Stockport County has unveiled grand expansion plans that propose to nearly double the capacity of its home stadium.
The football club yesterday launched the next phase of consultation on plans for a phased expansion of its historic Edgeley Park stadium, which – if approved – would look to increase the capacity from 10,852 up to c.18,000.
Plans for the expansion and enhancement of the Stockport team’s home ground were initially announced back in 2022, when the Club firs introduced its “vision” for the stadium and surrounding area, and called on its loyal fans and the local community for their feedback.
The Club says the feedback it received during that first consultation was “instrumental” in shaping the “core objectives” for the expansion as this next phase launches.
An exciting series of new artist impression images and an accompanying video showcasing what Edgeley Park could look like following the refurbishment and expansion has also been released by the club, alongside the plans.
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Stockport County has today launched its next phase of consultation on plans for a phased expansion of Edgeley Park, which would increase capacity from 10,852 up to c.18,000.
The initial phase would include the eastern expansion and enhancement of the historic North Stand (Danny Bergara Stand) and East Stand (Railway End).
The expanded North Stand would provide around 600 additional seats, increasing its capacity to around 2,680, while the new East Stand would see its capacity increase from 1,366 up to around 4,500, and, as part of the plans, the North Stand’s historic brick frontage along Hardcastle Road would be retained and repaired.
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Subject to securing planning permission, the Club says it wants to begin work on the North Stand eastern extension in early 2025.
Then, as part of the Club’s longer-term plans, it’s envisaged that the South Stand (Together Stand) would be redeveloped to increase its capacity to around 5,500, while the final element would be a western extension to the North Stand to provide another 600 seats.
Stockport County has unveiled grand plans to expand Edgeley Park / Credit: Stockport County FC
But, other than the capacity increase, what else are the plans proposing then?
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Well, according to Stockport County, the plans propose to create a “true community stadium” with access to a wide range of spaces for the local community, create a better matchday experience for all – including more covered seating, with a “great view” of the pitch – and improve the stadium’s accessibility for those with disabilities and additional needs.
On top of this, the plans also look to offer “quick and easy” routes into and away from Edgeley Park for the benefit of fans, visitors, and local residents, and intend to make the stadium more “environmentally-friendly and sustainable”, where possible.
And, as Stockport County is already on its way to become locally known-for, the plans also intend to provide a greater range of high-quality food and drink options too.
If approved, it would increase the capacity of the team’s home ground from from 10,852 up to c.18,000.
The Club says the latest proposals and next round of consultation launched this week are based on a phased approach to “investing in improvements” to Edgeley Park in order to “ensure sustainable growth” for the future.
Stockport County says it’s intends to submit a hybrid planning application for the expansion in the next few months – which would follow on from this next round of the consultation process.
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Keen to have your say?
The second round of consultation on the plans for Edgeley Park is now underway, and will remain open until Wednesday 3 April 2024, so to get involved and give your feedback, you’ll just need to complete the feedback form on the Stockport County website here.
Or, if you’d prefer to do it in person, there’s several public drop-in sessions taking place at the stadium as part of the consultation on Tuesday 19 March at 3pm-7pm, Saturday 23 March at 2:30pm-5pm (matchday event), and Monday 25 March at 11am-3pm.
You can also see more information on the plans overall on the Stockport County website here.
Corey Blackett-Taylor ruled out injured for the rest of the season
Danny Jones
Bolton Wanderers winger Corey Blackett-Taylor has been ruled out for the rest of the season following injury.
With not that long left in this year’s campaign and the playoff scrap set to ramp up even further in the coming weeks, it’s an unfortunate twist of fate for the Trotters.
Despite still being only a relatively recent signing, having just joined Bolton in the most recent January transfer window, it didn’t take long for him to make a good impression.
Scoring on debut in a 1-0 away win against AFC Wimbledon, the 28-year-old is now set to miss the remainder of the 2025/26 term, letting supporters know the news on Friday, 27 March.
Blackett-Taylor was forced off in the game against Rotherham United after pulling up in the wake of taking a shot, ultimately being subbed in the first half.
It was quickly confirmed to be a thigh injury, and while the specific nature and severity of the damage haven’t been fully detailed, he has now informed fans that his season is over.
Writing on Instagram, he said: “Instantly from arriving at the club, I felt the passion and support from the fans, club, staff and players.
“I have no doubts [about] the club achieving their targets of promotion – I want to say a huge thank you for making me feel so welcomed and comfortable. Unfortunately, my season is concluded due to my injury, but I’ll be here supporting the team to the very end.”
He isn’t the only impactful League One player at a side eyeing up the Championship to have been hampered by setbacks on the physio bench, with rivals Stockport County also confirming an absence at this crucial point in the campaign.
Not ideal for either of the Greater Manchester hopefuls.
Once again, while the recovery period for both of these players has already begun, the exact timelines for their return remain to be seen.
That being said, chances are we’ll see the Derby County loanee back in action before Hills, though we’ll have to wait to find out whether it will be at the Toughsheet Stadium or back with his parent club.
Who do you think is going to clinch that third promotion place at Wembley come this May?
The Oldham Man and The Sea: the documentary about the Latics owner’s record-breaking Atlantic voyage
Danny Jones
It doesn’t matter if you’re not an Athletic fan or native to the borough; we think everyone should go along to watch the much-anticipated documentary about football club owner Frank Rothwell and his record-breaking journey across the Atlantic Ocean: The Oldham Man And The Sea.
One of the simplest and most satisfying names for a film we’ve heard in a long time.
For anyone who doesn’t know about the Oldham Athletic FC chairman turned OBE’s incredible story, Frank Rothwell has set multiple records with his impressive sea-faring feats in recent times.
This new doc, which just premiered at this year’s Manchester Film Festival, charts his latest trip across one of the biggest bodies of water on the planet in March 2024.
As you can see from the recent trailer, it’s almost as arduous a tale as the original Hemingway story.
This movie – produced by Journeyman Pictures and Chief Productions – made its full debut at the Odeon in Great Northern Warehouse for MFF 2026, and is set to have a number of other screenings in and around Greater Manchester in the coming weeks and months.
One of those is happening rather soon, in fact, over at Saddleworth’s Millgate Arts Centre on Saturday, 28 March, which is ideal for those local to the region; grab your tickets now.
ln fact, there’s also one happening even closer to his hometown the following month, with Oldham’s very own Queen Elizabeth Hall also hosting a special screening of Rothwell’s incredible achievement.
You can reserve your seats for that one right HERE.
Having not only become the eldest (70) Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge finisher back in 2021, but now holding the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to ever complete the crossing while rowing solo at 73 years old, he’s become nothing short of a local hero – and that’s just his stewardship of the Latics…
The film does, obviously, touch on his time at the helm of the League Two side, who finally returned to the EFL last June, but the heart and soul of this inspiring watch is the sail itself.
More importantly, it also documents not just the gruelling nature of the 64-day, seven-hour and 53-minute trek, but also how Frank has now helped raise more than £1.4 million on behalf of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
What an absolute icon.
Hopefully, this should be just about all the reason you need to watch The Oldham Man And The Sea the very next opportunity you get to do so – and, of course, all proceeds from ticket sales will also be going to charity, because just the kind of bloke he is.
And here’s hoping we get a streaming version sometime soon.
Emily Sergeant -
14th March 2024 
