sentences:  At the end of the season Stoke had three games to play against mid-table sides and needed to win all three in order to win the league, however they lost at Sheffield United and had goalless draws with Newcastle United and Burnley, leaving the club with another fifth-place finish.Conroy was again limited to just 16 league appearances as he continued to suffer injury problems in the 1975–76 season, and underwent an operation to remove all the remaining cartilage from his knees.The club also suffered a disaster, as a strong gale blew a section of the roof off the Victoria Ground's Butler Street Stand on 2 January, and as the correct insurance was not in place the club were forced to sell key players such as Jimmy Greenhoff, Mike Pejic, Alan Hudson, John Mahoney and Geoff Salmons in order to finance stadium repairs.