Stoke Dream Team, (must have seen players play), - Part 5 - Strikers

Stoke Dream Team, (must have seen players play), - Part 5 - Strikers

The last area I will concentrate, on the dream team is the strikers. The strikers can be the most exciting players on the pitch, capable of themselves igniting fans to their feet, and bringing out joyous emotion scenes, after scoring. The below are amongst the strikers who are in contention to make the team.

In the early years 1980s, it was not a position of great success, as for the first few years, I was watching a struggling team who were not creating a lot of chances without prolific strikers. There were the odd successes for the likes of Paul Maguire, a fantastic set piece taker, and penalty expert, whose final appearance for the club against Wolves, secured survival as he scored all 4 goals in a 4-0 victory. Brendan O'Callaghan (Big Bren), was a versatile player who played up front, and also at centre back, he was a tall rangy player, and scored 44 goals in 265 games for the team, he was particularly adept at flicking near post corners on from Paul Maguire. Ian Painter @IanPainter07 was another young up and coming striker, who made his top league debut at 18, and who scored a few crucial goals in his time at the club. Unfortunately for the club they were relegated in the 1984-1985 season. 

Keith Bertschin - In the Mid 80's we had the first of my goalscorers which I will look at that of Keith Bertschin who played for the club from 1984-1987 playing 88 games scoring 29 goals. Bertschin was an experienced player, in the first relegated season Bertschin was top scorer for the club scoring 23 goals, winning player of the year. Bertschin was an experienced finisher, and a reknowned goalscorer he was particularly known for his celebrations when he had scored. When Bertschin left the club, we had a particularly exciting season in 1986-1987, where the two main strikers during the run were Nicky Morgan, an experienced target man signed from Portsmouth, and a product of the youth team a versatile player called Carl (Spider) Saunders, for a period of a few months, they were literally unplayable, blowing Leeds, sheffield United and Grimbsby, with 5, 6 and 7 goal blitzes. Unfortunately Spider was to find injury, and Stoke lost in 5th round of FA cup to Coventry, during this season, Saunders top scored.

Wayne Biggins - The next cab off the rank was Wayne Bertie Biggins, who played for the club from 1989-1992 playing 148 games scoring 55 goals. Bertie was a crowd favourite, a target man, with good skill, and not the slowest player. He had a very good football brain, and in 1991-1992, he spearheaded a promotion push (which was to fail at play offs stage), scoring 28 goals in a fantastic partnership with Mark Stein, however he did spearhead during that season an Autoglass trophy success, where Stoke beat Stockport 1-0. He was to leave the club to go to Barnsley in 1992-1993 season, even though he was scoring goals (at the time it was an extremely unpopular move), ironically the club were to get promoted that season. He will always be a Stoke legend though, some of his ability is on show here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IwVRoL-KYM. 

Mark Stein - The next striker, to mention, is one of my all time Stoke heroes, the golden one Mark Stein. Steino played for the club from 1991-1993 scoring 68 goals from 123 games. Steino signed from Oxford United reserves after a loan spell for the fee of £100,000, he at the time had an unremarkable goalscoring record, this was to change. After initially forcing Tony (Elvis) Ellis out of the side, he forged an initial partnership with Bertie Biggins. Steino, was a diminutive figure, full of pace, skill, and no little power for his 5ft 6 inch size. Originally he played a good foil to Bertie, setting him up, while scoring goals himself, including the winner in the Autoglass trophy. He really came into his own, when Bertie was to leave, and he at times almost single handedly lead Stoke's charge to promotion, and the championship in 1992-1993, whatever Steino touched during this time turned to gold. He scored headers, 25 yarders, chips, any goal you could imagine, including some big goals against the soap dodgers (Port Vale). Once promoted, he did not stop there, he took to the higher league like a duck to water scoring goals left, right and centre, including memorable goals at Nottingham Forest, and 2 unforgettable goals in a league cup victory against the shit (Manchester United). Unfortunately however, the big money came along, and he left to Chelsea for 1.6 million, where he continued to score goals. The magic mans goals and skills can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX49d4Wq3VU. Unfortunately it became difficult to replace the Golden one, despite the best efforts of Dave Regis, Graham Shaw, Martin Carruthers and Paul Peschisolido to name but a few. 

