Stockport County

Stockport County, known as The Hatters, are an EFL League One club and have been on a remarkable rise through the football pyramid across recent seasons. A long-time staple in the EFL, financial difficulties sent them into non-league football but over recent seasons under the guidance of Dave Challinor, the Greater Manchester club have returned to their former glories and are now targeting a return to the Championship for the first time since the early 2000s.

Stockport County Updates

The Hatters are challenging at the top of League One this season and are firmly in the playoff race as the season begins to edge closer to completion. They are on a four game unbeaten run, having last lost to Crystal Palace in the third round of the FA Cup. They currently sit in fourth place in the third tier ahead of their 30th game of the season against Barnsley, beating Reading, Crawley Town, Leyton Orient and Shrewsbury Town. They are nine points away from the automatic promotion places and six points above seventh place.

Stockport County Transfer News and Rumours

Stockport County's transfer business is done for the season following the closing of the January transfer window. Dave Challinor did not have a busy window but a major dent was received when loanee Louie Barry was recalled at the start of the window by Aston Villa. He was replaced by the Icelandic forward Benoný Breki Andrésson. Free Agent signings cannot be ruled out however, so additional business may be done if necessary.

Stockport County Signings

After two transfer windows, Stockport made plenty of transfers to resolve issues in their squad and move on a few players who would not have been given the game time they would have wanted at the League One level. These additions have and will continue to help County in their push for a third straight promotion in four years.

Player	Age	Nationality	Left	Fee	Contract Duration
Oliver Norwood	33	Northern Irish	Sheffield United EFL Championship	Free Transfer	3 years
Lewis Bate	21	English	Leeds United EFL Championship	Free Transfer	3 years
Callum Connolly	26	English	Blackpool EFL League One	Free Transfer	2 years
Jack Diamond	24	English	Sunderland EFL Championship	Free Transfer	3 years
Owen Moxon	27	English	Portsmouth EFL Championship	Unknown	3 1/2 years
Benoný Breki Andrésson	19	Icelandic	KR Reykjavik Icelandic Besta Deild	Unknown	3 1/2 years
Jayden Fevrier	21	English	Colchester United EFL League Two	Unknown	3 years
Corey Addai	26	Jamaican	Crawley Town EFL League One	Unknown	3 years
Jay Mingi	23	English	Colchester United EFL League Two	Unknown	3 years
Micah Hamilton	21	English	Middlesbrough EFL Championship	Loan Deal	End Of Season
Brad Hills	20	English	Norwich City EFL Championship	Loan Deal	End Of Season
Sam Cosgrove	28	English	Barnsley EFL League One	Loan Deal	End Of Season

Stockport County Key Matches Of The Season

Stockport are in a play-off battle and will want to get as many points on the board as possible to guarantee a top-six place and ideally finish in the top two of that bracket to secure a home second leg in the semi-finals this May. Winning these game should guarantee their position in that elite tier and perhaps could bring them in with a chance of an automatic promotion for the League Two champions.

You can view Stockport County's full fixture list, alongside every other English Football League side's, on The Real EFL website.

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Stockport County Key Achievements

Stockport County have a rich and storied history, and whilst they may not have won what is considered as a major honour in English football, they have certainly had their successes over the years. They are two-time champions of the third tier, winning it in both 1922 and 1937, and have finished as runners-up a further three times. They are also two-time winners of the fourth tier, in 1966/67 and are currently the reigning champions after last season's League Two win.

They are also winners of the National League in 2021/22 and the National League North in 2018-19. They are yet to win a national cup competition in their history, finishing as runners-up twice in the EFL Trophy.

Stockport County Current Squad

Stockport County have a very strong and deep squad this season, covering any and all formations, with Dave Challinor's preference to run a 3-4-1-2 formation, however has been known to switch things up if needed. There are eight different nationalities in the Stockport County squad this season.

Stockport County Attackers

Stockport County have six senior attackers in their lineup, with the most prominent being Isaac Olaofe. The 25-year-old is often on the teamsheet alongside Kyle Wooton, with the veteran attacker filling in the void left by the exit of Louie Barry. Other players include new signing Benoný Breki Andrésson and wingers Micah Hamilton and Jack Diamond, who both arrived from Championship sides over the summer.

Stockport County Midfielders

Stockport County have plenty of midfielders to choose from this season, however with limited space in the starting eleven, only a few get regular game time. The highest-profile player in their midfield is Oliver Norwood, with the former Premier League player joining this summer on a free transfer. Both Callum Camps and Will Collar have racked up over 100 appearances for the club. Owen Moxon is a new signing having joined in February 2025, and along with Jayden Fevrier and club captain Lewis Bate, are new faces at Edgeley Park this season.

Stockport County Defenders

Stockport County have nine senior defenders in their squad, however this season has seen them struggle to keep them fit. Kyle Knoyle and Fraser Horsfall are regulars in the defence, with Macaulay Southam-Hales often playing at right wing-back. There is much more competition on the other flank, with Ibou Touray and Ryan Rydel battling for that position. Jay Mingi and Brad Hills are new signings, with the latter joining from Norwich City on deadline day.

