Stoke boss Mark Hughes has claimed Tom Jones is costing them a spot in the Europe League via the Fair Play League . The Potters ' faithful have been singing Jones ' song 'Delilah ' as their unofficial club anthem since the the 1980s , though it has been criticised with claims the original lyrics promote domestic violence . And Hughes , whose Stoke side occupy 17th place in the Premier League Fair Play standings , believes his side are being harshly marked down because of the 1960s song . Mark Hughes believes Tom Jones ' song 'Delilah ' is costing them a spot in the Europe League . Stoke are 17th in the Premier League Fair Play table and are set to miss out on European football next year . Stoke City supporter Anton Booth , known as TJ among fellow fans , claims to have introduced Delilah after he started to sing it in a pub in the late 1980s . The hit has become Stoke 's unofficial club anthem and is a regular chant at the Britannia Stadium . 'Apparently we get knocked down because the fans have a Tom Jones song , ' he said . '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 do n't think there 's a problem with them singing it . It 's crazy from my point of view . ' Sam Allardyce 's West Ham are top of the Premier League Fair Play table and could earn a Europa League place if they finish top of the pile and England ’ s top flight is within the top three ‘ fair-playing ’ leagues in Europe – which it was on the last count . Hughes ' ( left ) Stoke side have been singing Jones ' hit since the 1980s as their unofficial club anthem . Each match is assessed by a Premier League delegate and teams are marked in five categories , with a further category relating to the behaviour of the public . This is how the points are calculated : . 1 . Red and yellow cards ( Maximum score = 10 - No minimum score ) Teams are deducted points if a player receives a yellow card ( -1 point ) or straight red ( -3 points ) . This is the only section where teams can receive a score below zero . 2 . Positive play ( Maximum score = 10 - Minimum score = 1 ) Premier League teams are encouraged to play a positive style of football . This section takes into consideration things like time-wasting tactics and positive play . 3 . Respect towards opponents ( Maximum score = 7 - Minimum score = 1 ) This section is designed to encourage players to abide by the spirit of Fair Play and it also includes offences which may have been accidentally overlooked by the officials . 4 . Respect towards the referee ( Maximum score = 7 - Minimum score = 1 ) The Premier League takes respect towards officials very seriously and players are expected to respect referees- including assistants - at all times . Positive attitude is rewarded with high marks . 5 . Behaviour of the team officials ( Maximum score = 6 - Minimum score = 1 ) Team officials , including managers , are assessed on their behaviour during a match . One aspect they are marked on is how they accept the decisions of the referee . 6 . Behaviour of the public ( Maximum score = 10 - Minimum score = 0 ) The section which has angered Hughes , teams begin with a score of five points but can lose marks for persistent abuse of officials , aggressive conduct towards rival fans and foul and abusive language . But Hughes has criticised the competition , which is designed to promote positive behaviour , and has questioned its merit . 'The Fair Play table is a waste of time , ' he added . ' I was always historically at the bottom when I was Blackburn , but then I went to Fulham and we qualified . Despite a successful season in the Premier League this year , Hughes is n't happy with the Fair Play table . '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 ? '
Tom Jones ' song 'Delilah ' is sung by Stoke fans as unofficial club anthem . Comment: Team top of Premier League Fair Play table could play in Europe next year . West Ham are currently leading the table , while Stoke occupy 17th place . Hughes has slammed the competition ahead of clash with Southampton .