Stoke bid for training ground

Stoke City chairman, Peter Coates has announced that the club have submitted a bid to buy the club’s current training ground.

Since moving from the Victoria Ground and having to give up the adjoining training pitch nearly 10 years ago, the Potters have rented training pitches from the nearby Michelin Sports Club. Coates announced at this week’s Club AGM that a formal bid to buy the ground has now been submitted to the Michelin Tyre company who own the site.

Coates believes that if the club is going to grow and prosper they must be able to attract the best players. If the purchase is successful the club intend to build permanent facilities on-site.

Another long term objective of the new owners must be to try and buy out Stoke-on-Trent City Council and the developers, St Modwen who together own 51% of the Britannia Stadium with Stoke City FC owning the remaining 49%. This was first mooted a couple of years ago by the previous Icelandic owners, but was effectively stalled as both sides were unable to come anywhere close on agreeing a price.