This post explains 
the football clicheA ‘Away at a Cold Night at Stoke’. ThisA cliche is specifically about English football.
- Find out more about this phrase by reading the transcript below.
- You can also find many more examples of soccer vocabulary by going to our football cliches page here and our huge football glossary here.
Football Cliche: Away at aA Cold Night at Stoke
This cliche is a cliche specifically about English football, as it refers to Stoke City. Stoke are one of the oldest football clubs in England. Beyond being a very old football club, Stoke City have a reputation as a very physical, strong side. They are not known for playing pretty, passing football. This image is now a bit of a stereotype and outdated. It refers to the time when Tony Pulis was their manager. Between 2002 and 2013, he was their manager for 10 years. Also, in winter, Stoke City’s ground is notoriously cold, wet and windy, so playing away at Stoke in winter is often seen as a difficult challenge and a test of a team’s ability to fight for a result. Typically, people may wonder if team’s like Arsenal can do it away on a cold Tuesday night at Stoke – they are questioning Arsenal’s ability to cope with a physical team in cold weather. So for example:
Fan A: Manchester City have been playing some brilliant football this season.
Fan B: Yes, but can they do it away on a cold Wednesday night at Stoke?
