 On 23 May 2006, Coates completed his takeover of Stoke City, marking the end of Gunnar Gíslason's chairmanship of the club. Coates chose former manager Tony Pulis as Boskamp's successor in June 2006. Pulis took Stoke close to a play-off place, however an eventual eighth-place finish was achieved in the 2006 – 07 season. In June 2007, chairman Peter Coates purchased the Britannia Stadium outright from the City Council for a fee in the region of £ 6m.
