Stockport County has launched a public consultation for fans and local residents to view the clubs plans to ‘expand and improve’ their historic Edgeley Park stadium.
With the Greater Manchester team having secured their place back in the English Football League after 11 years following the title-winning 2021/22 campaign, the nearly 140-year-old club is now plotting a return to the Championship.
That being said, part of the rebuild includes “investing in infrastructure” through developing the stadium, the sporting facilities they need to compete at a higher level, and hopefully sending a “ripple effect reaching further into Stockport itself, boosting the town and its economy”.
More seats and facilities
These are the words of County’s non-executive chairman and Vita group director (their primary sponsor), Ken Knott, who revealed in a statement that ownership is now proposing to “deliver new stands in phases, culminating in a final capacity of approximately 20,000 seats”.
Credit: Stockport County
For context, Edgeley Park’s current capacity is just over 10,000. Not only are these plans looking to double the number of matchday seats and tickets but they also intend to update the existing hospitality facilities and a new ‘flexible workspace’ covering around 30,000 square feet.
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As the proposal goes on to explain: “The vision for an expanded Edgeley Park includes brand new East (Railway) and South (Together/Popular) Stands, bringing each roughly in line with the height of the existing Cheadle End, and an expansion to the North (Danny Bergara) Stand to run the full length of the pitch.”
While there are currently no plans to expand the Cheadle End itself – currently the biggest stand – fans will likely have a clearer picture of what the ground could look like in the near future, with the Railway End the first to be addressed starting summer 2023.
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Public consultation period
As part of the first phase of consultation, public drop-in sessions are due to be held on the following dates:
Wednesday, 28 September: 10am – 1pm and 4pm – 6.30pm, held in the 1883 suite
Thursday 29 September: 2pm – 7pm, held in the 1883 suite
Saturday, 1 October: 11am – 2pm
The October date concludes just an hour before kick-off in their scheduled fixture against Walsall, where higher-ups promise to be outside greeting and speaking to fans.
Premier League Darts is returning to Manchester’s AO Arena in 2027
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.
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.
Featured Image – Sandro Halank (via Wikimedia Commons)
Sport
Andy Burnham wants to scrap the ‘unfair’ ban on drinking alcohol in football stands
Emily Sergeant
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.
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.
Danny Jones -
22nd September 2022 
