At a talent and financial disadvantage upon their return to the topflight under Tony Pulis, Stoke City were searching for a means to tip the scales in their favour.
Stoke’s answer to their Premier League challenge was built around a workman-like, veteran midfielder in Rory Delap.
Delap’s throw-ins became an integral part of Stoke’s gameplan, and a new challenge for Premier League defences to wrestle (often literally) with.
Some teams opted to put the ball behind for corner kicks instead of throw ins. Others moved the advertising hoardings to impede Delap’s run up. Dean Windass even received a booking for trying to disrupt Delap while warming up on the sidelines.
Stoke arrived in the Premier League as one of the favourites for the drop in Premier League relegation odds.
Their prolonged topflight stint was not only down to Delap’s throws, of course, but the goals created were obviously significant, and the direct nature was symbolic of how Pulis’ team fought with opponents in the trenches.
With a better angle, Delap’s throws were considered better than a corner. Most long-throw experts would get the ball into the area, often in a loopy manner.
Delap would propel the ball at over 35 miles per hour, getting well into the box and towards the goalmouth.
Five assists directly from Delap’s missiles is a small part of the tale. Stoke scored 24 goals from his throw-ins, per Stats Perform.
💥⚽️ The content you never knew you needed!
— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) March 26, 2020
T H R O W I T ! @RoryJDelap
Every single goal! 🙌
🎵 @UnderclassStoke - Bring It#SCFC 🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/2Mr2TCOiTi
How teams could cope with throw-ins went from a non-factor to a significant component when weighing up any bet on football involving the Potters.
The mystique around a trip to Stoke on a wet and windy night built quickly. Delap’s throw ins were the centrepiece of the greatest acid test in Premier League predictions.
Defences were baffled by the charging run up and bullet throw of Delap, the trajectory catching out defenders and leading to some almost comical goals.
Teams had to be ready for a unique goal threat at Stoke, and the Potters were prepared with towels stationed around the touchline, which has become its own part of Premier League lore.
Previous exponents of the long throw were in awe of Delap, his use of backspin enabling the ball to travel almost parallel to the ground at high speeds.
Others were less impressed. Following a throw-in-led 2-1 win for Stoke over Arsenal, Arsene Wenger talked down Delap’s arm-powered impact.
"It is a little bit of an unfair advantage. He is using a strength that is usually not a strength in football."
Wenger, famously, also called for throw-ins to be replaced with kick-ins.
Trials set to be held of Arsene Wenger's idea of replacing throw-ins with kick-ins, the International FA Board says: pic.twitter.com/UAuFHs5QBU
— Martyn Ziegler (@martynziegler) June 13, 2022
Stoke City thrived on rattling opponents during the Pulis era. Chests were pushed out, tackles were brutal and aerial challenges were fearless and plentiful. The weather was as unwelcoming as the crowd.
No football audience has ever been as pumped for throw-ins as the Britannia Stadium was in Stoke’s first few seasons in the Premier League. Delap’s throws will always be the symbol of those Stoke teams.
The effectiveness waned as the novelty faded, though. Stoke evolved from bruisers to a club with supposedly loftier ambitions, playing some entertaining football under Mark Hughes before their demise under Hughes and Paul Lambert.
The Potters are now a feature in Championship predictions, a long way from the intimidation and intensity of Delap’s rocket throws and a bellowing Brit.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
FIRST PUBLISHED: 20th September 2022
