The owner of Stockport County Football Club has officially invested in his second European team.
Greater Manchester businessman Mark Stott, who is also the founder of their principal sponsors Vita Group, has owned Stockport County since January 2020, helping oversee their rise back into the EFL and now as promotion contenders in League One.
The local entrepreneur behind the Cheshire-based property developers obviously has other investments in his portfolio, and after news of him backing a second side, Stott has shared an update with County supporters to assure them of his continued commitment to the Hatters.
Penning an open letter to the fans, the 53-year-old began by wishing his dedicated matchgoers a happy new year before going on to clarify his plans for both organisations.
Club Statement: Owner Mark Stott has written an open letter to all County supporters.#StockportCounty
“First and foremost, I want to say how proud I am of Stockport County and of everything we have achieved together”, says Stott. “We begin 2026 competing strongly in League One, with a clear long-term plan for the club and the incredible backing you give week in, week out.
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“Our progress on the pitch and the stability we have built off it are the result of a genuine collective effort. I never lose sight of the vital role you all play in that success.
“Since becoming the owner of Stockport County in January 2020, my focus has been on the club and its long-term progress. With that in mind, it’s important to me that I update you on other sporting investments by Stott Capital that you may be aware of.”
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Citing his big picture project, the Pro Football Academy, as having now become “the largest football coaching business in Europe”, not to mention the F2 sporting social media platform, Stott Capital has now taken its increasing global presence in the industry by investing in Debreceni VSC (DVSC).
Title contenders in Hungary’s top league, Nemzeti Bajnokság (N1), DVSC are based in the nation’s second largest city – not dissimilar to Greater Manchester after London here in the UK.
Seven-time division champions themselves, they are one of the most established sides in the country.
Moreover, Mark has reiterated that, like his work with County, “Hungary has invested significantly in football infrastructure over the past decade”, also vouching not only for DVSC’s rich history already but a “strong talent pipeline.”
It remains unclear just how big a share they now own, but it is reported to be a majority stakeholding; as for their Stopfordian counterparts, could we see Stockport players being loaned out to Hungary and vice versa, as well as pre-season friendlies between the two? Only time will tell.
He goes on to reiterate that Stott Capital’s relationship with DVSC “does not change our plans for Stockport County“, clarifying that “the two clubs will operate entirely independently, and I remain firmly committed to delivering on our ambitions.”
Now six years into the ownership group’s seven-year plan to transform County and get them back into the Championship (a goal they’ve very nearly reached), Stott added that there will be continued funding into the SCFC infrastructure, youth academy, the Edgeley Park stadium and more.
Promising more details this coming summer, he signed off by adding: “Thank you, as always, for your trust, passion, and incredible support. I’m excited about where we can take Stockport County in the years ahead. Mark.”
Featured Images — Stockport County FC (supplied)/Thaler Tamas (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
The Manchester-born clothing brand being worn by some brilliant Northern sporting talents
Danny Jones
Back in 2020, HEX MCR burst onto the casualwear and sporting apparel scene and quickly became a cult favourite not just around Greater Manchester, but within the boxing and combat sports world as a whole.
They may have been away for a little while, but now under new ownership and hoping to venture even further out into the fashion industry than ever, they’re definitely ones to watch.
We wouldn’t quite call it a comeback fight, but they’re definitely starting to make a splash on their return to the scene.
Having been acquired by Craig Chiocci, a Wigan-based entrepreneur who owns a telecommunication company of the same name, 2026 looks set to be the year you’ll see more of their label out and about than ever – in fact, they’re already teaming up with some more British boxing talents once again.
Calvin Moyo wearing HEXThe worker bee insignia is never far away*Adds to basket*HEX hoodies have always been popularCredit: HEX MCR (supplied)
Continuing their trend of backing Northern fighters, in particular, they’ll be backing Doncaster-born boxer, Dave ‘The White Rhino’ Allen, for his hometown bout against top heavyweight, Filip Hrgović.
Allen, 34, will face off against the Croatian pugilist at the Eco-Power Stadium on Saturday, 16 May – donning the latest HEX MCR gear ahead of the fight, of course.
