The Club have once again been made aware of e-mail scams that claim to be recruiting and/or offering trials for our Academy.

The e-mails may be in poor English, link to the official website and include a fake name/position from an e-mail address such as wellsbrian_agent@yahoo.com. They may also ask for personal details, passport information and money.

These e-mails are FAKE and are not in any way a genuine Stoke City Football Club communication.

The Club takes this scam very seriously and urges people not to respond and instead pass the information on via e-mail to academy@stokecityfc.com.

About Our Talent Identification Scouts

The Club's Academy scouts are registered with the Premier League and have all been CRB checked. The Academy carries out regular training to ensure our scouts are up-to-date with all the processes and procedures that we operate.

The scouts are employed by the Club and are bound by the rules of the Premier League and the Football League, which mean that they must conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner, and observe the highest standards of integrity and fair dealing.

Photo Identification

ALL of the Club's Academy scouts carry official photo identification.

How We Make An Approach

A Club scout will talk with the parents/managers and/or teachers of an unattached player.

We do not approach children directly and we do not ask for money.

If you are approached by an Academy scout and wish to verify their identity, please contact the Academy directly either by phone on (01782) 592171 or via e-mail at academy@stokecityfc.com.