Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. Stoke can set the tone for a better season

    Mark Elliott
    BBC Radio Stoke commentator

    Stoke City's Sorba Thomas gives fans the thumbs up after scoringGetty Images

    Sorba Thomas scored on his Stoke City debut against Derby

    Stoke City got exactly the start they needed on day one of the Championship season.

    The first half promised much, Stoke were dominant, had more than 70% of the ball and looked comfortable in defence. It seemed like a matter of time before the deadlock was broken.

    That it was Derby who got the first goal was a surprise that brought back bad memories. Too often last season Stoke threatened throughout games but ultimately lost because they weren't clinical enough in the final third.

    This new Stoke side feels different already. They were more intense, dynamic and determined to play on the front foot than the team we saw last season and Lewis Baker's quick equaliser kept the crowd on board.

    The fans will play a part this season and were loud from the minute Steven Nzonzi came out to wave before kick-off as he begins a second spell at the club with a 2018 World Cup winner's medal to show for his travels.

    The volume from the stands was rewarded with a Divin Mubama header from a brilliant Tatsuki Seko cross and a goal from fellow debutant Sorba Thomas, assisted by another new signing in Jamie Donley.

    Mubama's movement and work rate was excellent throughout and Aaron Cresswell added his calm experience in addition to quality delivery from out wide as all of the new signings impressed.

    An EFL Cup tie at home to lower division opposition (Walsall) and an away game against troubled Sheffield Wednesday gives The Potters the opportunity to turn a great opening day into a an opening week that sets the tone for a much better season.

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  3. A woman with highlighted blonde brown hair is smiling while recording herself on her silver iPhone with a wig stand in the background.

  4. A camera on a tripod in a rural road, pointing towards a road junction. Police cars are parked on the right of the road, with blue lights on a black van behind. The verges are grassy and lined by hedgerow and trees.

  5. A woman in heart shaped glasses, rainbow coloured hat and a blue sequinned jacket holds rainbow flags aloft. Behind her is a man in an orange t-shirt and floral garden, also waving flags. They are walking in a parade and others in colourful clothing waving flags can be see behind.

  6. Uttoxeter Leisure Centre, a white square building with a car park in front

  7. Holloway Lodge, a stone-built entrance way with some blackened stone

  8. Robins revels in revitalised forward line

    Robins: 'I thought we were really good'

    Stoke manager Mark Robins heaped praise on his new signings as they helped his side come from behind to beat Derby 3-1 on the opening day.

    The Potters only managed 45 goals last term, but found the net three times on Saturday to earn all three points against John Eustace's Rams.

    "That's two goals from a new player and an assist from a new player, which is fantastic. Three goals at home gives us a really good start after a strong performance," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "We were really good throughout, and the only time we made a mistake we went behind out of nothing. But we kept going, continued to play create opportunities.

    "The cross for the second goal was fantastic, and the goal was nothing more than Divine deserved because he ran his socks off today against two experienced centre-backs.

    "We have good players, who are brave on and off the ball and all three goals came from real quality. We worked on that high level and intensity in pre-season as that is what we want to be about and what the fans want to see."

  9. National League football

  11. A lorry overturned on the first lane of a motorway at night. The lorry lies on its left side, illuminated by an unknown source of light. It has a silver roof and a picture of fruit on its back. An illuminated gantry in the distance is showing a closure sign. A grassy bank can be seen to the left.

  12. A man stands on a football pitch with a ball under one foot. He has blue socks and trainers on with part of his white shorts showing.

  13. A man holding two football programmes is standing outside the premises of The Football Cabin. There are two signs with its name and football shirts are hung up on the rail outside.

  14. A man in a blue shirt and yellow hi-vis vest is standing outside a wooden building. He has short light hair and his vest has a logo of a roof and the company name BP BUILDING CONTRACTORS LTD. The building has a green sign reading THE JOSHUA TREE and a large plant stands beside the sign.

  15. A red sign attached to a lock says "towpath closed". A canal can be seen stretching into the distance with a towpath running alongside. An orange fence is on the right of the canal.

  16. Steven Nzonzi

  17. Two men posing for the camera while standing in a seated section of a stadium. The man on the right is bald, wearing a black jacket and has his left arm around the other man's shoulders. The other man has short brown hair, a beard, a brown jacket and black T-shirt with pictures of cans on it.

  18. EFL Football 2025-26

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  22. Mo Faal applauds the crowd after a game for Wrexham

  23. Pirogovs has short brown hair and a beard in his police mugshot.

  24. A picture taken by the farmers shows the remains of a barn and a large fire burning. All that is left is the barn's steel structure.