From Russian oligarchs to American tycoons and Middle Eastern royalty, Peter Coates has welcomed them all to Stoke City as the local boy made extremely good.
As a boy, Coates stood at the old Victoria Ground to watch Stanley Matthews, little imagining that success in business would one day allow him to become owner of his beloved hometown club.
For the past 10 years under his leadership, Stoke have been in the Premier League, an unbroken run matched only by the big six clubs and Everton.
However, they are in the bottom three with their status under threat before Monday’s visit by Manchester City.