WEMBLEY MAGIC

There can only be one blog topic this morning; the magnificent 5 nil win by Stoke City FC in yesterdays FA Cup Semi Final at Wembley. The Mighty Potters simply demolished Bolton Wanderers in the biggest landslide victory in a cup semi final for over 70 years and the city of Stoke has a broad grin on its face this morning. I have felt for some time that the progress of Stoke City over the past 3 years has been the single, most powerful regeneration impetus for this area and that view is crystallised this morning. Much of the credit lies with a bunch of players who are totally focused on making the most of their talents but I think the clubs success is a triumph of leadership. The manager Tony Pulis has a quiet dignity but a steely approach to implementing the plan that he and his chairman formulated 3 years ago. Stoke have had their detractors. Normally its the lazy journalism and the easy sound-bite of Stoke as "long ball, long-throw, limited but committed"type of summary, but in reality the team is vibrant, well suited to the rigours of the Premier League and full of individual craft. Leadership has brought out the best in the team. Leadership has taken the club to new heights. Leadership makes the city proud of Stoke City. Many congratulations to messrs Pulis, Coates and the leadership team at the club.