Stoke City F.C. ~ Goujon Banks

Introduction: Gordon Banks, OBE (born 30 December 1937) is… well, he’s Gordon Banks isn’t he! He made 194 appearances for Stoke between 1967 and 1972, and won 73 caps for his country. He was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 1972, and was named FIFA Goalkeeper of the Year on six occasions.

Clearly an animal lover, here he is saving a dog.

Banks made what he believed to be three of the best saves of his career in a Stoke shirt. He saved and caught a powerful, well placed header from Manchester City’s Wyn Davies from eight yards. The second was a Francis Lee header, which he saved at Maine Road, and the third was catching a volley from Spur’s Alan Gilzean hit from just six yards out at White Hart Lane.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Home kit: rolling pin, large frying pan, 3 saucers

Away kit: a large serving plate and some kitchen roll

Serves: A kickball team as finger food but 4 as a starter

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 egg
• ½ cup of flour
• 1 matchbox of Parmesan cheese , grated
• 1 tsp. Basil
• 1 tsp. Oregano
• 1 tsp. thyme
• Handful of breadcrumbs
• Some oil for frying

Method: Preheat the oven to 75^oC and put in the large serving plate to warm

First half

Put the chicken breasts between two bits of cling-film and whack them with the rolling pin to flatten.

Cut the chicken into fingers about ½ inch wide. Put the flour, egg and breadcrumbs separately into the three saucers.  Grate the Parmesan and add the herbs to the breadcrumbs.

Second half – heat the oil in the frying pan

Dip the chicken fingers into the flour, then the egg and then the breadcrumb mixture and shallow fry in the frying pan over a medium heat until golden brown.  Do them a few at at time putting them on the kitchen roll on the plate in the oven.

Full time results

Serve from the warmed plate with tomato sauce, mayonnaise or just a squeeze of lemon juice.

Stoke City F.C. ~ Staffordshire hotpotters

Introduction: Stoke City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863 the club changed its name to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke-on-Trent was granted city status. They are the second oldest professional football club in the world, after Notts County, and are one of the founding members of the Football League.

This is a great dish as you bung everything into one pot. Not much washing up to do.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Home kit: large heavy-based casserole dish , resting dish

Away kit: 4 plates, knives and forks

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 8 fat pork sausages
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 x 415g tins baked beans
• 2tbsp tomato ketchup
• 1 bay leaf
• 1tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1tbsp black treacle
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Generous pinch of salt

Method:

First half

Heat the oil in the casserole dish and brown the sausages all over which will take about 5mins. Set aside. Now soften the onion and carrots in the casserole by cooking gently, covered, for 10min.

Second half

Add the baked beans, tomato ketchup, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, black treacle and some seasoning. Return the sausages to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 10min, stirring occasionally, until the sausages are cooked through.

Full time results

Remove the bay leaf before serving with a green salad. Ha! Just kidding, mashed potatoes, serve with mashed potatoes.

You can cook this the day before and bung it in the oven to be ready to eat when you get back from the match.

STOKE CITY F.C. ~ Jackie Marshmallows

Introduction: John Henry “Jackie” Marsh (born 31 May 1948) is Stoke City’s right back.

Here he is with Mick Pejic and Goujon Banks.

Marsh began his career with Stoke making his debut in 1967 where he soon became a member of Tony Waddington’s first team in the 1970s as Stoke enjoyed their most successful period. Marsh played in the 1972 Football League Cup Final when Stoke beat Chelsea 2–1. He also played for the club in the UEFA Cup. In total he made 440 appearances in the twelve seasons he spent at the Victoria Ground.

Preparation time: 1 day 10-15 mins

Cooking time: 10 mins

Home kit: A mixer, medium pan, sugar thermometer (or a spoon), 8in x 12in non-metallic serving dish

Away kit: use the serving dish

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp. powdered gelatine
• 375g (13oz) granulated sugar
• 400g (14oz) golden syrup
• 1tbsp. vanilla extract
• Red food colouring
• Icing sugar, to dust

Method: Preheat the oven to 0^oC as it needs no baking

First half

Put the gelatine into the bowl of a freestanding mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and add 125ml (4fl oz.) cold water. Leave to soak while you make the sugar syrup.

Put the sugar, golden syrup, a pinch of salt and 125ml (4fl oz) water into a medium pan and heat over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and bubble, carefully swirling the pan occasionally, until the mixture reaches 240°F (or 115°C) on a sugar thermometer. If you have not got one of these the syrup should form strings when you lift out your stirring spoon.

Turn on the freestanding mixer to a low speed and gradually add the hot sugar syrup. Turn up the mixer to high and continue beating until the mixture is very thick and white about 10-12min (set a timer to make sure the mixture is thick enough).

Second half

Meanwhile, generously dust the non-metallic serving dish with sifted icing sugar.

When the marshmallow mixture is ready, beat in the vanilla and the red food colouring to get your Jackie Marshmallow Stoke Red. Scrape into the dish and gently level. Dust the top with more sifted icing sugar and allow to stand overnight at room temperature.

Full time results

Put some icing sugar into a medium bowl, ready for dusting the individual marshmallows. Slice round the edges of the dish to release the marshmallow on to a board (you might need to peel it out). Cut (or snip) into 1in squares. Working a few at a time, toss the squares into the icing sugar bowl to coat and transfer to a container or bags. Complete until all marshmallows are dusted.

You can of course make a another batch or leave half of this batch white for the full colours.

Stoke City F.C. ~ Sir Stanley Cashews

Introduction: Sir Stanley Matthews is regarded as one of the greatest English kickballers in history. He is the only player to have been knighted while still playing. His nicknames include “The Wizard of the Dribble” and “The Magician”.

He was a near vegetarian so I think he would have enjoyed this recipe.

Preparation time: 1 min

Cooking time: 10-12 mins

Home kit: Large frying pan, large baking tray

Away kit: Serving bowl

Serves: A kickball team

Ingredients

• 200g (7oz) unsalted cashew nuts (a large bag)
• 1 tsp. Marmite
• 1 tsp. water
• Seasoning

Method: Preheat the oven to 180^oC

First half

Mix your nuts together with the Marmite, water and some seasoning in the large frying pan. Heat through gently, stirring all the time until your nuts are coated.

Second half

Empty your nuts onto a large baking tray and roast for 10-12min until your nuts are golden.

Full time results

Cool and serve your nuts.

Extra time

Your nuts can be kept in an airtight container for a coupe of weeks.