Despite Stoke City FC claiming the tag of being the second oldest professional football club in the world, they have never won a top-flight League championship although survival in their first season in the Premier League has been hailed as one of Stoke City FC's greatest achievements.

Current boss Tony Pulis, in his second spell at the club, took the Potters to runners-up spot in the Football League Championship in 2008 lifting the football club into the top flight for the first time since 1984.

The exact date of Stoke City's formation is not clear, but it is widely accepted that the original football club, Stoke Ramblers, was set up in 1863 by ex-pupils of Charterhouse School while apprentices at the North Staffordshire Railway Works.

The side became Stoke FC in 1878 after a merger with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club, turning professional in 1885 and becoming owners of their original stadium, the Victoria Ground, in 1919.

Stoke added "City" to their name in 1927 and by 1934 had reached the Football League's top division for the first time, staying there until 1953.

This period of Stoke City Football Club's success coincided with the first spell at the club of the legendary Stanley Matthews, who won the Footballer of the Year Award twice, in 1948 and in 1963. Knighted two years later the only player to be honoured in this way while still playing, Matthews went on to play until the age of 50 in 1965, becoming the oldest player to have played and scored at the highest level of English League football.

Stoke City were back in Division One for a 14-year spell between 1964 and 1977, during which time they won their first and only major football trophy in 1972, under manager Tony Waddington, beating Chelsea 2-1 to take the League Cup.

Stoke City Football Club moved to the newly-constructed Britannia Stadium in 1997 and, following a series of financial problems, were taken over in 1999 by an Icelandic consortium.

Stoke appointed the football club's first overseas manager, Gudjon Thordarson, who helped Stoke City win the Auto Windscreens Trophy and earn promotion to the First Division in 2001-02 the springboard to the Premier League six seasons later.

Stoke City Football Facts

1. Sir Stanley Matthews, the oldest player ever to play football in the Premier League, played for Stoke
2. Sir Geoff Hurst part of the English winning football squad in 1966, played for Stoke
3. Peter Shilton, the most capped football player in England, played for Stoke City
4. Stoke have 2 club mascots called Pottermus and Pottermiss