Summer Window Watch; Stoke City - Week 1

Does anyone remember Benjani Mwaruwari? Go on, you do. Played for Portsmouth for a season or two under Shonky Harry, bagged a load of goals before moving on to Manchester City. Several injuries and great sacks full of Middle Eastern cash later, Benjani as he prefers to be known is surplus to requirements at Eastlands. Well you can’t keep him AND Craig Bellamy if you are serious about becoming a top four club.

So anyway, the upshot of all this is that Friday’s Daily Star (July 3) claim that Stoke City are interested in signing the Zimbabwean international. Manager Tony Pulis apparently wants to pair him up with the equally inconsistent James Beattie, in a fool-proof plan aimed at confusing all opponents who visit the Britannia Stadium next term. Surely if they don’t know whether they are going to turn up or not, the opposition won’t have a Scooby. Anyway he is Stoke’s for £5million if the story has any basis in truth.

The Potters’ biggest signing of the week (frankly their activity in the transfer market has been lazy at best) is former World Heavyweight boxing champion and all around sporting icon Muhammad Ali. The legendary pugilist will arrive at the Britannia Stadium on August 27 for an event aimed at raising awareness and funds for his Muhammad Ali Center (their spelling).

“The UK is very close to my heart.” says the lifelong Stoke fanatic, possibly adding;

“Salif Diao has always been one of my sporting heroes.”

By Stephen Orford

9 July 2009