WEMBLEY WONDERS
HISTORIAN MERVYN EDWARDS LOOKS BACK AT STOKE CITY’S 1992 WIN... 30 YEARS AGO THIS MONDAY
HOW many football supporters really cared about the socalled Autoglass Trophy, a puny competition that was the game’s equivalent to the booby prize in a church fete’s raffle draw? Well, let’s put all this into context.
I deny being a glory-hunter, though I confess that Stoke City’s League Cup Final victory of 1972 sparked my interest in local football, making me realise that the Wembley triumph had put the city on the map.
As an 11-year-old, I knew very little about the glorious game, but having become caught up in all the post-match ballyhoo, I found myself vicariously enjoying Stoke’s victory. I was a kid with a new toy, as it were – and made Stoke City my team.
I had enough awareness to realise that in the early 1970s, teams like Leeds, Liverpool, Derby and Chelsea were dining at the top table whilst Stoke – despite decent cup runs – were snacking in a greasy spoon café.
Yet as a fledgling fan, I was ravenous for more Stoke success, and when City beat the might of Hull City in the Watney Cup Final of 1973, I dined off that tasty victory for years afterwards.
Many years later, there came along a cup competition called the Autoglass Trophy – which for many footy supporters had big ears and wore red shorts, large yellow boots and white gloves and appeared in Steamboat Willie in 1928.
But you’ll forgive me if I didn’t see the Autoglass Trophy as the Mickey Mouse Cup when Stoke reached the final on May 16, 1992 – and I would suggest that winning that muchderided pot gave Stoke fans as much pleasure as Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester United followers derived from winning the First Division, the FA Cup and the League Cup that year.
There was no chance of meeting those illustrious teams in the Autoglass Trophy, of course, because it was strictly for relative minnows, namely teams from the Third and Fourth Divisions as they then were.
Stoke’s road to Wembley Stadium had begun with preliminary round victories away to Walsall (2-0) and at home to Birmingham City (3-1) before a first round triumph on their own turf against Cardiff City, who were beaten 3-0.
In the quarter-final, Stoke played Walsall again, winning 3-1 in front of their own fans.
Stoke beat Leyton Orient away, 1-0 in the Semi-final before despatching Peterborough United in a two-legged area final.
For Stoke and their cup final opponents Stockport County, it was a case of here we go again.
Three days earlier, the teams had met in the Third Division play-offs second-leg, with County having beaten the Potters on aggregate.
A crowd of 48,339 saw the final. Stoke’s team had elements of flair about it, but otherwise was a side
AUTOGLASS TROPHY
very much in the image of Lou Macari, who had taken over as manager in June, 1991.
It was well-organised and combative. Let’s remind ourselves of the team that played in the final.
Peter Fox was the goalkeeper, and I had seen him play many matches for Stoke City from the late 1970s.
At just over five feet eight inches, he was not a towering custodian of the nets but he had excellent positional sense and served City well for 15 years.
Liverpool-born right-back John Butler would make 262 appearances for Stoke between 1988 and 1995.
Dave Kevan had been signed by Stoke manager Alan Ball in 1990 and would later join the coaching staff at the club.
I very well recall when central defender Ian Cranson signed for Stoke in 1989.
He had always impressed me in the colours of Ipswich Town, though Stoke signed him after he had spent a year at Sheffield Wednesday.
The fee was £450,000, which in those days was a tidy sum, but he was a granite-hard stopper and I was a little surprised that Stoke should be fortunate enough to sign him.
Centre-back Vince Overson had played under Macari at Birmingham, and like fellow defender Lee Sandford, was a pivot in Lou’s City team.
Tony Kelly was a player of great skill, though will sadly be remembered for his gambling addiction as much for his undoubted ability.
Steve Foley was a run-all-day midfielder who Macari had signed from Swindon for £50,000.
Stoke’s attack had a bit of everything. I remembered local lad Adrian Heath from his first period at Stoke (1979-1982).
He subsequently left to become an important cog in the classy and successful Everton side of the mid1980s. He had returned to Stoke in March, 1992.
Mark Stein, who City had stolen from Oxford United for £100,000, was one of those players who was always too darn good to remain at Stoke for very long.
He was quick and predatory, scoring 50 goals for Stoke in 89 appearances before being snapped
up by a bigger club - Chelsea. He returned to Stoke for a loan spell later in the decade.
Considering his reputation as a gold-plated goalscorer, a plaudit from one contributor to a fans’ forum says much of Stein’s lesserlauded talents: “For hardness, he was up there with the likes of Smith, Pejic and Staniuk.”
To my mind, Wayne ‘Bertie’ Biggins was actually underrated in his own two spells at Stoke in the 1990s.
He’s remembered in various ways on fan forums, with one supporter purring, ‘the thing I liked about him was he loved scoring goals. You could see it in his reaction every time he did.’ Another correspondent recalls him as a look-a-like for TV’S Lovejoy (played by Ian Mcshane). I’d have gone for Alvin Stardust, myself.
At any rate, you can’t argue with his record at Stoke. The 1991-2 season was a fabulous season for him, as he scored 28 goals (22 in the league) in 54 appearances for City – albeit in the Third Division.
The Autoglass final promised to be a closely-contested game as Stoke had finished in fourth position in the league with Stockport County a place behind them, prior to County’s progress in the playoffs.
History records that the only goal of the game came from quicksilver striker Mark Stein who, receiving a 65th minute flick-on from Sandford, eluded two defenders before shooting past Stockport goalkeeper Neil Edwards.
Stoke held on for their victory and their fans’ vociferous rendering of Delilah was born of elation and a profound relief that this was the first time that Stoke had landed a trophy – for goodness’ sake, any trophy since 1973.
The memories of those long-suffering fans have not dimmed, and they still bask in the glory of the 1992 victory.
“Stockport had just knocked us out of the play-offs,” records one internet post, “and were in fact, quite a good team. They certainly played more football than Stoke on the day. We were missing playmaker Beeston and Macari must have decided to settle for the win. Fine by me.
“Bertie didn’t do a lot, spending most of his time chasing punts upfield. Late on, he put in a twofooted challenge which would have been a certain sending-off today. The match was settled by a class finish from Steino and Stoke finished well on top.”
Another fan, Rick, remembers: “Whilst seeing us win a trophy bought a lump to my throat, I nearly lost it when Peter Fox lifted up the cup. In turn, each of the players lifted the Autoglass Trophy and received a cheer from the delirious travelling Stokies but the biggest cheer was saved for Foxy.”
Another post records: “My favourite memory, strangely enough, was not Bertie throwing his shirt into the crowd or the final whistle. It was on the journey home as the coach was about to drop us off in Stoke and seeing a tired and emotional Stokie stagger down the street. He spotted us and then jumped up and down and waved manically.”
Of course, on the other side of the city of Stoke-on-trent, the trophy remained associated with our favourite anthropomorphic mouse.
That was until Port Vale won the same competition the year after, beating holders Stoke on the way!
While seeing us win a trophy brought a lump to my throat, I nearly lost it when Peter Fox lifted the cup
Rick, Stoke City fan