Payments triggered & Transfer rumours

Last updated : 07 May 2008 By Richard Murphy
The Icelandic consortium will see a windfall payment of £2 million pounds from Peter Coates as promotion was achieved inside 3 years from the date of the take over. I am sure Mr. Coates is ahppy to pay it, but I am not sure how deserving the Icelanders will feel of the payment.

Clauses in players transfer fees have also been triggered including an extra £200,000 to Leeds for Richard Cresswell, a further fee to Newcastle for the services of Shola Ameobi (whoever thought we would spend that much on a loan deal!), Crystal Palace get an extra £200,00 for Leon Cort, and we have to pay something else to Man Utd for Ryan Shawcross (there was an extra £250k based on "club success").

When all added it up it seems most of our transfer budget has gone already!!!

With the remainder Stoke need to do some strengthening if they are to fulfil Peter Coates' aim of competing in the top flight. The early rumours are starting to fly around, but the only ones printed so far (outside of fan message boards) ar for Carlo Nash, Chris Riggott and Shola Ameobi. It may be that this is a case of lazy journalism and just naming the loan players, or it could be true, we will just have to wait and see.