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Half-Life 2

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TITLE: Stoke City Victoria Ground - Multiplayer Deathmatch
AUTHOR: Kenilworth_Stokies
E-MAIL: Contact via the Oatcake Messageboard FAO Kenilworth_Stokies
WEBSITE: http://stokecity.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=944&p=2&stid=8382833

FILENAME: dm_StokeCity_TheVic.bsp
FILESIZE: 11,248 kb
DATE RELEASED: 14 November 2006

CREDITS: Many thanks to the good folks at the Oatcake Fanzine for the photos which were vital to putting this together. Be loyal, be Proud, be Stoke.

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS: Unzip the file dm_StokeCity_TheVic.bsp into: SteamSteamapps«your username»half-life 2 deathmatchhl2mpmaps

DESCRIPTION: This deathmatch map is based on the Stoke City FC's legendary Victoria Ground (1878 - 1997). At the time of demolition it was the second oldest Football League ground in the world. For generations it was the church of all who worshiped the cult of the Mighty Potters. All those who stood on its hallowed Boothen End will never forget it. Those who never got the chance can now at least shoot the crap out of eachother on it.

The spawn point on the Boothen End is my spot, my dad's spot before me and my grandad's spot before him. My grandad (Edwin Blunt) played for the Potters at the Vic, in the same side as Sir Stanley Matthews. World Cup winners Gordon Banks and Geoff Hurst later plied their trade for Stoke on this ground, as did other legends too numerous to mention.

Sir Stanley Matthews' testimonial took place at Stoke City's Victoria Ground on the 28th April 1965, some 33 years after the winger made his debut. A sublime array of talent made their way to the Potteries on that Spring evening - the European Cup winning Real Madrid duo of Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano were there, as was Puskas' Hungary teammate Josef Masopust and the awesome figure of Lev Yashin between the sticks.

Sadly, The Vic is no more.

BUGS: None that I know of, please report any found to on the Oatcake Messageboard FAO Kenilworth_Stokies

COMMENTS: It's by no means 100% faithful due to reasons of fading memory, a limited number of visits to many parts of the ground on my part and for playability purposes. But it should give you a flavour of the old place. Up the Potters!