Stockport County Goalkeepers

Stockport have three goalkeepers at the club. Max Metcalfe is a summer signing and the third-choice goalkeeper in the squad. fellow signing Corey Addai joined from Crawley Town but has largely been the backup to Ben Hinchliffe, who has been at the club since their days in the National League North. With 385 appearances under his belt, the former truck driver has become an icon in Stockport and was in last season's League Two Team of the Season.

Stockport County Managing and Coaching Staff

Dave Challinor

Dave Challinor has been in charge of Stockport County since 2021 and has led the club through two promotions in his time in charge. The former Hartlepool United has the best winning percentage of any manager in club history having previously played 100 times for the club as a centre-back across three years.

Clint Hill

Former Queens Park Rangers defender Clint Hill is an assistant manager at Stockport County, having first worked with Challinor at Hartlepool. He followed him to Cheshire in 2021 a month after the manager's departure from Victoria Park.

Andy Mangan

Ex-Wrexham and Shrewsbury Town striker Andy Mangan is a coach at Stockport County. He had briefly served as a caretaker manager for Bristol Rovers in 2023, bridging the gap between Joey Barton's exit and Matt Taylor's appointment. He was briefly the subject of intense speculation over the summer, linking him to a coaching role under Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid, but no move materialised.

Stockport County Former Managers and Key Coaches

• Fred Stewart was the first ever manager at Stockport County, taking charge of the club between 1894 and 1911, where he won two Lancashire titles across his tenure.
• Manchester City legend Bert Trautmann managed the club for a year from 1965 to 1966. Other Citizens legends have led the Edgeley Park club, including Mike Summerbee and Jimmy Meadows.
• Danny Bergara is arguably the biggest managerial legend the club has had, taking them from the fourth tier and back-to-back EFL trophy finals. He is memorialised in a statue outside the Cheadle End stand of the stadium.
• Dave Jones got the club back into the Championship, and his successor, Gary Megson, achieved the club's best ever finish of eighth place in the second tier.
• Neil Young was appointed manager in 2015 but would not last his first season in charge of the club after being sacked in January 2016.
• He was replaced by Jim Gannon, who began the club's rise by winning promotion into the National League. He would leave in 2021.
• Simon Rusk was in charge from January 2021 to October.
• Dave Challinor was his successor, getting the club into the EFL and then two years later gaining promotion as League Two Title winners.

Stockport County Legends

Stockport County have had many legends throughout their existence. The club's record appearance holder is Andy Thorpe, who played 555 games across two spells and thirteen years at Edgeley Park. The club's record goalscorer is Jack Connor, who scored 132 goals across five years during the 1950s.

Paddy Madden

He can be seen as somewhat of a recent icon at the club, scoring 65 times across 137 appearances and won the National League and League Two titles before leaving the club for Chesterfield this summer.

Brett Angell

Brett was another iconic striker for the club, making just shy of 200 league appearances for the club across three spells, one of which was a loan move from Sunderland.

Luke Beckett

He was a prolific scorer for The Hatters, scoring on average once every two games before being sold to Sheffield United for £50,000.

Aaron Wilbraham

Wilbraham started his professional career at County and played 172 times before moving to Hull City, with both being key parts of Danny Bergara's promotion exploits.

Kyle Wooton

He joined the club upon their promotion to the EFL and won Player of the Season in his first campaign before they won the League Two title.

Isaac Olaofe

Olaofe was the club's top goalscorer in the league last season with 20 goals closely followed by Paddy Madden with 17 finishes. He is currently one of the most prominent senior attackers in their lineup.

Some current club legends could include goalkeeper Ben Hinchliffe, who has been with the club since their time in the National League North.

Stockport County Team Metrics and Performance

Last Season was one of the club's most memorable after the Bergara era, with the club finally getting towards the heights they saw under the Uruguayan by winning the EFL League Two title. They finished that season four points clear of runners-up Wrexham. The club had the best goalscoring record with 96 goals in 48 games and the second-best defensive record behind Mansfield Town, conceding 48 times. Isaac Olaofe was the club's top goalscorer in the league with 20 goals closely followed by Paddy Madden with 17 finishes, whilst Ibou Touray was their leading assisted with nine contributions. It was the third time in six years The Hatters finished top of a division.

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Stockport County Pitch and Amenities

Stockport County play at Edgeley Park, which they have called home since 1902. The club owned the ground from 1932 to 2015, upon which it was handed to Stockport Council, who have granted the club a 250-year lease. Edgeley Park is an all-seater stadium, with a capacity of 10,852. The club are looking to increase the capacity to over 20,000, rebuilding both the Railway End and the South Stand, whilst adding additional capacity to the Danny Bergara stand.

Stockport County Fanbase and Support

Stockport County are somewhat inhibited by its location in Greater Manchester, meaning it has to compete for fans with Manchester United and particularly Manchester City, who were based in southern Manchester. Nevertheless, they are supported and backed by a loyal supporter base, and could be seen as the biggest club in the county of Cheshire, competing with other teams such as Crewe Alexandra, Tranmere Rovers and Chester FC.

