Tolberry Vikings F.C. Washing Line for England

The Tolberry F.C. Washing line for England is the first of 4 children's football books.

The first one is about a young boy called Ryan Walker who's dad is his absolute hero, his dad watches every single game but when the Vikings reach the Cup Final and his dad has to work away, Ryan has to find the strength to deal with the situation himself.

This is my first EVER self published book and you can buy it online at www.lulu.com priced £4.99.

The book is fully illustrated by my illustrator Natasha Kowarin and soon you will be able to see more of her wonderful work on my website.

Visit gareth-hughes.com NOW!

To purchase a copy of Washing for England then please visit lulu.com , register an account for FREE then search for the title. Tolberry Vikings F.C. Washing line for England .

If you would prefer to purchase a copy by cheque or cash then please e-mail my business address which is: garethhughesbooks@hotmail.co.uk

Writing Washing line for England is dedicated to all the mums and dads who spend their Sunday's watching their children in the freezing cold and also this book is dedicated to my own father. Stephen 'Yoz' Hughes.

This blog will be constantly updated along with my website, Twitter account and Facebook group.

go to www.gareth-hughes.com NOW!

A comical look at the Stoke players as they prepare for Wembley..

Stoke City are preparing for their first visit to the new Wembley Stadium and the first F.A Cup Semi Final in 39 years but this blog is taking a tongue and cheek look into the players personalities and how they will be preparing for the game against Bolton Wanderers.

Starting with the Goalkeeper- Thomas Sorensen: I expect 'Oh Tommy Tommy' to be walking the dogs whilst mentally mapping out the Wembley pitch, its dimensions and predicting what the Bolton strikers will be doing. Overall a vastly experienced and real leader in the dressing room.

Right Back: Andy Wilkinson: Youthful local lad, eating chips on the way home from training ready to play Call of Duty Black Ops. This boy will be on a mission to get into Europe either via the FA Cup or X-Box.. hero in the making, cut him in half and he's red and white stripes.

Centre Back (Captain) Ryan Shawcross: Still very young and still learning his trade as both a player and captain, he has been a tower of strength since leaving Man Utd and what an opportunity to play his former club in the final, what's the betting he'll say to Namanja Vidic- I'm better than you and run away giggling.

Centre back: Robert Huth: The colossal German defender, unbelievably still overlooked by his national team but the highest scoring defender in the Premier League with 8 goals. His aerial ability is unquestionable. I expect Huth to be lifting huge frozen pigs in his garage before watching Rocky for the tenth time.

Left Back: Marc Wilson: trying to fill Danny Higginbotham's place who was tragically injured against Chelsea after scoring a thunderbolt free kick to get Stoke to Wembley against West Ham. Will be tough but the Irishman will play a soothing game, foot on the ball like he's calmly downing a fine Guinness in a Dublin bar.

Right Midfield: Jermaine Pennant: Once the diamond studded playboy footballer but now a family man who has found his manager and found his fans. He is now a fully fledged member of the Bash Street Kids and now Dennis the Menace has become a good boy.. expect great things.

Central Midfield: Rory Delap: The now iconic 'Rory's gonna get you' long throw sends shivers down opposing defenders and goalkeepers spines, the Bolton penalty area will look more like a kids party filled with a million balloons so Jussi Jaaskelianen could have a nightmare or two. A Delap howitzer will just be the tip of the iceberg as this man will run like Forest Gump around the pitch all game- a gentleman and true professional.

Centre Midfield: Glenn Whelan: The diminutive midfielder blessed with the ability to shoot from distance and pick a pass hasn't been seen much this season but on his day this school boy will pass through a cat flap. The vast Wembley pitch will bring the best out of the lad.

Left Wing: Matthew Etherington: Once a gambler owing half of the east end thousands, now a sublime player with electric pace and commitment levels that put him in the England frame. No call up from the poor national coach but Tony Pulis looks after Matty and he looks after him. Could be the man to run the length of the pitch like an Olympic distance runner and bring home the gold a year early- are you watching Lord Coe?

Striker: Kenwyne Jones: I expect Kenny J to be preparing with his West Indian friend Ricardo Fuller enjoying some jerk chicken listening to Bob Marley, they will both almost miss the train but like all mavericks he will take to the game still eating his lunch and jump higher than any mortal man can to reach glory.

Striker: Jon Walters: At first fans didn't know much about him and with the likes of such illustrious names as Tuncay and Gudjohnson away Jon had his work cut out. Walters is now a full international and top Premier League player through sheer hard work and commitment. He is a builder come foreman and now the man Pulis looks to when he needs a grafter. Walters its your day and you have earned your stripes my friend.

