John Ritchie is the Club's leading league and cup goalscorer having notched 171 goals in two spells with the Potters.

He first signed for Stoke in 1962 following a recommendation from a scout to Tony Waddington, who had never actually seen him play.

In his first season at the Victoria Ground he briefly played alongside Jackie Mudie, Dennis Viollet and Stanley Matthews as City stormed to the Division Two Championship.

Ritchie then made a huge impact in the top flight and finished leading scorer for three seasons running - netting 30 and 29 goals respectively in the first two campaigns - before being sold to Sheffield Wednesday for a Club Record £70,000 in the summer of 1966.

The Kettering-born marksman was re-signed by Waddington three years later however, for a profit, and continued to find the back of the net as Stoke enjoyed a great period in the Seventies.

He was again top scorer for four more years and led the line during the League Cup success of 1972 and the UEFA Cup stint the following term, although he was sent off 29 seconds after coming on as a substitute in the 4-0 loss at Kaiserslautern.

In March 1974, after a row with Southampton's Peter Osgood who criticised Ritchie's heading ability, the striker completed his hat-trick against the Saints by dribbling around keeper Eric Martin, stopping the ball on the line and kneeling to head it over!

A tragic double facture of the leg in a 3-1 away defeat at Ipswich Town in September 1974 then ended his professional playing career although he did later play a handful of non-league games for Stafford Rangers.

Against Arsenal he proved a real menace and netted in all but one of the games that Stoke managed to score past them during his career here, including two braces in 1964 and another in 1970.

Big John sadly passed away in early 2007, aged 65, but still remains Stoke's leading League Cup scorer to this day with 18 goals.

A bust of the great man was unveiled at the back of the Boothen End by manager Tony Pulis a year later.

Appearances for the Potters: 337 + 10 substitute appearance. 171 goals.