Stoke City lost the 2011 FA Cup final to Manchester City. They also lost, Tony Pulis says, to a team that was breaking the financial rules that govern English football. Now that Manchester City have been found guilty of breaching most of the 115 rules they were accused of, the former Stoke boss wants the trophy back.
Pulis spoke to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan about the decision, which came after a lengthy investigation into City’s finances between 2009 and 2018. The verdict means City have been found guilty of the majority of the breaches they faced. The appeal process is far from over, and City are expected to contest the findings.
But Pulis is blunt about what he thinks that verdict means for Stoke’s loss. “We lost, but to a team that have been found guilty of breaking the financial rules set out by the Premier League,” he said.
Final Day at Wembley
The 2011 FA Cup final was one of the high points of Pulis’s career, he told Bevan. He described it as “one of the highlights – if not THE highlight – of my 50 years in football as a player and manager.”
Pulis walked out before kick-off to see the Stoke end of the ground decked in red and white, with fans singing Delilah. Many of those supporters had travelled from across the world, spending or borrowing money to get there.
“For me, experiencing that game and occasion with Stoke City’s owners, the Coates family, was really touching too,” Pulis said.
The Coates family, including Peter, Denise and John Coates, have financed the club through good times and bad, he said. The final was their one day in the sun.
“It was the same for all of us connected with Stoke. This was our day, that day that many smaller clubs and their fans pray for,” Pulis added.
Cost of the Match
Manchester City were on their way to dominating English football at the time. They had not won a major trophy for 35 years, but their squad cost well above anything Stoke could hope to match.
Yaya Toure, who scored the winning goal, was reportedly earning 10 times what Stoke were paying any of their players. On his own, he had cost more than Stoke’s entire starting 11 when he signed from Barcelona in 2010.
The contrast was stark for a Stoke side that had relied on its own community for support. The Coates family had financed the club for decades, helping to keep it alive through periods of financial difficulty.
The final was a chance for Stoke to win the greatest club cup competition in world football for the first time in their long history. The supporters followed their team to Wembley dreaming of that moment.
What Happens Next
Pulis does not expect Manchester City to call him or the club to offer back the 2011 FA Cup and the winners’ medals their players received. He does not seriously believe any other trophies or titles will be handed back either.
“A points deduction and a massive fine feels far more likely,” he said.
But he still feels cheated. The day is gone, and Stoke will never get the chance to celebrate around Stoke-on-Trent with the cup and medals they fought for.
“After breaking the rules, Manchester City got to do that instead,” Pulis said.
The legal options for clubs affected by City’s successes in the same period, between 2009 and 2018, are being considered. Stoke supporters will be demanding that City pass the trophy over, he said.
Case Against City
Manchester City were found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of. The rules govern how clubs spend money.
City’s dominance of English football came during the period covered by the investigation. Between 2009 and 2018, they went on to dominate the country’s top flight for more than a decade.
Pulis described the sour taste in his mouth that the situation has left him with.
Verdict’s Reach
The appeal process is far from over, and City are expected to contest the findings. The process is far from over, but the verdict stands.
Pulis’s comments come as clubs affected by City’s successes consider their legal options. The question of whether the cup should be returned is now part of the conversation.
The FA Cup is English football’s oldest national competition. Winning it is a prize that smaller clubs and their fans pray for.
Key Facts Box
- Match: 2011 FA Cup final
- Score: Stoke 0-1 Manchester City
- Winner’s goal: Yaya Toure
- Toure’s earnings: 10 times what Stoke paid any of their players
- Toure’s signing fee: More than Stoke’s entire starting 11 when he joined Barcelona in 2010
- City’s guilt: Found guilty of the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of
- Appeal: Expected
Pulis’s case is a simple one. He did not lose to a better team on the day. He lost to a team that was breaking the rules.
The cup stays where it is. The feeling, though, is his to keep.
Source material: “Man City? I feel cheated – when do Stoke City get our FA Cup?,” the BBC.
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