and in hindsight it could have ended a lot worse.

"It came out of the blue. We were just trying to make our way home and when I was punched'"

"It went on for a few minutes and I was thinking one of them might pull out a knife. We had been sensible. We are the most unlikely of lads to get into fights and it wasn't a nice experience at all.

"It's a beautiful place and all the locals we had met before then had been very friendly."


Nick, from Newcastle, said: "We have gone out of our way to not to incite any trouble, because we knew some Hajduk fans have a reputation for violence.

"We left our Stoke tops at home and I get the feeling we could have been from anywhere and still ended up in the same situation. They were not looking for Stoke fans especially, they were just spoiling for a fight."

Stoke beat Hajduk 1-0 last night to progress to the fourth qualifying round of the Europa Cup 2-0 on aggregate. The club had previously not been involved in elite continental football for 37 years.

During the first half, Hajduk fans held up a huge banner saying "Naughty 40: 2 Fast 2 Innocuous" in a message to Stoke's own hooligan element.

But most of Stoke's travelling support reported a friendly welcome from their hosts.

Andrew, who runs his own online mobile phone business, was determined the incident was not going to ruin their stay in Croatia but he and his friends decided against going out after the game last night.

He said: "It was a bad end to the night but it has still been fantastic to have the opportunity to watch Stoke play in Europe."


- The Europa Draw begins today from around 11am

Interesting Parker Argument

Scott Parker is available for around £8 million, which in this climate is not an exorbitant amount of money. For that, Spurs or Chelsea would get a level-headed and hard-working man who would slot into either team environment.

But the question would remain whether he would be able to oust the incumbents from their position in order to make a move to either London club worthwhile.

Have no fear: Parker's problems may be over, because the latest club to join the race for the midfielder may turn out to be the best fit: Stoke City.

While the Potters may not be as fashionable as Spurs or Chelsea, they are in Europe – almost through to the group stages in the seemingly interminable Europa League after their two legged victory over Hajduk Split – and are on the up under manager Tony Pulis.

They have long been regarded as one of the ugly sisters in the Premier League, a team which likes to boot, rather than pass their way out of trouble, but this is unfair. And with the addition of Parker, they could introduce yet more midfield guile.

Parker was close to a one-man team at West Ham last season, providing service for strikers Victor Obinna and Carlton Cole and when he found them wanting, he ran into scoring positions himself. He even did half-time team talks.

But at Stoke, he would not need to be all players to all people. be flanked by the likes of Dean Whitehead and Matthew Etherington, both industrious players in their own right.

West Ham would like to keep Parker, of course, but they also have a pressing need to reduce their outgoings, now they are in the Championship. A loan move has been mooted, because the Hammers are looking to bounce straight back to the top flight.

And for Parker himself, he would like to get his future sorted as soon as possible – preferably before he has to play Cardiff on Sunday. But although Stoke are unlikely to tie up a deal that quickly, surely the player and both clubs will see that it makes sense.

Europa win sullied for fans?

In spite of a momentous two-part victory over Croatian outfit Hajduk Split, some supporters memories of the occasion may be dimmed by the treatment of the fans after the game.

City fans were well aware that they would have to remain in the stadium for 40 minutes after the final whistle, however did not expect to then have to be detained for a further two hours.

one fan stated:

"We were kept back for over two hours crammed into buses with no water and no idea of what was happening.
It was unbelievably hot and we were just left on the buses without being told that they weren't even going to be used in the end.."

"..In the end we got taken in groups of about 8 in a police mini bus going round in a loop and then just dropped off in the middle of Split."

what are your views regarding the treatment of fellow football supporters travelling to away games? let us know.

Shott-on Target!

Ryan Shotton's stoppage-time goal in Croatia secured a 1-0 victory for Stoke against Hajduk Split to book their place in the final qualifying round of the Europa League courtesy of a 2-0 aggregate success.

The Potters, who went into the third round second leg with a 1-0 lead from last week's first leg at the Britannia Stadium, put in an impressively controlled display over 90 minutes, Tony Pulis' players seemingly untroubled by the vociferous home supporters at Stadion Poljud.

And the performance was capped in the 93rd minute by substitute Shotton, who was in the right place to convert Dean Whitehead's cross.

Pulis named another strong side for the match, handing a Stoke debut to summer signing Jonathan Woodgate.

The former Tottenham player came into the heart of the Potters defence with Robert Huth switching to full-back to replace Andy Wilkinson, who was not included in the squad.

Rory Delap had not travelled with the group, so Whitehead took his place in midfield in the only other change to the team that had started the first leg.

As anticipated, Stoke received a hostile reception from the raucous crowd as the match got under way and they were soon having to deal with a Hajduk attack.

The hosts' coach Krasimir Balakov had promised his team would be firmly on the offensive and in the fifth minute they looked threatening as Marin Tomasov broke into the box.

Woodgate was on hand to guide the ball out for a corner, which Mario Brkljaca then headed over the bar.

