Victoria Ground

The Victoria Ground became Stoke City's home in March 1878, taking its name from the nearby Victoria Hotel. Originally an oval shape built to accommodate a running track, the ground's first match was the Staffordshire Cup final against Talke Rangers on 28 March 1878, which Stoke won 1-0 before 2,500 spectators. The first Football League match was played on 8 September 1888, ending in a 2-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion. The ground remained largely unchanged for 30 years before significant improvements were made after Stoke returned to the Football League in 1919. In 1935, the Butler Street Stand was built to accommodate the growing crowds drawn by Stanley Matthews, giving seating to 5,000 people and taking the ground capacity to around 45,000. A record crowd of 51,380 attended a First Division match against Arsenal on 29 March 1937. During World War II, the Butler Street Stand was used as an army storage camp. Floodlights were installed in 1956, with Port Vale marking the official switching on ceremony. In January 1976, hurricane-force winds blew a section of the roof off the Butler Street Stand, forcing Stoke to play a home match at Vale Park. Following the Taylor Report of 1990, which required all-seater stadiums, chairman Peter Coates decided to move the club to a new location. Stoke left the Victoria Ground in 1997 after 119 years for the new 28,000-seater Britannia Stadium (now Bet365 Stadium) at Trentham Lakes. The final league match was on 4 May 1997 against West Bromwich Albion, the same opponents as the first league match in 1888.

The Victoria Ground was Stoke City's home for 119 years (1878-1997), making it the oldest operational ground in the Football League at the time of its demolition. The ground took its name from the nearby Victoria Hotel. The first match in 1878 was the Staffordshire Cup final against Talke Rangers, which Stoke won 1-0 before 2,500 spectators. The first Football League match in 1888 ended in a 2-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion, remarkably the same opponents as the final league match in 1997. A record crowd of 51,380 attended a First Division match against Arsenal on 29 March 1937, when Stanley Matthews was drawing in the crowds. The ground hosted seven FA Cup semi-finals. In January 1976, hurricane-force winds blew a section of the roof off the Butler Street Stand, forcing Stoke to play a home match at local rivals Port Vale's Vale Park. The Butler Street Stand was used as an army storage camp during World War II. Floodlights were installed in 1956, with Port Vale marking the official switching on ceremony with a friendly against Stoke.