Stockport County vs Dover Athletic by Duplexity Artwork

Official Matchday Programme

vs Dover Athletic Saturday 10th October Kick-off 3:00pm

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Stockport County FC Edgeley Park, Hardcastle Road, Stockport, SK3 9DD

Chairman: Mark Stott Chief Executive Officer: Jonathan Vaughan Directors: Mark Stott (Majority Shareholder), Jonathan Vaughan, Ken Knott, Mark Dawson Club President: Steve Bellis Brand and Communications Director: David Ancell Director of Operations: Richard Simkin Life Presidents: Angela White, Robert Smith Bewley, Arthur Collister, Steve Cree, Richard Hill, Mike Flynn, George Hudson, John Rutter, Arthur Collister Director of Football: Simon Wilson Club Ambassadors: John Fitzpatrick, Freddie Goodwin, Alan Ogley Head of Football Administration: Alex Cowdy First-Team Manager: Jim Gannon Assistant Manager: Dave Conlon Goalkeeping Coach: Karl Lenaghan Physio: Luke Smith Strength & Conditioning: Nick Donnelly Kit Manager: Richard Landon First Team Scouting Consultant: Alan Lord Head of Performance Analysis: Sean Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Callaghan Club Doctor: Amjad Choudry Head of Commercial: Olivia Hanvey Conference and Events Manager: Melissa Ellison Retail & Photography: Mike Petch Online Shop: www.stockportcounty.com/shop Marketing Manager: Alice Gregory Content Executive: Carl Gozem Media Executive: Liam Richardson Ticket Office (matchdays only, from 12:30pm): Sarah Dibben Stadium Safety Officer: Steve Walker Facilities Stadium Maintenance & COVID Manager: Rick Hinks Head Groundsman: Mike Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Community Foundation: Dave Wardle Website: www.scfcfoundation.com Junior Supporters Club: Ian Butterworth, Brenda Williams Stockport County Lottery: Tom Quayle Historian & Statistician: Ian Watts & Marcus Heap Website: gogogocounty.org Stadium Announcer: Kenny Boxshall Turnstile Manager: Pete Kidd Half-Time Draw: Tony Malone Mascot Supervisor: Louise Mellor

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Editor: Keith Chapman Editorial Contributors: Andy Monks, David Ancell, Alice Gregory, Jonathan Vaughan, Neil Simms, Gareth Evans, Steve Beswick, Mike Petch, Damien Allen, Peter Attfield, Paul Dean, Olivia Hanvey, Ian Watts, Mark Heys, Luke Smith, Liam Richardson, Ian Butterworth, Brenda Williams, Ian Brown, Greg Hall, Jon Keighren, Oshor Williams, Steven Davies, Dave Wardle, Stephen Kenneth, Steve Bellis, Sam Preston, Alex Cowdy, Lana Bradburn. Thanks to: Richard Harvey at Dover Athletic Design by: Daniel Parker, Duplexity Artwork Stockport County FC is the trading name of Stockport County 2010 Ltd (7254012), which is wholly owned by Stockport Community Leisure Company Ltd (7240006), a private company limited by shares. The registered office is: Edgeley Park, Hardcastle Road, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9DD

Inside... 04 25

Club Honours

Football League Division Two Runners Up 1996-97 Football League Division Three (North) Champions 1921-22, 1936-37 Football League Division Three (North) Runners Up 1928-29, 1929-30 Football League Division Four Champions 1966-67 Football League Division Four Runners Up 1990-91 Football League Two Play-Off Winners 2007-08 Football League Division Two Play-Off Finalists 1993-94 Football League Division Three Play-Off Finalists 1991-92 Football League Trophy Finalists 1991-92, 1992-93 Football League Division Three (North) Cup Winners 1934-35 Football League Division Three (North) Cup Finalists 1933-34 Lancashire League Winners 1899-1900 Lancashire Combination Winners 1904-05 Cheshire League Runners-Up (Reserves) 1909-10, 1927-28, 1936-37 Manchester Senior Cup Winners 1897-98, 1898-99, 1914-15, 1922-23 Cheshire Senior Cup Winners 1905-06, 1914-15, 1965-66, 2015-16 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 Cheshire Premier Cup Winners 1969-70, 1970-71, 2010-11 Vanarama National League North Winners 2018-2019

It is so different as we come out of the tunnel. It is an understatement to say we miss all you supporters very much. 04

James Gannon It was great to finally get back playing at Edgeley Park in a competitive match and brilliant to get off to winning ways at home. It was a muchneeded shot of positivity and enjoyment after Saturday’s game. We are at a very early stage with regard to the league table, but it is nice to start registering points, wins and goals on the National League board. It was a strangely eerie feeling with an empty stadium. We all lament the fact that fans are not allowed to be in, or around, the ground, and the atmosphere of the game is so much different without a crowd. We try to create the same feeling we have in the changing room and the tunnel before and after the game, but it is so different as we come out of the tunnel. It is an understatement to say we miss all you supporters very much. Despite the absence of fans, we should always remain very grateful that we are able to enjoy our job, our work, and our game. On a personal as well as collective level our love and the enjoyment of the game can be quickly taken away. We have seen that with the unprecedented end to last season. But there are many other factors that can steal our game away. I have suffered serious injury and many other ‘out of nowhere’ factors that can bring a sudden end to your time at a club, in the game, and your enjoyment of it. So, my advice for any player is to enjoy every minute of playing. You should play every game as if it’s your last! I trust that all our fans enjoyed the live coverage of the game, although it must have been another rollercoaster of emotions. We expected a competitive game from a much-improved FC Halifax Town team. We were extremely disappointed with the nature of the opening goal as we are trusting in officials to make correct calls. Despite our anger, we responded well, and I felt we used the energy of the injustice to fire us back into game. A brilliant move from the team and a well-taken goal from Mark Kitching got us back into the game. This set us up well for the

second half and the team continued to probe for the winner. It was a great strike from Adam Thomas that sealed the win. I thought the result was well deserved on the overall play. The result helps lift any tension or weight of expectations from the players, and I trust that we will play a little more freely now. We can expect a similar tough test from this afternoon’s opponents Dover Athletic. I’m delighted to welcome Andy, his staff, players, and all the officials from Dover Athletic back to Edgeley Park. The off season was a difficult time for everyone, and It is great to see the Whites still going strong in the National League. Despite any changes or cuts I expect Andy will have his players well-organised, well-drilled and playing with a real good tempo. We have had another good week’s training and we are continually learning lessons in how to become more effective. The experiences of recent games has sharpened our focus and we are now recognising how to keep the mindset right and trust ourselves in games. We have begun to marry our strengths with opposition weaknesses and keeping the game in our own hands. We are still very much a work in progress, and we must always be looking to add. This process is ongoing, and we need to recognise that this work leads to growth and development. It is the relentless pursuit of better. I trust we see a further improvement this afternoon. Enjoy the game. JG

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Club News Josh Schofield signs pro-deal with County We are pleased to announce that Academy goalkeeper Josh Schofield has signed a full-time professional deal with the Club, on a one-year contract. Josh, 17, has previously spent time in the academies of Chester and Blackburn Rovers, and becomes the fourth Academy player to sign a professional deal with the Club so far this year, after Jack Hopkins, Max Greenhalgh and Finley Stanyer. Our Head of Academy, Damien Allen, said: “Josh has come into the club during pre-season and has done extremely well. He is a modern-day keeper who has excellent distribution skills and accomplished handling skills. “We are delighted to have secured his services. At just 17 years old he will be a key part of our Under-19 team for the next 12 months and will train with the first team goalkeepers at Carrington. “He is at the start of his final step towards first team football and I am excited to see how he develops along this journey.”

Pioneer Sponsor County Ladies We are pleased to announce that our official technology partner, Pioneer, who already sponsor the Club’s Cheadle End stand and the men’s home shirts, are sponsoring the County Ladies team for the 2020/2021 season.

fought encounter with Manchester United Under-21s (watched by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer!), they were well prepared for their season opener against Brighouse Town in the FA Women’s National League.

A few of the players made it down to Edgeley Park for a photoshoot in their new kits, they all looked very impressive with the Pioneer logo proudly exhibited on the front of the home shirts.

Last Sunday County Ladies secured a 3-1 win with their first points on the board against a team that had beaten them twice last season. With lots of new signings and coaching staff, it’s shaping up to be an unmissable season.

Following a busy few weeks of pre-season friendlies for the First Team, with wins against FC Fylde and Sheffield United Reserves, a draw against Burnley FC and a close

You can follow their season results through our website and on their social channels; Twitter @SCLadiesFC and Instagram @stockportcountylfc.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a long season but the club has shown ambition and added players with a lot of experience. It is going to take everyone pulling in the right direction but we are confident we will have a good season. 08

Alex Reid Name: Alex Reid Position: Striker Born: Birmingham Date of Birth: 6th September, 1995 Height: 6’4’’ Previous clubs: Dagenham & Redbridge (loan), Ebbsfleet (loan), AFC Fylde (loan), Stevenage, Solihull Moors (loan), Wrexham (loan), Fleetwood Town. This season: 2 apps 1 sub

And Reid quickly impressed at Edgeley Park, scoring in County’s impressive preseason wins against Curzon Ashton and the late goal against Salford City. Now he is looking to kick on as the Hatters aim to put together a run of positive results after bouncing back from the undeserved opening day defeat at Torquay United with an impressive victory over FC Halifax Town.

“We’ve got a strong squad,” said Alex, who started last weekend’s undeserved loss at Torquay. “It’s a long season but the club has shown ambition and added players with a lot of experience. It is going to take everyone pulling in the right direction but we are confident we will have a good season. “The Halifax result on Tuesday was a good result for the lads and it is always good to get off the mark with a

Another exciting signing to walk through the Edgeley Park doors this summer was talented forward Alex Reid. win. Adam (Thomas) and Kitch (Mark Kitching) scored two great goals and it was a good reaction to the Torquay game. We were unfortunate at Torquay, we were doing well in the second half but they managed to nick it.” The Coronavirus pandemic has had a massive effect on the world of football, with seasons cancelled and the uncertainty of when the new campaigns will begin.

“It was a weird 11/12 weeks training and the uncertainty when the season will start. I managed to score a couple of goals in pre-season but I’m hoping to get off the mark soon in the league.” Reid was one of a number of players to join the County revolution and he believes that the squad has gelled really well. “We have a great group of players,” he said. “We have a good environment to play in with the training ground, and everyone at the club have made everything easier. We hope to repay that faith by getting the club back into the Football League. “I knew James Jennings from his Wrexham days. I’ve played in this league for a few different clubs so I’ve faced some of the lads before. I also knew Ryan Croasdale from our time together at Fylde.”

Alex arrived at County with an excellent pedigree. He began his career at Aston Villa at the age of 10 and remained at the club’s academy until 2013. He joined the League Football Education’s Player Placement Programme in Sweden, joining Ange IF in 2014. He moved back to the UK and signed for Fleetwood Town in 2016, before loan spells at Wrexham, Solihull Moors and Stevenage. After impressing on loan, he signed for Stevenage in 2018. Capable of playing on the left-hand side of the attack as well as the central striker himself, versatile forward Alex spent the 2019/20 season out on loan at National League clubs Dagenham & Redbridge and Ebbsfleet United, scoring an impressive 11 goals in 23 starts in all competitions. Alex says he had no hesitation in joining the club after learning of County’s ambition for the seasons ahead.

