Stoke City Football Club

• Nickname:Potters
• Founded:1863
• Manager:Tony Pulis

• Ground:Britannia Stadium
• Capacity:28218

Pulis expects cash backing

08 May 2009 - 14:17:39

Click To Enlarge

Stoke City boss Tony Pulis is confident of receiving financial backing to bolster his squad in the summer.

The Potters are almost certain of their Premier League status for a second season and relegation would be a mathematical impossibility should they win at Hull City on Saturday.

Stoke were expected to go straight back down to the Championship this year with many pundits predicting a season of struggle for the Potteries club.

But after confounding the critics, Pulis is hoping to kick on next season with the help of some transfer funds.

"There's a big balancing act to be done and I think (chairman) Peter (Coates) has managed it brilliantly this year and he needs to take a lot of credit for that," said Pulis.

"But now we're close to achieving our goal, we have to sit down and look at it again and see what funds we have to push the team forwards.

"We're spending money to improve the training ground, which is vital, but the most important thing is the team and that has to take priority over everything.

"Peter's a football man and he recognises and realises that."