Subs:

Striker: Ricardo Fuller: He is now the managers player to bring off the bench to light the blue touch paper and explode into action. Against Newcastle he came on and within 5 minutes had kicked Newcastle bad boy Joey Barton in the shins then ran away to score a superb solo goal. The man is a danger to himself and a real danger to the opposition but you wouldn't half want him in your team. The Bolton defenders tired after 70 minutes of balloon bombardment will see Riccy coming off the bench with a dread usually associated with a continuous kick in the balls.

Midfielder: Dean Whitehead: The man will literally cover every blade of grass, even behind the line he'll make sure its covered. A real box to box player who I expect will be preparing for the game by running to training and back before he sleeps for 16 hours. If extra time is needed Deano will carry the team on his back.

Defender Danny Collins: A centre back who has had to play out of position his entire time at Stoke City will be a player who the manager can bring on to fill a gap. He is your usual man to call on when when you are a player missing at 5 a'side- he's always ready and will pay his £3 to help you out. Experience professional who will turn off the T.V to play for you.

Striker: John Carew: The experienced Norweigen on-loan from Aston Villa has played accross Europe in the Champions league and has played at Wembley so he is a very useful player to have on your bench. A great dressing room character who will make sure Kenny J will be on his game as the manager knows 'John Carew, Carew he's bigger than me and you, he'll get one or two, John Carew, Carew'

Defender: Abdoulaye Faye: Hardly been used this season due to Shawcross and Huth being exceptional but the human army Abdy will be there in both body and spirit as he is entering the twilight of his career, nothing will upset Johan Elmander more than this man looking into your eyes and into your soul as you break down in tears. A lovely man though!

Asmir Begovic (Goalkeeper) The regular number one in the league is proving to be the buy of buys as Chelsea tried unsuccessfully to sign him from the potters. Asmir puts club before country and I expect he will be right behind his mentor and friend Thomas Sorensen, the master and the apprentice united as one.

Defender/Left Back/ Midfielder/ Drinks Carrier/ Tea Boy: Danny Pugh

Every team needs a squad player and Pugh is several of those in one, an English Swiss army knife that can be used for anything. Extra Time could see Pugh used in any situation when everyone but Dean Whitehead get's a touch of cramp on that big Wembley pitch.

The Manager: Tony Pulis

The leader of the Rat pack, the leader of the Bash Street Kids and the leader of Stoke City as he twice got the potters by the scruff of the neck to save them firstly from relegation then lead them into the Premier League, keep them there and take them to Wembley. Anyone who boos this man should be ashamed of themselves. Points win prizes and Pulis is a man you take with you when you want results. Dont expect a pretty match but what you get is an entertaining mixture of grit and determination with a light topping of class Mr Fuller, Etherington and Pennant. Bolton you have been warned..

So this is how I think about the Stoke player's approach to the game, my thoughts on what type of people they could be. This is only a fictional blog but I think every single player will be aiming to win the game for fallen team-mates Danny Higginbotham and Mama Sidibe but most of all for the fans that idolise them week in week out.

C'MON YOU RIP ROARING POTTERS!!!!!

Why TP is right to wait..

When England started and finished in humilating fashion this summer every football fan wanted the EPL to start as soon as possible. Pre season friendlies hadn't started yet and Stokes only player involved in the World Cup Thomas Sorensen was looking like he hadn't quite got over his injury at Chelsea. Stokies were on the hunt for transfer rumours, snippets and above all crying out for TP to come back from his well deserved jollies and start signing players before the garage sale begins.

Linked with every player under the sun doesn't help matters as the market value starts to soar but look at the Carlton Cole situation, last month £15 wouldn't get the West Ham striker but now with a bit of patience and Avram Grant bringing in new recruits, Stoke could have him at the Brit for £8m, if you read the Sunday People that is!

The club have impressed this summer with their handling of the blind Joe Ledley and haven't been held to ransom by a player preferring Celtic v Inverness Cally Thistle to Man Utd at home. Each to their own I guess but this is where TP comes into play, quoted recently as saying we are waiting for "apples to drop" could never be more true, in 'Tonyland' I tend to agree with his analogies.

We started our first ever EPL season without a full squad, brought in a certain Abdoulaye Faye when all the other teams had played their hands and look where we finished. Another darling quote about shopping at Battersea Dogs home brought us Matthew Etherington, 2 players who have won Player of the Season award respectively.

