Stoke City Help Local Area to Reap Benefits of Success After Bringing Over £130m Into Local Economy

Stoke City's continued Premier League status has reportedly seen the local area reap the benefits of the sustained period of success, with the club's partaking in the top tier having pumped over £130m into the local economy. The Potters have now been in the Premier League for a decade without facing the drop, and have become a mainstay in the beloved competition.

As reported by the Premier League's official website, research into the Potters' relative success found that the impact of their 2015/16 season generated a huge amount of money for the local area, which also supported over 2000 jobs. Speaking about the off-field success, club CEO Tony Scholes claimed:

"Our Premier League status has allowed continued investment in the club's future and the region. Stoke City supporters play a key role in our success and we prioritise our work in local communities.”

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The economic benefits seen in the area weren't the only important impact made by the club analysed, with the Stoke City Community Trust also praised for being pivotal in creating awareness of mental and physical health issues in the area, as well as attempting to combat them.

The news comes as a well-needed reminder of the positive side of a sport dominated by excessive showings of wealth. The Premier League spent £1.4b on new players in the summer transfer window, leaving many pundits questioning how the everyday fan could find anyway to identify with a game where the players and clubs were so far removed for the lives of their fans.