STOKE fans who manage to quit smoking will get the choice of meeting players on the pitch at a packed Britannia Stadium or free match tickets.

The club has made the offer as an extra incentive to smokers trying to beat their habit at the weekly sessions run by NHS Stoke-on-Trent at the football ground.

Stoke City's health coach Karen Matcham said: "We want to try a new way of rewarding those who come to our group.

"If they manage to go 12 weeks without smoking, they can meet a player at half-time during a match at the Britannia Stadium and be featured in the programme.

"Or they could get two free tickets to see a game, because not everyone likes all that attention and publicity."

The Stop Smoking sessions held at the Britannia Stadium started in January last year, when the club teamed up with Stoke-on-Trent Stop Smoking Service, part of NHS Stoke-on-Trent. The quit smoking drop-in was originally scheduled to run for just eight weeks, but due to its success it has become a permanent fixture.

As of November, 29 people had successfully quit smoking using the service. Smokers can attend any time between 5pm and 7pm on Thursdays for sessions in the club's press room, which can be reached via the media reception next to turnstile seven.

Prescriptions for stop smoking medicines are also available.

More than 2,000 people kicked the habit through Stoke-on-Trent Stop Smoking Service last year. Karen said: "Some people come every week, others drop-in when they need a bit of extra support, or a letter for their pharmacist for a prescription. There's lots of different nicotine replacement therapy. We help people choose what is right for them.

"We will sit down and have a chat and give them facts on smoking. Afterwards we might test the carbon monoxide levels.

"When you smoke you have far higher levels of carbon monoxide. People can watch that level drop as they go longer without smoking. We use it as a motivational tool. It will also detect if people have had a cigarette, but we don't criticise or judge. Having a cigarette doesn't mean you have failed to quit. We understand that some people slip up."

Stoke City Supporters' Club chairman Bryan Shaw said: "I think Stoke are offering a good service. If you only get a handful of people stopping that is a start.

"I think smokers have got to want to stop, I don't think Stoke City asking them to stop will make it more likely."

Adam Barber, aged 19, from Rugeley, pictured left, said:"I smoke about 10 a day and I've been trying to stop for while. My dad is a scout for Stoke so I've grown up supporting them although I live in Rugeley. I hope free tickets will be enough for me to stop."