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.
Co-op Live confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 Netball Super League Grand Final
Danny Jones
Manchester’s Co-op Live has booked its latest big event as the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) Grand Final is set to be held at the massive indoor venue.
As one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues not just in the country but all of Europe, there’ll be room for plenty of UK fans to pile into the stands.
This being not only the NSL‘s debut at the arena but the first final to ever be held in the building, it’s set to be a historic night for lots of reasons.
Announcing the huge coup – not just for the increasingly popular female-led competition, but for sports fans around Greater Manchester in general – this week, the reaction to the big date on the women’s sporting calendar has been just as big.
As mentioned in an official press release, “The selection of Co-op Live for the 2026 Soft & Gentle Grand Final builds on the arena’s rapid emergence as a global destination for sport and entertainment, following a programme of major global broadcasts across music and sport.”
The 23,500-capacity and completely indoor stadium has quickly established itself as a leading destination for live music and more since it finally opened back in May 2024.
Last year’s Super League Grand Final was held down in the capital at The O2 Arena as the fast-rising franchise London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning 53–45 to lift the title for the first time in history.
Now, the NSL is looking to capitalise on those record-breaking crowds by bringing the action closer to another foundational home for so many competitive disciplines: Greater Manchester.
With England Netball themselves being headquarted at the England Netball is headquartered at the National Squash Centre and Regional Arena on the Etihad Campus (next door to the arena), choosing Co-op Live only felt natural this time.
Elsewhere, another big tournament is being held up in the North, too, with the Netball Super Cup set be hosted at the Utilita Arena over in Yorkshire – much to our mates at The Sheff‘s delight.
Treat a netball fan in your life ❤️
🤝 Help them start #NSL2026 in style and get them tickets to see the Netball Super Cup live.
As for Co-op Live itself, general manager Guy Dunstan commented: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Soft & Gentle Grand Final to Co-op Live and to make history by hosting the first sporting final at the arena.
“Co-op Live was designed to bring people together for unforgettable shared experiences, and this reflects everything [we] stand for: world-class events, inclusivity, community impact and inspiring the next generation. We can’t wait to see Manchester play host to such a landmark moment for the sport.”
As always, official Co-op members get early access through the venue’s dedicated presale window, which will open at 10am on Monday, 2 March.
Meanwhile, general admission will then be available from the same time the following Thursday (5 Mar); you can get ready to grab your tickets for the Netball Super League Grand Final in Manchester at Co-op Live right HERE.
Featured Images — Publicity pictures (supplied via Co-op Live)
Sport
Pep Guardiola delivers important reminder about multiculturalism after Jim Ratcliffe controversy
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has delivered an important message about the power of multiculturalism in his most recent press conference.
Guardiola’s comments come after the high-profile controversy surrounding his rival club across the city, Man United, whose co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, saw some of his recent remarks fall under major scrutiny.
In case you somehow missed it, the Failsworth-born British billionaire was heavily criticised after claiming he believes the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”.
Fast forward a couple of days, and while the club and the fan base are still dealing with the fallout of the story, Pep acknowledged the debate by reminding people that “embracing other cultures” makes for a “better society”.
Well put, Pep – in fact, we couldn’t have said it better ourselves.
Although he didn’t reference the 74-year-old directly after being probed on the subject by journalists, the Man City boss reiterated that his time spent living and working across the world has only broadened his mind and enriched his life.
That goes for both his professional and personal spheres, by the way, as the Catalan coach has often spoken of his love for English culture and the Manc people, specifically.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup game against local side Salford City, Pep described the attitudes towards immigrants around the world as a “big problem” despite most people simply leaving their country in search of “a better life”.
He also drew attention to the fact that he, like so many others in football – a sporting industry loved the world round by people from all walks of life and that the likes of Ratcliffe directly benefit from – is an immigrant working and contributing to not just the game but the British economy by being here.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have since shared a public statement on their club website and across social media, reiterating to fans and supporters the world over that they are an “inclusive club”.
‘We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride.’
The INEOS chairman, CEO and minority stakeholder in Manchester United Football Club, has since apologised (at least in part) for his “choice of language” following the divisive interview with Sky News.
In a world where plenty of people are quick to pessimism, negativity and turn to division almost by default, Pep’s message is one echoed by so many and is one that we should all keep in mind.
And for anyone who needs a more light-hearted bit of content on their timeline this week, here’s what else Pep said in his pre-match presser…
Pep Guardiola responding to a really intelligent question from a reporter:
‘Do you want to be my assistant coach, fucking hell, you are brilliant…’
Emily Sergeant -
14th March 2024 