It’s far from the first time their casualwear will have been worn by a well-known face, either; the Manc brand has also been represented by the likes of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Luke Brassfield – who’ll be fighting at BKFC Birmingham on Saturday, 30 May – as well as plenty of boxers.
Joe Howarth, Kian Hamilton, Liam Carrigan, and many others have all pulled on their hats, hoodies, graphic t-shirts and more.
Crediting the original founders, Luke Powell and Andy Gibson – who started the company as a pandemic project in 2020 – Chiocci said: “They did a fantastic job getting HEX to where it is. It grabbed my attention as I was a consumer first, who simply appreciated the exceptional designs and premium quality.
“Manchester and the North West are a hive of activity at the moment, producing the best creative people who are developing fantastic brands and designs in the fashion industry. HEX is one of those brands that has the potential to truly make an impact.”
Craig has made it abundantly clear that he’s got big plans for the future of the already popular independent business moving forward.
For instance, as part of this revival, they’ve just released a new line of headwear to their clothing range, made more premium than ever and with each piece showcasing the ‘HEX Worker Bee’ logo design on the side panel as a nod to the Northern Quarter and the city’s industrial origins.
Speaking to The Manc, he went on to add: “This is just the start, Dave has been very helpful to us in supporting our growth and seeing our vision for HEX within the Boxing scene, we can’t wait to repay the favour in supporting him in his upcoming fight.
“We think he will surprise a lot of people and get the result. He’s in fantastic shape. We are a brand formed from the back streets of Manchester, and we feel that the brand is suited to fighters who have to show true grit and resilience.”
If you fancy adding their latest stuff to your fits, you can help support a rising local indie by checking out the full HEX MCR collection right HERE.
Their new Hybrid Sports HatActor Adam Thomas wearing HEX(L-R) Dave Allen, Craig Chiocci, Liam CarriganWill ‘Brasshammer’ Brassfield win in HEX this month?Credit: Supplied
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Hex MCR)
Sport
Barca or back home? – Marcus Rashford makes feelings known on his future
Danny Jones
Marcus Rashford looks to have made his feelings on his future at Barcelona perfectly clear in a recent interview after winning his first senior championship and second trophy in Spain.
Rashford, a lifelong Man United fan and Carrington academy graduate, is only on loan at the Catalan club, but Barca does have the option of buying him on a permanent transfer.
A few rumours had been circulating that the newly crowned La Liga champions were unsure about activating that clause; however, these looked to have been largely quashed, and if there was any doubt around whether or not most fans want him to stay, he certainly helped put that to bed on Sunday night.
More importantly, the Manchester-born England international and still-growing European star has said, in no uncertain terms, that he wants to stay at the Camp Nou.
As you can see, during his post-match interviews after lifting the league title with the Spanish giants, Rashford was asked whether he would like Barcelona to sign him full-time.
While he may have acknowledged that the proposed permanent purchase price – said to be between £26-30 million – and his wages (of which Barca are covering in full after he agreed to a 25% pay cut) may still prove to be an obstacle, he would like to remain with the Blaugrana.
Speaking further with BBC Sport, the 28-year-old said: “I always had an admiration for Barcelona, that was my second team, so yeah, it’s a dream to come here, and to win is so important to me.”
He also confessed that finally winning a league title in such a big way, against their biggest rivals, Real Madrid, is a huge moment in his career.
In case you missed it, ‘Rashy’ opened the scoring in the 264th edition of ‘El Clásico’ with an absolute wondergoal that is one to behold from pretty much any angle…
Yeah, as far as worldies go, you won’t find many better than that in his catalogue, though he has scored a few fantastic free-kicks over the years.
Taking his tally for the season to 14 goals and 14 assists across all competitions – a fitting figure given it’s the same one as his current shirt number – one of his best overall returns in a few years.
Now well and truly within those ‘prime years’ for a footballer, it’s more crucial than ever that he not just regain his form but maintain, especially with a World Cup looming, so it’s no surprise that he’s looking to continue his journey there.
You can watch the highlights from the latest Clásico clash and title-deciding match down below.
These are the games players dream of playing in, let alone scoring in such style.
Danny Jones -
7th January 2026 
