EFL League One · League One · Stockport, Greater Manchester, England · Edgeley Park

Stockport County Football Club

Stockport County's remarkable rise from the National League to League One in consecutive seasons is one of the great modern revival stories in English football, a community-driven renaissance that has restored pride to a club that once seemed destined for oblivion.

Updated March 17, 2026

Remarkable rise from National League to League One continues

Stockport County's ascent from the National League to League One in the space of a few seasons is one of the great feel-good stories in recent English football. The club hit rock bottom in non-league, enduring years of decline that saw a former second-tier outfit playing in front of dwindling crowds in the fifth tier. The turnaround has been built on smart investment, excellent coaching, and a reconnection with a supporter base that never stopped caring. Stockport's rise has captured national attention, and the 2025-26 campaign in League One represents their highest level of football in over a decade.

Edgeley Park is rocking again after years of silence

Edgeley Park was a quiet, melancholy place during Stockport's years in the wilderness, with sparse crowds rattling around a ground built for bigger occasions. The transformation since promotion has been extraordinary: the old stadium is packed and bouncing again, with a new generation of supporters discovering a club their parents and grandparents supported during the 1990s heyday. The noise at Edgeley Park on matchdays is among the best in League One, fueled by the sheer joy of a community that has its football club back.

Can Stockport sustain the momentum at League One level?

The question facing Stockport County is whether the squad and infrastructure can keep pace with the club's meteoric rise. Each step up the pyramid brings a significant increase in the quality of opposition, and the financial demands of League One are considerably greater than those of League Two. The club's ownership has invested wisely so far, but maintaining competitiveness without overextending will require the same shrewd decision-making that powered the initial rise.