Stoke away was always a treat Remember (about 1985) going in an ex police mini bus. Parked up by a boozer near the old Victoria ground and two Stoke lads in the pub tried to kick off. All the locals (Arlarses!) sided with us (Well there was about 12 of us!!) and evicted them. Then a bit later the manager came up and told us there were about 60 Stoke fans outside baying for our blood......We'd have to make a hasty exit out the back! Well, it was like Gladiator or some other film where we all looked at each other and thought "This is it......Do or die!"
We burst out the door like Ninjas on acid.........And no fucker was there!?
The Manager was just shit scared we'd wreck his ale house or something!
c*nt!
Similar thing happened in the pub across the road from the ground in about 71.
The Liverpool fans got there early and the place was pretty packed with reds.
The only locals were a couple of pensioners sitting in the pub doorway on what looked like an old railway station waiting room bench......one of those big solid oak things.
A young Scouser ran into the pub and shouted " Fucking Stoke outside ".......all hands started to run out. A group of lads stopped at the pensioners bench. They ushered the pensioners very gently,quietly and calmly off the bench......
" Scuse me a sec sweetheart..........can we just move you for a sec luv" and got the arl ones to one side....."Thanks for that luv..........eyar.....don't forget yer drink....thanks very much"
Then started ripping the bench to bits.....jumping all over it like wild animals to get the legs off.
They then steamed outside only to see a gang of Scousers pissing themselves laughing. These had been walking around the ground singing "City.........City" The lads just stood there with lumps of wood in their hands looking like red cavemen.
In the same pub either the following season or the one after.
There was a great big open staircase going up one side of the pub.
This particular year it was covered in furniture halfway up. There was a piano (how they got it there I don't know) tables and chairs.
I was at the bar and asked the manager what the score was with the furniture.
He said " It's to stop you bastards" I asked why and he said..."I live upstairs and last year when Stoke played your lot I wasn't working.....I had a lie in after a late session the night before. I heard voices so went to see what was happening.
The voices were coming from my kitchen. I went in and there's a gang of Scousers sitting at my fucking table having a big cooked breakfast. This cheeky twat standing at the cooker says to me " Alright mate........fancy a bacon butty........there's loads here". The rest start making room for me at the table " Eyar lad sit here..want a cup of tea..all that type of stuff" He went on " I just stood there with my mouth open thinking.......cheeky fucking bastards".
I was pissing myself and he said to me " It's not funny.....how would you like it" , which made it worse. The whole bar in earshot was in bulk by then. Someone asked him what he did and he said " I just said to them............don't make a mess........and walked out. I wasn't taking any fucking chances this season though".