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unusual facts about Stoke-on-Trent Garden Festival



1931–32 in English football

19 March 1932: Stanley Matthews, 17-year-old winger, makes his debut for Stoke City in a 2-1 league win over Bury at Gigg Lane.

1950–51 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke were rocked before the start of the season by the news that Neil Franklin and George Mountford had agreed to play for Independiente Santa Fe in Colombia.

1957–58 Stoke City F.C. season

Stoke made in-roads in the FA Cup overcoming Aston Villa in a 2nd replay and then Middlesbrough to reach the fifth round where they came up against a powerful Bolton Wanderers side who with the help of Nat Lofthouse beat Stoke 3–1 as they went on to lift the cup.

1970–71 Stoke City F.C. season

Arsenal, who would go on to became First Division and FA Cup winners were well beaten 5–0 by Stoke in front of the Match of the Day cameras.

1986–87 Stoke City F.C. season

Peter Coates became Stoke's new chairman in September 1986 which helped Mills to make a number of useful signings.

1998–99 Stoke City F.C. season

Chief executive Jez Moxey was now coming in for some serious pressure to resign by the supporters due to the poor finances and with no chance of promotion Stoke finished in 8th place with 69 points.

1999–2000 Stoke City F.C. season

Gary Megson through no fault of his own was replaced by Gudjon Thordarson and in came a number of Icelandic players and the new era began well with Stoke beating Wycombe Wanderers 4–0 away.

2002–03 Stoke City F.C. season

With Gudjon Thordarson failing to gain a new contract the Stoke board moved to appoint Steve Cotterill from Cheltenham Town.

Alexander George Gurney

Alexander George "Alex" Gurney (15 March 1902 – 4 December 1955) was an Australian artist, caricaturist, and cartoonist born at Pasley House, Stoke, Devonport (now Stoke, Plymouth), England.

Amdy Faye

Faye played in Stoke's 1–0 League Cup victory over Leyton Orient this being his only appearance in the 2009–10 season.

Arnold Machin

In the 1956, while resident at number 15, The Villas, Stokeville, (an estate of 24 Victorian houses in Stoke-upon-Trent) he received publicity in the national press when he chained himself to an old metal lamp-post in protest at its planned removal.

Barrington Stoke

Some authors better known for writing for adults also write for Barrington Stoke, including Eric Brown, Allan Guthrie, James Lovegrove and Gwyneth Jones writing as Ann Halam.

Battle of Blackpool Sands

On arriving off Blackpool Sands, a wide beach approximately 3 miles South-West of Dartmouth near the village of Stoke Fleming, he dropped anchor and waited for six days to allow his fleet to reassemble.

Birmingham Zulus

The trouble in the Britannia Stadium started when a group of about 200 Birmingham fans tore down fencing separating them from Stoke fans.

Boston Guildhall

In the Court Room are a set of ceramic tiles designed by John Moyr Smith depicting various scenes from Shakespearian plays; they date around 1878 and were made at the Minton China Works, Stoke-on-Trent.

Burnden Park disaster

Stanley Matthews was on the Stoke team, and later said he was sickened that the game was allowed to continue.

Chatterley Whitfield

The Chatterley Whitfield Partnership was set up in 1999 between English Heritage, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Advantage West Midlands and Joan Walley MP to find a way to restore the derelict colliery.

Cobridge railway station

Cobridge railway station was located on the Potteries Loop Line and served the Cobridge area of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.

Emma Bossons

Bossons’ career began as a painter or ceramic painter at Mason’s Ironstone (a subsidiary of Wedgwood) in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

First Potteries

The Staffordshire area operations are now part of First Midlands (which consists of First Leicester and First Wyvern) with its group office at Adderley Green, Stoke-on-Trent.

Football League Second Division

Test matches were abolished in 1898 after Burnley and Stoke conspired to deliberately draw their test match 0–0, which resulted in Burnley being promoted and Stoke being saved from relegation.

Harry Croxton

One of his daughters, Clara, won the Staffordshire ballroom dancing championship in 1937 with her partner, Basset Riseley, whose father was Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent.

