Inside abandoned stadium of ex-Premier League team that set record but was axed due to rule changes and is now an estate

IT opened in 1878 as a rare oval design but it all went pear-shaped in 1997.

Stoke City’s old Victoria Ground made history with 119 years of continuous use by one club.

But it couldn’t beat new rules in the 1990s demanding all-seater grounds for clubs in the top-two divisions.

And after 15 years lying derelict, it’s now a housing estate.

Over the decades, the Vic survived dramatic winds of change, including much of a roof being blown off in a storm.

Legends such as Stanley Matthews and Gordon Banks called it home.

But the Potters moved out in May 1997, switching to the £14.8million Bet365 Stadium 15 months later.

No English League club had stayed at the same venue longer than Stoke.

But that record has now passed to Burnley, who have been at Turf Moor since 1883.

It would be mean, however, not to mention the overall longest run for ANY club, held by Maidenhead United.

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The semi-pro, fifth-tier team from Berkshire took residence at York Road way back in 1871, just a year after they were formed.

Stoke’s first ever match at the Victoria Stadium on March 28 1878 sums up the nostalgia of the famous venue.

Their opening opponents were little-known Talke Rangers in the inaugural Staffordshire FA Senior Cup Final.

Around 2,500 fans saw the Potters win 1-0.

Named after a local hotel – in of course the reign of the same-named Queen – the Vic also housed the Stoke Victoria Athletic Club.

At first it was oval-shaped – mainly designed for cricket but with a running track too.

It made a stark change from Stoke’s former ground at Sweeting’s Field.

West Brom were the first Football League visitors to the Vic in September 1888, triumphing 2-0 in front of 4,524.

But when Stoke plunged out of the FL in 1908, their stadium was labelled one of the worst in the league.

That meant two covered terraces and a 1,000-seater stand were added by the time the Potters were back in the top flight 11 years later.

Floodlights arrived in 1956 – heralded by a 3-1 victory over fiercest rivals Port Vale, watched by 38,729.

But in 1976 heavy winds ripped off the roof of The Vic’s Butler Street stand, forcing major repairs.

The Stanley Matthews Suite was added in 1987, with a new two-tier stand with 4,000 seats soon following.

And an annex for a club shop as well as a promotions office topped off the updated look in 1992.

But a £5m ground revamp was ditched four years later when plans for the switch to nearby Britannia Stadium were unveiled.

Incredibly, the Vic fell derelict for many years.

But over the past 11 years hundreds of homes have been built on the site, plus outdoor space for a school and a walking trail near the River Trent.

But it’s water under the bridge for Championship side Stoke as they bid to regain their Premier League place under Alex Neil.

Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk