Stockport County F.C. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stockport County

Full name	Stockport County Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Hatters, County
Founded	1883; 142 years ago (1883) (as Heaton Norris Rovers)
Ground	Edgeley Park
Ground Capacity	10,852 all-seated
Owner	Mark Stott
Chairman	Ken Knott
Manager	Dave Challinor
League	National League
2018–19	National League North, 1st of 22 (promoted)
Home colours

Stockport County Football Club is a professional football team. They are based in Stockport, Greater Manchester, England. The club plays in EFL League One, which is the third highest league in the English football league system.

The club started in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers. In 1890, they changed their name to Stockport County. This was because Stockport became a "county borough" that year. Since 1914, the team has worn blue and white kits. Before that, their colours were red and white. Stockport County is often called "The Hatters." This nickname comes from the town's history of making hats. The team has played at Edgeley Park since 1902.

Stockport County joined the Football League in 1900. They won their first league title in 1922. This was in the new Third Division North. They won two more league titles in 1937 and 1967. The 1990s were a very successful time for the team. Stockport played in the First Division for five seasons. They also reached the League Cup semi-finals in 1996–97. During this time, they played at Wembley Stadium four times.

After facing money problems in the early 2000s, the club moved down the leagues. They left the Football League in 2011. In 2013, they were relegated to the sixth tier of English football. But Stockport County worked hard to get back on track. They won promotion to the fifth tier in 2018–19. In 2021–22, they won the National League. This meant they returned to the Football League after 11 years. In their second season back, they won automatic promotion to League One as champions.

Club History

Early Years and Joining the Football League

Stockport County began in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers. It was started by students from Stockport Sunday School. For a few years, they played in different parks. In 1889, Rovers moved to Green Lane. This was their first official home ground. The club changed its name to Stockport County in 1890. This was the year after Stockport became a county borough. The team played in the Lancashire League. In 1900, they joined the Football League Second Division.

1910 map showing Edgeley Park and the area around it

In 1902, Stockport moved from Green Lane to Edgeley Park. This stadium was also used by a rugby league team called Stockport RFC. Stockport County struggled in their first few seasons. They had to leave the Football League in 1904. After one season, they were allowed back in 1905. In 1908, Stockport County became a 'limited liability company'. This meant it was a proper business. The team stayed in the Second Division for seven years.

David Ashworth became the team's first official manager in 1914. When the First World War started, normal football stopped. Stockport played in a special wartime league. Ashworth managed the team until 1919. He then left to join Liverpool.

Winning First Titles

In the 1920–21 season, Stockport finished last in the Second Division. But instead of leaving the league, they joined a new one. This was the Third Division North. The team won their first Football League title in 1921–22. They beat Darlington in front of 18,500 fans at Edgeley Park. Their manager, Albert Williams, received the trophy a week later. The club's goalkeeper, Harry Hardy, played for the England national team in 1924. He did not let in any goals in a 4–0 win against Belgium. Stockport stayed in the Third Division North during the 1920s. They finished second twice but did not get promoted.

In the early 1930s, Stockport County wore black and white kits. They were briefly called the 'Lilywhites'. On 23 July 1935, the main wooden stand at Edgeley Park burned down. This fire also destroyed many of the club's old records. A new main stand was built in 1936. It was opened by Charles Sutcliffe, who was the president of the Football League. In 1936–37, the team won the Third Division North title again. They were promoted to the Second Division. This was decided on the last day of the season against Lincoln City. Over 27,000 fans watched the game. They were relegated back to the Third Division North the next season.

During the 1939–40 season, the Second World War began. The Football League stopped until 1946. Special regional leagues were set up instead. In March 1946, Stockport played Doncaster Rovers. This game lasted 203 minutes. It is thought to be the longest professional football game ever.

Changes and Return to Success

The regional Third Divisions became the national Third and Fourth Divisions in 1958. County was one of the first teams in the new Third Division. But they were relegated after just one season. In 1964–65, Stockport chairman Vic Bernard brought back the royal blue kit. He also hired Bert Trautmann, a famous former Manchester City goalkeeper. They decided to play matches on Friday evenings. This was to get more fans and make more money. Trautmann left in 1966. County returned to the Third Division by winning the Fourth Division in 1966–67.

The club was relegated back to the Fourth Division in 1970. They stayed there until 1991. Eric Webster managed Stockport five times. Four of these times were as a temporary manager. He first joined the club in 1974 as a youth coach. In 1986, new rules meant teams could be relegated out of the Football League. Stockport was in danger. But Colin Murphy helped them get enough points to stay in the division.

Stockport playing Oxford United at Edgeley Park in 1994.

Danny Bergara became manager in March 1989. He led the team to promotion to the Third Division in 1990–91. In 1992, Bergara became the first South American to lead an English team at Wembley. However, Stockport lost to Stoke City 1–0. He led Stockport to Wembley three more times, but they lost each time. In March 1995, Bergara was replaced by Dave Jones. That same year, a new all-seated stand called the Cheadle End opened. It could hold over 5,000 fans.

The 1996–97 season was the club's most successful. Stockport finished second in the Second Division. They also reached the semi-finals of the League Cup. They beat three Premiership teams before losing to Middlesbrough. Dave Jones left in 1997. Gary Megson took over as manager. County finished eighth in the First Division in his first season. This was the club's best ever league position.

Financial Struggles and Recovery

In October 2001, Stockport was at the bottom of the First Division. Manager Andy Kilner was sacked. Former England player Carlton Palmer took over in November 2001. But he could not stop the club from being relegated. In 2003, the club got new owners. Brian Kennedy, who owned the Sale Sharks rugby team, bought the club. Sale Sharks also started playing their home games at Edgeley Park.

A chart showing Stockport County's league positions from 1900 to today

In 2005, Kennedy gave ownership of the club to the Stockport County Supporters' Co-operative. This meant the fans owned the club. Former player Jim Gannon became manager. He helped the club avoid relegation in 2005–06. The next season, they almost got promoted. In the 2007–08 season, they reached the play-offs. They played Rochdale in the final at Wembley. Stockport won the game and were promoted to League One.

In April 2009, Stockport County faced serious money problems. They went into administration. This means a special person took control to try and sort out their debts. In May 2010, a new group called the 2015 Group bought the club. They promised to "rebuild the club." They hired Paul Simpson as manager. But he was sacked after six months. Ray Mathias took over. Despite some better results, County was relegated to the Football Conference. This was the first time they had left the Football League.

Non-League Era and Return to the EFL

Dietmar Hamann on the side of the pitch for Stockport County

After being relegated, Dietmar Hamann became manager in July 2011. He had not managed a team before. He only won three games before leaving in November. Fans wanted Gannon back, and he was re-appointed. He helped the team avoid relegation.

In 2012, Stockport County became the only team using Edgeley Park again. Sale Sharks moved to a new stadium. In January 2013, Ryan McKnight became the club's chief executive. Gannon was then dismissed for a second time. Stockport had two more managers in three months. They were relegated again to the Conference North in 2012–13. The club decided to become a part-time team.

Stockport County celebrating winning the National League North title

Neil Young became manager in 2015. He had been successful with other teams in that league. But he left in January 2016. County brought Gannon back for a third time. He made the club stable again. In 2017, people searched for the families of the club's founders. In 2018–19, Stockport reached the semi-finals of the FA Trophy. They also won the Conference North. This was their first league title in 52 years.

Local businessman Mark Stott bought County in January 2020. He paid off the club's debts. Stott promised to make the club full-time again. He also wanted to get them back into the Football League. Dave Challinor became manager in November 2021. County won the National League in 2021–22. This meant they were promoted back to the EFL after 11 years.

Stockport County lifting the National League trophy

Back in the Football League

In their first season back in League Two (2022–23), Stockport finished 4th. They reached the play-off final at Wembley. But they lost to Carlisle United on penalties. The next season (2023–24), Stockport won automatic promotion to League One. They were crowned champions with two games left. In the 2024-25 season, they reached the League One play-offs. However, they lost to Leyton Orient in the semi-final on penalties.

Team Colours and Badges

Stockport County's main kit colours are blue and white. But they have worn other colours over the years. Their first colours might have been red and white. From the 1930s to the 1960s, they wore white shirts and black shorts. The club has used different designs of blue and white. Sometimes it's a white shirt with a blue stripe. Other times it's a blue shirt with white stripes. After the 1978 World Cup, they tried an Argentina-style kit. This was light blue and white stripes with black shorts. But they stopped using it after the Falklands War. They went back to blue and white striped tops with blue shorts. In 2008, for their 125th anniversary, they had a gold third kit. It was never defeated in 13 wins and four draws.

The club's old badge, used from 1991 to 2010, was based on the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport's coat of arms. It had the Latin motto Animo et Fide. This means "With Courage and Faith." The blue shield on the badge comes from the de Stokeport family. The castle above the shield is Stockport Castle, which was there until 1775.

In 2010, a new badge was chosen. It was still based on the Stockport coat of arms. But the Latin motto was removed. The flag of Cheshire replaced some parts of the shield. This badge also brought back a football on the shield. In 2011, the badge was changed again. The town's motto was put back on two white ribbons. One ribbon said Animo et Fide, and the other said Stockport County F.C.. The football was removed from the shield again.

The club's kits have been made by different companies. These include Umbro, Joma, and Puma.

Home Grounds

Green Lane

Heaton Norris Rovers first played at Heaton Norris Recreation Ground. Then they moved to different places in Stockport. In 1889, they settled at a park on Green Lane. The nearby Nursery Inn was like their clubhouse. Players used a barn there to change. The club played at Green Lane for their first two seasons in the Football League.

The stadium had one main stand along the side of the pitch. There was also a raised area behind one of the goals. The rest of the ground was open.

Edgeley Park

By 1902, County needed a bigger ground. They moved to Edgeley Park. This was also the home of the rugby league club Stockport RFC. Green Lane was then used by the club's reserve team.

Aerial view of Edgeley Park, home of Stockport County

In 1995, a new stand called the Cheadle End was built. It had 5,000 seats. In 2000, the chairman thought about moving Stockport to Maine Road. This was the home of rivals Manchester City. Fans did not like this idea. They protested because the club might change its name. The Manchester City Council decided that the rugby union club Sale Sharks would be better tenants. Maine Road was taken down in 2004. Edgeley Park was then shared with Sale Sharks. In 2001, the Railway End of Edgeley Park also got seats. This made the stadium's total capacity 10,852.

There was a rumour in 2012 that Stockport would leave Edgeley Park. But the chairman said it was not true. Sale Sharks then confirmed they would move to a new stadium. This left Stockport County as the only team at Edgeley Park. In May 2012, the Main Stand was renamed "The Danny Bergara Stand." This was to honour the club's former manager.

The Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council bought the stadium in 2015. This was to stop it from being knocked down. Fans asked the council to save the ground. The stadium was bought for £2 million. The club now leases it back from the council. In February 2022, the club agreed to lease Edgeley Park for 250 years.

Fans and Rivalries

Stockport County fans in the Cheadle End stand

Manchester United and Manchester City F.C. are both close to Edgeley Park. So, Stockport County has always competed for local fans. In the mid-1960s, a rule was made about ticket prices. This was meant to help smaller clubs. But in places like Stockport, it had the opposite effect. Many other clubs were nearby. So, County started playing all their home games on Friday evenings. This brought in more fans and helped local businesses.

In 2004, over 20,000 people watched Stockport play in China. This was against their sister team, Stockport Tiger Star. This large crowd might have been because of their connection to the Tiger Stars.

In the 2006–07 season, Stockport had the fourth highest average attendance in League Two. The next season, even more fans came to watch. Stockport's away support was often bigger than the home team's fans. They had the highest average away attendance in their division. The club set a National League North record for attendance. In December 2015, 4,797 people watched a home game against F.C. United. This record was broken three more times in the next three seasons.

Managers and players often talk about how much the fans help. They say the fans are like a "twelfth player" on the field. From 2006 to 2010, the squad number 12 was given to the 'Blue & White Army'. This was to show that the fans were the team's 12th man. But for the 2010–11 season, a player wore number 12. It was given back to the fans when the club returned to the National League in 2019.

Some famous Stockport County fans include darts players Tony O'Shea and Nathan Aspinall. Singer-songwriter Daz Sampson is also a fan. Charlie Salt, the bassist for the band Blossoms, supports them too. And so does Manchester City and England under-21 defender, Taylor Harwood-Bellis. Tony O'Shea has written articles in the club's matchday programme. He also wears County's colours in his televised darts matches. Daz Sampson became a lifelong member of the Stockport County Supporters' Trust. This was after he released "The County Song." It celebrated the team's record of nine wins in a row without letting in a goal.

Supporters' Groups

'Help the Hatters' is a group of volunteers. They raise money for the club. They also help keep Edgeley Park in good shape. They started the 'Players Fund'. This fund paid the wages of young players. It also gave shares in the club to the Stockport County Supporters' Co-operative. This group also created the Stockport County Museum. It was opened by former player George Haigh on his 102nd birthday.

The Stockport County Supporters' Co-operative is another active supporters' group. They run the Stockport County Appearance Number Scheme (SCAN). This scheme gives every player who has played a first-team game a special number. It shows their place on the list of players who first played for the club.

Team Rivalries

The two big Manchester clubs, Manchester United and Manchester City, have rarely been in the same league as Stockport. So, there was not much rivalry with them until the 1990s. The rivalry between County and Manchester City grew between 1997 and 2002. They were in the same division for three out of five seasons. In the 1998–99 season, Stockport was even a division above City.

The club also has strong local rivalries. These are with Oldham Athletic, Rochdale, Bury, Crewe Alexandra, and Macclesfield. A survey in 2003 showed that County fans also see Burnley and Stoke City as rivals. This is for older reasons. The club also has a strong rivalry with Wrexham.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Ben Hinchliffe 4 MF Lewis Bate (captain) 7 MF Jack Diamond 8 MF Callum Camps 10 MF Jayden Fevrier 11 MF Nick Powell 15 DF Ethan Pye 16 DF Callum Connolly 17 MF Jay Mingi 18 MF Lewis Fiorini 19 FW Kyle Wootton 21 MF Owen Moxon 22 FW Benoný Breki Andrésson 25 GK Max Metcalfe 26 MF Oliver Norwood 27 MF Odin Bailey 29 DF Jidechi Okeke

No. Position Player 31 FW Che Gardner 32 GK Andrew Wogan 34 GK Corey Addai 40 FW Bruno Cina 41 MF Michee Dialundama 42 MF Saul Gardner 44 DF John Williams-Lawless 45 DF Jake Lewis 46 DF Nathaniel Mapengu 53 DF Harry Johnson 54 FW Freddie Redshaw 55 MF Rhys Watson 56 MF Lee Williams MF Ashton Mee DF Joseph Olowu DF Tayo Edun FW Malik Mothersille

Players on Loan

No. Position Player MF Ryan Rydel (on loan at Exeter City until End of the Season)

Hall of Fame

This list shows players and staff who have been added to the Stockport County Hall of Fame.

International Players

Fourteen players have played for their national teams while at Stockport County. Harry Hardy was the first in 1924. He is still the only Stockport player to have played for England.

Player		Country	Caps	Goals	Years of caps	Notes
Jarkko Wiss		Finland	9	1	2000–2002
Shefki Kuqi		Finland	7	1	2001
Petri Helin		Finland	7	0	2001–2002
Martin Nash		Canada	6	0	1997
Ibou Touray		The Gambia	5	1	2023–2024
Nick Colgan		Ireland	4	0	2003–2004
Myles Hippolyte		Grenada	2	1	2023
Harry Hardy		England	1	0	1924
Paul Jones		Wales	1	0	1997
Jim Goodwin		Ireland	1	0	2002
Danny Griffin		Northern Ireland	1	0	2004
Ashley Williams		Wales	1	0	2008
Peter Thompson		Northern Ireland	1	0	2008
Lois Maynard		Saint Kitts and Nevis	1	0	2021

Club Staff

Club Personnel

Source:

Coaching Staff

Position	Staff
Director of football	Simon Wilson
Manager	Dave Challinor
First-team coaches	Clint Hill
	Dave Conlon
Head of goalkeeping	Nick Colgan
Sports therapist	Luke Smith
Head of performance	Sam Holt
Player liaison officer	Matt Jansen
Assistant coach	Joppe Meulensteen
Kit manager	Richard Landon
Club doctor	Amjad Choudry
Head of recruitment	Jonathan Smith

Source:

Media Staff

Position	Staff
Media and communications manager	Liam Richardson
Club photographer	Mike Petch
Digital content producer	Carl Gozem

Source:

Top Managers in Club History

Based on win percentage in all competitions

Name	Nat	From	To	Record
				P	W	D	L	%
Lincoln Hyde		1926	1931	221	128	35	58	57.92
Dave Challinor		2021	Present	203	112	45	46	55.17
Andrew Wilson		1932	1933	43	21	12	10	48.84
Simon Rusk		2021	2021	41	20	12	9	48.78
Dave Jones		1995	1997	117	57	32	28	48.72
Fred Westgarth		1934	1936	95	46	16	33	48.42
Andy Beattie		1949	1952	150	71	28	51	47.33
Bob Kelly		1936	1938	52	24	16	12	46.15
Jim Gannon (three spells in charge)		2006	2021	507	233	120	154	45.96
Danny Bergara		1989	1995	319	137	83	99	42.95

^{Current manager in bold. Statistics only include full-time managers (temporary managers are not included). Stats are correct as of 19 April 2025.}

