I was tempted to start this Sixy Talk off all bolshy and claim that I didn’t do it because there’s no way I’m talking to one of them Stoke types, what with their coming in our end, singing their songs and spoiling the BarclaysPremierLeague with their second division football. I was tempted, but then you might have missed the irony and gone straight to the comments bit below to leave some abuse.
You’re probably going to do that anyway, but before you do let me have a little whinge that I was too busy at work to go out and find a Stoke fan to have a Sixy Talk with. But being the kind people we are, we made sure you didn’t miss out by sending Jimmy out to find the acceptable face of Stoke fans, which he did neatly by tracking down Dave Richards, notable not only for not living in Stoke any more, but also by having the good sense to marry a Wiganer.
Over to Jimmy and Dave…
1. Wigan Athletic, what do you really think of us?
Being married to a Wiganer, I have a lot of time for the Latics, I was at Wembley and the Millennium Stadium, however I’m well aware this isn’t a view shared by all Stokies. There are basically 2 camps, 1 camp likes having a localish cheap away game, the other will never forgive for the wrongs they feel occurred in the game after Sir Stan died
2. Is it fair to say that Wigan and Stoke used to have quite a hostile rivalry ten years ago which has eased over time? Have you got any vivid memories of those heady third tier days?
There is definitely a camp that keeps the fires burning with regards to the hostility. As for memories of the tie, well apart from thanking you for helping get rid of Alan Ball, and thus bringing in Lou Macari in 1991, I have very fond memories of a goal by Chris Iwelumo, scored in front of the visiting fans, including my wife
3. How integral is Tony Pulis to Stoke City? Can you imagine life after him? Are the fans all still behind him or do certain sections of your support start mumbling about needing to move to the next level whenever you suffer a dip in form?
Pulis is only as integral as any manager can be, I couldn’t imagine life after Lou Macari, but it happened, its your club, and you move on. There is a definite section of our support that wants him gone, but their vocalisation of this is very much results dependant, good run, they shut up, however if we ship a few goals, they become vocal again, it seems not to matter to them if we are actually having an injury crisis in key positions like full back.
To be frank, there has been a section of our support who have never taken to him, or will never forgive him for the infamous “binary season” of 2003/04, and have literally been saying every season (excluding the 2nd half of the one we got promoted in) that he “isn’t good enough” or “has taken us as far as he can” …well if that’s cup finals and Europe, what more can we expect given the glass ceiling our 28,000 stadium gives us in the premier league ?
4. Even though I think I know the answer, can you explain to our readers where the Delilah song comes from? And also where that horrible grunting noise which sounds like Goooooarrrrrnnnnnn Stokkke originated?
There are 2 Stories doing the rounds about Delilah’s origins, and the facts are both could be/are true … 1st one is that in the early 70s The Sensational Alex Harvey Band played a gig at the Victoria Ground, one of their set list was a cover of Delilah, Stokies there that day, sang along, and even sang it at a few games after. Which lead onto the 2nd Story… which could be termed its 80s Revival…
In the late 80s at an away gam
e (Grimsby has been mentioned) some Stokies in a pub, were asked by a copper to sing something less offensive, and Delilah came on the jukebox, and the rest as they say is History.. only it isn’t, over the years for some reason certain sections of our support has tried to sing it way too fast, this is how we sang it at Wembley in 1992, at the correct speed
{youtube}http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26UDhXYwGcc{/youtube}
As for Goooooarrrrrn Stoke….. urm it’s just a rallying cry and you may even have heard me doing a variation on the theme … COME ON YOU RIP ROARING POTTERS
5.Were desperate for points but we seem to do OK at your place generally considering its the limp, pretty football of Wigan Athletic versus the bruising, direct approach of the Potters (ahem). So, insults over – how do you see the game panning out on Tuesday?
Depends which Stoke City turn up, and if we have any of our 1st/2nd choice full backs in the starting XI (V Swansea we had 2midfieldersin those positions) and if your manager decides to exploit any weakness’ in those areas, if he doesn’t we should probably win, if he does, the best we can hope for is a high scoring draw.
6. What’s your favourite type of pie and how do you eat it? Or is it all oatcakes around your way? Tell us about them too if you like!
I’m very partial to a Steak Pie, and when I was young, free and careless, I’d eat it by bending the foil down, and chomping through it, however I’m older and wiser, and had my chin burnt by boiling gravy too often now, so use a fork. It’s not all Oatcakes in Stoke, we have our world renowned (Pies to HM Forces) Wright’s Pie’s. However Oatcakes are the things I bring home, after a visit to Stoke.
Go to Castle Oatcake’s and have a Double Oatcake, with Cheese, bacon, mushroom, black pudding and red sauce ( a real Stokie can eat that without a knife and fork) and let me know what you think http://www.castleoatcakes.co.uk/
Thanks Dave, I’m sure that all our readers will join us in wishing you good luck for the rest of the season (note – that’s just you, not Stoke City) and I can promise that none of them will give you any abuse on your twitter account @IlforddaveSCFC when we win tomorrow.
Have fun…
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