Stoke City can today announce the completion of a £6 million deal to purchase the Council and Stoke-On-Trent Regeneration's shares in the Britannia Stadium.

In commenting on the purchase in June, Chairman Peter Coates said:

"It was a prime objective when we bought the club off the Icelandic consortium to bring the stadium into single ownership. This will give us the opportunity to further develop the Club and the Stadium as one.

"I would like to thank the City Council and Stoke Regeneration for their input over the past ten years, and for their co-operation in making this takeover possible.

"With ownership secure it can be a catalyst for carrying out improvements in the Stadium that will benefit supporters. The Stadium is now 10 years old, and we will be looking at a string of measures to improve facilities further, and generally improve the Stadium's appearance."

The Stadium will continue to be known as the Britannia Stadium and guarantees will be put in place to secure its future as a football stadium.

Scholes added: "It is our intention to continue to operate the stadium for the benefit of the football club and community at large. With ownership in the club's hands we can now focus on ways of maximising revenue all year round. It will enable the Club to benefit directly from non football business opportunities such as concerts, events and conference and banqueting. This can only benefit the football club in the long term.

"It was important for the long term future of Stoke City that the football club and the Stadium came under single ownership. This is a major development for the Club and a clear statement of Peter Coates' ambitions to develop all aspects of the club."