Club Achievements

Source:

League Titles

• Third Division North / Second Division (level 3)
  • Champions: 1921–22, 1936–37
  • Runners-up: 1928–29, 1929–30, 1996–97
• Fourth Division / League Two (level 4)
  • Champions: 1966–67, 2023–24
  • Runners-up: 1990–91
  • Play-off winners: 2008
• National League (level 5)
  • Champions: 2021–22
• National League North (level 6)
  • Champions: 2018–19
• Lancashire League
  • Champions: 1899–1900
• Lancashire Combination
  • Champions: 1904–05

Cup Wins

• Associate Members' Cup / Football League Trophy
  • Runners-up: 1991–92, 1992–93
• Third Division North Challenge Cup
  • Winners: 1934–35
• Manchester Senior Cup
  • Winners: 1897–98, 1898–99, 1914–15, 1922–23
• Cheshire Premier Cup
  • Winners: 1969–70, 1970–71, 2010–11
• Cheshire Senior Cup
  • Winners: 1905–06, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1965–66, 2015–16, 2021–22
• Cheshire Medal
  • Winners: 1922–23, 1924–25, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31
• Cheshire Bowl
  • Winners: 1933–34, 1948–49, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57,1958–59, 1960–61, 1962–63
• Cheshire Friendly Trophy
  • Winners: 1965–66, 1966–67

Club Records and Statistics

Team Records

• Highest league finish: 8th, 1997–98 Football League First Division (2nd tier)
• Lowest league finish: 14th, 2013–14 Football Conference North (6th tier)
• Biggest home league win: 13–0 versus Halifax Town, 6 January 1934. This is also a Football League record.
• Biggest away league win: 7–1 versus Bradford City, 18 September 1965
• Biggest home league defeat: 0–6, most recently versus Huddersfield Town 24 April 2010
• Biggest away league defeat: 0–9, versus Everton Reserves, 9 December 1893
• FA Cup best run: 5th round 1934–35, 1949–50, 2000–01
• Biggest home FA Cup win: 7–0 versus Wrexham, 4 December 1893
• League Cup best performance: Semi-final 1996–97
• FA Trophy best run: Semi-finals 2018–19, 2021–22
• Consecutive wins: 12, 2023–24
• Consecutive away wins: 9, 2021–22
• Consecutive wins without letting in a goal: 9, 2006–07. This is also a Football League record.
• Consecutive defeats: 12, 2009–10
• Consecutive games scored in: 30, 2007–08
• Consecutive League games scored in: 26, 2007–08
• Highest attendance: 27,833 versus Liverpool, FA Cup fifth round, 11 February 1950
• Highest league attendance: 27,304 versus Lincoln City, Third Division North, 1 May 1937
• Highest attendance (all-seated): 10,592 versus Leyton Orient, League One play-off semi-final, 14 May 2025
• Lowest attendance: 812 versus Barrow, FA Trophy, 19 November 2013
• Longest match: Three hours and 23 minutes versus Doncaster Rovers, League Three North Cup, 30 March 1946
• Lowest number of paying spectators: 13 versus Leicester City (at Old Trafford), Second Division, 7 May 1921. This is also a Football League record.

Player Records

• Most goals (season): 46, Alf Lythgoe, 1933–34
• Most goals (career): 132, Jack Connor (1951–1956)
• Most appearances (career): 555, Andy Thorpe (1978–1986, 1988–1992)
• Most international appearances (caps): 9, Jarkko Wiss, Finland (2000–2002)
• Youngest player: Paul Turnbull, aged 16 years and 97 days versus Wrexham, 30 April 2005
• Oldest player: Alec Herd, aged 40 years and 47 days versus Crewe Alexandra, 25 December 1951
• Most consecutive clean sheets: 9, Wayne Hennessey, 2006–07

Nine-Game Winning Streak

Stockport County won nine league matches in a row without letting in a goal. This happened from January to March 2007 under manager Jim Gannon. It is a Football League record. Wayne Hennessey, who was on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, did not let in any goals in his first nine professional games. Hennessey won the League Two Player of the Month award in March. The other players involved were: Robert Clare, Michael Rose, Ashley Williams, Gareth Owen, Stephen Gleeson, Jason Taylor, Adam Griffin, David Poole, Damien Allen, Anthony Pilkington, Tony Dinning, Dominic Blizzard, Liam Dickinson, Adam Proudlock, Tes Bramble and Anthony Elding.

See also

In Spanish: Stockport County Football Club para niños