Mike Sheron - The next striker to come along was that of Mike Sheron @mnsheron who played for the club was from 1995-1997 playing 77 games scoring 39 goals. Sheron was a player of promise, who was close to making it at Manchester City, and was signed from Norwich City for £150,000 + the woeful figure of Keith Scott. Sheron came with the nickname of miss it mike, (so we were not sure of his finishing abilities). This became something we were not to worry about, Sheron alongside Simon Sturridge forged a great partnership and got Stoke into the play offs (unfortunately we were to lose to Leicester). During the next season, Sheron was to score every goal possible, he was an unbelievable finisher, during the last season at the Victoria Ground. Sheron was to leave to QPR, for a club record transfer at the time of £2.75 million (unfortunately this left to bad feeling). However during his time Sheron was a great goalscorer, his abilities can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcHWLHhBH2E. 

Peter Thorne - The next magic striker to play for the club was Peter Thorne, signed from Swindon Town for £500,000. His first season was disrupted by injury and the club were to get relegated to the 3rd tier of the football league, despite relegation he scored 14 goals for the club. It was during the next few seasons that Thorney was to be a potent striker, he was tremendous in the air, his trademark goal being a header at the backpost (during his early career he was with Alan Shearer at Blackburn, and you could tell). He was a good finisher at any level. During his 5 seasons at the club between 1997 and 2001 he was to amass 80 goals from 189 games, forging a partnership with Andy Cook @andycooke4, spearheading 2 or 3 promotion play off pushes, he had a habit of scoring hat tricks for the club also. He was to leave Stoke for £1.7 million. Thorney was a top goals scorer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twiz18mpNuY. Ade Akinbiyi - Stoke had made their way to the championship, and were holding their own, with dogged defence and midfield play, with the pace and strength of Ade Akinbiyi @Akinbiyi10Real. Ade played the lone solo role after signing from Crystal Palace on a free, he was a much maligned striker from previous big money moves. However you could not take the heart and soul from Ade, he was hard working player with exceptional pace. During his time at the club from 2002-2005, he was to score 19 goals from 66 games, before leaving for Burnley for £600k

Ricardo Fuller - The next level striker we signed was Ricardo Fuller. Fuller was signed for £500k from Southampton, and came with a reputation for being skillful, but having a suspect temperament and dodgy knees. So this was looking like a gamble of a signing. What a gamble it proved to be, Ricardo record from 2006-2012 was 50 goals in 208 games, (not a remarkable record when you look at his goals ratio), but what a player. He on his day was unplayable, he would take players on and glide past them with ease, he was skilfull, powerful, and sheer class. There are not enough superlatives to explain Ricardo, he would play the role alongside Mamady Sidibe (target man), or at times he would be the sole striker. He turned Stoke from a mid table team in the Championship, to a mid table team in the Premier League (his impact was that big), he would score goals against anyone, and frighten defences to death, in particular Arsenal, Wolves and West Brom, his goals against Wolves and Birmingham, need to be seen to be believed, a great montage of the man can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9YirW6DVoU. With Ricardo during his time at the premier league, was Mamady Sidibe, Richard Cresswell, Tuncay, Kenwyne Jones@kenwynejonestt. All strikers who made an impact. 

In later years we have had Peter Crouch @petercrouch who has scored 44 goals for the club and is worth a mention, as are the mercurial talents of Bojan Krkic @BoKrkic, who was a fine striker and unbelievable player and will be for years to come. We have had  contribution from Mame Biram Diouf, and the hard working SJW (Super John Walters). 

But I really have to pick 2 strikers from these alternatives, and I have chosen the Mercurial Ricardo Fuller and The Golden one Mark Stein, (not a defence would handle this pair).

So this leaves a team of:

Begovic

Dixon

Higginbotham

Huth

Shawcross

Chamberlain

Delap

Hudson

Etherington

Fuller

Stein

A team with steel, skill and goals, good luck to any team playing against this. The manager selection will come along shortly. Let me know your thoughts.