Stockport County head for Wembley for the League Two play-off final in rude health after a decade of serious decline which almost killed the club. twoht
After five games of this season, Stockport County supporters might have been forgiven wondering whether they were promoted back into the EFL a year early. With just one win and three points to show for their efforts, they were 21st and only just above the relegation places.
And now to Wembley for the final against Carlisle United. Ticket sales have been strong, but not as strong as they might have been. The last official update was that 13,000 had been sold – the club gets an allocation of more than 39,000, so there’s no particular rush – but even though the final number is likely to be impressive, it may be slightly deflated somewhat by the fact that the match is kicking off at 1.30pm.
Stockport’s return to the EFL last year came after an absence of 11 years, a period which pushed the club to the brink of its own viability. The decline from the much-celebrated 2-1 win against Manchester City in the First Division in March 2002 to the two successive relegations which sent them tumbling into non-league football nine years later was shocking enough.
The club came under new ownership in January 2020, with businessman Mark Stott taking over. He has put a lot of money into Stockport – part of the deal with him buying it was paying the club’s debt down to zero – but he is at least local, a lifelong supporter, and crowds have swollen to over 10,000 with the team now not only back in the EFL but also flourishing in it.
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