Swindon Town and Stockport County lock horns for the third time this season as the pair prepare to face off in League Two at SN1 this weekend.
A draw back in August was followed by a heavy FA Cup defeat to The Hatters last November, and The Robins will look to end a four game winless run on Saturday to reignite their play-off push.
As we always do, we’ve previewed Stockport ahead of the big game…
The lowdown…
Stockport are chasing back-to-back promotions after claiming the National League title last season.
They were established in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers by a group of pupils from Stockport Sunday School.
Seven years later this was switched to Stockport County with the club gaining admittance to the Football League in 1900.
The Hatters earned their first league title in 1921/22 when they won the Third Division North.
They’d later regain this honour in 1936/37, earning promotion to the Second Division in the process.
The following campaign they finished bottom, resulting in demotion back to the Third Division North, where they would remain until 1958.
Despite a short stint in the Third Division in the late sixties, Stockport were an ever present fourth tier side until 1991.
The change in scenery came after Danny Bergara guided the Manchester outfit to promotion before becoming the first South American to lead an English team out at Wembley, with The Hatters winning the 1992 Associate Members’ Cup Final.
He’d go on lead the club to three further appearances at our famous national stadium but lost on each occasion.
The 1996/97 season is heralded as Stockport’s greatest campaign.
In it they finished runners-up in the Second Division and reached the League Cup semis, knocking out three top tier sides along the way.
In the following campaign, County recorded their highest league finish as they claimed eighth spot in the First Division.
In 2007/08, they enjoyed play-off success as they came from behind to beat Rochdale at Wembley, securing promotion to League One, however, the good times quickly ended with Stockport suffering administration and later relegation to the National League in 2011.
This was the first time The Hatters had found themselves outside the Football League, and things soon went from bad to worse with the 2012/13 season seeing them drop down to the National League North.
It took until 2019 for the club, then part-time, to work their way back into the National League, and they did it in style, winning their first in 52 years.
Three seasons later, Dave Challinor’s men returned to the EFL after an 11-yearabsence, again as division winners.
DID YOU KNOW?: County’s nickname, The Hatters, stems from the town’s synonymous link to hat making, with Stockport being a national centre for the trade.
The Manager: Dave Challinor
Stockport’s gaffer began his love affair with football as a player.
His career spanned over 400 appearances at an array of EFL clubs, including Stockport.
During his playing days he held the record for the longest throw in football.
The no nonsense centre half hung up his boots in 2010 in favour of a managerial vacancy at Colwyn Bay, and guided the Welsh side into the National League North before relocating to Fylde.
Over the course of eight years, he won many admirers as he led his side to the National League and won the FA Trophy.
This resulted in Hartlepool appointing him in 2019, and while with The Pools, he was on the right end of a dramatic play-off final win over Torquay, resulting in promotion to the EFL.
In 2021, he repeated the trick as he dropped down to the fifth tier for Stockport, lifting the league title later that season.
After a slow start to the current campaign, Stockport’s turn in form lead to Challinor being named Manager of the Month for both December and February.
The Hatters season so far…
Having earned promotion from the National League last term, Stockport have adjusted well to life in League Two, and are currently in the running for a play-off place.
They lie sixth as it stands, just one point behind Bradford above them thanks to 17 league wins this term.
They also boast one of the highest scoring rates in the division, having netted 50 so far.
Recent form has seen them stutter slightly though, with just one win in their last five, with that one coming away at Colchester United two weeks ago.
Weirdly, the goals have dried up a bit too, with just two notched during that run, and all this off the back of five straight wins from the beginning of February right up to their away loss to Barrow at the end of that month.
Previous meetings…
Town and County have already met twice this season, in both the league and FA Cup.
The first League Two clash this term took place at Edgeley Park at the end of August, with the tie ending in a 1-1 draw.
Frazer Blake-Tracy’s impressive strike was eventually cancelled out six minutes from time by Antoni Sarcevic.
However, the FA Cup showdown last November at the same venue was one The Robins would rather forget, as they went down 4-0 to exit the competition at the first round stage.
Before those clashes, you have to go way back to February 2010 for the last time the two sides squared up - back then, both were in League One.
Town won that fixture with a 4-1 score line at The County Ground, thanks to a Billy Paynter brace and goals from Danny Ward and Simon Ferry, after beating County 1-0 in the reverse fixtures the previous month that season.
