billsportsmaps.com

This map shows the League Championship Table, in cartographic form.  The size of each club’s circle is sized relative to the club’s standing in the table.  So league leader West Bromwich Albion’s navy blue and white stripes are shown in a large circle, and last place Colchester United are represented by a tiny dot.   {To see the full League Championship Table, click here.} 

The club crests on the map are sized in relation to the club’s average attendance.   {To see League Championship Attendance Figures, click here.}

Many Stoke FC fans were not happy when Tony Pulis came back last season for his second spell as manager.  This is because Pulis’ teams play a very defensive-minded, Route One/long-ball game (ie, dull).  And true to form, the 2006-’07 Stoke City team was miserly on defense, and low on offensive flair.  But not only did the club lead the League Championship with least goals allowed (41), they finished a surprising 8th place, just missing out on a shot at the promotion playoffs.

This season, they have continued to improve, and sit 4th in the League Championship, only 1 point away from the automatic promotion spots.  They are a big side, and can physically dominate their opponents.   And their offense has begun scoring more, with striker Ricardo Fuller notching 12 league goals; winger Liam Lawrence has 9 goals overall; as does striker Richard Cresswell.  Newly signed Leon Cort (7 goals) had a brace of goals last Saturday, in Stoke City’s 3-1 win over Preston.  That made it 12 games unbeaten in the league for Stoke (6 wins and 6 draws).  **{Read about Stoke City’s win in this article.}

** {See this recent article, from The Telegraph UK website.}

Stoke City FC is the world’s second oldest football club, formed in 1863 (the oldest club is Notts County FC, which was formed in 1862).  They were first known as the Stoke Ramblers.  In 1876, they merged with the Stoke Victoria Cricket Club, and became Stoke FC.  In 1888, the club became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League. 

Here are the 12 clubs that formed the Football League.  1. Accrington FC.   2. Aston Villa FC.   3. Blackburn Rovers FC.   4. Bolton Wanderers FC.   5. Burnley FC.   6. Derby County FC.   7. Everton FC.   8. Notts County FC.   9. Preston North End FC.   10. Stoke FC.   11. West Bromwich Albion FC.  12. Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.   [Note that these are all northern English clubs, and there was no representation fron London.]

In 1925, six towns merged to form Stoke-On-Trent, and the club renamed itself Stoke City FC.  In 1932, the 17-year old Stanley Matthews debuted for the club.  In 1933, the club made it back to the First Division for the first time since 1907.  By the mid 1930′s, Stoke City was one of the bigger clubs in the country, regularly playing to crowds of over 20,000.  With Matthews as their leader and playmaker, the club continued to improve, and finished in 4th place in 1937.  Following World War II, Stoke came the closest to a Title, losing out by two points to Liverpool, yet finishing in 4th place.  Matthews had a falling out with Stoke management late in the season, being sold to Blackpool with 3 games remaining.  That season, they had their peak season at the turnstiles, drawing 31,590 spectators per game. 

Stoke were relegated in 1953.  They made it back to the top flight for the 1963-’64 season, with the help of 48-year old returnee Stanley Matthews.  Stoke stayed in the First Division for 20 out of the next 22 seasons.  They were last relegated out of the upper level in 1985.

Stoke City’s  best moment, though, was when the club won the 1972 League Cup, beating Chelsea 2-1, at Wembley.   Goals were scored by Irish midfielder Terry Conroy, and inside forward George Eastham.

**{Click here, for a 360-degree view of Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium.}

**{Click here. for a fan-run site that has an assortment of Stoke City FC items of interest.}

Thaks to the Colours of Football website (www.colours-of-football.com) for the newer kits.  Stoke City-mad (www.stokecity-mad.co.uk).

Thanks to (historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk):  the 5 older kits on the bottom  right -hand side of the chart are copyright Historical Football Kits, and reproduced by permission.   Thanks to (webaviation[dot]co[dot]uk);  (viewimages[dot]com);   

…

Ex-Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock took over as manager of Crystal Palace in mid October.  Since November 3rd, the club has gone on a 14-game unbeaten run (8 wins and 6 draws).  Last weekend they vaulted into the playoff places, at fifth, in the League Championship (the 2nd Level).  Warnock is legendary for his mercurial temperment and sideline histrionics, but his ability to inspire squads to punch above their weight has been proven once again.   After beating early season promotion-favorites Wolverhampton away 0-3, Warnock said, “the pressure is off, because everyone thought we were going to get relegated.  We’re nowhere near the finished article, but we’re a hard team to play against, and can become a lot better.” 

Warnock believes Palace’s unbeaten run can be attributed in part to the lack of”big-time Charlies” on the squad.  Clinton Morrison has scored 10 goals in his last 12 league games (12 goals overall), and journeyman striker James Scowcroft has netted 7 times, including a stunning 30-yard volley last Saturday, at Molineux.  The battle for promotion has suddenly become more crowded.

Crystal Palace are the only club based in the southern part of South London which is in the Football League (the League is the top 4 Levels).    **{See this, about South London.}.    AFC Wimbledon, who are based nearby, are in the 7th Level.    Palace, also known as the Eagles, have been in the first division a mere 13 seasons, and their last two spells in the top flight (in 1997-’98, and 2004-’05) both lasted a single season.  Their first time in the top level was in 1969-’70.  Their best league finish was in 3rd place, in 1991.  They were also FA Cup Runners Up that year.  Their peak attendance was in 1972-’73, with an average gate of 30, 167. 

Thanks to Historical Football Kits website (historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk):  the 5 older kits on the bottom right-hand side of the chart are copyright Historical Football kits, and reproduced by permission.   Thanks to Colours Of Football (colours-of-football[dot]com);  (mikefloate[dot]clara[dot]co[dot]uk);  (123football[dot]com).  Thanks to The Guardian UK; and to the Crystal Palace-mad website (http://www.crystalpalace-mad.co.uk).

West Bromwich Albion are the only English club to win promotion to the top flight, and the FA Cup, in the same season.  They did this in 1930-’31.   Their greatest season was in 1953-’54, when they won the FA Cup, and finished 2nd in the League (losing the title to Wolverhampton by 4 points).  It was also the club’s best season at the turnstiles: they averaged 38, 110.

These days, the Baggies have become a real yo-yo club.  But fans should console themselves that the club has come a long way from their form of 15 years ago. In 1993, they were in the old League Two (the 3rd Level), and drawing only around 15,000 per game.

I hope Albion gets promoted this season from the League Championship (the 2nd Level), because they play a very up-tempo, attacking style of football.  They should have been promoted last season, but were upset by Derby County, in the playoff final.  They certainly would have fared better than Derby in the Premier League, this season.

After failing to gain promotion last spring, West Brom lost some good players, like Diomansy Kamara (to Fulham), and Jason Koumas (to Wigan), but they are actually a more solid club, this season.  Players like Kevin Phillips, Zoltan Gera, and the underrated winger Jonathan Greening were smart in sticking with manager Tony Mowbray.  And Slovenian midfielder Robert Koren has been a revelation.   Come May, it could very well turn out that Koumas and Kamara will wish they stayed in the West Midlands, when both their clubs go down, , and West Bromwich goes up.    **{See this thumbnail history of West Bromwich Albion FC, from the Albion Road website;  coincidence in names entirely unintentional.}

Thanks to Historical Football Kits website (historicalkits[dot]co[dot]uk).   All the kits on the left-hand side of the chart are copyright Historical Kits, and used by permission.  Thanks to the Colours Of Football website (colours-of-football[dot]com).  Thanks to viewimages websit (viewimages[dot]com).  Thanks to Albion Road website (albionroad[dot]com).