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Praise and GrumbleYou are in: Stoke & Staffordshire > Radio Stoke > Praise and Grumble > Pottermouth - the story  Pottermouth - the storyCometh the hour, cometh the man. When Stoke City were wobbling on the run-in to the 2007/8 season, an anonymous fan left a message on the Radio Stoke answerphone. The rest is history; and one of YouTube's greatest hits... There's a NEW VERSION recorded by Pottermouth as he looks back on the season that Stoke made it back to the big time - see links links on the right hand side of this page.*** John Acres, the Radio Stoke football reporter, is not absolutely sure when the message was left on his answerphone. But it was definitely after the Crystal Palace match, when Stoke had just crashed at home. Stoke were having a terrible run with just one win in the last eight games - and did not seem to be true promotion material... John recognised the quality of what he heard - an ordinary fan's impassioned plea for more effort from the team, in the form of a self-penned anthem calling up the great icons of the past. It was an effort to inspire the team to remember their heritage. But who was 'Pottermouth'?This anonymous City fan only ever left messages beforehand for the Radio Stoke sports programme. He never went live. John took up Pottermouth's suggestion to "put some music behind it", choosing the stirring sound of orchestration from 'The Planets Suite' by Holst. It was enough to make your goose bumps come up. On that Friday's 'Praise & Grumble' radio show, the 'battle-cry' was played on the air - and became an instant hit! Help playing audio/video As happens these days, it was immediately placed on the web and it started to get plays right across the world... YouTubeNo one is quite sure which City fan decided it needed even more exposure, but some fans were getting very frustrated that they could not download it onto podcasts or mobile phones (BBC website rules do not allow some items to be made available in that way). Astonishingly, it got 10,000 hits within 24 hours. Back to Radio Stoke....Back at Radio Stoke, they saw the phenomenon grow and were determined that there should be an official version. It registered an amazing 25,000 hits in three days - and national TV, national radio, and the local newspapers all were queuing up to reflect the phenomenon. Run inBut - most importantly - would the magic keep on working? Stoke City Chief Executive Tony Scholes certainly thought so. He insisted that the Battle-Cry be played out over the tannoy before the next game, a crucial match against Bristol City to inspire both fans and the team. By St George's Day, the video had amassed 35,000 hits - and fans all over the area were asking if the piece could be released on CD... ColchesterBut could the Pottermouth spell continue? Stoke won again, by the single goal... The magic had produced three wins in a row! FinaleBut if Pottermouth had wanted one thing only, he wanted the team to surge forward to promotion. It was an incredibly nail-biting game, but, in the end, all Stoke fans got what they wanted - an automatic promotion place, and a first-ever elevation to the Premier league. SaluteWhatever magic Pottermouth possesses, it had worked. And the video had become a YouTube phenomenon, with, eventually, over 55,000 hits on BBC You Tube (plus another 30,000 unofficial versions!). Pottermouth, we salute you. ** LYRICSThis is a call to the men in red and white Cause as you reach for the Premiership So do it for the Potteries Do it for Nigel Johnson, do it for Sir Stan Do it for Trentham Gardens Do it for Wrights Pies Do it for the blokes as call each other duck Do it for lime kiln bank Do it for the Boothen End and its deafening sound Do it for Meir tunnel, Do it for going up Hanley duck Do it for Longton bus station And we'll be with you, every step along the way ++ PS - don't call him Pottermouse! Or even Potter-Mouth... last updated: 10/04/2009 at 13:45 Have Your SayHow do you react to the Battle Cry? Judy Adam Mark A Shane reg walton margery dave osulliven William Heath james langton dave meir Clive Glover Ge and off derek hoye australia callum goodwin callum teresa stokie jeff Alan Goode Leigh.....on the top of Hanley Elle Peter Brodie Rob Brown ryan maureen craig forster KM Ali Bushnell (Greatbatch) Albert Hancock Mow Cop gillian digby fincher callum&matty mole Clayhanger Potters in Las Vegas bloo CB pulis stokie72 Francopotter sue ronty stokiesteve72 stan laurastokie4lyf woody Phil Crawley Carolyn Urun mckinney family stoke claire Mrs C. Palmer G.C. DIANE COATES amanda kirwan Nordoff patricia walker Tideswellman tim ex pat potter in the northeast Kirsty Diane Hollinshead robert copeland Seattle Stoke fan hurstdastokie Irene jordan V Man Darren & Pam Hughes LIZ SHEPHERD nikgee SEE ALSOYou are in: Stoke & Staffordshire > Radio Stoke > Praise and Grumble > Pottermouth - the story |
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