Steve Parish had a pair of Stoke City cufflinks with him as Crystal Palace won the FA Cup on Saturday.
The Palace owner was in the posh seats at Wembley Stadium with his unlikely lucky omens as Eberechi Eze scored the goal that beat Manchester City and secured the club a first major trophy in their history.
He has had them for coming up to a decade, having nipped into the bet365 Stadium club shop in a panic in December 2015 before Palace beat the Potters 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Lee Chung-yong. Such has been their effect that he even bought a different pair to keep on stand-by in case the originals go missing.
“I did everything differently from what I normally do,” he told the News Shopper after the cup final. “I wore the team suit that I’ve never worn, a pair of shoes I have never worn, and I got a car here instead of driving my car. I was like, none of it matters. I was just determined to put on the suit they gave me, do whatever they told me to do, lean into it all, get in a car, drive there and win. That’s what I thought.
“The only thing I did was find the original cuff links I bought in the Stoke club shop when Chungy scored the winner.
“I forgot my cuff links and it was really annoying me, so I went to the club shop and bought a pair of Stoke City cuff links – they’ve been my lucky charm ever since.
“Intermittently, I lose them and can’t find them. I’ve got a coloured pair that I bought as a kind of backup, but they don’t have the same kind of magic. Before the Tottenham game, I wore a completely random suit, and I found them in my pocket, and so I brought them to Wembley.”
Pictures from the weekend suggest that the Stoke cufflinks might have stayed in Parish's pocket because there it looks like it was a £15 Eagle on Ball set that were keeping his sleeves together as he paraded around the pitch at full-time.
Perhaps, now that this has been ticked off, he can send the lucky pair up to John Coates in time for the new season.
England call-ups for Stoke duo
Sol Sidibe and Jaden Dixon have been named in the England under-18s squad for a double-header with Morocco. They will fly out on Wednesday with Liam Bramley’s squad, with games taking place on Sunday, May 25 (6pm) and Wednesday, May 28 (6pm) at the Complexe Mohammed VI de Football.
Sidibe is fit again after being diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back at the turn of the year. He made his playing return for Stoke under-21s late last month.
Tommy Simkin, who is preparing for a League Two play-off final on with loan club Walsall against AFC Wimbledon on Monday, is hoping for a call-up for England for the under-21s European Championships next month.
Million Manhoef will be in the Netherlands squad for that one.
U14s crowned NXT Cup champions
Congratulations to Stoke under-14s, who have won the Nxt Cup in Belgium.
A Stoke squad made up of a mixture of under-14s and 13s stayed unbeaten in a 16-team competition and beat West Ham on penalties in the final. Shoot-out hero James Gutfreund was named goalkeeper of the tournament while Ollie Worrall scored the winning kick.
Stoke had previously won 1-0 against Fredrikstad FK, drew 1-1 with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, beat NEC Nijmegen 2-0 and Queens Park Rangers by the same scoreline.
Paul Harris, head of academy coaching, said: “It was a fantastic weekend of learning for the group of players, who, for many, were experiencing a European tour for the first time.
“The players’ approach and contribution to the team goals was great to see and the pride with which they represented the club culminated in their success. The group’s ability to retain information and execute the coaching team’s instructions was testament to all the players and gives great hope for their future progress through the club.”
League honours for young Potters
Congratulations too, to Imogen Fahy and Kaya Anderson, who have claimed FA Women’s National League awards in a glitzy event at Wembley Stadium.
Left wing-back Fahy was named the Women’s National League Reserve Midlands Division player of the season after a storming campaign which saw her score 20 goals and chip in with 21 assists as Stoke won 15 out of 16 games to be crowned champions – and won the Staffs FA Women’s Vase as well with a dramatic comeback victory over Port Vale in the final.
Anderson, who scored 24 goals, took home the division’s golden boot.
Coach Garry Pearce, who was nominated for reserve manager of the year, said: “Imogen has had a fantastic season. Her record is absolutely remarkable, 41 goal contributions in total, so to be named Player of the Season was well deserved.
“Kaya has been clinical in front of goal. She finished with 31 goals across all competitions, including a last-minute equaliser in the Staffordshire FA Women’s Vase against Port Vale to send the game to penalties.”
Applications are now open for Stoke’s new elite girls’ academy, building squads in under-10s, 12s, 14s and 16s age groups.
Trials will take place at Roe Lane Playing Fields from Sunday, June 1 until Sunday June 8, with a second phase by invitation only from Tuesday June 10 until Saturday, June 14.
The squads will train on two nights a week during the season with a games programme on Saturday mornings.
The deadline for applications is Thursday, May 29 and you can register here.
He scores goals, he scores goals
Peter Odemwingie will join Robert Huth, Liam Lawrence and Ricardo Fuller back on the pitch at Stoke this Bank Holiday.
Franklyn will host their annual charity match at Stoke's HQ on Monday, May 26 (4pm) with all profits raised being donated to the Community Trust. There will be an after party in the Boothen Quarter fan zone too.
Andy Griffin, Carl Dickinson and Nathan Heaney will also be playing, with tickets now on sale, starting at £10 as a spectator.
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