Sport

Stockport County to open new club shop in heart of town centre

It'll sell exclusive merch as well as tickets

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 29th September 2026

Stockport County FC will be opening a new County Store in the heart of Stockport, selling official merch and tickets.

The club has announced it’s taking on a unit at the Merseyway shopping centre, close to the former Debenhams building.

From its new ground-floor location, Stockport County will be able to offer supporters even more access to the club, stocking a wide range of official merchandise including exclusive products and new releases.

Merseyway has welcomed more than a quarter of a million visitors in a single week over the summer – a record-breaker – and the new Stockport County club shop will join new arrivals like Søstrene Grene, Lovisa, Grape Tree, and Shoe Zone.

Gavin Bailey, CEO of Stockport County said: “We’re delighted to be opening another County Store in the heart of Stockport town centre.

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“As a Club, it is really important that we continue to strengthen our presence across the borough and make it as easy as possible for supporters to engage with County.

“Merseyway sits at the heart of a thriving town centre and this new location will give supporters a really convenient way to shop for County merchandise or purchase tickets whenever they are in town.

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“It is also an incredibly exciting time for this part of Stockport. There is significant investment taking place across the town centre and the plans for Mersey Square will completely transform the area immediately surrounding our new store.

“We’re really pleased to be playing a small part in that wider regeneration and establishing another permanent County presence right in the centre of the town.

“We’re also looking forward to working alongside the fantastic network of retailers and businesses already based here. We have received tremendous support from the Stockport business community over recent years and we’re proud to be joining them.

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““”We want the store to feel unmistakably County, with exclusive merchandise, new product ranges and plenty more planned as we continue to develop our retail offering.”

Cllr Micheala Meikle, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Skills at Stockport Council, said: “Stockport County means a great deal to so many people, so it is brilliant to see the club bringing a new store into the town centre. County are a huge part of Stockport’s story and identity, and this move is a real vote of confidence in the town centre as a place where people want to be.

“The store is a welcome addition to Merseyway and will bring something distinctive and proudly Stockport to the retail offer. As our £2bn regeneration programme continues to reshape the town centre, it is important that we celebrate the businesses that make Stockport special and County is absolutely one of them.”

Victoria Nichol, Centre Manager at Merseyway Shopping Centre, said: “Stockport County is a huge part of this town, so having a County Store at Merseyway will be a significant addition for us and for the town centre. It will put the club right in the heart of Stockport and give supporters a new place to visit beyond match days.

“Merseyway is going from strength to strength. We’ve welcomed new retailers, seen record footfall over the summer and built a year-round programme of events that bring people into the centre. The County Store will add to that momentum, joining a fantastic mix of high street brands, independent businesses and community spaces.”

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Further details, including the opening date and opening hours for the new County Store, will be confirmed in due course.

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Featured image: Stockport County

Sport

Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027

Lydia Mastrolonardo Lydia Mastrolonardo

Premier League Darts is confirmed to be returning to Manchester next year.

Now’s your chance to see the youngest world champion in darts history, AKA Warrington’s very-own Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler, show us how it’s done, as next year’s BetMGM Premier League Darts lineup has just been announced this week – with various dates confirmed across 17 different cities in the UK and Europe.

And Manchester is one of those cities, as the AO Arena has shared that they are set to host an evening next April, and we couldn’t be more excited about it.

This means that we will be lucky enough to witness the biggest names in world darts all under one roof, including headliners Gian van Veen and Luke Humphries, as well as Littler.

Manchester is the only northern city to get the pleasure of hosting the event next year, as Liverpool is also on the lineup, as is Leeds, Sheffield, and Newcastle, while elsewhere in the UK, the stars will travel to Glasgow, Birmingham, London, and several other major locations.

BetMGM Premier League Darts is to be held on Thursday 8 April at the AO Arena in Manchester, and to avoid being disappointed, fans are advised to register for presale ticket access.

Following a successful season of events in 2026, tickets are expected to be like gold-dust, so don’t say you haven’t been warned. 

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To access the first wave of tickets, fans must become an active PDCTV Annual Member before 23:59pm on Friday 9 October. Alternatively, general sale is on Thursday 22 October 2026, but make sure not to hang about.

Get tickets when they go live here.

Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sport

Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Crowd at football match

Andy Burnham has claimed he wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on fans getting to drink alcohol in football stands.

It’s a ban that’s been in place in the top five tiers of men’s football since 1985, when fears over violence and hooliganism were at their height, but now the Prime Minister has raised the question of whether drinking in football stands – or ‘drinking in sight / view of the pitch’, as it’s known formally – is actually unjust, due to the fact that same rules don’t apply to fans of other sports.

“I don’t think it’s fair for football fans to be singled out in that way,” Andy Burnham has declared this week, grabbing headlines in the process.

He continued: “I think that legislation dates to an era where football was very different, and I do believe there is a case to remove that discrimination.

“I’m not going to back away from what’s been a long-held view of mine. I don’t see how it can be fair that some supporters of one sport can be treated differently.”

The Prime Minister’s comments have been met with mixed response.

Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands / Credit: James Kirkup | Julia Nastogadka (via Unsplash)

The Football Supporters’ Association (FSA), for example, has very much welcomed the idea, saying that it ‘totally agrees’ the legislation is ‘outdated’ and ‘deserves to be reviewed’.

Tom Greatrex, chair of the FSA, said in a statement: “The FSA has always argued that it’s unfair to criminalise football fans for having a pint while watching the match – especially since you can sit in the same seat drinking alcohol whilst watching an Oasis gig or rugby league.”

However, on the flip side, the UK Football Policing Unit said it would be ‘incredibly rash’ to change the rules without proper consultation.

“Other sports simply don’t see the violence and criminal behaviour from their supporters that football does, albeit a minority, with alcohol often playing a significant part in violent and disorderly behaviour,” it said in a statement on the matter.

The Prime Minister did state in his initial proposition though that ‘there are different ways it could be done’, hinting that it could be done ‘on a trial basis’ perhaps.

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The English Football League (EFL) added that it would be ‘receptive to discussions around reviewing current legislation and permitting alcoholic drinks within view of the pitch’.

No formal details on a review have been confirmed as of yet, so fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates in due course.

Featured Image – Pexels

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