Rule Change Will Stymie Stoke in Arsenal’s Favour

Without much fanfare the Premier League has introduced a regulation change which might prove to be very helpful to Arsenal in certain away games this season.
Whereas previously clubs had discretion about the size of their pitch (within quite broad parameters), now they all have to comply with the UEFA standard of 105m by 68m (which, in old money, equates to more or less 115 yards by 74 yds).
No big deal?
Well, it’s going to make a significant difference to some clubs who have been taking the “barely legal” approach to pitch size for some time.
Chief among the culprits have been the Mighty Orcs, otherwise known as Stoke City.
Until forced to enlarge their pitch this year, Stoke have been using the absolute minimum dimensions for their playing surface.
The old rule (Rule I. 21) said: “In Lea...