News from the bet365 Stadium as Stoke City confirm pre-season schedule and warm-up games against clubs including Crewe Alexandra and Stockport County
Stoke City will have a week-long training camp in Cork as part of their first pre-season under Steven Schumacher.
Schumacher will welcome back his squad, including first new signing Viktor Johansson and probably more, at Clayton Wood on Monday, July 1, with six weeks to get ready for the big Championship kick-off on the weekend of August 10.
Their first friendly will be away at Chester on Thursday, July 11 (7.45pm) and they will then head to the Republic of Ireland that weekend, with a game against Cork at Turners Cross on Wednesday, July 17. The kick-off time will be confirmed after Cork find their second round opponents in the FAI Cup. The draw takes place this Thursday.
Stoke went to Cork in the summer of 2022 under Michael O’Neill and were impressed with the facilities.
They will head to Crewe Alexandra on Tuesday, July 23 (7.30pm) for a game against a club where Schumacher spent three years as a midfielder during his playing career. The Potters are away at Stockport County on Saturday, July 27 and will play one match over two 60-minute halves, kicking off at 2pm.
Stoke are then away at Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday, July 30 (7.30pm) before wrapping up their pre-season programme with a friendly at the bet365 Stadium on the weekend of Saturday, August 3. The opposition is yet to be announced.
Schumacher has previously said: “It’s important we get off to a good start next year. We’ve just spoken to the players about what the off-season is going to look like, the pre-season programme and how that will probably more difficult than probably they have ever seen. If we can complement the squad with players who can help us improve then we’ll have a better chance to start the season well.”
Key dates in pre-season
- Wednesday, June 26: Fixture release date (9am)
- Monday, July 1: Players return to Clayton Wood for pre-season training
- Thursday, July 11: Chester FC vs Stoke City (7.45pm kick-off)
- Saturday, July 13 to Friday, July 19: First team training camp in Cork
- Wednesday, July 17: Cork City vs Stoke City (kick-off time TBC)
- Tuesday, July 23: Crewe Alexandra v Stoke City (7.30pm kick-off)
- Saturday, July 27: Stockport County vs Stoke City (2pm kick-off*)
- Tuesday, July 30: Bolton Wanderers v Stoke City (7.30pm kick-off)
- Weekend of August 3: TBC fixture
- Saturday, August 10: EFL Championship