This is an offshoot of a discussion on another thread, where buz_not_buzz helped to identify the location of a photo of our Division Two title-winnng side in 1925.
This was the photo:
That peculiar structure on the left was identified as the old pavilion at the Victoria Ground, Stoke, which has been compared to the similar structure at Craven Cottage.
But while there are millions of images of the Fulham version online, it is difficult to find a single decent shot of the Stoke pavilion, despite the fact that it was still in use as late as the early 60s.
I finally managed to locate a good photo, and in the long search, I came across a load of fascinating stuff, which it would be wrong to keep to myself, so here we go.
First, this is a truly extraordinary picture:
It's Stanley Matthews scoring past Gordon Banks in an FA Cup Third Round replay in January 1962.
Matthews starred as Stoke won 5-1, in the 'middle year' between our Wembley appearances in 1961 and 1963.
I'm sure there must be roofers who were at that game, and if so, you would have seen the old pavilion first hand. It was the place the players used run out on to the field from. You can see Stanley Matthews doing just that twenty seconds into this video.
I really wanted the camera to zoom out and show us the pavilion, but no such luck.
It was a game a year after that Leicester cup tie that finally threw up a decent shot. Here it is:
That's Dennis Viollet scoring, with the pavilion visible in the background (it looks a bit like the rickety old North Stand at Stamfrd Bridge, doesn't it?)
But can you guess the opposition?
It was Stoke's 100th anniversary celebration game, and they had paid the huge sum of ten grand to get Real Madrid to fly over (though apparently they recouped double that amount at the turnstiles).
When Madrid president Santiago Bernabeu arrived in the Potteries he told the local paper, the Staffordshire Sentinel, that 'This visit to Stoke is one of the highlights of my life'. It's a comment to make you spit out your coffee, but he was deadly serious. 'To us, Stoke is Stanley Matthews. It's a dream come true for me because my wife and I saw him play for England in Portugal a few years ago, and we have never forgotten his amazing performance'.
Madrid flew into Manchester Airport on the Monday afternoon, two days before the game. The previous day they had completed their La Liga programme, finishing nine points clear of Atletico Madrid, their third title in a row. The party were due to head for Stoke after the plane landed, but the players insisted on going to see the Manchester United v Wolves game scheduled for that evening at Old Trafford.
United won 2-1, a crucial points two points in their battle to avoid the drop. The following weekend they faced an FA Cup Semi-Final against Southampton. They were the two outsiders. The favourites, Leicester City and Liverpool, would meet in the other semi.
The Madrid players spent Tuesday and Wednesday training at the Victoria Ground, wandering around the local shops, and being taken on a tour of the Doulton Fine China factory in Burslem. Here's Puskas at a training session:
And here he is shopping in Hanley:
Here's Bernabeu with his hero:
And here's Stanley with Alfredo di Stefano before the kick-off...
...and taking on their defence:
It was boom time for Stoke. They were four points clear at the top of Division Two with games in hand, and with seven to play, only a total collapse could prevent them getting back in the top flight. They put on a good show against Madrid but lost 2-1.
Then Stoke contrived to lose their next three League games and what had looked like certain promotion was now in the balance (sounds a bit like Maresca's side last year). They pulled it around, with Stanley scoring a famous goal in the clincher against Luton.
In the close season, the pavilion was pulled down, and the Boothen Stand, which was built in four stages, was finally extended the full length of the pitch:
By the time we went back to the Victoria Ground for the first leg of the League Cup Final a year later, all trace of the 'Hen Coop', as it was known, had disappeared.
This was the photo:
That peculiar structure on the left was identified as the old pavilion at the Victoria Ground, Stoke, which has been compared to the similar structure at Craven Cottage.
But while there are millions of images of the Fulham version online, it is difficult to find a single decent shot of the Stoke pavilion, despite the fact that it was still in use as late as the early 60s.
I finally managed to locate a good photo, and in the long search, I came across a load of fascinating stuff, which it would be wrong to keep to myself, so here we go.
First, this is a truly extraordinary picture:
It's Stanley Matthews scoring past Gordon Banks in an FA Cup Third Round replay in January 1962.
Matthews starred as Stoke won 5-1, in the 'middle year' between our Wembley appearances in 1961 and 1963.
I'm sure there must be roofers who were at that game, and if so, you would have seen the old pavilion first hand. It was the place the players used run out on to the field from. You can see Stanley Matthews doing just that twenty seconds into this video.
I really wanted the camera to zoom out and show us the pavilion, but no such luck.
It was a game a year after that Leicester cup tie that finally threw up a decent shot. Here it is:
That's Dennis Viollet scoring, with the pavilion visible in the background (it looks a bit like the rickety old North Stand at Stamfrd Bridge, doesn't it?)
But can you guess the opposition?
It was Stoke's 100th anniversary celebration game, and they had paid the huge sum of ten grand to get Real Madrid to fly over (though apparently they recouped double that amount at the turnstiles).
When Madrid president Santiago Bernabeu arrived in the Potteries he told the local paper, the Staffordshire Sentinel, that 'This visit to Stoke is one of the highlights of my life'. It's a comment to make you spit out your coffee, but he was deadly serious. 'To us, Stoke is Stanley Matthews. It's a dream come true for me because my wife and I saw him play for England in Portugal a few years ago, and we have never forgotten his amazing performance'.
Madrid flew into Manchester Airport on the Monday afternoon, two days before the game. The previous day they had completed their La Liga programme, finishing nine points clear of Atletico Madrid, their third title in a row. The party were due to head for Stoke after the plane landed, but the players insisted on going to see the Manchester United v Wolves game scheduled for that evening at Old Trafford.
United won 2-1, a crucial points two points in their battle to avoid the drop. The following weekend they faced an FA Cup Semi-Final against Southampton. They were the two outsiders. The favourites, Leicester City and Liverpool, would meet in the other semi.
The Madrid players spent Tuesday and Wednesday training at the Victoria Ground, wandering around the local shops, and being taken on a tour of the Doulton Fine China factory in Burslem. Here's Puskas at a training session:
And here he is shopping in Hanley:
Here's Bernabeu with his hero:
And here's Stanley with Alfredo di Stefano before the kick-off...
...and taking on their defence:
It was boom time for Stoke. They were four points clear at the top of Division Two with games in hand, and with seven to play, only a total collapse could prevent them getting back in the top flight. They put on a good show against Madrid but lost 2-1.
Then Stoke contrived to lose their next three League games and what had looked like certain promotion was now in the balance (sounds a bit like Maresca's side last year). They pulled it around, with Stanley scoring a famous goal in the clincher against Luton.
In the close season, the pavilion was pulled down, and the Boothen Stand, which was built in four stages, was finally extended the full length of the pitch:
By the time we went back to the Victoria Ground for the first leg of the League Cup Final a year later, all trace of the 'Hen Coop', as it was known, had disappeared.
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