'Many details remain sketchy': revealing the 'truth' behind the origins and formation of Stoke City Football Club.

The history of sport is afflicted by myths that have become entrenched in our collective knowledge and are widely perceived as being the 'truth' with many having acquired a power and resilience that has allowed them to endure and persist, quite often despite academic research to the contrary. This paper considers the traditional narratives that present Stoke City Football Club as being the second oldest surviving professional football club in England, having supposedly been established in 1863, a suggestion that was heavily promoted through the official club website and various media outlets. It assesses how this myth has become entrenched and provides evidence that drastically alters our analysis of how the club developed. The findings of the paper, especially in relation to the 'origins of football' debate, also challenge the long-held views of how football in the region developed during the nineteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]