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You can literally count the number of celebrity fans that Stoke City have got on one hand. On the list are TV presenter Nick Hancock, England test cricketer Dominic Cork, and, er, Jeremy Paul, a writer who worked on Midsomer Murders and Hettie Wainthrop investigates.

Some of the more astute Potters fans may even remember a 2001 Midsomer episode (called "Who Killed Cock Robin?") which featured characters named after Potters players, including Frank LIGHTBOURNE, Mary MOHAN, Reverend THORNE, Chris MEGSON, and JACKIE MARSH!

Massive in Norway

Anyway, we digress. You can now add to the celebrity list 2 thirds of the Norwegian 80s pop superstars A-ha. Not only did they pen massive pop hits "Take on Me" and the "Sun always shines on TV", lead singer Morten Harket, and keyboard player Magne Furholmen have both admitted to being Potters fans in the seventies. They say they can even reel off the 1975 line-up, off by heart.

"When we were kids, Stoke was massive in Norway", says Morten. "A while back we were in London and this thing (about football) came up. People were in fits, because all of a sudden, between Mags and myself, we were starting to remember great players from the early seventies."

Morten and Mags: Potters at heart!

It seems Morten's passion for the Potters was started by his brother. The two shared a room, and while Morten tended to his orchids (!) his brother pinned up posters of Victoria Ground legends all around the walls.

"My younger brother was a big Stoke fan, and I was sucked into it," says Morten "I was kind of waking up every morning and looking at Gordon Banks face!"

"We had all these small football cards - literally hundreds of them, and swapping them was the currency back then."

Premier league attention

However, the pop trio admit they've never been to either the Victoria Ground or the Britannia Stadium, and their interest has waned over recent years mainly because they've been busy touring the world, playing to hundreds of thousands of fans.

But Morten admits the Potters new found success in the Premier League is again attracting his attention.

"With all this - I'm being asked (about Stoke City) all the time now - I'm going to have to catch up. It's a kick for us as well to see that Stoke are coming back, so both Mags and I are going to start watching out for what's happening to the club!"