The match at the Britannia Stadium between Stoke City and Blackpool will begin with a tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, a prolific footballer who spent time playing for both clubs.
The statue outside the Britannia Stadium is of Sir Matthews, and the inscription reads, “His name is symbolic of the beauty of the game, his fame timeless and international, his sportsmanship and modesty universally acclaimed. A magical player, of the people,
for the people.”
Unsurprisingly, both clubs’ most successful years were when Sir Matthews played for them. He played 701 matches for both sides during 1932 and 1965. The Potters and Seasiders will meet for the first time since 1971 in the Barclays Premier League competition.
The years to follow have not seen either side claim such success, although Stoke City will be looking to continue their exceptional run in form, having been undefeated in their previous five matches.
The Potters are in a fine position, sitting on the seventh spot, while their opponents wallow in the thirteenth position. Both managers, Roy Pullis and Ian Holloway are sure to push their players to their limits in this fixture, as they themselves were trained
at the “Bristol Rovers School of Excellence.”
Blackpool has played fifteen games, one less than Stoke City, and have obtained nineteen points to the Potters twenty-one. Stoke have won six, compared to the Seasiders’ five matches this season. Blackpool have done one better than Stoke by drawing four
fixtures and have six matches compared to Pullis’ side’s seven.
Stoke City have scored and conceded the same amount of goals this season so far, at twenty one. Holloway’s men have scored twenty three but conceded twenty nine in their matches. Both teams have incurred one red card this season, although Stoke City players
have been awarded thirty one yellow cards, ten more than Ian Holloway’s men have seen.
Only three positions separate both teams on the Barclays Premier League table, with Stoke City leading at the thirteenth spot, but Blackpool have a game in hand, as they were unable to play a fixture against Manchester United due to freezing weather conditions.
The dismal weather has seen Holloway train his team at the beach, where Sir Matthews is reported to have taken a jog everyday in the morning.
Stoke may arguably have the upper hand in the fixture as despite being the home side, they have not succumbed to defeat at the hands of Blackpool in their previous seven matches in the league. The Seasiders last beat Stoke in the third tier division in 1998,
in a match which ended 3-1. The two sides’ previous encounter was last season in the third round of the League Cup, an encounter which saw the Potters reign victorious in front of their home supporters in a match with the final score line of 4-3.
Stoke have managed to draw two matches and win three from their last five fixtures in the League. They have bettered their form at the start of the season as they scored eleven goals during the past five matches, which is more than they could in the first
ten matches of this season. Much of that is owed to Matthew Etherington, who has managed to find the back of the net in the last three league fixtures. The last fifteen Blackpool matches this season in the Premier League have seen an average of 3.47 goals
being scored.
The Potters squad may include Andy Wilkinson and Jermaine Pennant as they are reported to have recovered from their knee and hamstring injuries respectively. Salif Diao will not be available for his side as he is suffering from a calf problem. Mamady Sidibe
will not feature for his side either as he is sustaining an Achilles injury.
Blackpool injury list includes Ludovic Sylvestre with a hamstring strain, although the player is said to be recovering. Alex Baptiste will not play due to a knee injury. Those who are sidelined for the Seasiders include Matt Gilks, Chris Basham, Billy Clarke,
Marlon Harewood and Louis Almond.
Tags: