As we set off for the Britannia Stadium for our first away day of the season, we were a little unsure as to what we should expect.

As this was Stoke's first home game in the top flight since 1985 we were anticipating an electric atmosphere and as we left the M6 and travelled along the A500 towards the stadium you could feel the anticipation in the air.

To any fans who are considering driving to the Britannia this season, I would recommend that you get there early as all of the car parks fill up pretty quickly. We were lucky enough to find a space in the Trent Car Park, a car park situated around half a mile from the stadium and used by a mixture of home and away supporters.

As it took us an hour to find a parking space, we never got the opportunity to try out any of the local watering holes. One thing we did notice, however, was that there didn't seem to be too many pubs, bars or places to eat in the vicinity of the ground, which is surrounded by what appears to be a large industrial estate (where unfortunately, parking is not allowed).

When we arrived at the stadium, we headed for the South Stand and made our way into the ground. Once inside, I was pleased to see that alcohol was available to away supporters and there were numerous kiosks selling food and drink.

As for the stadium itself, I would say that in terms of size and design it is similar to the Walkers Stadium, The Hawthorns and Craven Cottage. It's not the biggest stadium that I have been too but it is modern looking and compact enough to be able to generate a good atmosphere.

The South Stand where we were sat allowed for a good view of the action and as the stand is divided between home and away fans this allowed for some serious banter. There were plenty of "You're not singing anymores" flying back and forth between the two sets of supporters and given the close proximity of the rival fans, it meant that banter was plentiful.

As soon as the players came on to the pitch for the warm up, there was a real buzz around the ground and as kick off approached, the atmosphere began to grow in intensity.

About five minutes before kick-off, the Stoke fans decided to treat us to a rendition of their famous song "Delilah". As a club song, I have to say that the Stoke fans' rendition of "Delilah" was up there with West Ham's "I'm forever blowing bubbles" and Liverpool's "You'll never walk alone" as the whole ground in unison chanted the Tom Jones classic at the top of their voices.

Unfortunately, probably due to the lack of clear cut chances in the first half, the atmosphere was relatively subdued with the Villa fans making most of the noise. However, as half-time approached, Stoke were awarded a penalty and the fans exploded into voice.

At half time, we were 1-0 down and in truth, Stoke more than deserved their lead, although I have to say that the penalty which had given them the lead was more than dubious.

If the first half had been devoid of chances, this was in no way an indication of the further 45 minutes that lay in store as both teams went for the win. The fans responded to the efforts of the players and this made for a great atmosphere.

As the final whistle approached, the game was finely balanced at 2-2 and in the 94th minute, Rory Delap delivered a trade mark long throw into the box which was glanced into the net by last season's hero Mamady Sidibe, sending the home fans into rapturous applause.

As the referee blew the final whistle the stadium erupted as Stoke had announced their return to the top flight with a win against a team with aspirations to finish in the top six.

As I sat in the car as we travelled home along the M6, I thought about Stoke's chances of maintaining their Premier League status. Based on the 90 minutes I had just witnessed, I have to say that if, and it is a big if, Stoke can keep their good players, (i.e. Fuller and Lawrence) fit, maintain their level of commitment and effort that they showed in the game against Villa, then they should just survive.

That said, the role of the fans this season should not be underestimated, as if Stoke are to stay up they will need their fans to make every home game as loud and intimidating for the opposition players as this game had been for the Villa players, as, in my opinion, it was this that gave the Stoke players the extra 10 percent which had made the difference on Saturday afternoon.