Opposition briefing: League One promotion-chasing Stockport

Match previews

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Crystal Palace kick-off their FA Cup campaign against Stockport County on Sunday, 12th January (15:00 GMT) - so here's everything you need to know about the Hatters.

Factfile

Manager: Dave Challinor
Position: 7th (EFL League One)
Nickname: County / the Hatters
Ground: Edgeley Park
Founded: 1883 (142 years ago)

What’s the story?

Returning to the third tier of English football for the first time since the 2009/10 season, Stockport County have enjoyed an excellent start to life in League One.

This followed on from last season’s promotion as champions from League Two, where they lost just eight times all season. Despite fierce competition, the Hatters are enjoying another successful campaign, having got themselves in the promotion dogfight. After a strong first half of the season, they are just outside the play-off places at the turn of the year.

County reached the FA Cup third round after coming through ties against non-league Forest Green Rovers and Brackley Town.

Previously a solid Football League club, financial issues led to a relegation out of the EFL in 2011 and the start of an 11-year wilderness in non-league football. At one stage the Hatters even dropped as low as the seventh tier.

But local businessman Mark Stott's takeover in January 2020, coupled with the appointment of Dave Challinor led to a turnaround in fortunes. County topped the National League in 2021/22, finishing six points clear of big-spending Wrexham.

The boss

Challinor spent two years as a player at County, with the defender at one point holding the record for the longest throw-in in football - before later ending his career at Bury. As a manager he made his name at AFC Fylde, leading the team for eight years, winning multiple promotions and the FA Trophy for the first time in the club's history.

His next stop was Hartlepool United, taking them back to the Football League after a dramatic play-off final penalty shootout victory. Challinor then made to move to Stockport in November 2021, leading his side from the National League to League One football in under three years.

Boot in both camps

Palace's most famous game with Stockport - a dramatic 1-0 win that secured our safety from relegation on the final day of the 2001/02 First Division - featured two future Eagles in the County team.

Both Shefki Kuqi and Aaron Wilbraham played for Stockport that day and would later enjoy success at Selhurst Park. Kuqi scored 18 goals in a three-year spell between 2006 and 2009, while Wilbraham was part of the 2012/13 promotion-winning squad and played the full 120 minutes of our play-off final win over Watford.

Wilbraham's fellow striker in that promoted squad, Glenn Murray also had an 11-game loan spell at Stockport back in 2006.

Former Eagles left-back Zeki Fryers also had a one-season stay at Stockport.

Record against Palace

The Eagles have a strong record against the Hatters - albeit with this Sunday's game the first meeting between the two sides in 23 years.

Palace have won the most recent three fixtures between the sides, Dougie Freedman getting the winner in the last meeting back in 2002.

You have to go back to October 1973 for the last time Palace suffered a defeat to County, that came in the second round of the League Cup. The two have only met once before in the FA Cup, way back in December 1933. Palace came out on top that day, with a 2-1 win.

Did you know?

Stockport was previously well known for it's hat production. The town played a pivotal role in the north-west textile industry back in the early 18th century.

The late 19th century then proved heyday of the hat - with the town thought to have exported around 6 million hats to different corners of the globe, and Stockport’s became large and prosperous at this time. The Hat Works museum still remains in the town, the UK's only dedicated hatting museum commemorating the industry.

This is, naturally, why the team is known as the Hatters. Originally formed in 1883 as the slightly less-catchy Heaton Norris Rovers, they were renamed as Stockport County in 1890, moving to their current home of Edgeley Park only 12 years later.

Outside of hats and football - Stockport is also known for the former Strawberry Studios recording studio, where the likes of Joy Division, The Stone Roses and Paul McCartney all recorded their music.

Match details

Sunday, 12th January
15:00 GMT
Selhurst Park
Live audio commentary on Palace TV+

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