Our first day opponents in 2010/2011 Wolves have been very active buying all the Steve's relegated from the EPL last season in Steven Fletcher from Burnley, Steven Mouyokolo and the injured Stephen Hunt from Hull City. Mick McCarthy clearly just sent Santa (a fat Jez Moxey) a wish list before he bored us senseless on the BBC World Cup coverage.

Other sides to recruit early have been Wigan who have signed several unknown players from South America (they do have a good record for buying players from there though) and of course Man City who like the rich kid in school buys all the football stickers in one go to finish the album before any real exciting deals can be done.

Stoke City have been linked with decent EPL players with experience but Cole and O'Neil will only be considered if they are in the best interests of the club. I think TP and Coates would be superb antique dealers which is probably why be brought back Carlo Nash!

I also believe that if TP and Coates did set up their own business lastminute.com would be a great place to start.

Official World Cup blogger entry..

The beauty of the World Cup can be measured in many ways; your team wins, your favourite player scores the winning goal or even just completing the Official Panini World Cup sticker album can be argued as a memorable moment. The sheer adrenaline rush of swapping three unknown Serbians for Stoke City and Denmark Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen might not sound that exciting in comparison but football fans are a strange breed.

Rules of the playground exist with every country competing for that one elusive shiny item to complete the collection and take home the glory. England in search of only their 2^nd World Cup win are in safe Italian hands with Fabio Capello charged with looking after the needs of the nation.

I feel this year like I do every time that we have a chance so I will spend every single penny of my wages to complete the South Africa 2010 sticker album. If I have to spend £40 on eBay to purchase a ripped and dog eared copy of Algeria striker Abdelkader Ghezzal then this is my job.

Fabio Capello and the rest of the England team I have done my bit now go and do yours.

Are we going on the pitch Dad?

There is something quite unique about mid week football matches that separate them from the usual feeling you get on a Saturday. Perhaps it's the fact that you are either at work or School all day and the sense of reward after a hard day is to go straight down to the match. I was 11 years old when Stoke City played Plymouth Argyle at the Victoria Ground in the Division 2 winning season of 1992/1993.

These were exciting times for any young football fan but this game was extra special as it meant there would be the possibility of going on to the pitch at the end of the game. It was the final home game of the season with Stoke just needing a victory to claim the title so the excitement levels were off the scale. We went to the game early so my dad and his friends could go to the pub for a few drinks and we would go to Lonsdale Street newsagent to buy a bag of cola cubes to maintain our stratospheric sugar levels and head into the ground before the masses.

I was a season ticket holder in the Butler Street stand and loved every minute of it as we were able to perch on the railings that used to separate that particular area with the disabled section of the ground. This vantage point had its own benefits as we were that close to the pitch we could shout at the players whilst they were warming up to come over and chat to us.

As you can imagine we were all awestruck when left back Lee Sandford came over to show us his new boots. I had my season ticket stuffed up my coat sleeve for him to sign and we firmly believed that our pre match team talk far surpassed anything that the manager could say. This was a magical year for many a supporter but for a child it was almost dreamlike, from our executive spot we could watch the whole game and take in the atmosphere. We could see to our left the sea of people in the Boothen End, the lights that hung from the roof illuminating their ecstatic faces and the sheer sense that we would be crowned champions.

All it took was a single goal from Nigel Gleghorn to send a happy 11 year old boy and 20,000 stokies onto the pitch singing the famous Queen song 'We are the Champions'. That is the overriding memory I have of that game, the sense that we could go on to the pitch and stand in the goal mouth, celebrate with my friends and stay up way past our bedtimes because it meant that Stoke City had won the league and let’s be honest, it was our team talk that won us that game but don't tell anyone.

