 In 1878, the club merged with Stoke Victoria Athletic Club and became known as Stoke Football Club. They moved from Sweetings Field to the Athletic Club ground, which soon became known as the Victoria Ground. It was around this time that the club adopted their red and white striped kit. Stoke entered the newly formed Birmingham Association Cup in 1881, although they were beaten 8 – 0 by Aston Villa in the first round. In the 1882 – 1883 season, Stoke reached the final of the Staffordshire Senior Cup but were beaten 3 – 2 by West Bromwich Albion. The club decided to enter the FA Cup for the first time in the 1883 – 84 season; the competition itself had been founded 12 years earlier.