I think Alex adds another strong dimension to the team and squad build. Regardless of system, or whether we play a front three or central two, Alex’s versatility means he can operate as a point attacker, central penetrator, or an inside forward off the left in a front three. This gives us a great strength, depth and versatility to our attack options. Having met him I instantly liked his modest personality and hardworking mentality. I look forward to working with him and helping him fulfil his potential to become a League player. JAMES GANNON “It’s an ambitious club,” said Alex. “It’s a sleeping giant and I want to be part of getting this club back to where it should be. I know I’ve got to establish myself, but I’m pleased to move because it’s closer to home in Birmingham. “I’m looking forward to playing in front of the fans. I know they are passionate, I played for Fylde in the FA Trophy semi-final last year at Edgeley Park and scored in the last minute. The two semi-final games stand out. The first game was a cagey affair then at Edgeley Park it was one of the best games I have been involved in. It had a big crowd, an end-toend feel to it, and I scored the winner, which disappointed the home fans.” Hot on the heels of County’s impressive win on Tuesday night is this afternoon’s clash with Dover Athletic, and Alex is confident the Hatters can claim another three points. “I know about Dover,” says Alex. “I’ve played against them once or twice and scored against them while being on Solihull Moors. “But it’s a different squad now and confidence is what we need and hopefully we can pick up another home win today.”

Favourite TV programme: Peaky Blinders Favourite film: The Founder Favourite other sport: Boxing Favourite gadget: iPad Favourite food: Chocolate If you could buy a ticket for one sporting event what would it be: Tyson Fury v Anthony Joshua Boyhood team: Aston Villa Best advice you’ve been given: Persistence always wins. Best goal scored: For Fylde against County last year in the FA Trophy semi-final at Edgeley Park Best moment of your career: Winning the FA Trophy at Wembley.

Welcome...

Dover Athletic Dover Athletic make the 558-mile round trip to take on County today, visiting Edgeley Park for just the second time in their 37-year history.

The Whites have an unbeaten record in SK3 to defend too, having recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory here in February.

Nickname: The Whites Founded: 1983 Ground: Crabble Athletic Ground Capacity: 5,745 Address: Crabble Athletic Ground Lewisham Road, River, Dover Kent Postcode: CT17 0JB Distance from Edgeley Park: 293.4 miles (4 hrs 46 mins) This season: 13th

Two Inih Effiong strikes secured all three points that day in a game that unravelled for County after a first-half red card for Paul Turnbull. Effiong is now plying his trade in the Football League after a summer switch to Stevenage and the 16-goal forward is one of a number of popular players to depart Dover since the season was curtailed in March. Manager Andy Hessenthaler has had a huge rebuilding job to do in preparation for this season, with previous first-team regulars Kevin Lokko, Jai Reason, Bobby-Joe Taylor, Michael Woods and Lee Worgan all leaving the club. All five featured 20 times or more last season.

The Gaffer: Andy Hessenthaler

The club hit the headlines in August after the entire playing squad were made available for free transfer, with the club’s financial incomings decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic. A further cost-cutting measure was to revert to training at their home stadium, The Crabble, rather than at a dedicated training base. Experienced manager Andy Hessenthaler has been clear in stating his club are likely to be in a battle for survival this season, on and off the pitch, predicting his men will be “underdogs in a lot of games”.

A combative midfielder on the pitch for the likes of Watford, Gillingham and Barnet, Hessenthaler had great success as Athletic’s player-boss between 2007 and 2010, winning back-to-back promotions to take Dover from the Ryman South division to the Conference South. And after ending the 2009/10 season as runners-up in the second tier of non-league, Hessenthaler returned to Gillingham as boss for two campaigns, steering the Gills to two consecutive eighth-place finishes in League Two. A third stint at Gillingham followed two seasons later, this time as assistant boss, a similar role he held at Leyton Orient the following year, before being made manager at Brisbane Road in 2016. Dismissed by the O’s later that same year, it wasn’t long before Hessenthaler was back in football, joining Eastleigh before the start of the 2017/18 season, initially as assistant manager, before taking over from Richard Hill as boss just eight months after joining the club. Hessenthaler left the Spitfires 15 games into the 2018/19 campaign for a Dover side second-bottom of the National League on seven points. Athletic were not in the relegation zone for long as Hessenthaler successfully steered the club to safety.

The former Gillingham boss has, however, welcomed several new signings to the club of late, with striker Akheem Rose one to watch out for. Rose impressed here at Edgeley Park back in 2018, bagging a debut goal for Boston United when on-loan from Grimsby Town. At the other end of the pitch Hessenthaler will look to 34-year-old full back Sam Wood for leadership. The former Wycombe Wanderers man joins after two years at Bromley where he played 73 times. A further four signings were sealed last Saturday, just in time to face Notts County. One of the quartet was Millwall loanee Harry Ransom who had a dream debut, heading an 89th-minute winner to secure an impressive 1-0 win against last DID YOU season’s losing KNOW? play-off finalists. The club’s cres t is a representation A trip to Bromley of Dover’s two famous la on Tuesday ndmarks, the white cliffs night preceeded and Dover Castle. this fixture, resulting in a 4-1 defeat. Sam Wood was on the scoresheet against his former club, as is so often the case in football, though the game slipped away with three second half goals conceded. The Whites will be relieved to start the season, given all the uncertainty over the last six months, and the challenge now is to thrive in the face of adversity, just like they did last Saturday.

The Players JOE BEDFORD (b:Nov 1997 s:Dec 2018) Central midfielder, who was with Southend United from the age of eight and progressed to sign a professional deal. Before leaving them for today’s opponents, he played on-loan at Brightlingsea Regent and East Thurrock United.

Memory Match

JOSH BEXON (b:Jun 1998 s:Aug 2020) Goalkeeper who started with Southend and was loaned by them to Austrian side FC Kitzbühel, Canterbury City and then was with Harlow Town also on a loan deal. He joined the latter permanently for a season. TOM BRAMBLE (b:May 2001 s:Aug 2020) Defensive midfielder who joined from and started with Gillingham. During his time with the Gills he was loaned out to Deal Town and East Grinstead Town. LOUIS COLLINS (s:Aug 2020) Joined today’s opponents after a year with Sevenoaks Town. This striker had connected with them after being release by Scunthorpe United where he had been a scholar. KURTIS CUMBERBATCH (b:Sep 1995 s:Jun 2019) After spending his youth career with Tottenham Hotspur, Watford and Charlton Athletic this midfielder moved to Hadley Town, before progressing to Welling United via Bishop’s Stortford, Chipstead and East Grinstead. His most recent sides were Harrow Borough and Farnborough. WILL DE HAVILLAND (b:Nov 1994 s:Jun 2019) Central defender who was loaned to Cambridge City and Histon by first club Millwall. He moved on to Sheffield Wednesday and then Wycombe Wanderers, being sent on loan to Aldershot Town and Maidstone United. He switched to Dover after a permanent spell with the latter club.

2014: FA Cup Second Round Cheltenham Town 0 Dover Athletic 1 Conference Premier side Dover pulled off a shock in the FA Cup after they defeated Cheltenham 1-0 at Whaddon Road. Centre-back Connor Essam scored the only goal of the game seven minutes from time to ensure the Kent side will be in the draw for the next round.

OSCAR GOBERN (b:Jan 1991 s:Jun 2019) Gained regular EFL minutes with Southampton after leaving Aston Villa. The central midfielder then moved on to Huddersfield Town, and on to Chesterfield on loan, Queens Park Rangers, Doncaster also on loan, and Mansfield Town. Recent years were spent with Ross County and Eastleigh. TRAVIS GREGORY (s:Sep 2020) Winger signed after a pre-season trial. Started out in the youth ranks at Chelsea and Rangers. He played for East Grinstead, Beckenham Town and Greenwich Borough from where he joined Leatherhead two seasons ago.

BILEL HINCHIRI (b:Aug 1995 s:Jul 2019) Central midfielder, who joined from French Fourth Division side Charitois. YUSUF MERSIN (b:Sep 1994 s:May 2019) Signed after three years with Crawley Town, this keeper started with Millwall and Liverpool. The Anfield side loaned him to Gillingham and Wigan Athletic before He had a spell playing in Turkey for Kasimpassa. JACK MUNNS (b:Nov 1993 s:May 2019) Attacking midfielder who spent his early years with Leyton Orient, Tottenham and Charlton, with a loan stint at Aldershot. More recently he has played for Cheltenham Town, Hartlepool United and Dagenham & Redbridge. JOSH PASSLEY (b:Nov 1994 s:Jul 2017) Right back who started with Fulham, being loaned to Shrewsbury Town and Portsmouth. His next stop was Dagenham before dropping into nonleague with Hendon Town and Whyteleafe. STEVE RIGG (b:Jun 1992 s:Jun 2019) Striker who played his football mostly in the north of England with Keswick FC, Penrith and Carlisle United, with a stint away from Brunton Park at Queen of the South and on loan at Barrow. Heading a little further south he was with Chorley, but then went to the States after some games for Workington. Returning to England he was most recently with Gateshead. PAUL ROONEY (b:Mar 1997 s:Jun 2019) Moved to Millwall after being with St. Patrick’s Athletic and Bohemian FC of Dublin. A loan spell with Torquay United followed for the versatile defender, then he moved on to play for Colchester United, and had loan spells with Bromley and Billericay Town. AHKEEM ROSE (b:Nov 1997 s:Sep 2020) Forward who moved up to Grimsby Town after playing for Pelsall Villa and Heather St John’s. Before joining today’s opponents he had a spell away on loan at Boston United.

Will De Havilland

SAM WOOD (b:Aug 1986 s:Aug 2020) Joined after two seasons with Bromley. Started out with Long Lane and Cray Wanderers before a first spell with Bromley led to a move into the EFL with Brentford. A loan stint with Rotherham United followed, and then the midfield man switched to Wycombe, before joining Eastleigh in 2017. MARSHALL WRATTEN (b:Dec 1999 s:Jun 2019) Left-winger or left-back who came through the club’s Academy to sign professional forms. He has previously twice been loaned to Whitstable Town. HARRY RANSOM (b:Oct 1999 s:Oct 2020) Central defender brought in on a loan deal until the end of December from Milwall. He started with Brighton and Hove Albion, moving on to Eastbourne Borough. ADE AZEEZ (b:Jan 1994 s:Oct 2020) Signed on for his second spell having left Newport County after the 19-20 season. Started with Charlton Athletic being loan to Wycombe Wanderers, Leyton Orient, Torquay United and Dagenham & Redbridge. The forward then moved on via AFC Wimbledon, Partick Thistle, and Cambridge United, who loaned him to Dover. MARVEL EKPITETA (b:Aug 1995 s:Oct 2020) After starting with Stevenage, he added Chelmsford City, Heybridge Swifts (on loan), Concord Rangers, East Thurrock, Bishop’s Stortford and Hungerford Town to his CV. WILL MOSES (b:May 2003 s:Oct 2020) Academy central defender promoted on the eve of the season.

Rebellious Jukebox Gareth Evans selects Dover on the County Rock-Ola, and presses play to discover a link with, and test the credentials of… JOSS STONE. So, what’s the connection? Joss was born in Dover, but, like Tuesday night’s Halifax pop-kid, Ed Sheeran, the girl known as Jocelyn Stoker did not spend all of her childhood there - growing up instead as a teenager in the heart of the East Devon countryside. The SouthWest county still claims her as its own, although home these days for the Grammy-winning singer is in The Bahamas.

So far, so distinctly un-Rebellious. Added to which, her inclusion, while still a teenager, on the 2006 Sunday Times Rich List, and 15 million sales worldwide primarily for blue-eyed soul recordings that critics harsher than I have been known to describe as, at best, sugary R&B and mediocre ‘hip-pop’, do not exactly help her cred-cause. But let’s reflect while ‘Taking Five’, and, first off, do some judging of this songbook by her covers…

1. She used her musical influences wisely. And going on these, Joss is a genuinely credible soul girl. In 2001, and only just into her teens, she wowed the BBC’s ‘Star for a Night’ judges - including Barbara Windsor, no less - by covering Donna Summer’s ‘On the Radio’. She also performed versions of standards by Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and Otis Redding to secure her first record deal; tackled a couple of James Brown classics whilst appearing on ‘Friday Night with Jonathan Ross’; and served up her take on Ray Charles when she became the voice of advertising for a global clothing and accessories company. No… erm, Gap in good taste there - eh, brothers and sisters? 2. She fights back against bad press. Having worked hard across the Atlantic to crack the States within four years of releasing her debut album, the Devon girl caused a stir at the 2007 Brit Awards by taking to the stage and addressing the audience in an American accent. The press, in its own sweet way, took her to task on the front pages - but could hardly have expected her to react with a swift, robust rebuttal along the lines that she didn’t give a stuff (I’m paraphrasing) if people had a problem with the way her voice came across. “If you don’t like it, don’t listen”, she snapped. A nonchalant shrug in the media’s direction had also been given in 2004, when, as a member of Band Aid 20, she, as alate-80s child, did not initially know who Bob Geldof was - and repeatedly referred to him as Bob Gandalf! 3. Her unexpected, and unexpectedly great, collaborations. Joss may hold soul most dear, but has been known to go out on more than a limb to connect with other genres. Her ‘Water for Your Soul’ album, recorded in 2015 with the likes of Dennis Bovell and Damian Marley, saw her crowned

Joss is attempting to perform in every country on earth, and making a seriously good go of it.

‘Reggae Artist of the Year’ in the USA. And her one-off mash-up, on vocals for ‘Interstate Love Song’ with veteran Californian rockers Stone Temple Pilots - as the brilliantly-monikered Joss Stone Temple Pilots! - is the stuff of televisual legend. 4. The ‘Total World Tour’. Joss is attempting to perform in every country on earth, and making a seriously good go of it. A tricky leg of the initiative last year led to her ticking off a number of places traditionally avoided by artists, as Iraq and Tajikistan came, and were saw and conquered, without a hitch, and she played a North Korean bar in Pyongyang, as well as, most impressively, a gig for 70 in the Kurdish-controlled part of Syria. Her final stop - Iran, where female solo singers are banned - ended in deportation before she could get on stage and utter a note, but she remains a woman on a mission… 5. She loves her dogs. So much so, in fact, that she cancelled a couple of shows in the West Indies during 2016 because Rottweiler Missy, one of her several rescue pets, was unwell. In homage to one of her childhood musical heroines, she has also owned a Teacup Poodle called Dusty Springfield. And why not? Rebellious Jukebox Rating: ‘7 (Count the Days)’.

Mark Robertson

Phoenix From The County Flames In a brand new feature this season, we will be talking to past County players about their favourite memories from their time at Edgeley Park. Ahead of this afternoon’s game, we grabbed a quick chat with former County captain Mark Robertson, who revealed that the Hatters will always hold a special place in his heart...

Factfile

Mark Robertson (2004-2005) Position: Midfield COUNTY STATS League: 27 (5) apps 1 goal FA Cup: 3 apps Other: 1 app Totals: 36 (5 as sub) 1 goal Asking former Hatters favourite Mark Robertson to pick a favourite County memory or goal was nigh on an impossible task. “I have so many great moments,” said Mark, who played at Edgeley Park during a difficult period for the club between 2004 and 2005. “Playing for Stockport County was a terrific part of my career and to captain the club and lead the boys out was a great experience. To captain a team is something that doesn’t come around often. The coin toss with the referee, opposite captains, I really enjoyed it. I loved helping the young guys and one of my biggest achievements was to watch them go on to progress. The likes of Ashley Williams, Adam Le Fondre, all went on to have great careers.”

Australian international Robertson joined County back in January 2004 from Dundee, and made 36 senior appearances for the Hatters, scoring one goal. Mark’s combative and never-saydie spirit style was widely appreciated by the County faithful, and his pride in the Blue shirt immediately shone through. “Coming from Australia everyone welcomed me,” said Mark. “From Sammy McIlroy to all the lads. I only left the club at the time due to injury. If I didn’t have my injury then I would have been happy to stay. “There are many highlights. Going 2-0 up in the first game of the season against Huddersfield. However, we went on to lose 3-2 which set the tone where we were going to end up that season. It was a hot day, Huddersfield were a local-ish side, but we just fell short. “I remember Bury in the Cup, scoring against Swindon who were one of my old clubs, Brentford away. I always liked the battles. Peterborough was always a tough game and Oldham had a very good side. Bradford at home, Colchester away, and Blackpool away. We were on a fantastic run at the time and went into the game full of confidence. We took a large number of travelling fans. We did well, the boys were on fire, Rickie Lambert, Ashley Williams, Andy Welsh, they were a great bunch of games to be involved in.”

Mark enjoyed three successful years in Scotland with Dundee before the move to County and he admits that once the opportunity came to head to SK3, he couldn’t turn it down. “I was at Dundee in Scotland and I spent three happy years there. But they were about to go into administration, they had players such as Fabrizio Ravanelli and Claudio Caniggia, and they had to offload the big earners who they couldn’t afford to pay. Sammy McIlroy, who was County manager at the time, spoke to Jimmy Nichol. I’d never met Jimmy but there’s the Northern Ireland connection between him and Sammy. Apparently Sammy had asked Jimmy about what was up in Scotland and he said ‘The Aussie lad Mark Robertson, get him in.’ I also spoke to Derek McInnes, who also played for County. He said he loved it there. He told me it was a good area and a great club. There were other clubs interested in me, such as Gillingham and Yeovil Town, but once I spoke to Sammy I knew County was the place I wanted to join.” Mark joined a club who were going through a period of real transition at Edgeley Park but struggling in the bottom half of the League One table. Sammy McIlroy, who quit his role as Northern Ireland manager following their disappointing Euro 2004 qualifying campaign, made the move back into club management with League One County in October 2003 and just a few months later he brought in Robertson to strengthen the Hatters midfield. THE GAME: County 2 Swindon Town 4 THE DATE: 14th February, 2004 THE COMPETITION: League One THE MOMENT: Swindon was one of my old clubs but it was a nice feeling to score. We were 3-0 down early in the game, but I scored from 20 yards to pull one back before half-time. We scored another but it wasn’t to be our day as Swindon scored again to make it 4-2.

“The fans and the club were great,” said Mark. “Coming from the outside, the club, behind the scenes, the stadium, the office staff, were all welcoming. The people in the pie stand, the lady who sells the programmes, the car park attendants who said we hope you enjoy the game, it was such an engaging club. It was such a pleasure to wear the badge with pride. “I’ve been back to the club loads of times since I left. I still speak to Jim Gannon, Steve Bellis, Simon Dawson and Paul Turnbull. I also keep in touch with the lads I played with at County. Ashley Williams, Adam Le Fondre, Jim Goodwin, Rodger Wylde, Danny Jackman, and Richard Landon. I’ve always kept in touch with a lot of the lads from clubs I have played at. Burnley and Dundee I made closed friendships and still keep in touch with a lot of the lads from those clubs.” Robertson is still involved in football, combining a scouting role for Manchester City with keeping a close eye on his son Alexander, who is progressing well through the youth set-up at The Etihad. And, while the former County captain is enjoying his role at City, he will always keep a look out for the results at Edgeley Park. “It was a joy to play for the club,” he said. “County are looking to make a big push so that they can get into the Football League. Jim has got a big task but he has brought in some excellent players and I hope that they do it.”

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County Colts Our pathway enhanced! Further to our first article, we can now look forward to an ever-growing younger section within the Colts. In addition, we are now looking to take a step further and include Academy teams up to the age of 16. With the current trend at County to have high ambitions, we are now aiming to move on within this format to produce players that can perform in the first-team. We have had a huge interest from players who may have been released by Academies and we also have players who have moved, for example, from the Under-11s Colts blues to the Under-11s Academy team. Harrison Davie was the Coltsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Player of the Year for last season and is performing admirably in the new Academy team along with many other players who previously played in the Box Premier League team. These players have moved over to Stockport County and have been coached by Damien Allen and Joppe Meulensteen, developing great technical ability which is also what we want at the Colts!

It seems that everybody seems to have the same ideas that technique is so important to develop top-level footballers and at all levels the Colts aim to complement this. We also have very strong teams in the older age groups who are now starting to compete at the highest grassroots level with a view to them becoming Academy teams and performing at inter-club level. Watch this space for news of players like Harrison who can and will have the chance to move up into the post-16s Academy and give County that homegrown opportunity to produce players of the future. From Under-7s through to Under-16s, players are now preparing to either play in our development teams at Whites level, more advanced teams at Blues level and then Academy teams who will be poised to move up to the post-16 Academy level. This doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean that all players have to become professionals as they may also take advantage of the opportunities the club is now providing education-wise to work in the sports industry and move on to university courses. Steve Beswick

Academy This week the focus was around the FA Youth Cup tie against Hyde United FC. Our main aim was to maximise the learning opportunity this competition provides. We created a weekly schedule that is similar to the first-team. The initial twenty-four-man squad experienced what the build-up is like to games at first-team level. This included eleven vs eleven practice, set pieces, and analysis work. On the day of the game, the matchday squad was provided with a pre-match meal and the final pieces of analysis were delivered at Carrington before travelling across to Hyde United for the tie. The focus was always on the process to enable the team to perform and a collective commitment to the identity we had already created so far this season. Eleven first-year players made the seventeen-man matchday squad and five were in the starting line-up. The game was a match of two halves. In the first half, we started brightly. Our in possession and out of possession play was executed exactly how we planned during the week. We played out from the back, rotated in wide areas, and got plenty of quality crosses into the penalty box. We managed to protect the middle of the pitch and steal the ball in wide areas, limiting Hyde to a couple of half-chances. Just over midway through the first half Tom Kelly scored from a cross to make it 1-0. The

second half continued to be played at a very high tempo by both teams. Hyde levelled the game in the 71st minute. Although we created some halfchances of our own through some great individual work from first-year Jamie Walsh, we did not manage to control the game. Hyde changed shape to a 3-5-2 and focused on aggressive pressing and 1 vs 1s out wide which caused our players problems that we did not solve. Just as the game looked like it was heading for extra-time, we conceded in the 95th minute. The FA Youth Cup provided our players with many realistic learning experiences. They played in front of a large crowd under the floodlights and after a week of detailed preparation and much effort from everyone involved, they felt the bitter disappointment of losing in

a cup competition. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think they will forget sitting in the changing room after the match as they listened to the opponents celebrate with chanting and banging on the changing room walls. Although itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always disappointing not to perform to the levels you know you can achieve the players and staff have formed a strong trust. The message after the game was clear, we will move forwards together and accept mistakes/ weaknesses and tap into support to keep improving. The players and staff understand the ultimate goal we have in place for them and the club. Thanks to all the spectators who attended the game to support the boys. Damien Allen Academy Manager

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County Ladies Open Age Matches: Review After a good start to the season for both the First and Development teams, last week didn’t quite go according to plan. The First Team, having won their opening game, faced Liverpool Feds in a Wednesday evening match. Manager Ronnie Green made several changes to the starting line-up, playing Jess Battle alongside Hanifa Douglas up front and Liv Wild moving to left-back. Much of the first-half was a stalemate with neither team having any clear-cut chances, but a couple of minutes before half-time Feds scrambled home from a corner to lead 0-1 at the break.

Imy Williams, sees her shot saved in the Development match

They increased their lead ten minutes into the second half. County piled on the pressure but the Fed’s ‘keeper was in great form denying Maria Figueiredo with a brilliant save from close range. Final score 0-2.

Jess Battle frustrated by the Fed’s defence (Mike Petch)

The Development team had won their opening game against Sheffield FC Reserves and held a strong Leeds United Reserves side to a 1-1 draw, but they too lost to Liverpool Feds (Development) on Sunday. 3-0 down at half-time, they improved in the second half to prevent Feds increasing their lead, but couldn’t find any clear chances to test the ‘keeper. Final score 0-3. Good news for the weekend was provided by our Under-18s who won their first League fixture of the season 4-0 against Nantwich Town. This weekend sees all three teams back in action, Firsts at home to Barnsley, Development face Bradford City and Under-18s travel to Crossfields. First Team game is a 2pm kick-off at Stockport Sports Village, SK6 1QX. Come along and support ‘The Ladies’! For anyone interested in joining the club to play or train with any of our teams, e-mail development@ stockportcountylfc.com for more information Follow us on Twitter @SCLadiesFC and Instagram @ stockportcountylfc

Lauren Davies wins the ball in midfield (Mike Petch)

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The Mad Hatter’s Quiz with Paul Dean

WHO AM I?

TRIVIA

I played for the Hatters in 19011902. I’m widely considered to be the first black professional footballer in the world.

1. Manchester Utd famously wear red, but what colours did they wear before adopting red? 2. Three players share the record for most Premier League red cards (8). Who are they? 3. FC Cologne have which animal on their club crest? 4. Name the only ever English winner of the European Golden Boot? 5. In 1986 Alvin Martin of West Ham Utd scored a hattrick against Newcastle Utd in a 8-1 win. What was so peculiar about this?

H W A

B N W P

O X O U C

D R

O D S

S G

N G C

X O X

N Q V E

R O R

S W L

G H

N H O

O G D

Z Q U D B

Q H N H W K

K Q Z

Q V

U C H O X M Y

G C H

M Z

P D Q

C N U

Q W D N

O N

B H

N S

N P N S

U N

H R

U D

Z O A M

U H U

B G A

S Q

D K

A C

D H

Q D R W V

B M W

N H

H C

K W P

N G

U G

M O N D

C R

M A

S T

N H A M O P N R

Y W

L M

D R

A C

U W M C Q M V

B H

P O V O M W A

O R D D

N B W S

C W R

D S N

F W E

N A N O P

Answers:

Who Am I? Arthur Wharton

ARSENAL BOURNEMOUTH BRIGHTON BURNLEY CARDIFF CHELSEA CRYSTAL PALACE EVERTON FULHAM HUDDERSFIELD LEICESTER LIVERPOOL MAN CITY MAN UNITED NEWCASTLE SOUTHAMPTON TOTTENHAM WATFORD WEST HAM WOLVES

Trivia 1. Green and gold. 2. Patrick Vieira, Richard Dunn and Duncan Ferguson. 3. A goat. 4. Kevin Phillips, Sunderland, 19992000, 30 goals. 5. He scored against three different goalkeepers.

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GAME CHANGER footballfoundation.org.uk

Commercial Vitality; Our Official Wellness Partner Stockport County Football Club are delighted to announce a new partnership with innovative health and life insurance and investment company, Vitality. Vitality will be the Official Wellness Partner for both the men’s and women’s teams and Official Live Streaming Partner for the men’s team for the 2020/21 season. The new announcement signals Vitality’s continued commitment to football and, as one of the leading employers in the area, their ongoing support for the town of Stockport.

football and other sports, and to keep and stay active, in line with its core purpose, to make people healthier and to enhance and protect their lives.

Vitality will work with the club to drive visibility of the game and inspire people to take up

The Vitality logo will be featured permanently on-screen during each home game alongside pitch side advertising boards

and commercials screened pre-game, half-time and postgame. The County Live Stream is anticipated to receive a large audience from both home and away supporters as games are played behind closed doors due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Project Solar take Centre Stage

In today’s home game against Dover Athletic the Club will be debuting their new centre circle banner sponsored by the UK’s leading solar energy provider and one of our long-standing sponsors, Project Solar. Project Solar have not only supported County over the years with shirt sponsorship and most recently, signing as a featured sponsor on new streaming platform, they are also huge fans and are executive season ticket holders. The club would like to thank Project Solar for all their support over the years and we look forward to continuing the journey with them.

Steve Bellis Great goals, Spitting Image and Pigs at football! It was never going to feel the same but in some ways it did. Our first home league game under the Covid restrictions was in many ways an eerie experience. With only a handful of people in the stadium there was never going to be any atmosphere but in an odd way the flags at the Cheadle End provided some comfort and the darkness of a night game allied to the glare of the floodlights made it seem more real. On the pitch an early moment of controversy certainly had the smattering of attendees grumbling like a knackered appendix. On their first venture into the County half, Halifax’s Jack Earing rounded Ash Palmer and appeared to take the ball out of play before sliding it goalwards and seeing it deflect into the goal off Ben’s trailing foot.

Ben and the rest of the County defence pleaded with the referee and linesman but in the words of a former British Prime Minister, they were not for turning and the goal was given. It’s a good job that the Cheadle End was only populated by flags as I suspect the officials might have been given a very rough ride from that moment on. We are made of stern stuff these days though and within a little over ten minutes we were level. Mark Kitching was the man to score the first goal in this bright new era with a cool finish capitalising on some great work by Connor Jennings. On a personal note it wasn’t exactly my busiest evening representing the club. With no corporate audience to entertain (I use that word very loosely) I was given the task of looking after the visiting Directors. The only problem was, the visiting Directors, all three of them, didn’t want looking after. They were being understandably very cautious about the whole social distancing situation for personal reasons and didn’t even want a half-time cuppa. It is fair to say that we dominated the second half but it was looking like it wasn’t going to be our evening as a flurry of chances went begging. Enter Adam Thomas. Now Adam tends to make things happen and on Tuesday night this was certainly the case. With time ticking away faster than the spread of Covid, our wily winger cut inside and smashed a left-footed shot into the top right-hand corner.

Little Peggy is now entertaining at a community farm in Winsford

Cue absolute delight among the County contingent and wry smiles from our visiting trio from the Shay who probably wished they had accepted that half-time brew after all.

This is where the experience became much more normal as we endured that ‘hanging on’ period as Halifax did their utmost to secure a point. The final whistle was well received and even our visitors agreed that the points were deserved but they can take heart from their own display and they will be a threat this season. It was good to look at the league table and see us well into the top half. I must admit to feeling a bit sorry for Aldershot, Boreham Wood, Chesterfield, Dagenham and Redbridge and Maidenhead who are all below Macclesfield in the table. Of course, it would have been great to have had a celebratory pint after the fans but the 10pm curfew put pay to that so I ended up surfing the web for entertainment. I was delighted to come across a trailer for the return of ‘Spitting Image’ a satirical programme that tore strips off the politicians and leading figures of the day back in the 1980’s.

Yey, spitting image is back!

arrived at immigration. A surly immigration officer asks him: ‘How did you get here?’. The Chinese visitor responds: ‘I had a fright’. The officer says: ‘Really, what scared you?’ To which the visitor replies: ‘No... I had a fright from Peking to Heathlow airport’. It was all harmless fun at the time but, of course... times change.

The new series will be shown on BritBox so I must get a local primary school kid to explain how I get that on my telly.

A special memory popped up on my Facebook page this week, showing me taking my little pig Peggy to the pub in Bollington.

It got me thinking about the programmes that we used to watch and how inappropriate they would be today.

Some of you may remember Peggy, a piglet rescued by my daughters after she was left for dead with a cleft palate.

Two sketches sprung to mind. The first was from a comedy programme called ‘Not the Nine O’Clock News’ which actually aired on the BBC.

I ended up pig sitting for several months and Peggy was a regular at home matches until she couldn’t fit through the turnstiles.

This was at a time when digital watches were the vogue and the sketch showed a blind man with a white stick at a pelican crossing.

Little Peggy earned us some great media coverage on the BBC, across social media and in local print media. The page three headline in the Manchester Evening News of ‘This little piggy went to Football’ was my favourite.

Suddenly there was a beep, beep, beep and the blind man walked into the road only to be run over by a lorry. The camera then pans back to the pavement where another pedestrian is looking at his digital watch which was the cause of the beeping. You wouldn’t get away with that today. Equally, Benny Hill, a very funny man who in many ways was way ahead of his time, had a sketch where his character was a Chinese chap who

She is now entertaining children with disabilities at a community farm in Winsford. Anyway, I will be pigless this afternoon as we welcome Dover to Edgeley Park. I sincerely hope they have had an enjoyable journey north and of course that their journey home is rather more miserable... in the nicest possible sense, of course.

Opposition View We caught up with Dover Athletic’s Managing Editor and Kit Manager Richard Harvey, who is also part of the club’s Media team. Richard gives his views on today’s game and an insight into our visitors to Edgeley Park... What are your hopes for the season? We’ve gone through a welldocumented tough time financially during these unprecedented times, so to remain in this league would be a great result. What are the highlights of your time following Dover Athletic? Reaching the FA Cup Third round and playing against a full-strength Crystal Palace team at Crabble in 2015. Avoiding relegation in the 2018/19 National League season after we only had seven points from 14 games at the start of the season and were 23rd! New Gaffer Andy Hessenthaler came in and the never-say-die spirit he instilled in the squad was unbelievable and we got the reward for it.

Playing a full-strength Crystal Palace team back in 2015 was a highlight

What are your memories of games against County? Coming here for the first time last season and winning – it would be nice to repeat that! I must also stress the friendliness and help from the Stockport staff was great with special mention to my fellow Kit Manager Richard Landon.

Midfielder Jack Munns has started the season well while new signings, winger Travis Gregory and defender Marvel Ekpiteta, have both impressed 32

What do you know about County? You have played at your ground since 1902, a year my fellow Australians won the Ashes 2-1 in this country too. Who are the Dover Athletic players to watch? Midfielder Jack Munns has started the season well while new signings, winger Travis Gregory and defender Marvel Ekpiteta, have both impressed. Steven Rigg hasn’t stopped running since preseason and I am amazed how he keeps on going. What is your prediction for the game? A Dover win by a single goal.

Terrace Talk Edgeley Park hosts its first weekend game of the new season this afternoon as County welcome Andy Hessenthaler and his Dover Athletic team for this National League encounter. The Dover players, staff and ordinarily supporters, will have made the four and three quarter hour journey to the North West from Kent and given the dynamics of football at the present time there has been much suggestion about regionalising the League on a North/ South basis for the time being in order to reduce costs and travel time. Last season, eleven teams from the North, counting Solihull Moors, and thirteen teams from the South made up the National League. Of those Torquay United in Devon was the furthest due West, with today’s opposition Dover the most Easterly club in the League, a nine and a half hour round trip. When you look at it like that there is not much difference in Dover going to Torquay as there is in them making the trip here to County, though considering there are six London clubs in Barnet, Boreham Wood, Bromley, Dagenham & Redbridge, Ebbsfleet United and Sutton United all between one and two hours travelling time it would even itself out somewhat. If County had to play in a Northern section, they would travel across many local boundaries but again, the travel time would be of less significance on a North/ South basis even though over the course of the season the team would visit Lancashire, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Durham and North Wales. However, this season with Kings Lynn Town, Wealdstone and Weymouth winning promotion and only Altrincham from around the Northern region replacing them due to AFC Fylde and Chorley being relegated and Macclesfield Town’s well documented off the field problems there is a top heavy Southern region meaning if there was to be a regionalisation of this league then some clubs would have to be considered as honorary Northerners, quite a headache for the powers that be. In the Football League Trophy back in 2016, Cheltenham Town had to play their group fixtures against Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool and Everton Under-21’s despite their Gloucestershire base being three hours travelling

Dover visited last season not long before lockdown

time from the three North West clubs. This was the only way it could be done to balance the teams out on a North/South footing even though Cheltenham, by rights, should be competing in the Southern section of the competition. Last season just before lockdown Dover came here to Edgeley Park and secured all three points with striker Inih Effiong taking centre stage. Paul Turnbull was redcarded for Stockport for his foul on the front man and to add insult to injury it was Effiong who found the net twice to ensure the points went back to Kent. Effiong has since moved onto League Two side Stevenage but Dover hope that the sixteen goal attacker can be replaced by the likes of Akheem Rose, a 21-year old Jamaican who recently left Grimsby Town over the summer. A big task for the young striker to fill such a void but something his manager Andy Hessenthaler feels he is able to do.

The County Years 1958

In a brand new feature, County Historian Ian Watts delves into the archives to bring you some of the Hatters’ more memorable moments from years gone by. Opening Game Quite a start to the year as on 4th January the 10th placed Division Three (North) side turned FA Cup giant-killers with a Third Round victory over top-flight Luton Town. County: Ken Grieves, Barrie Betts, Billy Webb, Bob Murray, Neil Franklin, Frank Clempson, Ken Finney, Willie Moir, Bill Holden, Arnold Jackson, Mike Davock. Jackson got the Hatters off to a great start by giving them the lead after three minutes. In the second half Holden added to the delight of the County supporters in a 18,158 Edgeley Park crowd with goals on 60 & 84 minutes. First Debutant Of The Year Eddie Mulvey (SCAN 608) made his debut on 18th January at home versus Halifax Town, and scored one of the Hatters goals. Signed the previous November from Glentoran for a fee of £2,000, he had only turned full-time there when he lost his job as a traveller (salesman) for a leather firm. He was spotted scoring a hat-trick against Derry City during the manager’s scouting trip.

Summer Business Leaving the club were cricketing goalkeeper Grieves (Nuneaton Borough), Dave Cox and Ray Drake (both Altrincham), Alan Daley (Crewe Alexandra), Joe Jarvis and Bill Sowden (both Macclesfield). Replacements were keeper Harold Lea (Horwich RMI) who sadly died earlier this year, Alec Acton (Brush Sports), Barry Smith (Wrexham) and Ronnie Guy (Broughton Villa).

Last Debutant Of The Year Geoff Slack was working as a clerk in the offices of Lancaster Infirmary whilst playing for Morecambe. He had played as a guest in a friendly game for County in early November and signed later for £750, making his debut in a 0-0 draw with Accrington Stanley on the 22nd of that month to earn SCAN 619. Closing Game Last match of the year saw County travel for their first visit to Southend United on Saturday 27th December in Division Three. County: Harold Lea, Betts, Webb, Trevor Porteous, Murray, Clempson, Gene Wilson, Jackson, Walter Kelly, Holden, Roy Clarke. Clarke had put us in the lead after 24 minutes, but the hosts were level three minutes later through Sammy McCrory and ahead at the interval thanks to Lou Costello’s 36th minute goal. The 15,193 crowd then had to wait until nearly the final whistle before Bud Houghton sealed the win. Most Games In Calendar Year Betts & Murray both 50 ever present, Webb 47. Most Goals In Calendar Year Holden 18, Jackson 15, Wilson 9. Worst Run Three consecutive defeats (13th to 22nd March and 20th to 27th September). Best Run Six games unbeaten 14th April to 26th August, four wins and two draws. The Man In Charge Willie Moir had an illustrious career with Bolton Wanderers and was capped by Scotland. A season after joining County he took on the role of Player Manager in June 1956 but during the summer of our featured year he hung up his boots apart from testimonial games. And Finally Because there was a colour clash for the FA Cup tie with Luton both sides were ordered to change from their normal choice. County’s choice was described as Wolverhampton Wanderers colours of gold shirts with a black collar, black shorts with black and gold hooped stockings. The Stockport Advertiser produced copies of the photo shown for sale at 6d each.

STOCKPORT COUNTY Mark Kitching 23’, Adam Thomas 80’

FC HALIFAX TOWN Jack Earing 12’

2 1

Tuesday 6th October | Vanarama National League | Edgeley Park

Adam Thomas struck an early contender for Goal of the Season as County came from behind to beat Halifax at Edgeley Park to pick up their first points of the campaign. The visitors took an early lead when Jack Earing converted from a tight angle with the aid of a deflection. But County levelled 11 minutes later through Mark Kitching following a fine pass from Connor Jennings. The second half was a highly competitive contest but Thomas found the top corner from 20 yards with just 10 minutes left to earn County the spoils.

SNAPPED! earned the Hatters their first win of A late Adam Thomas thunderbolt of the same today, please! the season at Edgeley Park. More

Luke Smith Physio

Good afternoon everyone. This weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s injured players, Jordan Williams and Harvey Gilmour, are both close to a return to first-team training, with both completing their individual on-field rehabilitation with growing confidence. There has been a lot of positives this week in terms of progression of their exercises, intensity and volume of training. Both players are extremely professional and have been fantastic to work with one-on-one. Next weekâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim for both is to take part in first-team training of at least two sessions in order for them to be eligible for firstteam selection.

Jordan Williams

This will be challenging but with a current low injury list we are looking very strong and their aim is to get back firstly into the first team squad and then progress to challenge for the first 11. Thanks, Luke

Both players are extremely professional and have been fantastic to work with one-on-one.

Harvey Gilmour

Supporters’ Co-operative The Supporters’ Co-operative held a virtual board meeting via Zoom recently. There was much to discuss, and high up on the agenda was consideration of our relationship with the Club’s new owners.

Stockport Homeless Charity the Wellspring, that sees us moving to the Family Lounge on match days as reported last week.

We are looking to establish a solid relationship with the new regime, similar to the one that existed previously with the former club board. In this respect discussion took place on a presentation that board member John Giles had produced with the current Club Board in mind.

With discussions moving along very productively, the board agreed also providing the price was right, to continue advertising on the stadium scoreboard, and subject to the return of something approaching normality, it was resolved to resume organising the Hatters Half Marathon in 2021, with the Club’s permission.

We will be looking for an early chance, probably via virtual means, to meet with representatives of Mark Stott’s team again, to open up discussions on what could develop into a relationship benefitting the Club, the Co-operative, and our large fan base. The board confirmed a desire to continue supporting the Community Ticket Initiative should the Club keep it going. It was reported that the move out of the Cheadle End Cabin was now almost complete - a sad moment really after several years operating in the cabin in support of the fanbase, the Club and the

There is much to look forward to and much to do if we are going to make 2021 a better year than 2020 has been for all of us.

Support was agreed for Andy Birchenough’s ‘Bike Ride to Amsterdam’, and it was decided to refer to the upcoming AGM a decision to include N:Gage Life in our official charities for 2021. As reported in the County v FC Halifax Town programme, we also decided, in view of the success of this meeting, to go for a virtual meeting for our upcoming AGM. There is much to look forward to and much to do if we are going to make 2021 a better year than 2020 has been for all of us. One thing has struck home solidly though throughout the appalling deprivations of the period, and that is the importance of sticking together, whether it be as family, friends or just as being part of a community. Join us then as we look towards a better 2021. You can do this via webcollect.org.uk/coop/ subscription Ian Brown Stockport County Supporters Co-operative

COUNTY JUNIORS Good afternoon and welcome to the first junior digital programme notes. I hope all our junior members are safe and well. I know some of you have been sent home from school hopefully as a precaution. It has been a strange six months or so since our last notes and the closure of last season that happened so quickly. I don’t think anyone realised how devastating this virus was going to be. This has led to fans not being allowed into grounds which has affected everyone. From the County Juniors point of view even when a number of fans will be allowed into grounds we are not sure when our Family Lounge will open again. The virus will have to be nearly eradicated before we can consider reopening again. This, of course, also affects our monthly meetings which are cancelled until further notice. For any further information on the juniors we have Facebook and Twitter accounts or you can contact Brenda on 07720 591316 or myself on 07921 810464. That’s all for now, enjoy the live screening, it’s not the same as being at the game but better than nothing. Stay safe.

This is Luka, the first new member to be registered during lockdown. His Dad was a member himself some years ago!

Another new member joined during lockdown whose Dad was also a member himself is Finley, he joins his sister and brother who are also members!

The second person to register during lockdown was Sienna and her Mum was also a junior member some years ago. Lovely to welcome them both as junior members. Sienna is pictured with her Mum and Vernon Bear.

Ian Butterworth 43

New Scouting Team Appointed The Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Jonathan Smith, Kevin Braybrook and Matt Jansen into a newly formed Scouting Team. Jonathan Smith has been appointed as Lead Scout for the North, covering all scouting across the North of the country. Jonathan was a former captain of Accrington Stanley, before joining Chorley as a player in 2009 where he stayed for the last 10 years, transitioning into the dugout as Assistant Manager during the tenures of Garry Flitcroft, Matt Jansen and Jamie Vermiglio. His work on a tight budget has yielded many successes, and developed an extended network of managers, coaches, agents and scouts to draw upon in identifying and referencing top talent. Kevin Braybrook has been appointed as Lead Scout for the South, covering all scouting across the South of the country. Kevin was a young pro at Portsmouth before an early end to his playing career saw him transition into coaching. He was a key part of the Academy at Southampton FC and a coach educator for the PFA, before moves to QPR, Wolves and Burnley in various scouting and coaching roles. Kevin is a tutor for the Professional Football Scouts Association (PFSA) as well as a tutor on the undergraduate degrees at the Wembley Campus of the University College of Football Business (UCFB), and as such opens a huge resource pool for the club in regards to additional scouts and information.

Matt Jansen has been appointed as Recruitment and Player Liaison. Matt will work closely with Simon Wilson on the final stages of identification and transition for players joining the club. Matt had a decorated career as a professional reaching the top of the game, before transitioning into management with a three-year spell at Chorley FC before stepping away from the role. As such he has a high understanding of the experience of a player, what brings success at this level and beyond and will be an important resource for staff and players alike as we move forward. Director of Football, Simon Wilson, said: “I am delighted to share with our supporters the appointments of Jonathan, Kevin and Matt to our staff here at Carrington Training Centre, who have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to help build the First Team and Under-19 squads for the upcoming season and beyond.” “As everyone knows, players are our biggest cost base, and having the right playing talent in the building is arguably the biggest ingredient of success. These are therefore crucial appointments as we ready ourselves for the forthcoming years, and it should be a source of real comfort to our supporters that we have such an experienced team working with myself and Jim on every player decision.”

All Past Opponents TAME VALLEY

Opponents during our first known season of games. This team, like several others from that time, were probably from the wider Stalybridge area. Comp

H/A

TAMWORTH

One of our more frequent opponents during the modern non-league seasons until they dropped out of the National League North, and we slightly shaded things overall. Pl

TAUNTON

Ashton & District League side (or at least they were definitely in that competition soon after) who faced us in friendly games during the 188990 season.

H/A

FAC

TEN ACRES

Scheduled home and away friendly opponents for Heaton Norris Cricket and Football Club, who were shortly to merge with Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s predecessors, from 1885-86 but results of the games have not been traced. Another opponent in the same category as Ten Acres.

H/A

Comp

H/A

The old Telford club, who we first met in the FA Cup under their original Wellington Town name, became a bogey team for County in the early 1980s. Recording a humiliating defeat in Shropshire, and then joining the small list of non-league sides to beat

Comp

THORNHAM

Comp

TELFORD UNITED

County at Edgeley Park during our Football League days.

TOOTING AND MITCHAM UNITED

One-off FA Cup opponents, they visited Stockport on 7th November 2009, with County claiming a 5-0 win with three first-half goals from Peter Thompson (13 minutes), David Poole (20), and a Carl Baker penalty after 38 minutes whilst Paul Turnbull added goals on 67 & 72 minutes.

TORQUAY UNITED

This seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opening day opponents, our second campaign facing each other in non-league, became fairly regular opposition when the

Ledley King, Simon Davies (2) and a Mike Flynn own goal gave our hosts a 4-0 win. Comp

H/A

EFL

FAC

TRANMERE ROVERS

Northern and Southern sections of League Division Three were merged to form Division Three and Division Four. Torquay regularly tried different kick-off times at Plainmoor, joining County in Friday Night Football for a time - including the night the referee called off the game after County had come out for the kick-off. Comp

H/A

EFL

FAC

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Very occasional opponents with six games in Division Two (Championship) before World War Two. Spurs were also our opponents on 17th February 2001 the last time we made it to the FA Cup 5th round, when goals from

Opposition from the other end of the Mersey we have met in most competitions available to us both over the years, including the various Cheshire FA competitions, since our first clash in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup in November 1893 which started our first run to the competition proper. Comp

H/A

EFL

100

105

FAC

FLC

FLT

FAQ

CSC

IFK TROLLHĂ&#x201E;TTAN

Swedish opponents during our 2000 preseason tour, Tony Dinning scored the County goal in a 3-1 defeat which saw Glynn Hancock face his parent club as he was on loan in Sweden at the time.

All Past Opponents TRURO CITY

The clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ever opponents from Cornwall travelled north on 12th January 2019 and eventually suffered a 5-0 FA Trophy defeat with our goals coming from Matty Warburton, scoring his four goals on 3, 17, 27 & 65 minutes and the recently departed Darren Stephenson who added the third goal.

UNITED GLASS BLOWERS (SAINT HELENS)

Friendly played on Thursday 29th April 1948 in recognition of County signing Ken Finney from the club earlier that season. The result of the match played in St Helens is yet to be traced but Ken was due to play for his old side in the game.

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN

TURTON

First team friendly opponents in the early years of the 1890s with County recording a good series of results in games that were all played in Stockport. Turton went on to meet our reserves in the Lancashire Combination. Comp

H/A

UE-SAN JOSĂ&#x2030;

Opponents in the Third/Fourth place play-off for the 2006 San An Cup in Ibiza, that saw County leading 3-0 through two Tes Bramble goals and one from Liam Dickinson when the match was abandoned following an assault that did not involve any of the players or club staff of either side.

Manager James Gannon took his squad to Dublin and included a game with League of Ireland top- flight side UCD on 10th July. Liam Dickinson scored our first-half goal, but we were unable to get past County trialists keeper of the previous season Darren Quigley again, and drew 1-1 with a side who were in the middle of their 2007 season.

UPTON A A A

County sent a side to the Cheshire County Council Sports & Social Clubground to play this team in a pre-season game on 30 July 1991. They won 5-0 whilst the same night over in Sheffield the other half of the County squad beat Hallan 4-0.

VAUXHALL MOTORS

This club had met our reserves in the Cheshire Senior Cup and played a couple of friendly games, before the first teamers faced each other in a league match. We were struggling to find our feet after relegation to tier six and

to both clubs, even playing a cup final. That match came on May Day 1935 when the Hatters claimed the Division Three (North Cup) with a 2-0 victory at Maine Road, making up a little for their defeat in the inaugural final the previous season were Frank McDonough, Billy Bocking, Fred Jenkinson, Charlie Robinson, Len Jones, Bob Still, Jabez Foulkes (1), Joe Hill, Billy McNaughton (1), Eddie Green, Alex Scott. Other than that, Walsall often proved difficult opponents in League games.

the Motors took advantage to beat the Hatters with a late goal in the away match played midSeptember. As you can see the home game saw a much-improved result in what was overall a depressing season. Comp

H/A

VITÓRIA SETÚBAL

A major contrast with the previous opponents and the club’s situation at the time. Setubal were one of the teams we faced in Portugal as we prepare for our first season in the second tier for 50 years. Keiron Durkan gave County a half-time lead, but our hosts recovered to record a 2-1 win.

VLF BOCHUM

Comp

H/A

EFL

FAC

FLC

FL3C

FAQ FAQ FR

Abandoned

WARRINGTON TOWN

County have managed to win all three first team meetings against Warrington, two of which have come in the Cheshire Senior Cup since we dropped out of the Football League. Comp

H/A

CSC

Another tour opponent. Due to Bert Trautmann’s influence and contacts whilst General Manager at County a trip to West Germany was organised. This was the first of three games played and the visitors lost 2-3 in front of 3,500 spectators, with Dave Shawcross and Keith Allen scoring our goals.

WALSALL

We have met in most competitions available

County Heaven Hatter in Macc writes: Afternoon, everyone - and a warm welcome to the ‘Whites’ of Dover, who, having never visited Edgeley Park before 2020, are now making their second trip here within just over eight months (although, given subsequent events this year, it will feel a lot longer ago to all of us!). As was the case last term, they are also, geographically, our most-faraway opponents in 2020/21 - and we can only hope their journey here has been negotiated in rather less inclement conditions than ours was to the second-mostfaraway destination, Torquay, a week ago! Not that Dover will have begrudged the hard miles on the first day of February, when, on a gusty afternoon here, a second-half brace from Inih Effiong (now, luckily for us, plying his trade a tier higher with Stevenage) secured all three points to sweeten the schlep back to the Kent coast. Another tough assignment no doubt lies in wait today, but we Hatters will face it in great spirit after Tuesday night’s comeback in SK3 to edge out Halifax and get our campaign properly up and running. The first half in particular saw some entertaining football from both sides, while the second, of course, gave us, courtesy of Adam Thomas’ left-footed strike in front of the Cheadle End, an early contender for County Goal of the Season. The one regret, of course, was that there was no crowd inside to savour and celebrate it amid the added buzz usually generated under the Edgeley lights. But, in the circumstances we face ‘White’ now, a similar result against our long-distance travelling guests will suffice!

Sandbach Hatter writes: Ferry good, Maccy! In Tuesday evening’s programme, I introduced you all to County Heaven, and briefly mentioned our Games Room, but if you haven’t yet visited the forum, you may not fully appreciate how much this particular section has to offer. Firstly, we have not one but TWO prediction leagues – the original, well-established competition run by Maccy and long-standing Heavener Archie; then Ceefer’s more recent addition the season before last, which is based purely on predicting County’s matches. Next, we have my ‘Quiz Zone’, and whilst any newcomers will have missed out on the preceding 111 quizzes (yes, we really have been going that long!), there will be a new one starting soon – so now is the time to sign up and get involved. Then, if you enjoy a good rhyme or two, a visit to ‘Lennie’s Limerick Lounge’ is a must, because everyone’s favourite semi-retired goalkeeper sets a new poem for every County fixture throughout the season, but leaves the final line open for Heaveners to finish off. Finally, we have our ‘Other Fun and Games’ section, containing word and music association threads, the regular Caption Competition, and lots more. And, if all that were not enough, did I mention we also have our very own arcade room, where you can play classic computer games from yesteryear? Well, I have now! I could tell you what arcade games we have on offer, but in the light of today’s opponents, perhaps I should leave that particular little cliff-hanger for next time?!... Animo et Fide.

And, on that note, time for me to han-Dover to Sandy…’

www.countyheaven.com

Imagine Radio Chris Ridgway

I want to start by sincerely wishing well every area of the County family. This year has been the most challenging in many different ways, the stress put on all of us and the lack of outlets such as the football and other activities has been really hard to deal with. While no one is happier than me than that football (amongst other sports) is back, it’s really important we continue to reach out and talk to each other. Support for one another is vital right now. I also want to send thanks for every nice message we’ve had over the summer for the Legend Series and manager interviews. Martin and myself were blown away with the viewing figures they generated - collectively hitting over a QUARTER OF A MILLION views - as legends (and I don’t use that term lightly) relived and retold what County means to them. Onto the action, the long break has seemed even longer given the excitement generated by the off-field action and the incredible progress made, whereas Torquay didn’t go to plan by way of the result, the patterns in play and strategies being brought in by Jim Gannon were there to see. Plenty of praise for the Torquay goalkeeper that day, sometimes that’s just the way football goes. Halifax, however, was a different story. An early scare squashed by a swiftly executed, free flowing move

tucked away by Mark Kitching, who I have to say really impressed on the left flank, and then an early contender for Goal of the Season. No, that’s not me overselling or exaggerating, what Adam Thomas produced last Tuesday was nothing short of magic and worthy of winning any game of football. The fact it was Adam Thomas I thought was quite fitting of where we are as a team at the moment. The new faces that have come in have generated a higher level of play, but the fact one of the core group from the promotion season and before have got us over the line puts nicely in perspective what the manager is building here and what he brought in from day one. Wonder saves from Ben Hinchliffe and gladiator performances from Sam Minihan, Ash Palmer and Jordan Keane saw County maintain the identity built up over the last few years, while the qualities and energy from the likes of Lois Maynard, Connor Jennings and Macauley SouthamHales give us plenty of reason to believe this season really can be the positive campaign we hope it to be. Dover won’t be easy today, we’re in the stage of the season where we don’t really know what the opposition are capable of and how they’re going to play. They’ve had one good win, one defeat and will know all about the investment into County. The way they soaked up pressure and hit Notts County for a last-minute winner will be a warning for Jim Gannon today, concentration will be key if we’re to add to the three points earned on Tuesday night. As a fan I’m delighted with what’s happening at County, the step back towards normality is very welcome and the team look in great position to deliver what we already know they’re capable of. However you’re watching, enjoy the game today, we’ll be back before you know it!

Mark Kitching impressed on Tuesday

Chris Ridgway

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Oshor Williams It was great to see County mark their first home game of the season with a hard-fought but deserved 2-1 win over Halifax Town on Tuesday. Adam Thomas’s stunning 80th minute strike was well worth the wait and went some way to redress the disappointment of our opening day defeat at Torquay on Saturday when we cruelly succumbed to an injury-time goal. During the customary post-match debrief with my mate Big Jeff, the conversation gravitated to the subject of late goals and how ‘Fergie time’ as it is now generically known seems to play such a critical part in determining the most evenly balanced encounter. I have heard some of football’s cognoscenti claim that on average more goals are scored in the last ten minutes of a game than during any other period. And I suppose they could logically justify the rationale behind such a statement. By the 80th minute fatigue starts to creep in and the least disparity in the fitness levels of either side can prove costly. When energy reserves are challenged, focus and concentration drop leading to misplaced passes and unforced errors. There have of course been some late goals so dramatic that they make the terms ‘triumph’ and ‘disaster’ seem like one-word understatements. Who can forget Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s match winner for Manchester United against Bayern Munich in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final? And just to prove my nonpartisan credentials, I must also cite Sergio Aguero’s injury-time winner against QPR in 2012 which gave Manchester City their first top-flight title in 44 years.

Sergio Aguero wheels away after his injury-time winner for Manchester City against QPR in 2012

Who can forget Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s match winner for Manchester United against Bayern Munich in the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final?

Several studies have been conducted on ‘goal time frequency’ and although much of it bears out the 80-minute theory, the data also shows a spike in goal frequency between 40 and 45 minutes of the game, yes, that critical point just before half time. However, data and statistics can never tell the full story and with ‘in play betting’ if the statistical evidence was so compelling there would be some very wealthy punters buying the Bovril at Edgeley Park every home game. Stoppage time goals are also included in these

When energy reserves are challenged, focus and concentration drop leading to misplaced passes and unforced errors.

periods of goal intensity, as we found to our dismay against Torquay, so these five and ten minute phases can in fact become ten and 15 minute windows which can be a mighty long time in a tough fixture. I have uncomfortable memories of trying to dig out results in difficult away games. In the closing period of play when the pressure was at its most intense the hands on the stadium clock (they were analogue in those days not digital) always seemed to freeze. Time would stand still as the opposition lay siege to our goal for that last crucial 10 minutes. It shames me to say that we tended to succumb more often than we prevailed but there were some notable exceptions. So, what conclusions can we draw from statistics and data on goal frequency and the 80-minute plus theory? Well, frankly, not too many. One thing I do know is that the team with the most goals when the referee blows the final whistle invariably win the game. And for once I’m sure the statistics will back up that profound statement! Enjoy the game. Osh

The power to engage and connect through Digital Solutions

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Deadly Duos Steven Davies

Kevin Francis & Andy Preece Hello and welcome back to our second home game against Dover. Since it was my birthday on Thursday hopefully there will be more cause of celebration come full-time! Either way – I’ll be having a drink. For this edition of deadly duos I have decided to really go back to the early 1990’s when we would ply our trade in Division Four, which in new money is now called League Two. If you were lucky enough (or, cough, old enough) to remember these times then chances are you also saw some historical games that are never to be repeated, like the QPR game in the FA Cup - which although was slightly before my time (only by two seasons I might add). Now I watched the entirety of the match on the Stockport County YouTube channel where you can see the full game (and more) for free to which I wouldn’t even be able to imagine what it must have like to have been there, one word – scenes! We played QPR who were at that time a top Premier League side, with the likes of Les Ferdinand up front. And the rest, as they say, is history. The two goal-scorers on that day were Andy Preece and Kevin Francis, who between them were prolific with at least one of them scoring in each game. This would amass to over 50 goals in one season alone with numerous hat-tricks each, I think if you look at that QPR game for football masterclass - the Andy Preece winner which was a sweet volley really shows you the calibre of both strikers at that time. Kevin Francis, or Big Kev as he was affectionately known, came to County via Derby County in 1991 for £45,000 after the late great Danny Bergara spotted

Andy Preece

Kevin Francis

him in a reserve match. In the four seasons that followed he scored an amazing 26 goals, then 33 goals, 30 goals and was on 13 goals before his hometown club Birmingham came in with a £800,000 bid to tempt him away. Andy Preece on the other hand, came from just over the border from Wrexham in 1991 for just £10,000 and played just under 100 games, scoring just shy of 50 goals. That’s like a one goal in every two games ratio which by any standard in any league is an excellent achievement. This then resulted in a move to Crystal Palace in 1994 for £350,000 before he embarked on a coaching and managerial career. Both of these strikers are in their own class, and I could write an entire page on both. Yet together they managed to form the perfect partnership that would go down in County history as the definitive deadly duo! They not only shaped games but made results and created chances that would allow us to win the games we otherwise should have lost.

