About a week ago I was thinking to myself that it was about time I updated the Comment page to give my thoughts on the start of the season, and Steve Cotterill's first few months in charge. It was to be a positive, glowing effort, giving him a pat on the back for largely doing a very good job with so few resources at his disposal. But the arrival of a text message on my mobile phone at 7am this morning put paid to that. When I read the message from a fellow Leeds Stokie that Cotterill had quit Stoke City FC, I was at first in disbelief. Sky Sports News confirmed that I wasn't dreaming, and he had indeed gone. Soon after came anger, and as I write this piece bitter disappointment and despair.

When Cotterill was appointed I felt that at long last Stoke had found an ambitious young talented manager that could take Stoke far. He seemed to have an impressive CV and the "people skills" to bring on young players, and get the best out of more established team members. Certainly for the majority of his games in charge he created a spirit at the club that suggested the players had responded to his request for hard work, and despite our depleted squad, we appeared a team that seemed at home in the First Division.

However we have now been undone by this man's ambition. I expected one day that we might lose Cotterill to a "bigger" club, but I was hoping it once he had tasted success with Stoke, and maybe made them a Premiership side. For a man who preached hard work, committment and loyalty to go so soon into his Stoke City career, frankly it's a disgrace.

Much will be made of the Board's unwillingness to find funds for Cotterill to strengthen his team. Press reports are already stirring up this feeling to provoke a reaction. The extreme Gudjonphiles are gleefully pointing to the Chairman and saying no one can work with this man, and once more are raking up the events of the end of last season. Personally I don't see any relevance in this. Cotterill knew full well of the financial restraints he would face at Stoke at the time of his appointment. He'd worked on a shoestring before at Cheltenham and was prepared to do so again. In fairness he made a damn good job with what he had. No, Cotterill left because he saw an opportunity to further his ambitions more quickly than he could have ever imagined. In most walks of life you'd say fair play to the bloke. But this is Stoke City, the club we love, and he's left us in the lurch. He's dashed our hopes, and once more plunged us into depression. He has not shown us the loyalty he promised. Such treachery can never be forgiven. Lets hope the words of the Northern Soul song ring true... "A quitter never wins"

AndyP 10/10/02