Pulis stoked by owner’s willingness to recruit

STOKE manager Tony Pulis says it is a clear sign of the club’s ambition that they are bidding big money for new players.

And he has nothing but praise for chairman Peter Coates, a local businessman, and his family for continuing to back him with impressive financial muscle.

Pulis was set to recruit Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba at the weekend for a reported £7.1million, only for the 25-year-old to fail a medical.