ABOUT
Football has been played at the site of Woodley Sports Village for many years including the previous teams of Woodley Sports and Stockport Sports. Both have now ceased to be, and the site was redeveloped in 2012 into the modern sports facility you see today. Stockport Town FC began in February 2014 and developed a first-team squad in preparation for the 2014/15 season.
The club, led by manager Calum Sykes, proceeded through a campaign of friendly fixtures and the club's first ever non-competitive match at Stockport Sports Village (SSV) came against Stalybridge Celtic in July 2014 although they lost 5-0. The first season included 35 games against various first and reserve teams with 17 wins. In 2015 Town were accepted into the North West Counties Division 1. The first league game at SSV was a 2-2 draw with Widnes FC in front of a crowd of 78. In their first competitive season they achieved an excellent 4th place finish with 63 points. In the following 2016-7 season in December, Town suffered a mauling and their record defeat of 0-10 to AFC Liverpool. Calum Sykes moved on to pastures new at New Mills and was replaced by Dave Wild. Fortunes turned around as they then lost only 4 of the 18 games he was in charge, finishing in 10th with 64 points and scoring 92 goals. The 2017-8 season was similar in many respects, finishing 10th again, on 53 points, but with another heavy defeat (8-1) away at Prestwich Heys and another change of manager in March with Dave Wild and staff joining Mossley. Jake Davies and Tom Upton took charge for 11 games before Alan Lord was named as manager for the next season, with the two of them in support. The 2018-9 season saw the North West Counties League expanded and Division One was divided into North and South. Town were allocated to Division One South and as it happens, yet again, they finished mid table in 10th with 53 points! 10th place was clearly becoming something of a habit now, finishing in that position on 37 points after just 29 games of the 2019-2020 season as it fizzled out, truncated by Covid, although Town did rack up a great 8-2 record (home) win against Maine Road along the way. More managerial and ownership changes were afoot just before the season trickled to that early finish. Robbie Savage joined the club in the November with the object of helping young players who had been released by other clubs to get back into the game. In December 2019 Carlos Roca took over as Chairman and oversaw the season’s premature end and (yet again!) 10th place finish.
Football began to get going again in the 2020-21 season, albeit somewhat chaotically due to various COVID restrictions. Robbie Savage departed for Macclesfield Town in the October and Town finished a theoretical 4th having played 8, won 4 and on 14 points. It is worth saying at this point that through Town’s first half dozen season’s crowds had been modest (generally double-digit figures), changes were coming. In July 2021 Stockport County owner Mark Stott acquired a controlling interest and appointed Matt Jensen as manager, cementing a 2018 agreement between the clubs to share management and coaching knowhow, also signing County legend Paul Turnbull from Curzon Ashton. Mid-season Paul replaced Matt Jensen as player manager with Mike Jeffries as his assistant. Experienced players Tom Morris, Scott Maguire and Sam Hare also joined the squad from 1874 Northwich. Town finished in about their customary mid-table position of 11th on 48 points. The 2022-23 season saw the arrival of James Vincent bringing considerable experience of Scottish topflight football – a 3rd place Premier League finish and two cup finals including scoring the winner against Falkirk in the 2015 Cup Final! Things improved on the pitch seeing Town finish 2nd on 92 points, one short of the champions Wythenshawe. Town lost in the play-off semi-final to Cheadle Town 2-0 thanks to very late 83rd and 97th minute goals from the visitors. The 2023-24 season saw Town compete for the first time in the two FA competitions, Cup and Vase, losing in the Cup Extra Preliminary Round 1-0 at home to Ramsbottom Utd and away at Maltby Main3-1 in the Vase. The league that season was dominated by runaway leaders Brocton, but Town finished 2nd and were in the play-offs yet again. By this time home crowds were routinely in the mid 200s. After a nail-biting victory over Droylsden in the semi-final, there was heartbreak in losing to Abbey Hey on penalties but in front of a (then) record crowd of 904. Promotion however was still secured unusually by virtue of some league re-organisation liberating another place which was awarded on the basis of points per game.
Town’s first season in the 9th tier, the NWCFL Premier Division proved interesting in many ways, oddly gaining many more points away (1.7/game, GD +3) than at home (1.17/game, GD -6) but finishing in a creditable 10th place on 66 points, a good start. The home game to Chadderton, which was not particularly feisty had a remarkable 11 cards (inc. 2 red and 2 blue (sin bins)). The league game against St Helens had the unusual moment of the ball going straight through the goal net but was given as the officials had a clear enough view to award the goal! Being now in the same league as Isle of Man FC was much appreciated by the Town fans who went over and enjoyed a warm welcome and came away with 3 points with a late winner from Ethan Padden. After long-term injury it was great to see club captain Sam Hare return towards the end of the season. The home game to Bury saw the record (and maximum) attendance of 1240 reached which was also goalkeeper Josh Schofield’s 150th game for Town. Fortunes in the cup tournaments were mixed, going out at the first hurdle in the FA Cup to 1874 Northwich, who brought with them ex-Lion Scott McGowan, and in the Cheshire Senior Cup to Winsford. Town got further in the FA Vase, reaching the 1st round proper but went out 0-2 at West Didsbury and Chorlton and similarly went out of the Macron Cup at home 0-3 to Droylsden in the 2nd round. So overall a good start in the 9th tier. Average league gates were up to 294, and if one takes the untypical Bury crowd out of that, a very pleasing 251.
As Town look to push on for the 25-26 season, they changed their home team colours to blue shirts and white shorts with pale pink for the away kit.
Town have worked hard to make a family-friendly, inclusive club and a good loyal supporter base has emerged from humble beginnings, earning praise for Fairplay awards and even from ground-hopping fans giving it 10/10 for its pies and pints! The club is pleased to support local charities including Widowed and Young for which there is an annual fund-raising match.
