Edgeley Park – stadium description

What were the early days of Edgeley Park?

Edgeley Park was originally built for the rugby league team, Stockport RFC, who leased the ground owned by the Sykes family in 1891. The first rugby match was played here on September 3, 1891, with the initial construction of a small covered main stand on the north side and terraced stands on the east and south sides.

In 1902 Stockport County FC became co-hosts of the stadium and played their first game here on September 13, 1902 (a 1-1 draw with Gainsborough Trinity FC). The rugby league team was soon disbanded and Stockport County remained the only club playing at Edgeley Park, where it still plays today. In subsequent years the stands around the pitch were gradually extended.

What events are associated with Edgeley Park?

In 1935 the wooden main stand on the northside burnt down, and with it the club's archives. A new stand was built in its place a year later. On October 16, 1956, the first match under floodlights was played at the stadium (Stockport County FC - Fortuna '54 Geleen 3:0). In 1977, the venue hosted Queen Elizabeth II. This was one of the highlights of the Silver Jubilee celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of her reign.

On March 30, 1946, a return match of one of the Football League Third Division North Cup rounds between Stockport County FC and Doncaster Rovers FC was played at the stadium. After a 2-2 draw in the first meeting, the same result followed at Edgeley Park as well. The rules at the time did not yet allow for a penalty shoot-out, and extra-time was played until either team scored a goal.

This time, however, no goal was scored in extra time (the hosts did score one, but the referee blew his whistle), and the match ended due to the descending darkness, after 203 minutes of play. In the end, a coin was tossed to determine the host of the next rematch (played at Doncaster, where the local team eventually won 4-0). The match of March 30, 1946, held at Edgeley Park, is the longest known football encounter ever played for stakes.

On February 11, 1950, an FA Cup match against Liverpool FC (1:2) set a stadium attendance record (the fixture was watched from the stands by 27,833 spectators). On January 14, 1958, England's national team played two unofficial friendly matches at Edgeley Park, against Manchester City XI and England Under-23 national team. In July 1978, the venue hosted the 3rd edition of the World Lacrosse Championships.

Alongside Stockport County FC, the stadium also played host to union rugby team Sale Sharks, a Premiership Rugby participant, between 2003 and 2012. During their time playing at Edgeley Park, the team won the national title once (2006) and triumphed once in the European Challenge Cup (2005), Europe's number two rugby union competition.

What does Edgeley Park look like?

The stadium is located in the Edgeley area, close to Stockport town centre. The stadium pitch is surrounded on four sides by stands, with a total capacity of 10,842 spectators. The stands are equipped with plastic seats, predominantly in blue. Supporters of the visiting teams are seated in the stand behind the eastern goal, which is the only one not covered. The eastern stand features a LED screen. Four floodlight masts stand in the corners of the venue.

What are the characteristics of the different stands at Edgeley Park?

The main stand on the north side was built in 1936, following a devastating fire to the previous wooden structure in 1935, and has been named the "Danny Bergara Stand" since 2012, in honour of the former Stockport County FC manager. The south stand, which has been rebuilt several times, has been named the 'Together family Stand' since 2020, due to a sponsorship deal (it was previously known as the 'Popular Side', 'Vernon Side' or 'Barlow Stand').

The concrete terraces on the east side (known as the 'Railway End') were built after redevelopment in the 1980s. In 2001 the stand, the last in the stadium, was fitted with plastic seating. This part of the auditorium accommodates supporters of the visiting teams and, as of 2019, there is a LED screen, which replaced the former digital scoreboard. It is the only stand in the ground without a canopy. Due to an agreement with a sponsor, it has been renamed the Vitality Railway End Stand for the 2022/23 season.

The stand behind the west goal, known as the 'Cheadle End', is by far the tallest one in the stadium and its capacity is almost half that of the whole ground. It was completed in 1995 and a friendly match against Manchester City was played on its opening day (July 31). It replaced a wooden stand, which was decided to be demolished after a disastrous fire at Bradford Stadium in 1985 (thereafter, only low concrete terracing stood behind the west goal until the new stand was built).

What are the plans for the future of Stockport County FC's stadium?

The architectural concept for the Edgeley Park expansion can be seen on a separate subpage

Stockport County FC were promoted to the National League in 2019 and EFL League Two in 2022, returning to the fourth tier of competition in England after an 11-year hiatus. The successes have reignited the ambitions of the club's officials, who hope to reach the Championship (second tier) within a few seasons. Hand in hand with further promotions is also the expansion of the stadium. There are plans to expand the stands on the south side and behind the east goal, as well as to widen the main (north) stand. As a result of the modernisation, the capacity of the venue is to increase to around 18,300 spectators. The work is to be carried out in stages.

How Edgeley Park compares to other League One venues?