Top 10 Photos: Stoke 1-0 Hajduk Split – Flares? Neo-Nazism? European Nights Return To Potteries

Chris Wright

29th, July 2011

16 Comments

By Chris Wright

Flares? Shamless play-acting? Neo-Nazism? It truly was a European night at the Britannia yesterday evening, with Stoke securing themselves a narrow first-leg lead in their Europa League third-round qualifying tie with Hajduk Split courtesy of a Jonathan Walters header.

Fun fact: The Potter’s 1-0 win over Hajduk was only the club’s third ever European home game and their first since their brief flirtation with the UEFA Cup in the mid 1970’s – specifically a 3-1 win over FC Kaiserslautern in 1972/73 (with Geoff Hurst on the score sheet) and a 1-1 draw with Ajax two years later.

Photos…

Stoke City line up before kick-off

A Hajduk Split fan witnesses Rory Delap’s gibbon-armed throw-in for the first time

Matty Etherington attempts to dispossess Mirko Oremus

Rory Delap nabs the ball from Mario Brkljaca

Gurn-tastic: Marc Wilson beats Marin Tomasov in the air

Jon Walters gets up at the near post to nod Stoke in front

Robert Huth sees his shot clip Hrvoje Vejic and ping over the bar

A cheap gag-merchant may suggest that this will be the only ‘flare’ on show at the Britannia this season, though Pies would never stoop to that level

“A big hello from Croatia!”

The second leg is due to take place at the Poljud Stadium in Split on August 4th, i.e, next Thursday.

[Photos: PA]

Posted in Europa League, Photos, Stoke City

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16 Comments

  1. wiggs says:

    That guy at the end is simply gesturing toward a steward in hopes of grabbing his attention.

    Attention, of the UPMOST FASCIST EVIL..! (dun dun DUUUN!)

  2. Al Neri says:

    Croatian fans are the worst piece of shit

  3. Hasselhof says:

    Makes perfect sense that he would be wearing a shirt with Mel ‘I hate Jews’ Gibson

  4. RyanSSL says:

    Croatian fans are awesome! Respect to them. They have so much passion for supporting small teams that lack the financial resources to compete at the top level in Europe.

  5. Leo says:

    stoke? cool story bro

  6. Dave says:

    @Leo

    Sit down and be quiet son.

  7. MARK says:

    Croats are Nazis. Wikipedia “Ustase”

  8. Montesquieu says:

    Croatians aren’t Nazis, the Germans simply used their strong nationalism and Islamophobia and hatred of Serbs toward their own desires.

  9. Oleandar says:

    Potteries,see you in Split, city of sea, sun and “warm” welcome…good luck and enjoy your stay…

  10. Anthony says:

    @Mark.

    Germans are Nazi’s. Wikipedia ‘Nazi’s’.

    Makes sense, right? Sit down please. The Ustase were a few extremists that tarnished the proud history of a nation that has been through too much.

    You English are a funny bunch. You see real support for the first time in your life and call it Neo-Nazism. You’re all a joke. No wonder Chelsea and City have so many fans. I wonder how many Englishman have stayed with their club after relegation….

    @Wiggs

    Spot on son, spot on.

  11. Montesquieu says:

    The Germans nor Austrians weren’t all Nazi’s, but at the same time they didn’t actively fight against the government, only a small handful of individuals (who other than the White Rose, had their own ulterior motives) not even after they started to lose the war. So you can either say that Germans were sympathetic or apathetic to the Nazi Regime even during the worst time.

    Besides, both sympathy and apathy were a big part of British political engineering toward Nazi Germany prior to World War 2. Who after all sold out the Czechoslovakians or didn’t do anything but declare war against the Germans after they officially invaded Poland, Britain’s ally.

  12. ForzaStoke says:

    @Anthony.

    No, I see a fan doing a Nazi salute and think he’s a Neo-Nazi.

  13. Alberttuttle says:

    @ Anthony: If passion is about hate then just call me boring. The world needs much more division and hate than it has at present. Taking the piss is healthy and keeps all on our toes but hatred and violence purpetrated largely by inadequate limpdicks in order to appear ‘Manly’ in the eyes of the local fat, cow-herder bitch is hardly the highest echelon of human activity now is it.

  14. jvyge says:

    @Montesquieu

    are you joking? how have you turned this discussion about a croatian neo-nazi into all germans are nazis because they allowed hitler to do as he pleases.. if you know nothing dont open your mouth you utter loser

  15. Slavko says:

    you english dumbasses learn your own history before judging others…if croats are nazi’s then what the hell are you..you colonized and oppressed half the world and one more thing-do you even know who invented concentration camps??? the british!!! english empire killed more people then stallin and hitler combined

  16. TomBrady says:

    Croation football fans being fascits and highly open to Neo-nazism is a common fact.

    @ Wiggs and Anthony: another “fan” who’s standing behind the one performing the Nazi salute wears a THOR STEINAR (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_Steinar) T-shirt, a clothing brand which is distributed by German neo-Nazis, so much about it is just real support…

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