Editing Stoke-on-Trent (section)

=== Football ===
[[File:Britannia Stadium 1.JPG|thumb|right|Stoke City's [[bet365 Stadium]], opened in 1997, has a 30,089 capacity.<ref>{{cite web | title = The Bbet365 Stadium | url = http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/BritanniaStadium/0,,10310~71103,00.html | work = stokecityfc.com | access-date = 12 December 2010 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120229154748/http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/BritanniaStadium/0%2C%2C10310~71103%2C00.html | archive-date = 29 February 2012 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>]]
Stoke-on-Trent is the smallest city to boast two professional clubs in the [[English Football League]] (EFL). The club bearing the area's name is [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]], formed in 1863 and is the second-oldest professional football club in England.<ref>{{cite book |title=World Soccer Yearbook: The Complete Guide to the Game |first=David |last=Goldblatt |publisher=Dorling Kindersley |date=2002}}</ref> They currently play at the [[bet365 Stadium]] at Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent, which has been their home since 1997 when they relocated from the [[Victoria Ground]] in Stoke after 119 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Premier League Club Directory |url=http://efl.com/staticFiles/2e/3/0,,12306~131886,00.pdf |access-date=15 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122150437/http://www.premierleague.com/staticFiles/2e/3/0%2C%2C12306~131886%2C00.pdf |archive-date=22 January 2009 }}</ref> They were among the twelve founding members of the Football League in 1888. They won their first and, to date, only major trophy [[1972 Football League Cup final|in 1972]], when they lifted the [[EFL Cup|League Cup]].<ref name="The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City">{{cite book|last=Matthews|first=Tony|title=The Encyclopaedia of Stoke City|year=1994|publisher=Lion Press|isbn=0-9524151-0-0}}</ref>

In 1985, Stoke City were relegated from the [[Football League First Division|First Division]] and began a 23-year exile from the top flight of English football which did not end until they won promotion in [[2007–08 Stoke City F.C. season|2008]], by which time the First Division had become the [[Premier League]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Coates 'relieved' as Stoke go up|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/stoke_city/7384046.stm|work=BBC Sport|date=5 May 2008 |access-date=21 September 2012}}</ref> Stoke City reached the final of the [[FA Cup]] for the first time in 2011, but [[2011 FA Cup Final|were defeated]] by [[Manchester City F.C.|Manchester City]].<ref>{{cite news |first=Chris |last=Nield |title=FA Cup parade: Your photos |url=http://www.mcfc.co.uk/news/club-news/2011/may/fa-cup-homecoming-fan-photos |work=mcfc.co.uk |publisher=Manchester City FC |date=24 May 2011 |access-date=23 December 2011}}</ref> Stoke City were relegated from the Premier League in 2018.<ref>{{cite news|title=Swansea 1-2 Stoke|work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44020155|access-date=13 May 2018}}</ref> 

