‘BALLET SHOES WERE REQUIRED IF YOU WERE AT THE BOTTOM...’

AN old pair of ballet shoes were unearthed from the back of the physio room cupboards at Stoke City last week. They are the strappy remnants from an old bet made by Peter Crouch and his team-mates involving fantasy football and subsequent forfeits.

Stoke players had a thriving league when Crouch was at his peak in the Potteries - and Crouch was pretty handy too. At one point he was up in the top managers in the country, let alone the changing room. But there was a good reason why he took it so seriously. The former striker explained in the latest edition of his podcast: “Have you made any stupid bets - because I have. “When we were at Stoke we had a big one. We kept it interesting. I bought these amazing ballet shoes, they were really strappy and went all the way up to your knee, around the calf.

“They were like plimsolls with straps and you had to wear them on away games if you were bottom of the fantasy league.

“If you were bottom at Christmas you had to pay for the whole Christmas do. “We had a league and we did that - and yes, I picked myself a couple of times and I definitely drafted myself in when I knew I was playing.” Aston Villa stopped players from playing fantasy football last month after it was spotted when stars started to drop Jack Grealish - and it became clear that he would miss a match. Manager Dean Smith said: “I was made aware of it. Am I aware that it could be tracked? No, I don’t think players and staff were as well.

“But, I’ve reminded everybody at the football club of their responsibilities of being a member of staff at Aston Villa and, certainly at an elite football club. “Certainly, they won’t be making the same mistake again knowing what they know now.”

Smith was told that his Villa players shouldn’t be selecting themselves or other teammates, but added: “Yeah, or just don’t play it! There’s simple solutions. For me, just don’t play it or make sure your name isn’t on the name of the user.”