davieG Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 6 hours ago From the sectionStoke & Staffordshire There is a statue in Sir Stanley Matthews' honour outside Stoke City's Britannia StadiumStoke-on-Trent has been named the UK's European City of Sport for 2016. The title was handed out by ACES Europe, a not-for-profit group based in Brussels. The initiative is supported by the European Commission. The city council said the title was won with the support of Stoke's two major football clubs - Stoke City and Port Vale - as well as other sporting bodies and its university. Sport England said the title was "well-deserved". 'Major coup'Terry Follows, from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said the city had a "fantastic sporting pedigree". "To be given this award is a major coup," he said. Previous recipients of the title in the UK include Gateshead and Cardiff. Stoke is one of several European cities to be awarded the title, which is announced annually, alongside a Capital of Sport accolade, which has gone to Turin in Italy. There is a maximum of one city in the UK awarded the title each year if it meets the required criteria. World Cup winner Gordon Banks made many famous saves for England Stoke's sporting connections Sir Stanley Matthews, one of English football's most famous players, was born in Hanley while World Cup winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks lives in the city and was recently given the freedom of Stoke Whether darts qualifies as a sport is a matter of much debate, but Stoke's darts status is undeniable - both Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis hail from the city World champion squash player Angela Smith is also from Stoke Applicant cities are judged on their sporting facilities, residents' level of participation, the success of local teams and sporting events. It is the first time a British city has been awarded the title in three years. The council said it hoped the title would attract more visitors to Stoke and increase sports participation. Sport England chairman Nick Bitel said the award was well-deserved. "I am confident this will make a real difference to sport in the area," he added. John Swanson, vice-president of ACES Europe, said the decision to award the title to Stoke was "unanimous". "We witnessed a great deal of passion and commitment to regenerate the city," he said. The European Commission said it welcomed the ACES Europe award initiative and supported it with EU grants.
CosbehFox Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 No cricket, no rugby of either code, no Basketball or any other indoor sports. Not even an academy of such which you can find at some universities. No international athletics track. I don't think there's a velodrome (-although an outdoor one in Newcastle Under Lyme).
RobHawk Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 No cricket, no rugby of either code, no Basketball or any other indoor sports. Not even an academy of such which you can find at some universities. No international athletics track. I don't think there's a velodrome (-although an outdoor one in Newcastle Under Lyme). Yeah but they got Darts players!
Darkon84 Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 Those guys at ACES have got one hell of a sense of humour!
Alf Bentley Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 European City of Pottery, I could have understood. European City of Boredom, even more so. But European City of Sport?
RonnieTodger Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 Hahahahhahaha Phil Taylor and Adrian Lewis are the best thing about Stoke.
MC Prussian Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 Hull-esque. Now let me laugh again at that decision.
DennisNedry Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 ur outside Stoke City's Britannia Stadium Stoke-on-Trent has been named the UK's European City of Sport for 2016. Previous recipients of the title in the UK include Gateshead and Cardiff. Says it all really! Surprised we haven't won it if that's the standard. Decent sized PL football team. Gary Lineker. One of the biggest and best Rugby teams in the country. The oldest and one of the best basketball teams in the country. Mark Selby, world number 1 Snooker player from Leicester. Etc.
Fox92 Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 Hull-esque. Hull have two big Rugby teams as well as a football club that has recently been in the top flight.
Bugg Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 That's a bizarre decision. The only sport facilities I know in Stoke are the two football teams (one of which struggles to get 5000 a week) and a dry ski slope.
surrifox Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 is it just me that thinks the places chosen as "European centres of culture/ sport etc etc " are just a massive p**s take
Wymsey Posted 8 July 2015 Posted 8 July 2015 Should be us more than them. Top rugby team, and a football club that will storm the Premiership!
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