Community Foundation scfcfoundation.com

@scfcfoundation

Stockport County Community Foundation

0161 286 8888 option 3

County Walking Football sessions resume! We are delighted to announce our very popular weekly session is returning on Friday 16th October at the Power League Complex in Stockport from 11am to 12 noon. The session will be run at a reduced capacity to ensure current guidelines are adhered to. In order to ensure and reserve your place, you must call the Community Foundation office. Prior to the sessions being suspended due to Covid-19 we were delighted with our weekly Walking Football Programme which is now into its fourth year since we started the popular programme. The programme is currently being funded by The National League Trust alongside a very small donation from the players each week. The overall aim of this programme is to give adults the opportunity to get back into regular exercise in a relaxed and enjoyable environment. This weekly activity is very much a social occasion for men and women to meet every Friday morning over tea, coffee and biscuit and to chat and make new friends. We have seen the numbers grow steadily over the last four years and had over 50 players named on the weekly register before we unfortunately had to pause this activity due to Covid-19. We had regular support from our Stockport County players in the past with a number of players popping down throughout the season to have a look and join in the fun. We are looking forward to some of our new players joining

in with the sessions, when their training commitments allow over the coming months. The sessions are delivered by our Disability Manager Adrian and Sports Coaches Ian and Jack. The Foundation remains extremely committed to offering a complete range of sporting activities for children and adults right across Stockport regardless of age or their ability.

Making a difference in our community As we start to deliver and resume some of our programmes, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has supported us through this difficult period. The impact recent months will have on so many will impact everyone for such a long period of time and we are extremely passionate within the Community Foundation to make a positive impact to our community. We are extremely proud of all our existing programmes but also excited as we enter the new football season with many more new and impacting programmes planned over the next twelve months. Please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate in giving the team a call should you require any further information about us.

Junior & Adult Disability Programme

Another activity we are extremely proud of is our Stockport County Disability Programme. Adrian Rigby-Bates, The Foundation’s Disability Football and Fundraising Manager, said: “We are extremely proud of the opportunities we offer within our local community to over 250 children, young people and adults (Male and Female) with a range of physical and learning disabilities, mental health illness and complex needs to engage with football and sport and promoting a healthy lifestyle. We deliver weekly football and multi-sport coaching sessions for juniors and adults and provide the opportunity for participants to play in competitive monthly football tournaments. The project helps to extend opportunity, choice and control – benefitting those attendees physically, socially and emotionally. We would like to say how grateful we are to the National League Trust for their generosity in supporting our disability programme”.

The weekly Pan Disability football coaching sessions has seen significant growth across our Monday Junior disability session with participants to 15 players and Wednesday Adults sessions reaching 32 players. In addition, we work in partnership with Cheshire FA and oversee the Adult Ability Counts monthly league which has now three divisions (Premiership, Championship and League One) with an increased number of disability teams taking part with 14 teams. We at Stockport County are pleased to have three teams, with one in each division taking part. Alongside the adult section, we run a Junior League which has three Under-12s and Under-16s teams playing each month and this league together with the adult league have been extremely successful this season with some really positive feedback from the teams taking part. We are now in the process of resuming this very rewarding programme over the coming months and will keep everyone updated.

Goalz engagement sessions are back Our Goalz Stockport Youth Engagement Project has now resumed and we have been delighted to see the players returning since the sessions were suspended in March. We have been in partnership with the Youth Offending team at Stockport MBC for a number of years and on this project we have been using the power of football to engage with local people in Stockport. The Goalz Project has run once a week at the Power League complex in Stockport where we engage with young people currently in High School. The aim of these sessions include educating young people on health and wellbeing, raise young people’s aspirations, improve community cohesion, reduce anti-social behaviour and increase community pride. Matthew Bailey, Assistant Community Foundation Manager at Stockport County, said: “We have been delighted to be working in partnership with Stockport Council and Greater Manchester Police delivering our Goalz Project every Monday evening. The sessions delivered to the young people were designed to help learn new skills, meet and interact with new people in a fun and safe environment. During this difficult period for everyone, these sessions have highlighted the positive impact and important role this programme has for the young people in our community.”

Talking Football Sam Preston

Gareth Southgate made being England manager look easy at the 2018 World Cup.

Watching England became fun again at the 2018 World Cup

In under two years, he repaired the relationship between Three Lions players and fans which looked broken beyond repair. Watching England was fun again and playing for England looked fun for the first time in a generation.

The trio saw the off-field attention newbies Phil Foden and Mason Greenwood got for breaking the secure bubble and being sent home early from the last camp but went ahead and did something which delayed their arrival at the next one.

Suddenly, managing England looks difficult again. Southgate’s players - likeable, carefree and excellent in Russia – are making it an impossible job once more.

Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Jack Grealish have all been in the headlines during the pandemic. This new England group is slowly being dogged by the same off-field issues as the ‘Golden Generation’ before them.

Tammy Abraham, Ben Chilwell and Jadon Sancho couldn’t face Wales because they attended the former’s birthday party, which breached the ‘rule of six’, according to videos on social media.

So what does Southgate do? His diplomatic leadership style resonated in Russia and it’s clear that an entirely disciplinarian approach doesn’t work especially well on modern players.

His diplomatic leadership style resonated in Russia and it’s clear that an entirely disciplinarian approach doesn’t work especially well on modern players. “It’s a big thing for us when these incidents happen it takes a lot of time and focus and energy away from the team,” Southgate said. “We can’t afford that. We need the focus to be on the games. If you’re going into major tournaments and you have those sorts of incidents they can derail you. “I’ve seen that in the past. That wasn’t the case ahead of Russia. We went there in a very calm state. That allowed us to focus on our football. Other teams weren’t in the position and it had a detrimental effect.” He’s right, and the easiest solution to his problems would be for his players to start making his life a bit easier. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem especially forthcoming and that underlines the lot of the England manager. Chris Wilder is the Premier League’s outstanding English manager and would be my pick to succeed Southgate were he to leave tomorrow. We don’t know

how Wilder would deal with a national front page scandal, because he doesn’t have to at Sheffield United. That underlines the unique lot of the England manager. He can’t purely focus on on-field matters, but at present, Southgate faces plenty of headaches on the grass right now too. First choice goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is what Joe Hart was to Southgate in 2018; error-prone, overly pumped-up and under the microscope. Maguire is the only nailed-on central defensive pick but finds himself in turmoil at Manchester United. Midfield remains a mystery, with only Jordan Henderson guaranteed a place. Southgate is toying with a return to the three-man backline, but it didn’t work after the World Cup and was abject in Denmark last month. England were sweeping sides aside in 2019, in a manner which has seldom happened in the past, but all momentum has been lost and that is only partly down to the pandemic. It should be stated at this point that Southgate has plenty of credit in the bank with me. He is England’s best manager since Terry Venables and gave my generation their Euro ’96, our own Italia ’90 in 2018. He backed it up with another semi-final appearance in the 2019 Nations League and nothing would please me more than England going one better the re-arranged European Championship this summer, where of course the business end will be played out at Wembley. Southgate – and his England team – have under a year to rediscover their mojo or the questions will continue to mount.

Hatters v The Whites

Facts & Figures Head to Head

Goals scored

Played (all competitions): 2

County: 1

County: 1 Dover Athletic: 1 Draws: 0

Dover Athletic: 2

Last time out 1st February 2020, National League County 0-2 Dover 2 (Effiong 48’, 79’)

First competitive meeting

County slipped to a home defeat as a firstever meeting at Edgeley Park with the away-day specialists of Dover Athletic saw a contest of few chances go the way of the ‘Whites’, courtesy of a second-half brace for top scorer Inih Effiong.

Saturday 26th October 2019 National League Dover Athletic 0 Stockport County 1

The Hatters saw their cause was hampered on this occasion by having to play more than half the match with 10 men, after skipper Paul Turnbull received a straight red card.

Previous meetings

The home side fought valiantly but the visitors made their extra men tell and two Effiong goals in each half was enough for Dover to take the points.

Saturday 1st February 2020 National League County 0 Dover Athletic 2 (Effiong 2) Saturday 26th October 2019 National League Dover Athletic 0 County 1 (Mulhern)

Previous at EP County: 0 Dover Athletic: 1 Draws: 0

Team (4-2-3-1): Hinchliffe; Cowan, Palmer, Arthur, Clarke; Turnbull (Capt.), Keane; Thomas , McAlinden (Osborne, 39), Lloyd (Jackson, 85); Archer (Bell, 46). Unused Subs: Walker, Ormson Attendance: 4,506 (89 away)

They played for both clubs Dover FC: Johnny Johnson. Dover Athletic: Chris Allen, Jemal Johnson. Chris Allen

2020-21

CHE

Statistics National League Team Eastleigh Sutton United Hartlepool United Woking King's Lynn Town Bromley FC Halifax Town Notts County Solihull Moors Stockport County Torquay United Wrexham Dover Athletic Barnet Yeovil Town Wealdstone Weymouth Altrincham Macclesfield Town Boreham Wood Chesterfield Aldershot Town Dagenham & Redbridge Maidenhead United

W 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Home L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 1

D 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

F 2 3 2 2 2 4 2 3 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2

Away L 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 1

D 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 -

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A 1 1 1 0 2 0 2 1 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 2 0 3 0 2 0 2 2 3

W 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total L F 0 7 0 5 0 4 0 3 0 5 0 4 1 3 1 3 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 0 4 0 2 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 2 2

D 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Total

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Goals

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2

Goals

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 -

Subs

0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 -

F 5 2 2 1 3 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 2 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0

A 2 1 2 1 4 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 4 6 4 2 1 3 0 2 2 4 4 6

GD 5 4 2 2 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 -2 -3 0 0 -1 -2 0 -1 -1 -2 -3 -4

Play-Offs: Elimination Round (5th v 6th, 4th v 7th)

Cup Starts

Starts

Josh Barnes Nyal Bell Richie Bennett Ryan Croasdale Jordan Downing Max Greenhalgh Ben Hinchliffe Liam Hogan Jack Hopkins Connor Jennings James Jennings Jordan Keane Mark Kitching Lois Maynard Sam Minihan Ash Palmer Alex Reid John Rooney Macauley Southam-Hales Finley Stanyer Jamie Stott Adam Thomas Jordan Williams Own goals Total