The Potters began to settle, though, and Jon Walters found himself in a good position around the quarter-hour mark but could only lift his shot into the body of defender Ljubo Milicevic.

Protests that Milicevic had handled were waved away by Italian referee Andrea De Marco, who gave a similar response moments later as Kenwyne Jones was sent sprawling in the area.

Ivan Vukovic then tried his luck from distance, driving the effort off target.

There was a moment of concern for Stoke in the 30th minute when Walters went down clutching his leg after a late challenge from Milicevic.

De Marco booked the Hajduk player while a stretcher came on to the pitch, but Walters was soon back on his feet.

Huth sent an attempt high and wide soon after and Jermaine Pennant delivered a cross into the box which was just beyond Jones' head.

Matthew Etherington was next to put the ball in the danger zone, but goalkeeper Danijel Subasic was alert to grab it before Jones could pounce.

The Potters seemed to be in the ascendancy and perhaps as a sign of their frustration, Hajduk picked up another yellow card as Srdan Andric brought down Pennant.

Tomasov fired a shot in towards the end of the first half, but Asmir Begovic caught it comfortably.

Hajduk's fans were growing restless and some bottles were thrown from the stands soon after the restart when Huth tackled Vukovic by the touchline.

Glenn Whelan struck the ball into Subasic's arms before Vukovic was challenged again, this time by Ryan Shawcross, and had to be substituted for Ahmad Sharbini.

Moments later Anas Sharbini advanced into the box and got a shot away which Shawcross managed to divert behind for a corner.

Whitehead became the first Stoke player to be shown a yellow card in the 63rd minute after clattering Ahmad Sharbini, and Shawcross then headed wide from Pennant's corner.

At the other end, Dinko Trebotic scuffed an effort wide before being taken off for Nikola Saric.

Tomasov saw a free-kick deflect the wrong side of the post off Whelan and then hoisted a shot well wide.

With a little under 15 minutes to go, Pulis withdrew Jones and introduced Salif Diao.

Brkljaca then appeared fortunate to escape punishment for an apparent dive in the box.

After Begovic smothered a Tomasov shot, it was Pennant who received a booking for time-wasting, Pulis almost immediately substituting the winger for Danny Pugh.

Walters then came off for Shotton, who was the hero late on as he bundled in Whitehead's cross.

Kirkland for Keeper?

According to reports Stoke City are ready to swoop for Wigan Athletic goalkeeper Chris Kirkland.

Potters boss is understood to view Kirkland as a replacement for Thomas Sorensen following a reported bid for the unsettled Dane from Manchester City.

The Daily Mail claims Latics boss Roberto Martinez is keen to offload Kirkland’s £30,000-a-week pay packet from the club’s wage bill and could grant him a free transfer.

He would arrive at the Britannia Stadium as cover for current No 1 Asmir Begovic.

Stoke Starting XI

The Starting XI of tonight's game are in for both teams.

Woodgate To Start Tonight?

JONATHAN WOODGATE could be in line to make his competitive debut for the Potters in Croatia this evening... Tony Pulis last night revealed.

The City boss believes the former Real Madrid aces experience could be key to his side's hopes of overcoming Hajduk Split in the second leg of their Europa League Qualifier.

"We will look at it," he said at last night's pre-match press conference. "He's got experience playing against foreign players and in big stadiums

"The biggest thing with Jonathan is making sure he feels good himself. He's not 19 years of age and desperate to prove a point.

"I will speak to him about how he feels and, if it is right, we will play him. But I will also speak to the physios, not just Jonathan. We put a lot of emphasis on players to be honest with us."

He added: "If he doesn't play here, he might play against Chelsea next week, as long as he's ready. We have brought him here to get him into the team, not to sit on the bench."

Stoke Show Interest For Parker

It is understood that Stoke City have enquired about Scott Parker, who is valued no lower than £8m by West Ham United, with any move for the 30-year-old likely to free up the Hammers to explore signing Joey Barton on a free transfer from Newcastle United.


Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal all retain an interest in Parker. But the interest from Aston Villa – who offered £7m earlier this summer – and from Chelsea – who also considered a bid, or a loan deal for Parker – appears to have cooled, for the moment at least.


Stoke nearly signed the West Ham striker Carlton Cole earlier in the summer only for the player to decide against the move, and Parker may also be reluctant to move to the Potteries.


West Ham will not accept any less than £8m for Parker, who has a year remaining on his contract at Upton Park, due to the £40m hole in their finances relegation has caused. By the end of August West Ham will have injected around £18m for cash flow and wages purposes as the club,


If Parker were to depart, Barton would cost West Ham nothing after the controversial midfielder was told he can leave for free due to his dispute with the hierarchy on Tyneside. This follows a bust-up with management and series of tweets in which he has criticized the board.


Were he to join West Ham, he would be reunited with his former Newcastle team-mate Kevin Nolan and the manager, Sam Allardyce, who signed Barton from Manchester City.

Stoke chase a Big Mac

Representatives from Stoke City have arrived in Italy to negotiate for Inter Milan midfielder McDonald Mariga.

