Mark Robins delivers verdict on Stoke City first summer signing
Sorba Thomas is the first permanent signing for Stoke City since Mark Robins became manager
Mark Robins believes that Stoke City have pulled off “a great bit of business” to bring in Sorba Thomas.
Thomas, aged 26, became the club’s first signing of the summer and first permanent signing since Mark Robins was appointed manager when he joined from Huddersfield Town earlier this month.
Robins had previously tried to sign Thomas for Coventry while Stoke had tried to sign him last summer – when the deal would have been too expensive – and in January, when it proved too complicated.
Now the winger will join up with his teammates after this week, having been given a break due to his close-season international commitments with Wales.
“We’ve managed to bring in Sorba Thomas really early, which I’m delighted with,” said Robins.
“He’s been a target for the club for some while, even before I came in, so it’s a great bit of business for us and I’m looking forward to working with him.
“James Rowberry [assistant manager] has worked with him before with Wales and I’ve seen a lot of him for both Boreham Wood and Huddersfield Town.
“He’s young, still hungry and wants to improve all the time. He crosses the ball brilliantly, his set play delivery is outstanding and he’s got a really high work ethic.”
Robins brought in two loan players in January and has since seen five loan players return to their parent clubs, released four players and sanctioned Niall Ennia’s transfer to Blackpool.
It has helped create space in the budget and changing room for incomings, with six weeks until the season starts and more than two months until deadline day.
Robins said: “Now it’s time to crack on because we’ve still got a lot of work to do. The fresh start in pre-season is always good because that’s where you get your work done. Clearly we didn’t have that last season with arriving on New Year’s Day.
“There’s work going on to get the right players in and we will strengthen in the coming weeks. That’s important so we can ensure they’re settled in the surroundings, but it’s a family club, with a really good feel around the place and we’ve certainly got the infrastructure to be able to support that process and get them settled really quickly.”
Stoke City away kit flies off the shelves as Mark Stein leads launch party
Zig zag stripes, bucket hats and Mark Stein as Stoke City party like it’s 1992
The new Stoke City away kit has proven hugely popular as hundreds of supporters queued up to get their hands on one straightaway.
A two-tone zig zag purple change top, inspired by the title-winning kit worn in 1992/93 and featuring the same club badge that adorned the shirt that year, was unveiled on Friday afternoon and went on sale yesterday.
The badge, which incorporates the Stoke-on-Trent city crest, has been restored to commemorate 100 years since Stoke Football Club became Stoke City Football Club.
Mark Stein, the hero of the 1992/93 champions, was back at the bet365 Stadium to pose for photographs and sign autographs while the queue stretched down the road from the club shop. There had even been a queue to get onto the club’s online store a day previously.
Supporters wearing a new away shirt, made by Macron, also had free entry to a Spirit of 92 event in the Boothen Quarter – and a free pint once inside. Local DJs played hits from the early 90s while a retail outlet inside the fan zone seemed to be doing brisk business on two-tone purple bucket hats. The shop is open again today from 10am until 4pm.
The success may prove food for thought as the club continues consultation about changing the club badge, although research had suggested that the design used through the 1980s was the most popular with fans.
Now all Stoke supporters need is for Mark Robins and Jon Walters to find a 2025 version of Stein to score the kind of goals that will make this strip just as popular in another 33 years’ time. What do you think? Join the debate in the comments section.
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