 In 1878 , the club merged with Stoke Victoria Athletic Club and became known as Stoke Football Club . They moved from <unk> 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 . 