Horace Austerberry

Austerberry was born in Hanley and worked at St. John's school as assistant schoolmaster to former Stoke manager Thomas Slaney.

Hugh Bourne

Bourne's conversion at the age of twenty seven led him to join the local Wesleyan society at Burslem, one of the historical six towns of the City of Stoke-on-Trent.

Itchin Stoke Down

In the contemporary records, the venue's name is often shortened to "Stoke Down", which is incorrect, as is a popular notion that it is near Hambledon like the other two famous Hampshire venues of the time: Broadhalfpenny Down and Windmill Down.

Jack Benton

He then travelled to South Africa where he assisted Transvaal Police, on his return to England he joined Stoke.

James Owen

Jimmy Owen, English association footballer of the 1880s and '90s for Port Vale, and Stoke

Jamie Shepherd

During his degree at Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, Jamie was freelancing at Dee 106.3 in Chester, Brmb in Birmingham, Heart 100.7 in Birmingham and Heart Radio in North Wales and Cheshire.

Jenny Barker

Jenny Barker (born December 29, 1974) was the drive time presenter on Cross Rhythms City Radio in Stoke-on-Trent in 2005.

John Forrester

Forrester was born in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent and was educated at Eastwood (local authority run) School, the City School of Commerce in Stoke-on-Trent, and Alsager teacher training college in Cheshire.

Jonathan Walters

Walters played in his first European match on 28 July against Hajduk Split where he scored the only goal in a 1–0 Stoke win.

Kenny Beech

Beech then retired from the game at age 30, to take up a job with Michelin in his native Stoke.

M64 motorway

The United Kingdom's M64 motorway was planned during the 1970s to link the M6 at Stoke-on-Trent with the M1 near Castle Donington, by way of Uttoxeter and Derby.

Matthew Parker

Through her, he was appointed dean of the college of secular canons at Stoke-by-Clare in 1535.

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway

The Middy was short-listed as the location for the 1952 Ealing Studios film The Titfield Thunderbolt, but the Camerton and Limpley Stoke line south of Bath was used instead.

Naughty Forty

On 21 October 2001 84 people were arrested after rival fans clashed at Stoke City's local Potteries derby with Port Vale.

RAF Northleach

Glider Training School left RAF Stoke Orchard and RAF Northleach for good relocating to RAF Exeter, Devon and its satellite of RAF Culmhead, Somerset.

Robert Shorton

In 1529 Catherine appointed him Master of the college of Stoke-by-Clare in Sussex.

Rotozaza

WORLD SERVICE - by Ant Hampton and Silvia Mercuriali in collaboration with over 60 artists - June 2001, Abney Park Cemetery, commission from Stoke Newington Festival, London - 2 nights.

SATEB

SATEB organizes an annual residential weekend at The Wedgwood Memorial College, Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke Mandeville

The Games, which were held eight times at Stoke Mandeville, were the inspiration for the first Paralympic Games, also called The Stoke Mandeville Games, which were organised in Rome in 1960.

Stoke-by-Clare

Stoke-by-Clare is a small village in Suffolk located in the valley of the River Stour, about two miles west of Clare.

The Midnight Patrol

The Stoke-on-Trent Laurel & Hardy tent is named 'The Midnight Patrol Tent' in honour of this film as well as the San Jose, California tent.

Tony Monopoly

He was headhunted for a musical while appearing in Cinderella at Hanley, near Stoke-on-Trent.

Tony Waddington

Stoke then had several mid-table seasons before Waddington brought in World Cup winners George Eastham and Gordon Banks to the club in 1966–67.

Trentham Park Branch Line

The Trentham Park Branch Line was a 1¼-mile railway line that ran through the Trentham area of Stoke-on-Trent.

Trinity Theological College

Trinity College, Bristol, a theological college affiliated to the Church of England, located in Stoke Bishop, Bristol.

Victoria Ground

The Victoria Ground had been Stoke City's home since March 1878 and the first match was a friendly against Talke Rangers on 28 March 1878, Stoke won 1–0 before 2,500 spectators.

Wedgwood Memorial College

This came about partly through the influence of Horace Barks, the Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, who was an advocate of Esperanto.


see also