There was nothing separating the two sides the campaign before that, as they drew 1-1 twice during the 2008/2009 season.
County recorded a victory the meeting before that, back in March 2007 at Edgeley Park, claiming a 3-0 win.
Players to watch…
Ben Hinchcliffe
The keeper came through the ranks at Preston North End before spending time on the books of Tranmere, Derby County, and Oxford.
He then dropped into non-league with a notable spell under Dave Challinor at Fylde.
During his four seasons at the club, he was named in the league’s Team of the Season in each of those campaigns.
He also bagged Fylde’s Goal of the Season award in 2013 with a 60-yard wonder strike.
The next year he cemented legendary status scoring the winning penalty in the National League North play-off final.
In his first season at Stockport, he played every minute as The Hatters won the National League North, and last term, he secured his second title in three years, becoming the first Stockport keeper to rack up 100 clean sheets in the process.
Chris Hussey
The now centre back is a familiar face amongst the Town faithful having appeared as an attacking left back while on loan back in 2017/18.
He began his career in 2006 as a part-time player with AFC Wimbledon, working as a carpet fitter alongside playing.
He’d soon turn professional though and went on to line up for Coventry, Burton, Bury, and Sheffield United among others.
Arguably his most successful spell came with Cheltenham though, starting in 2018.
He’d go on to appear 155 times for The Robins, playing an integral role in their title winning 2020/21 campaign.
Before signing for Stockport last September, the 34-year-old had a brief spell at Port Vale.
Kyle Knoyle
The 26-year-old is another recognisable figure to the Swindon contingent.
The right back joined Town in 2017 following his release by West Ham.
In his first season, the defender’s 21 appearances rewarded him with a contract extension for the following campaign.
That season he more than doubled his tally, featuring 48 times.
The right-back then switched his allegiances to League Two rivals Cambridge United and the move paid off, with Knoyle making 80 outings in total and earning a place in the 2020/21 League Two Team of the Season.
Prior to his arrival at Edgeley Park in January, Knoyle represented Doncaster Rovers for two seasons.
Antoni Sarcevic
The Hatters number 10 is widely regarded to be one of the most technically gifted players in the division.
His journey dates back to his boyhood club Manchester City, whom he represented until the age of 15.
He was then poached by Woodley Sports before being offered a route into the EFL with Crewe Alexandra.
The midfielder’s first taste of the men’s game would come with Chester - a club which he moved to permanently in 2011.
Next on the cards was a switch to Fleetwood where the 31-year-old played a key role in the Cod Army’s rise to League One, netting 15 times during the 2013/14 campaign, including a hat-trick against Mansfield.
He’d later earn cult status in Devon with Plymouth Argyle, and during his four year stay at Home Park he was dubbed the Manchester Messi.
After earning promotion in 2020, Sarecevic swapped his colours for Bolton where he’d skipper The Trotters to promotion into League One.
He would subsequently drop down to the National League to add yet another promotion to his CV with Stockport.
He even netted a late equaliser for County in the reverse instalment of this fixture in late August.
Paddy Madden
The Irishman is the talisman for County with a prolific scoring record behind him.
Madden started his career in his native Ireland with Bohemians, with his first opportunity in the English game coming in 2011 with Carlisle United.
He went on to enjoy an incredibly successful spell at Yeovil, picking up the League One Golden Boot on the way to firing The Glovers into the Championship.
He’d then make the Switch to Stockport, adding fire power to the Irons attack as they won promotion to League One, during which time his 60 goals at the club put him among the top 10 most prolific scorers at Scunthorpe United.
The number nine continued to find the back of the net with Fleetwood in League One,adding a further 60 goals to his tally, earning him the title of the club’s all-time leading scorer.
Madden then became a Stockport hero with his 25 strikes during 2021/22 propelling The Hatters into the EFL and earning the forward both Player and Players’ Player of the Year for the season.
Kyle Wootton
The 26-year-old currently tops the scoring charts at County.
Before signing for Stockport last summer, Wooton enjoyed a clinical spell with Notts County.
Joining initially on loan in 2019, he hit 59 goals in 139 games.
Prior to that he gained valuable Football League experience when leading the line for Scunthorpe.
During his six season stay with The Irons, he recorded 11 League One strikes.
