Who Are The Ramblers?

Last updated : 14 October 2010 By Dan Buxton

Stoke Ramblers were set up in July 2010 by Dan Buxton withg the aim of getting supporters together for matches on the mornings of the first teams games.

The Ramblers were originally simply known as 'Stoke Fans team' and after a plea for players on some Stoke fans forums Simon, Chris and Rich came aboard and helped take control of sorting out everything needed to compete in the Internet Football Association(IFA).

The Ramblers first game arrived on the 4th of September 2010 when they travelled up the M6 to take on the IFA's top side Preston A. The Ramblers took twelve players to Preston, the players meeting each other for the first time three hours before kick off, and although they came away with a 10-0 defeat were given hope with news that Preston, who have numerous league and cup titles, were defeated 17-0 by Bury on their first game seven years ago.

Following that game the Ramblers were treated to a tour of Deepdale by their opponents, a great experience for all involved!

With the first game out of the way training was set up and a great response saw a massive turnout of 20 players for the local derby game against Portly Vale, on September 25th. Portly were 3-0 up inside fifteen minutes but Ramblers rallied and a late goal, direct from a corner, saw the Ramblers off the mark and the game ended 3-1.

Straight after that game the players retreated to The Bench and Bar pub in Fenton where they were treated to free sausage and chips sandwiches and at that point the name Stoke Ramblers and the sides home kit were decided.

The first ever Ramblers home game took place on October 9th 2010, at Fenton Park, in a return game against Preston and the signs of improvement were evident as the Ramblers went down by 7 goals to nil. There were chances for the Ramblers and the game was another stepping stone towards developing the club into an established side.

In mid October the Ramblers signed up for the 2010/11 IFA Cup and, in a sign of the players commitment, asked to be placed in the random section of the draw for the 1st round, meaning they could be drawn as far away as St.Johnstone, when the option of a regional draw was available.