Stockport County Rivalries and Notable Matches

Stockport have plenty of local rivals to pick from, with lower league Greater Manchester rivals Rochdale and Oldham Athletic matching against them in recent years. Salford City were their only local opponents during their time in League Two, with the pair facing off in the 2022/23 play-off semi-finals, with The Hatters winning on penalties.

Cheshire rivals Chester and Crewe have also been recent opponents for them, whilst they had more historical matchups against Macclesfield prior to The Hatters' relegation to non-league and The Silkmen's dissolution.

Wrexham are a more competitive rival to County, with the pair contesting very fierce matches during their National League days, with Stockport edging the Hollywood-backed Welsh side in that contest. Their matches began again at the start of last season and the pair were promoted into League One together last season in first and second place.

Stockport County Facts

Stockport County History

Stockport County were founded as Heaton Norris Rovers in 1883 by a group of pupils at a local Sunday school. The club originally played on local parks in the area before settling at Green Lane in 1889, before changing their name to Stockport County a year later. Three years later they would move to Edgeley Park, home to Rugby League side Stockport RFC, however, they folded the next year, leaving County as the sole tenants of the stadium.

The club gained admission into the Football League in 1900 but were kicked out four years later after failing to be re-elected and were restored as an EFL side a year later. After struggling consistently in the Second Division, they became an inaugural side in the EFL's new Third Division, which they would win for the first time in 1921/22. They would remain perennial contenders in the Third Division North but never gained promotion despite goalkeeper Harry Hardy being an England international.

The regional split within the Third Division was removed and replaced with a Fourth Division, with Stockport remaining in the third for its first-ever season in 1958, but were relegated that campaign. They would claim the fourth-tier title in 1966/67 but would only last two seasons in the division above. They would remain in Division Four until 1991 when an Uruguayan manager by the name of Danny Bergara was appointed by the club.

The former Sevilla player was appointed by The Hatters in 1989 and would get them promoted back into the third tier in his second season in charge. He would take them to back-to-back Football League Trophy finals, losing both to Stoke City and Port Vale. He would then be sacked by County chairman in 1995, and was succeeded by Dave Jones.

In his first job in senior management, Jones got the club promoted back into the Second Division for the first time since 1921 but would be poached by Rotherham United, leaving Gary Megson to take charge. He would achieve the club's best-ever finish in history in his first season in charge, finishing eighth.

Financial difficulties started to build up around the club and they would begin sliding rapidly down the tables, and after a brief respite in earning promotion back to League One, County were finally dumped out of the EFL in 2011. They swiftly plummeted into the Conference North, where they would spend most of the 2010s.

County rose again with two title wins in fairly quick succession, achieving their EFL status in 2022, before becoming one of League Two's top sides, missing out on promotion in their first season back in the play-off final before rebounding with a League Two title win last season under Dave Challinor.

Stockport County Social Media Links

Stockport County's social media pages offer fans the latest news and content from around the club, meaning supporters won't miss out on the latest team news, injury updates and more.

Website: https://www.stockportcounty.com/

Twitter/X: https://x.com/stockportcounty

Stockport County Outlook and Forecast

Stockport County once again are promotion candidates in League One this season and are challenging for a play-off place going into the final stages of the season.

Frequently Asked Questions About Stockport County Football Club

How much would it cost to buy Stockport County Football Club?

Stockport County are owned currently by local businessman Mark Stott, who purchased the club in 2020 for an undisclosed fee. Under Stott's purchase, all the club's debts were written off. He also pledged to fund a new training ground for the club, which opened its doors in 2021 in Carrington, which is near Manchester United's training base. With the club's rise in revenues and plans for future developments, a purchase of Stockport County Football Club would cost a prospective buyer a large sum of money.

What league is Stockport County FC in?

Stockport County are in EFL League One, the third tier of English football. They were promoted to the division last year as winners of EFL League Two, capping off their third promotion in six years.

Who is the owner of Stockport County?

Mark Stott owns Stockport County and has done so since 2020. He owns the Vita Group, which is based in Cheshire and also are the shirt sponsor of the club. Vita are a property development and hospitality company. He is a Stockport native and is 53-years-old.

Is Stockport County a big club?

Stockport County could be seen as a medium-sized club, dwarfed by their Manchester neighbours in Manchester City and Manchester United. They can be viewed as one of the larger clubs in the area, being in the same division as Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers, and are also the highest-placed club based in the historical county of Cheshire, ahead of Crewe Alexandra and Tranmere Rovers.

Where to watch Stockport County FC?

The most accessible place to watch Stockport County's games is in person at Edgeley Park. You can purchase tickets via the club's website, where fans can also get tickets to the team's many away games. For supporters unable to visit in person, fans would be able to catch their games on Sky Sports, with their Sky Sports+ package giving supporters plenty of chances to watch them across the season. ITV also show highlights from each game during their EFL Highlights programme.