W 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Play-Offs: Semi-Finals (2nd v 5th/6th, 3rd v 4th/7th) League

Player Roll-Call

A 1 0 1 1 2 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 5 2 0 1 0 0 0 2 2 2 3

Subs

Promotion

P 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 0 1 1 2 2 2

Starts

# 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

STERFIELD FC

0 0 2 0 0 0 2 1 0 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 -

0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 -

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2

Pts 6 6 6 6 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0

Form Last 6 Matches W W - - - W W - - - W W - - - W W - - - D W - - - W - - - - W L - - - L W - - - L W - - - L W - - - W L - - - W L - - - W L - - - L W - - - D D - - - D - - - - D L - - - D L - - - - - - - - L - - - - L - - - - L L - - - L L - - - L L - - - Relegation

National League Records

0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Biggest Win

Saturday 3 October 2020 Barnet 1-5 Eastleigh

Most Goals

Saturday 3 October 2020 Barnet 1-5 Eastleigh

Top Goalscorer

Ben House (Eastleigh) 3 = 3 Goals + 0 Penalties

Substitute and Man of the Match Adam Thomas scored the winner against FC Halifax Town, with an early goal of the season contender

# 1 16 24

National League Fair Play Team Hartlepool United 0 Stockport County 2 Yeovil Town 7

0 0 0

Pts 0 8 28

Cut off dates for number of yellow cards in league matches only, cups are different: 5 = Following 23 fixtures , 10 = Following 37 fixtures, 15/20 = End of the season Automatic league suspension starts next match after an offence, automatic cup suspension starts next match after an offence in the same competition Yellow cards are specific to each competition, red cards apply across all competitions All details up to date as of Thursday 8 October 2020

Kit Sponsorship Ben

Sam

Hinchliffe

HOME

BEN WALKER

STOCKPORT TADPOLES

LEE THORNEYCROFT

A WAY

AVA RAE FELLOWES

AVAILABLE

BENJI BRIGGS 02

John

Thomas

Richie

Rooney

Bennett

HOME

ANDY BIRCHENOUGH

MATTHEW STANDING

JACOB THORP

A WAY

AVAILABLE 07

AVAILABLE

THE ITALIAN 08

Jamie

Jordan

Stott

Macauley

Keane

Southam-Hales

HOME

ZANE PEAT

VIRIDOR

AVAILABLE

A WAY

AVAILABLE 15

AVAILABLE 16

Josh

AVAILABLE 17

Jordan

Barnes

Harvey

Downing

Gilmour

HOME

AVAILABLE

A WAY

AVAILABLE

Jennings

HOME

Adam

James

Minihan

AVAILABLE -

To sponsor a player, please contact Olivia Hanvey on 0161 266 2700 or olivia.hanvey@stockportcounty.com

Liam

Ash

Hogan HOME

HOME

IAN DOOLEY

MAYNARD FAMILY

A WAY

KEVIN AND SAM BOON

HJS JOINTING SERVICES LTD

Connor

AVAILABLE 06

Jordan

Jennings

Mark

Williams

Kitching

HOME

LEE THORNEYCROFT

AVAILABLE

KATE GLASS

A WAY

AVAILABLE 10

AVAILABLE 11

Ryan

AVAILABLE 14

Alex

Croasdale

Nyal

Reid

Bell

HOME

GARY KIMBER

MIKE WHORRALL

RAY JOHNSON

A WAY

AVAILABLE

ASHLEIGH THORP

TOMMY ARMSTRONG

Finley

Max

Stanyer

Greenhalgh

HOME

PHILL GREEN

AVAILABLE

A WAY

AVAILABLE -

Maynard

HOME

THE MOORE FAMILY

Lois

Palmer

AVAILABLE -

2020-21

Fixtures & Results Date

Opposition

Comp

Score

Att Pos

October 2020 Sat 3

Torquay United

A NL

0-1

- 21 Hinchliffe

Minihan

Jennings J

Maynard

Palmer

Hogan

Kitching

Tue 6

FC Halifax Town

H NL

2-1

- 10 Hinchliffe

Minihan

Southam-Hales ¹ Maynard

Palmer

Stott

Kitching 1 ²

Sat 10

Dover Athletic

H NL

Tue 13

Wealdstone

A NL

Sat 17

Chesterfield

A NL

Tue 27

Solihull Moors

H NL

Sat 31

Weymouth

H NL

Sat 24

FAC4Q

November 2020 Wed 11 Notts County

A NL

Sat 14

Dagenham & Redbridge

A NL

Sat 21

Eastleigh

H NL

Sat 28

Hartlepool United

A NL

December 2020 Sat 5

Bromley

Tue 8

Barnet

A NL

Sat 12

Sutton United

H NL

Altrincham

A NL

Mon 28 Wrexham

H NL

Sat 19 Sat 26

A NL

FAT3

January 2021 Sat 2

Altrincham

H NL

Sat 9

Maidenhead United

A NL

Sat 23

Boreham Wood

H NL

Tue 26

King's Lynn Town

A NL

Sat 30

Woking

A NL

Tue 5

CSC2

February 2021 Sat 6

Yeovil Town

H NL

Sat 13

Aldershot Town

H NL

Sat 20

Eastleigh

A NL

Tue 23

Notts County

H NL

Sat 27

Chesterfield

H NL

March 2021 Sat 6

Weymouth

A NL

Tue 9

Solihull Moors

A NL

Sat 13

Dagenham & Redbridge H NL

Tue 16

Barnet

Sat 20

Sutton United

A NL

Sat 27

Hartlepool United

H NL

April 2021 Fri 2

Aldershot Town

A NL

Mon 5

Bromley

H NL

Sat 10

Wrexham

A NL

Tue 13

King's Lynn Town

H NL

Sat 17

Maidenhead United

H NL

Sat 24

Boreham Wood

A NL

May 2021 Sat 1

FC Halifax Town

A NL

Mon 3

Wealdstone

H NL

Sat 8

Dover Athletic

A NL

Sat 15

Torquay United

H NL

Sat 22

Woking

H NL

Sat 29

Yeovil Town

A NL

Key:

CHE

STERFIELD FC

Bold = Goalscorer ¹ / ² / ³ = 1st / 2nd / 3rd Sub / = Yellow / Red Card = Penalty * = Own Goal

Rooney

Bennett ²

Jennings C ³

Reid ¹

Barnes

Stott

Keane ¹

Thomas ³

Bell ²

Rooney

Bennett

Jennings C ³

Keane

Barnes

Jennings J ²

Croasdale

Thomas 1 ¹

Reid ³

National League News CHE

STERFIELD FC

Neil Simms rounds-up the recent happenings elsewhere in the National League... We’re all set for the second Saturday of the season, and for many the third game in seven days, though many of the early favourites for promotion have already tasted defeat, with some surprising results in the first two round of fixtures.

Hulme scored 70 goals in three seasons for Phil Parkinson’s men, becoming a key figure in their rise from the Evostik Northern Premier League, though the board at Altrincham have assured fans the transfer fee will be reinvested to strengthen the squad.

Our opponents today, Dover Athletic, had a welldocumented struggle over the summer months to guarantee their participation in the National League, with revenue streams decimated by COVID-19, though a 1-0 opening day win against last season’s play-off finalists Notts County, who are many bookies’ favourites for promotion, certainly set those struggles aside in style, with victory all the sweeter after an 89th minute winner.

Like Alty, Kings Lynn Town were promoted from the National League North (somewhat controversially being awarded the title on a points-per-game basis, despite being second in the table when the campaign was cut short) and the upwardly mobile East Anglian club will fancy their chances of success this season, having gained backto-back promotions to reach this level.

Many have also tipped Boreham Wood to fare well this season, though they slipped to defeat at Wrexham last Saturday. Likewise Solihull Moors, who came unstuck at Woking, losing 2-1 despite taking the lead. Early season setbacks are perhaps to be expected though as teams gel and seek to regain match sharpness, which has been so blunted by six months away from competitive action. However, that can’t excuse a 5-1 home defeat, which was exactly what befell the Bees of Barnet last Saturday! That demolition job on one of last season’s play-off participants was carried out by Eastleigh, with four second half goals, including one from former County winger Abdulai Bell-Baggie on his debut, securing a dream result for manager Ben Strevens on his return to the club he served for seven years as a player. Altrincham returned to National League action for the first time in four years last Saturday, hosting fellow returnees Weymouth FC, who last played at this level in 2009. The game finished 0-0, though Alty’s mood may have been soured somewhat by the surprise departure of star striker Jordan Hulme, who moves on to National League North side AFC Fylde. Ben Strevens

Prolific striker Adam Marriott scored his 54th goal for The Linnets in just his 66th game for the club to earn a 2-2 draw with last season’s fourth-placed team Yeovil Town in front of the BT Sport cameras last weekend, in a game in which Kings Lynn fought back twice to gain their first point at this level. Tuesday night’s games saw second consecutive victories for Eastleigh, Hartlepool United, Sutton United and Woking, with three of those wins being 2-1 scorelines. Two goals from former Reading striker Ben House saw Eastleigh past Torquay, Hartlepool won on the road at Chesterfield after initially trailing and Sutton were the beneficiaries of an 85thminute own goal to win at Aldershot. Woking, meanwhile, defeated Weymouth 1-0. At the foot of the table lie Maidenhead United and Dagenham after back-to-back defeats. Both teams snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Tuesday Maidenhead conceded in the 82nd and 90th minute to lose at home to Kings Lynn, whilst Dagenham were undone by goals in the 85th and 88th minute at home to Barnet. The midweek home teams play host again today, so far Maidenhead and Dagenham in particular it’s a chance to quickly address their Tuesday night terrors as the first week of action concludes.

Rated Excellent On TrustPilot

Stockport County

Dover Athletic

1 Ben Hinchliffe

[1357]

1 Yusuf Mersin

2 Sam Minihan

[1359]

2 Joshua Passley

[1397]

3 Sam Wood

4 Liam Hogan

[1395]

4 Oscar Gobern

5 Ash Palmer

[1372]

5 Paul Rooney

6 Lois Maynard

[1394]

6 Will De Havilland

7 Adam Thomas

[1373]

7 Louis Collins

8 John Rooney

[1400]

8 Kurtis Cumberbatch

9 Richie Bennett

[1396]

9 Ahkeem Rose

James Jennings

10 Connor Jennings

[1339]

10 Steven Rigg

11 Jordan Williams

11 Jack Munns

12 The Blue & White Army

12 Bilel Hinchiri

14 Mark Kitching

[1398]

13 Josh Bexon

15 Jamie Stott

[1380]

14 Thomas-James Bramble

16 Jordan Keane

[1370]

15 Joe Bedford

17 Macauley Southam-Hales

[1401]

16 Marshall Wratten

18 Ryan Croasdale

(3.00pm unless stated) Aldershot Town v Torquay United Boreham Wood v Woking Bromley v Weymouth Dover Athletic v Eastleigh FC Halifax Town v Notts County Hartlepool United v Altrincham King’s Lynn Town v Wealdstone Maidenhead United v Dagenham & Redbridge Wrexham v Barnet Yeovil Town v Sutton United

Match Officials Referee Paul Marsden Assistant Referee 1 Elliott Heward Assistant Referee 2 Scott Taylor Fourth Official Matthew Young

Next At Edgeley Park

17 Travis Gregory

19 Alex Reid

[1399]

18 Harry Ransom

20 Nyal Bell

[1367]

19 Ade Azeez

21 Joshua Barnes

Today’s other Vanarama National League fixtures

20 Marvel Ekpiteta 21 Will Moses

The numbers in brackets are each player’s unique Stockport County Appearance Number (SCAN), showing his position in the list of players to make their debut for the club in a senior competitive game. For more information please visit www.scanscheme.org

Solihull Moors Tuesday 27th October 2020 Kick-off: 7.45pm Vanarama National League

Match Sponsor