Jonathan Woodgate says “not even the referee likes coming” to Stoke and he believes the intimidating Britannia Stadium is one of the key reasons why they can fight for a top-10 Premier League place this season.
The Potters, now up to eighth in the table, had already beaten Liverpool and held Chelsea and Manchester United at home this season before they claimed a narrow 2-1 win over in-form Spurs on Sunday. Anyone placing Premier League bets will know what an upset that was.
Again the home fans created a hostile atmosphere in the game, which served to unsettle the visiting team, who found themselves 2-0 down at half time. Spurs rallied after the break and halved the deficit while they could bemoan some questionable refereeing decisions that went against them to deny them what had earlier seemed an unlikely point.
However, they were ultimately made to pay for a sloppy first half as Harry Redknapp’s side struggled to adapt to the tough conditions early on in the Potteries.
Woodgate is well aware just how a tough place Stoke is for other sides to go to and he believes it will stand them in good stead throughout the remainder of a gruelling season, with the Europa League again a distraction in the New Year.
“Nobody likes coming to Stoke,” he said. “The referee doesn’t like coming, the journalists don’t like coming, the police don’t like coming.
“Nobody likes coming to Stoke, apart from us.”
Woodgate, who joined the Potters after being released by Spurs following an injury-dogged few years, knows how important the victory could be as they chase a top-half finish in the Premier League. Fans of Betfair football will be wondering what sort of impact it will have on the rest of their season.
He added: “It was a great win against a top team in Tottenham. They are going for the league title but it is hard to come to Stoke and get three points.”
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