Potters on parade

The Stoke players complete their basic training with the Marines today.

It seems that the Stoke squaddies have survived their four day visit to the Marines’ training camp at Lympstone in Devon.

Dave Brammer told reporters that visited them that it was certainly not what they were used to: ‘I think a few of us had the hump when the bell went at 6.30am every morning’.
Adding ‘but it got us into the spirit and it was a good chance to spend a few days with everyone’.

From photographs in the local papers, it was clear that some players enjoyed themselves more than others. Sam Bangoura looked like he’d rather be somewhere else other than carrying tree trunks (and to be fair he has been ‘somewhere else’ for most of the season), but Vincent Pericard looked like he was relishing the army life.

New signing, Lee Hendrie, managed to duck out for ‘previously arranged personal reasons’, but was planning to train with the Villa squad during the week.

The only other players to miss out were Hoekfens, Sidibe and Fuller who all had appointments with their national teams to keep.