Monday, January 17, 2011

Stoke City Chant Explained

I was looking around today at Stoke stuff. I can't find a dang jersey. Anyway. Learning more about my adopted team and found out the secret behind the Delilah chant.

"We're probably most famous for our version of Tom Jones' Delilah. Many opposing fans ask why we sing it. Basically it was started in the late 80s by a Stokie nicknamed TJ. It was soon given a twist by the Boothen End and is now the subject of debate from the more PC Stoke fans - the line "I put my knife in her hand" was given a more 'erotic' slant and it upsets some dads who take their kids."

Change the word "knife" to... well, use your imagination. This is Tom Jones we are talking about.

While I'm at it; I know the Potters have a really bad reputation. The opening sentence written by the Guardian before the songs explanation states: "Anthony Bunn, editor of Stoke fanzine A View To A Kiln, takes you on a tour around the urine-free Britannia."

Here are a few of my favorite comments about Stoke around the internets:

"your relegation fodder. you may make it this year but next,bye bye. to be honest most fans will be glad to see the back of you,with your anti football long ball shit. they bring nothing to the prem and neither do their fans. tiny little shite ground"

"stoke dont even play football. just play rough and work off a throw in"

"Stoke play the worst football in the league with players who deserve to be locked in a cage."

4 comments:

Bleeno said...

they seem to not notice that Stoke are in 8th place. none too shabby.
although, i also hate those long ball throw-ins by Delap.

Larry W Johnson II said...

i worry i'm not quite sure i know what i've gotten myself into by somehow picking stoke as my team. it's interesting that the more people dislike them, the more i like them. anti-football! it is interesting to see that a different approach to the game still gets you in the top half of the table. i will also say... those throws by delap are legendary!

Heggar said...

was over at white hart lane at the weekend, and heard that Delilah chant for the first time - I was absolutley gobsmacked! There were about 1000 stoke fans there, but when they did that chant it seemed like there were ten thousand of them! especially at the start, where they all boom that first bit out in unison, it's phenomonal!

Larry W Johnson II said...

man! thanks for the comment heggar. many over here jealous you got to hear that