The club and the city's most famous player is the late Sir [[Stanley Matthews]], who began and ended his playing career with Stoke City, sandwiching 14 years at [[Blackpool F.C.|Blackpool]] where he played in what became known as the [[1953 FA Cup Final|Matthews Final]].<ref name="mathe"/> He also managed Port Vale from 1965 to 1968.<ref name="mathe"/> He was the first active footballer to receive a [[Knighthood]].<ref name="mathe"/> Matthews made 54 appearances for his [[England national football team|country]], scoring 11 times.<ref name="mathe"/> There are two statues of Matthews in the city: one in Hanley and one at the Bet365 Stadium.<ref name="mathe">{{cite news |title=The story of Sir Stanley Matthews |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/stoke/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_8517000/8517497.stm |access-date=12 June 2020 |work=BBC Sport |date=18 February 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Vale Park - 4.jpg|thumb|[[Vale Park]], home of Port Vale. Completed in 1950, at the time of its construction it was nicknamed 'The Wembley of the North'.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.port-vale.co.uk/club/history/| title=A Brief Club History| work=port-vale.co.uk| access-date=19 June 2013| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604063508/http://www.port-vale.co.uk/club/history/| archive-date=4 June 2013| url-status=live}}</ref>]]
The city's other professional football club is [[Port Vale F.C.|Port Vale]], who were formed in 1876 and play at [[Vale Park]] in the [[Burslem]] area.<ref>{{cite web |title='Wembley of the North' - Vale Park, Burslem |url=http://www.thepotteries.org/another/009.htm |website=www.thepotteries.org |access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref> Previous stadiums include the [[Athletic Ground (Cobridge)|Athletic Ground]] in Cobridge (1886–1913) and The [[Old Recreation Ground]] in Hanley (1913–1950).<ref name="Kent1">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=The Valiants' Years: The Story Of Port Vale|publisher=Witan Books|year=1990|pages=4–25|chapter=In the Beginning (1777–1888)|isbn=0-9508981-4-7}}</ref><ref name="if">''What If There Had Been No Port In The Vale?: Startling Port Vale Stories!'' (Witan Books, 2011, {{ISBN|978-0-9529152-8-7}})</ref> They joined the Football League in 1892 but were forced to resign in [[1906–07 Burslem Port Vale F.C. season|1907]] due to financial problems, only to return in [[1919–20 Port Vale F.C. season|1919]].<ref name="kentre">{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=The Port Vale Record 1879-1993|publisher=Witan Books|year=1993|isbn=0-9508981-9-8}}</ref> Their highest league position came in [[1930–31 Port Vale F.C. season|1931]] when they finished fifth in the [[Football League Second Division|Second Division]].<ref name="kentre"/>

In 1954, while in the [[Football League Third Division North|Third Division North]], Port Vale progressed to the FA Cup semi-final when they were knocked out by First Division [[West Bromwich Albion]] at [[Villa Park]].<ref name="kentre"/> This remains the furthest they have progressed in the competition.<ref name="kentre"/> Unlike Stoke City, their local rivals in the [[Potteries derby]], they have never played top division football and hold the record for most years spent in the second tier without ever playing in the first.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=The Potteries Derbies|publisher=Witan Books|page=118|date=November 1998|isbn=0-9529152-3-5}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=All-time Second Division - Clubs with most seasons in the 2nd Level of English Football|last=Turianski|first=Bill |url=http://billsportsmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/england-2nd-level_all-time-40-clubs_w-league-history_f.gif |website=billsportsmaps.com |access-date=3 November 2018}}</ref> Individuals of note include [[John Rudge]] (who managed the club for 16 years from 1983 to 1999) and [[Roy Sproson]] (who made a [[List of Port Vale F.C. records and statistics|club record]] 842 appearances for the club from 1950 until 1972 and was later their manager).<ref name="qm">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2006/04/05/local_heroes_john_rudge_feature.shtml|title=John Rudge – the "quiet man" |work=BBC Stoke & Staffordshire|access-date=16 August 2009}}</ref><ref name="enfa">{{ENFA}}</ref>

Previous clubs from the city include [[Dresden United F.C.|Dresden United]], a club which was disestablished before the city was federated;<ref>{{cite web |title=Football Club History Database - Dresden United |url=https://www.fchd.info/DRESDENU.HTM |website=www.fchd.info |access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref> as well as amateur clubs [[Meir KA F.C.|Meir KA]] (1972–2010) and [[Norton United F.C.|Norton United]] (1989–2015).<ref>{{cite web |title=Football Club History Database - Norton United |url=https://www.fchd.info/NORTONU.HTM |website=www.fchd.info |access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref> Currently, the city is represented at amateur level by [[Eastwood Hanley F.C.|Eastwood Hanley]] (1946–1997; re-established in 2014) and [[Hanley Town F.C.|Hanley Town]] (established 1966).<ref>{{cite web |title=Football Club History Database - Eastwood Hanley |url=https://www.fchd.info/EASTWOOH.HTM |website=www.fchd.info|access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Football Club History Database - Hanley Town |url=https://www.fchd.info/HANLEYT.HTM |website=www.fchd.info |access-date=12 June 2020}}</ref>