Stoke City Supporters’ Club is being relaunched this week. The club has been inactive since Covid, although numbers had already been falling. But it will get going again with a relaunch meeting at Ricardo’s bar, at the bet365 Stadium, this Thursday, April 4 (7.30pm).
The move comes as English football prepares to introduce its first independent regulator, which will require all clubs to have a properly established and democratic central supporters’ organisation, and Stoke’s own fan engagement plan. There are thriving branches of fan groups, particularly the Knypersley and Biddulph section, but this will be a central club welcome to all.
Malcolm Clarke, the last chairman of the supporters’ club, has been behind the drive to get it back up and running. He said: “The Stoke City Supporters’ Club has been completely inactive for four and a half years. We are the only Championship club not to currently have an active central supporters club or trust.
“Following the unveiling of Stoke City’s new and exciting fan engagement strategy and the new national requirements in this area, overseen by the new football regulator, we need to rectify this. To this end, as the last elected chairman of the Stoke City Supporters’ Club, and the national chairman of the Football Supporters Association (FSA), I extend a warm invitation to all Stoke City supporters, whether or not you have previously been a member, to attend a re-launch meeting.”
The FSA’s Championship network manager Jane Hughes will be at Ricardo’s to help the club through this process. Anyone unable to attend who would like to join the re-launched club should
Duo head out on loan
Good luck to young midfielders Ben Kershaw and Sonny Singh, who are heading out on loan for the last few weeks of the season.
Kershaw, aged 20, has joined Neil Baker’s Newcastle Town – and he played in Monday’s league game against Leek Town, when Leek sealed the title and promotion.
Singh, also 20, has joined Woking in the National League. He was on the bench for Monday’s 1-1 draw with high-flying Bromley, and clubmates include Finn Delap, the son of Stoke legend Rory.
