It’s not unusual for Mark Hughes to blame Tom Jones for keeping Stoke out of Europe

Why, why, why, Delilah

Mark Hughes is getting his excuses in early for Stoke not being in Europe next season and it seems that a Welsh crooner with an eye for the ladies is all to blame. Frankly I never thought I'd ever be writing Tom Jones in any sports story ever unless he was a rugby player from Swansea, but that day has come as Stoke's manger is blaming the Welsh singer's hit Delilah for pushing them down a fair play league table. The club are currently in 17th position in the Premier League Fair Play standings, with the top side potentially securing a possible place in Europe next season if the Premier league is rated among the top three ‘fair-playing’ leagues in Europe which it is at the moment. Currently that spot is held by an angelic bunch of men from London who represent the paragon of fair play Sam Allardyce at West Ham. Hughes feels that the song-which Stoke fans have sung for the last thirty years or so-is having a negative impact on the club's ambitions of playing in next season's Europa league because of its domestic violence undertones,

'Apparently we get knocked down because the fans have a Tom Jones song.'

'If the crowd are a little bit intimidating we lose marks due to the behaviour of supporters. It's unbelievable.

'But it's not just the song, it's when it gets a bit heated here, plus it's four of five criteria and small margins, it's officials, players, crowd.

'If nothing happens you get six points. But if someone sings Delilah, you get four. Over the course of the year, if you're consistently marked down, you're going to be at the bottom end of the table.

'I don't think there's a problem with them singing it. It's crazy from my point of view.'

In terms of excuses it's going to be hard to top that one for originality but Hughes feels the idea that a team can quaify for Europe by being nice all the time is a nonsense,

'The Fair Play table is a waste of time.'

'I was always historically at the bottom when I was Blackburn, but then I went to Fulham and we qualified. It's the perception of the club here that sometimes goes before us.'

'We also have a high amount of yellow cards. Whether Fair Play merits a European place is open to discussion. But it's a good prize. We're not going to win it any time soon though are we?'

Maybe its the fact that Stoke have been penalised as well for a seeming lack of 'positive play' as well as their large amount of red and yellow cards this season could be the reason they're 17th in the table. But don't let that get in the way of a good soundbite eh Sparky?!

H/T DailyMail