Spot the towel: Ryan Shotton dries the ball during the
game with Tottenham
Stoke City have
come out fighting in defence of their latest controversial ploy to
make the most of their long-throw tactic.
Footage from the 2-1 win against Tottenham on
Sunday showed Ryan Shotton drying the ball with a towel underneath
his shirt before taking throw-ins.
The plan worked a treat as he caused havoc in the
Spurs penalty area, but the novel idea was under scrutiny by the
football authorities as Premier League rules state that both clubs
must agree to using towels during a game.
The FA are looking to establish whether Stoke’s
tactic leaves them open to disciplinary procedures, although it is
unclear whether jurisdiction rested with the FA or Premier League.
Clarification is expected on Tuesday, but Stoke are adamant that
their innovative method of ensuring Shotton was able to dry the
ball was within the rules.
A club spokesman said: ‘It’s a towelling vest
that is the same colour as the shirt. The only stipulation is that,
as long as the undergarment is the same colour as the predominant
colour of the shirt, then it’s not a problem. It does not stipulate
what fabric it has to be.’
During the home defeat to Queens Park Rangers on
November 19, opposing manager Neil Warnock demanded equal use of
towels, as Stoke usually supply matchday ball boys with them to
ensure the balls can be dried before throws are taken.
Step 1: Hide, Step 2: Rub, Step 3:
Polish
Warnock’s intervention is likely to have
triggered the decision to supply Shotton with his own drying device
rather than having towels on the touchline against
Spurs.
Whether Stoke are cleared to continue with the
ploy remains to be seen, but it illustrates how the club are
determined to reap maximum benefit from the throws that have become
a major feature of their game. Manager Tony Pulis has been keen to
make the most of the freakish throws into the box from Rory Delap
and, more recently, Shotton.
Last season, Stoke’s pitch was one of the
smallest in the top flight, measuring 100x64metres — the minimum
dimensions permissible. That looked set to change this season after
the club qualified for the Europa League, as pitches in UEFA
competition must measure 105x68m.
Tactic: Stoke's Rory Delap has made good use of his
long throw
However, to ensure that the club continued to
make the most of Delap and Shotton’s potent throws, they have
marked out two pitches at the Britannia Stadium — one for domestic
competition and another for European games.
Stoke’s reliance on long throws has been widely
criticised. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been outspoken about
the tactic and even suggested the idea of scrapping throw-ins
altogether.
Speaking in 2008, he said: ‘(The rule I would
change would be) maybe to play throw-ins by foot. Why not? I think
it would make the game quicker.
‘For example at Stoke, for Rory Delap it is like
kicking the ball. It is a little bit of an unfair advantage. He is
using a strength that is usually not a strength in
football.’