Italian source Sky Sport 24 has confirmed that the Potters have stepped up their interest in the out-of-favour Kenyan midfielder as they look to quickly add to their squad before the start of the new Premier League season.

Mariga is expected to leave the Nerazzurri this summer after failing to establish himself at the club since joining from Parma at the beginning of 2010 and has been linked with other clubs like Napoli.

Mariga has emerged as Stoke’s primary midfield target after Tony Pulis’ side missed out on former Liverpool man Mohamed Sissoko, who opted to move to big spending Paris Saint-Germain rather than head to the Potteries.

Mariga has been linked with a move to England previously, with both Aston Villa and West Brom mooted to hold an interest in the 24-year-old, while Manchester City are also known to have run the rule over the midfielder.

Ligue 1 side Lyon have emerged as a potential destination of late though, with Inter considering throwing the Kenyan into an offer for full back Michel Bastos.

But now Stoke are bidding to take Mariga off Inter’s hands and, for the right price, the Italians will surely consent to his departure.

It remains to be seen however whether Mariga will jump at the opportunity to join the Europa League hopefuls.

Training in Split

A twitpic of the lads training on the pitch in Split ahead of tomorrow's game.



link:

http://twitpic.com/60hoz8

Potters at the Poljud

Stoke take a slender 1-0 lead in to their third qualifying round tie as a result of Jon Walters’ early strike in the opening encounter, and will have to call on all the battling qualities they have become renowned for to see the job out.

More than 30,000 Croats will be lying in wait for Tony Pulis’s men at Stadion Poljud – but City hard man Andy Wilkinson can't wait to get stuck into the task of knocking out one of the competition's better known teams.

"I don't think I will feel scared or intimidated," said Stone-born defender Andy Wilkinson.

"I think it will be a great experience to see what it's like out there in a foreign stadium like that.

"If anything, it gives us a bit of a buzz. I'd like to think so anyway. I don't think anything like that fazes most of the lads. In fact, I think it will inspire us.


THE GAME CAN BE FOUND ON PREMIER SPORTS CHANNELS 433 AND 437

Stoke Reject Collins Bid

Ipswich Town have failed with a bid for Stoke City defender Danny Collins.

The Daily Star says Stoke have rejected a £1 million offer from Stoke for the Wales international.

However, they are set to sign Blackburn midfielder Keith Andrews, 30, on a season-long loan.

Massive £16m Double Swoop From Stoke For Spurs Stars

Stoke are plotting an ambitious £16 million double deal for Tottenham duo Peter Crouch and Wilson Palacios.

Potters boss Tony Pulis wants the giant but gifted Spurs star and is set to pay around £8 million for him and find a way of paying him the sky-high wages that he earns at White Hart Lane.

Pulis also wants powerful Honduran midfielder Palacios but will need the Spurs midfielder to take a whopping pay cut.

Stoke boss Pulis has earmarked Palacios as a top transfer target this summer and made an enquiry to Spurs about the Honduras international’s availability.

Potters chairman Peter Coates is prepared to smash the club transfer record to land the former Wigan star but the deal is running into problems over wages.

Palacios earns around £60,000 a week at White Hart Lane and has three years left on the bumper contract he signed in 2009 while Stoke want the 27-year-old to accept £40,000 a week.

New Record Bid From Stoke

Stoke City will offer a club record £9million for striker Nicklas Bendtner as he steps up his recruitment drive ahead of the new season.

Tony Pulis is a big admirer of the confident 23-year-old who has been allowed to leave the Emirates by Gunners manager Arsene Wenger.

The Denmark international endured a frustrating season on the bench last year and scored only two Premier League goals.

There were rumours he would be moving abroad with Borussia Dortmund, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon all keen on signing him.

But none of the clubs could afford to pay his transfer fee and salary demands, but Stoke, who hope to embark on a European run, want to discuss terms.

Bendtner has emerged as a surprise name on the radar after his representatives held initial talks with Pulis, according to the Daily Mirror

Stoke want to bring in at least four or five new signings this summer, with Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Wilson ­Palacios high on their list of targets.

“We are threadbare at the moment,” Pulis said. ”Fingers crossed we can bring one or two players in over the next few days.”

Shock Stoke £9m For Gunner's Hitman

Tony Pulis is lining up a shock £9million bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner as he steps up his recruitment drive.

The Stoke boss is weighing up a club record offer for ­Bendtner after the Denmark international’s agents made contact over the weekend.

Bendtner will be allowed to leave Arsenal this summer after enduring a difficult season last term, scoring only twice in the Premier League.

Now Pulis is ready to offer the cocky 23-year-old a fresh start at the Britannia Stadium and the chance to stay in England.

Stoke are battling to bring in at least four or five new signings this summer, with Spurs midfielder Wilson ­Palacios high on their list of targets.

Bendtner has now emerged as a surprise name on the radar after his representatives held initial talks with Pulis.

The Potters boss said: “We are threadbare at the moment. Fingers crossed we can bring one or two players in over the next few days.”