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Everyone is talking about Birmingham City and Wrexham, but Stockport County are on the verge of greatness too.
Birmingham smashed the League One points record and Wrexham have earned back-to-back-to-back promotions from the National League.
Stockport are equally as impressive and could return to the Championship for the first time since 2022.
It’s this sort of work that’s seen Dave Challinor linked with the West Bromwich Albion job but if they can beat Leyton Orient across two legs and then one of Wycombe Wanderers or Charlton Athletic, they will be playing them in a league game next season.
As well as them, two former Premier League champions await.
Stockport County were in the sixth tier of English football when Leicester City won the Premier League
Nine years ago, Leicester City defied odds of 5000/1 to become champions of England. Now, they could be heading to Edgeley Park next season.
Leicester’s decline is a story in it’s own right, as is Blackburn Rovers’ – who won the English top flight in the 1994/95 season.
Blackburn are a mess off the pitch right now, but none can attest to what Stockport have gone through.
Since relegation from the second tier in 2002, they’ve tumbled all the way down, out of the Football League and even down to the National League North.
Additionally, The Hatters were forced to go part-time due to financial issues but under new ownership, have climbed back up the ladder and are now within touching distance of where they believe they truly belong.
Comparing the Leicester title-winning XI to Stockport County’s XI in the National League North
Less than 10 years ago, Leicester and Stockport would’ve laughed at the idea of facing each other and now, it seems like it a genuine possibility.
Both were worlds apart back then, from playing staff to budget to the size of the stadiums they were playing in.
| Leicester City starting XI vs Man City, February 6, 2016 | Stockport County starting XI vs Bradford Park Avenue, February 13, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Kasper Schmeichel | Dean Henderson |
| Danny Simpson | Sean O’Hanlon |
| Robert Huth | Chris Smalley |
| Wes Morgan | Gareth Roberts |
| Christian Fuchs | Paul Connolly |
| Danny Drinkwater | Karl Ledsham |
| N’Golo Kante | Lewis Montrose |
| Riyad Mahrez | Jamie Menagh |
| Marc Albrighton | John Marsden |
| Shinji Okazaki | Obi Anoruo |
| Jamie Vardy | Richard Brodie |
Dean Henderson was the most profile of the names in action for Stockport that day as a young goalkeeper on loan from Manchester United at the time
Football League journeyman Paul Connolly was also in the Stockport XI as they were held to a 0-0 draw with Bradford Park Avenue.
Connolly turned out for the likes of Leeds United and Portsmouth, as well as spells with Preston North End, Plymouth Argyle, Derby County, Sheffield United, Millwall and Luton Town.