First visit to the Victoria Ground

[Stokiejoe]

My first ever visit to the old Victoria Ground was when I lived in Trent Vale and went to Oakhill Primary School.

We all went to see the Queens visit 2nd November 1955. She and Phillip toured the ground in an open car. Believe it was cold and wet so even she could manage a cold wet day in Stoke.

Started to support Stoke properly in 1958 and of course enjoyed the Waddington years later.

Was anyone else there? The stadium was packed with school children.

 

[The_Boothen_End]

A bit before my time that one but a great story to read. You learn something new everyday, I had no idea the Queen had ever visited the Vic.

My first games would have probably been 89/90 Allan Ball is the fist manager I remember (how am I a stoke fan? )

I went on and off with my Aunt and Uncle for a season, my Dad is actually a Vale fan!

My mum started to go out with a chap called Dave who was a home and away regular, we started to go regularly probably in the 91-92 season. My first experience of the Boothen End & I was hooked.

 

[Stokiejoe]

The day the Queen came to Stoke City and drew 30,000 crowd to Victoria Ground

Footballing royalty

www.stokesentinel.co.uk

 

[Stokiejoe]

Sadly you can't choose who your relatives are or support. My cousin Clinton Boulton sadly died this year, on a golf course, he was the youngest player and youngest captain at the Vale, my mother's cousin was Tommy Cheadle.
Me, I'm a Stokie through and through but when Stoke were away and Vale at home went a few times, not the same though!

 

[Bexhillpotter]

I was there for the Queen's visit but went to the Vic around 1952. Did see Jackie Milburn, Bert Williams etc. early on!

 

[Stokiejoe]

Milburn was before my time I started watching in 1958 and to be honest don't remember seeing Bert Williams

One of the best memories was Lev Yashin and Puskas.

The crowd against Real Madrid was awesome in Boothen End , needed to ask person next to you if you wanted something out of your pocket Nice and warm though!
Well before Elf and Safety

Happy days

 

[Bexhillpotter]

I was there for the Puskas match too, a really great occasion!

 

[Bexhillpotter]

You lot must be as old as me, I was there for all those events, having started to visit the ground as a supporter in circa 1954. Train from Bucknall to Stoke station on match day (steam train of course) and a Wrights pie to ease the hunger. I seem to remember Puskas rattled the bar so hard with one of his thunderbolts it almost broke ,what a player! Visit to the reserves on alternate Saturdays or even the Vale now and then. Also saw a match once at Vale's Old Recreation Ground as Ronnie Allen was my mates uncle.
Oh to get those times back eh?

 

[Bexhillpotter]

I was there for the Queen's visit but went to the Vic around 1952. Did see Jackie Milburn, Bert Williams etc. early on!

Me too, I saw them and remember Bert chatting up the Boothen End, so I must have gone a bit earlier than I first thought, I'd be about 10 or 11.

 

[tonydreamtheater]

Great stories indeed - My first game was an evening match around 1970 ( 1971 it seems) - against Leicester city - driven down from Warrington when I was aged 12 by my older brother who'd been going down for years because of Sir Stan. As I said, it was a night match and the A500 D road had not long been open. I can remember us driving past the Shelton steelworks flames belching out of the chimneys and giant slag railways trucks on the sidings looking down off the D road to the left, glowing white hot in the darkening sky from their contents - showers of sparks flying everywhere, the now landscaped coal tips about there, were black as the night - heaped up tall, grim and dirty - well before it was all landscaped - Stoke to my eyes, looked a fearful place - a workshop from Hell. The ground COMPACT BUT THUNDEROUSLY NOISY - then the Boothen end, smelling of sweat, piss, stale cigarettes and beer - but, as for the game Stoke went one nil down first half but, came roaring back in the second to win three one !!! - I remember John Ritchie and Terry Conroy scoring into the Boothen and and that roar - my oh my ! I was hooked for life. over 1000 games attended later I still follow them but chucked my season ticket away when we got so needlessly relegated in 2018 - to my eyes it was unforgivable given, the clubs status and resources at that time and I was heartbroken. So nice to see them 'on the up' again.