THE ARTISTIC skills of young Charlie Myatt will ensure that 'The 12th Man' are 'Loud & Proud' before kick-off at the Britannia Stadium . . . after she emerged as the winner of a competition to design the new supporters flag for Stoke City.

The nine-year-old pupil from St John's CE Primary School in Trent Vale was the popular choice among Potters fans who voted on stokecityfc.com for the short-list of entries for the flag competition after they had been selected by a judging panel.

Therefore, what started out as a football-themed homework exercise for Charlie and her fellow pupils will now be turned into the giant flag which is passed above the heads of supporters shortly before the kick-off of matches at the Britannia Stadium.

Her handywork will be used to produce the new flag which is being funded by Principal Club Partner Britannia and Official Kit Supplier adidas.

The 12th Man and Loud & Proud are prominent features of Charlie's winning design which she chose to reflect the passion of Stoke supporters.

"My dad's a big Stoke fan, so I included the stripes from his shirt, and then I asked my mum and dad what else I needed to put on it," she said after showing off her design to City defender Ryan Shawcross at the Britannia Stadium today.

"I can't believe that I have won the competition, but it will be exciting to see the flag at matches and know that I created that in my bedroom."

Charlie's Year Four teacher Elizabeth Halfpenny said: "We were looking for a football-themed project for homework during the World Cup when we received an email about the competition. As there are a number of teachers who are Stoke Season Ticket holders and many of the pupils support the Club as well, we decided to set them this task.

"It was just a bit of fun, but all the children showed great enthusiasm with their work, and across the school there were about 30-35 entries.

"When the Club contacted us with the news that Charlie's entry had been short-listed, I was elated because she was in my class," she added. "The fact that she has now won it is unbelievable. We are very proud of what she has achieved."

Proud is also an emotion felt by Charlie's parents, and her father Ian commented: "She is very artistic and so when she was given this task, off she went to her bedroom one evening and she spent ages up there creating her design.

"It's remarkable what that hard work has now produced because this will be seen by thousands and thousands of people over the coming season."

As the winner of the competition, Charlie will receive a VIP day out at City's first home game of the new Barclays Premier League season.

On that occasion, she will join representatives of Britannia, adidas, the Supporters Club and the Club in officially handing over the flag to supporters before the kick-off of the match against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 21st August.