Why Stoke City miss James Beattie

The reason why Stoke City lost to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday was not due to poor refereeing decisions or the fact that Eidur Gudjohnsen had the strength of a Viking to knock Abdoulaye Faye off his feet but the real problem is we don’t have a goal scorer in our team.
The stats show for themselves Stoke have scored only 29 goals in the league this season and our leading marksman is Matthew Etherington with just 6 goals in all cup competitions and he plays in midfield.
The current side sit in 11th place in the best league in the world and this is a superb achievement especially when you look at how few goals we have scored this season. This statistic proves that scoring bucket loads of goals is not all that important but things can change very quickly.
The problem is that Stoke do create chances and they do have opportunities to beat teams and to be fair they are not all set pieces and throw ins. On Saturday Ricardo Fuller missed from 5 yards when it was harder to miss then Mama Sidibe unfortunately slipped at a crucial stage and lost his footing when he should have slotted the ball past Gomes. These are chances in the Premier League that strikers thrive off.
In the best league in the world you don’t get two bites of the cherry you get one and Stoke didn’t take their chances at the weekend.
Last season James Beattie scored 6 goals in 13 appearances which undoubtedly helped the potters avoid relegation with relative ease after his January transfer window move from Sheffield United. There were games in the season where chances were few and far between and this is where Beattie was worth his corn. The home game against Bolton was a prime example. In the game Beattie was played through on goal and smashed the ball past the Bolton goalkeeper which set up the potters for a comfortable win. The perfect example was the 1-0 victory over Manchester City where Etherington’s superb cross was met by Beattie arching his neck like a bull to power home a true centre forwards headed goal to win the game.
Stoke are currently not scoring the kind of goals from open play that we were at the back end of last season and this is down to the fact that we don’t currently have a proven goal scorer in our side.
Yes Ricardo Fuller is our best striker but he isn’t scoring enough this season, Mama Sidibe will never be a goal scorer, Tuncay is not in my opinion an out and out centre forward and Dave Kitson who showed so much promise at times doesn’t seem to be able to adapt to the style of football we play.
The problem with James Beattie though is that he has put his personality before his game, his attitude has not sat well with the management staff and this sadly has been the case this season. He now seems to have burned all his bridges at the club this week by asking for an internal investigation into his treatment by the manager since 'Partygate' and so will move on in the summer.
A fully fit and happy James Beattie would have put both those chances we squandered away last Saturday and Stoke would have won the game regardless of what the referee did.
The team have performed superbly all season and deserve every ounce of praise for their work ethic and ability to become one of the hardest teams to play against in the league.
Aston Villa were delighted with a point at the Brit and the Tottenham players looked like they had secured the 4th Champions League spot with their celebrations at the end. If we are to push on and finish higher up the table than last season then we need to get a striker in who doesn't need several attempts on goal to score. These players don’t come cheap but if anyone can find one it’s Tony Pulis. Chequebook needed Mr Coates please

A Stamford Bridge too far..

'We'll be with you every step along the way' quite possibly is the only line you could use to describe this wonderful season and the togetherness every Stoke fan will feel towards their players right now.

Stoke City are fast becoming everyone's favourite second team, they play with passion that would make the most staunch of purists slide down off their high horse and admire. I watched the game yesterday and the first 20 minutes should have yielded at least one goal, if it wasn’t for the quick thinking of Obi Mikel then Dean Whitehead would have certainly scored or if Tuncay hadn’t taken a heavy touch or if we hadn’t wasted countless set pieces then we could argue but in all fairness, Chelsea are a very very good side.

There is no shame in being knocked out of this glorious competition by a team that boasts the footballing riches that they do. The difference between Chelsea and Man City was that the blues actually fought hard and demonstrated why they will go on to either claim the Premier League or the F.A Cup. They could even take both because Carlo Ancelotti has been quoted as saying 'I am a lucky manager' and against Stoke I think he earned that bit of luck.

Chelsea were impressive once they started to deal with Delap's missiles and they were spared anxiety by the potters not testing the petrified Hilario. It was always going to be one man that would get the home side going. It wasn’t Didier Drogba because he was more interested in rolling around on the ground like a dog enjoying having his belly rubbed. It was Frank Lampard with a trademark shot from the edge of the box that took an unfortunate and let's be honest 'lucky' deflection to send Sorensen the wrong way.

I respect everything that Chelsea did and have no gripes with their play at all but one incident did really get my goat and that is the egotistical idiot that is John Terry. It wasn’t enough for him to shave his head into a Mohawk or it wasn't enough for him to have 'John Terry Legend' banners around the ground, no he had to upstage his team by pulling his captain’s armband down in a childish justification of his own self importance.

Stoke City are 11th in the Premier League, reached the quarter finals of a major competition and now go on to play Burnley in the league where a win will put them on 37 points and clearly put some daylight between themselves and any nagging relegation worries. Tony Pulis will look on at this cup run like a proud father does when his child plays well and gets to stay up late but it's a school night and the players have to get their heads down because it’s back to the league now.

Stamford Bridge was a step too far, we just didn’t have the legs for it and for the 3,000 travelling Stoke fans who returned to the city in the middle of the night they will remember that the players who wore the red and white have done it with pride and respectability.

'We'll be with you every step along the way'