Stoke City haven’t always been struggling. Once they were a promising Premier League side that finished ninth in the division, thrashed Liverpool 6-1, and even conjured up a 2-0 victory against title challengers Manchester City. Following their triumph against the Sky Blues, they became known as “Stokealona,” when Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia nicknamed the team such because of the thrilling football they played. The presence of ex-Barcelona players Ibrahim Afellay and Bojan Krkic attracted a lot of interest from Spain in the central England club.
Those days seem a long way away now. The team started their 2018/2019 season in the Championship and has been there ever since. Unfortunately, they’re hovering just above the division’s relegation zone and League 1 football is a very real prospect unless the Potters pull some form out of their once-magical bag. Below is a look at how the team ended up in this situation, including a look at the ownership of the club, its links with bet365, and how this could benefit Stoke City.
Why All the Struggles?
Inconsistency has been a huge factor in the Potters’ Championship misfortunes. Offensive struggles are another problem. The team lacks pace in some areas of its offense and although the Potters create plenty of opportunities, they’re not capitalizing on them and putting games to bed. This became apparent in their goalless draw against Oxford, who are also having a tough time in the league.
Stoke’s players have come under fire. Some for being good enough but not caring enough. Others for not being good enough, even though they care deeply about the club. Age is another factor. Too few young players have been too few starts.
Managerial Upheaval
Since Mark Hughes’s departure, there has been severe managerial upheaval. After stepping into some big shoes left by Tony Pullis, Hughes brought in several players to replace outgoing or injured ones. However, they weren’t up to the standard of those outgoing players.
Some think the club dithered too much before getting rid of Hughes. Stoke have never been able to find the right man to fill his shoes and have had seven managers since Hughes, with current manager Mark Robins being the seventh. Some lay the blame at the doors of the CEO.
Former Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill was a promising replacement, but by the time he arrived, his task of changing the mood and culture was too big to stand a chance of him having any impact.
Structural Changes
The club may have been distracted by structural changes in the club. In August 2024, Stoke City Holdings went separate ways from bet365, but John Coates remains the outright owner of the club and brother of the CEO of bet365, Denise Coates. The change in structure freed the Potters from debt and allowed them to own their stadium and training ground, although they still play at the bet365 Stadium, which is still one of the more modern stadiums in the league and a nice place to watch football. To keep attendances high, the board of directors has promised there will be investment in the playing squad, infrastructure, and training ground.
Financially, things haven’t been going well for Stoke either. The club is believed to be losing around £500,000 to £600,000 each week. For the 2023/24 season, the Potters reported a loss of £25.7 million. Not good news for the Coates family.
Bet365 Goes from Strength to Strength
The demerger between the hugely successful bet365, which is owned by the Coates family, and Stoke City has allowed the betting operator to expand. Countries like the US and Canada are only just beginning to loosen up their regulations surrounding gambling, a bet365 casino bonus code in Canada would have been impossible pre-2022 but since the changes to regulation, another revenue stream has opened up.
The move has been successful and has allowed other companies to partner up with the sports betting operator. An esports company that expanded into the US has been able to join forces with the operator and extend its sports betting services into Ontario.
Thanks to the demerger, Stoke has expanded its plan for investment in club infrastructure projects from a five-year plan to a seven-year one. When it comes to spending, however, the club must bear in mind profit and sustainability rules (PSRs), designed to stop clubs from spending more than they generate, and won’t be able to spend as much as it might like.
Stoke has recognized, however, that despite the change in structure, it can’t compete with clubs who receive a parachute payment from the Premier League. It will have a competitive budget with non-parachute payment teams though.
Stoke City are in an unenviable position towards the bottom of the Championship table and the club’s woes don’t seem to be about to end. To claw its way to safety, the Potters will have to work on their offensive play and also think about whether younger players should be starting more regularly. Otherwise, the entire team could be starting next season in League One.
