Edgeley Park (Stockport)

Edgeley Park is a football stadium in Edgeley, Stockport, England. It is an all-seater stadium holding 10,900 spectators.

General information

Official website: edgeleypark.com

Arena capacity: 10,841 spectators

Address: 16 Hardcastle Rd, Edgeley, Stockport SK3 9DD, UK

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 53°23′59″N 2°9′59″W

Year of construction: 1891

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 111 x 71 yards

Seating plan of Edgeley Park

Unsurprisingly for a stadium as old as Edgeley Park, the design is very much in the classical English nature of having a stand in each side of the pitch. The Railway End and the Cheadle End are behind the two goals, whilst the Popular Side stands opposite the Hardcastle Main Stand, with both running along the length of the pitch.

Danny Bergara Stand

The stand is constructed of brick and steel, a building seen by many as a traditional, old-fashioned stand, typical of football stadia in Northern England.

The roof of the Main Stand at Edgeley Park is supported towards the front by three steel columns, which slightly impede the view of supporters from certain seats. Unusually, rather than running the length of the pitch, as would normally be expected in football stadia nowadays, the Main Stand is only about 75 yards long, straddling the half way line, with the gaps at each end containing other club-related buildings.

The Main Stand seats 2,020, of which 405 are executive seats and contains players’ changing rooms and some club offices, as well as toilets, boardroom and several bars for half-time refreshments. The team dugouts are situated at the front of the Main Stand.

Cheadle End

The Cheadle End behind the goal at the west end of the ground is the largest and modern stand in the stadium, and one of the largest stands outside the Premier League.

The Cheadle End is a two-tiered stand, holding 5,044 supporters, making it almost as large in terms of capacity as the other three stands collectively. The stand is all-seater, as is the rest of the stadium nowadays, and was opened in 1995 with a friendly game against Manchester City. The letters “SCFC” are visible in the seating, where white seats are used instead of blue, to symbolize Stockport County Football Club.

The stand holds the Insider Suite, a conference and banqueting facility, as well as the ticket office, toilets, refreshments facilities and the club shops; the club shop is relatively large.

Family Stand

On the opposite side of the ground to the Main Stand, running the full length of the pitch, is the Family Stand. It is also often referred to as the Pop Side, Barlow Stand, or the Vernon Stand due to the former sponsorship of the stand by the Vernon Building Society.

It holds 2,411 and is occasionally given to larger away supports, if seats are not required by home supporters. There are toilets and refreshment facilities on a small outdoor concourse behind the stand, which backs onto a small reservoir. As with the Main Stand opposite, the roof is supported towards the front by several steel columns; their thickness and location are partly explained by the fact that when the current roof was built, in 1956, it had to be erected in front of an existing roof, which covered only the rear part of the then much deeper and higher terrace.

The Vernon stand also homes the gantry for the club where all the footage for the club is recorded and where commentary takes place.

Railway End

The Railway End is located at the east end of the stadium. In 2001, it was the last part of Edgeley Park to be converted to seating, thus making the ground all-seated, and it is now generally used to house away supporters. Still open to the elements, and with a capacity of around 1,366, the Railway End is the smallest of all stands in the ground. The stadium scoreboard is located at the rear of the Railway End. The seating was replaced in 2020 with the letters ‘COUNTY’ spelled out in white on the blue seats.

Where to buy tickets?

Those wishing to get student tickets will need to provide proof that they are in full-time education, whilst disabled fans will need to be able to prove their disability by a number of different methods. The ticket office is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as well as on match days, but the best way of getting tickets is by visiting the club’s website.

How to get there?

The Edgeley Park ground is well signposted around the area.

Train

Stockport Railway Station is located half a mile away from Edgeley Park. About a ten minute walk. It has two entrances/exits. Do not use the main entrance/exit but the smaller one on the western side. Then turn left up Station Road, and continue up the hill towards the roundabout. Go straight over the roundabout and turn left into Caroline Street for the ground.

The main entrance to Stockport Station is located on the opposite side of the station from the ground. If you find yourself in the ticket hall with a taxi rank in front of you, go back into the station through the subways under the platforms, then follow the directions above.

Bus

Worral Street is the closest bus stop to the ground and is served by routes 11, 323, 368, 852, 857, 863, 874 and 877, amongst others. There are also special buses that run from the centre of Stockport out to the ground on match days.

Car

From the south (M6): Exit the M6 at Junction 19 (sign-posted ‘Manchester Airport, Stockport A55, M56 East’) and at the roundabout turn right onto the A556. At the Bowden roundabout after 4.2 miles, turn right (sign-posted ‘Manchester M56’) onto the M56 motorway. Exit the M56 motorway after 6.9 miles (sign-posted ‘Stockport M60, Sheffield M67’) onto the M60. Exit the M60 at Junction 1 (sign-posted ‘Stockport Town Centre’). At the roundabout, follow signs to ‘Cheadle A560’ also ‘Stockport County FC’ into Hollywood Way. Go straight on at the first set of traffic lights and turn right at the next (sign-posted ‘Cheadle A560, Stockport County FC’) onto the A560 towards ‘Ye Olde Woolpack’ pub. After 1.1 miles, turn left (no signpost, by the ‘Farmers Arms’) onto the B5465 Edgeley Road. After approximately 1 mile turn right into Dale Street at the traffic lights and take the second left into Hardcastle Road for the stadium.

From the north (M62 from Leeds): Follow the M62 onto the M60 and continue south. Exit the M60 at Junction 1 (sign-posted ‘Stockport Town Centre’). At the roundabout, turn left following signs to Cheadle A560 into Hollywood Way. At the roundabout, follow signs to ‘Cheadle A560’ also ‘Stockport County FC’ into Hollywood Way. Go straight on at the first set of traffic lights and turn right at the next (sign-posted ‘Cheadle A560, Stockport County FC’) onto the A560 towards ‘Ye Olde Woolpack’ pub. After 1.1 miles, turn left (no signpost, by the ‘Farmers Arms’) onto the B5465 Edgeley Road. After approximately 1 mile turn right into Dale Street at the traffic lights and take the second left into Hardcastle Road for the stadium.

From south/east (A6/A523 over Peak District): Follow the A6 towards Stockport/Manchester. Continue along A6 until reaching major traffic lights at hazel Grove alongside the ‘Rising Sun’ pub. Follow signs for Stockport Town Centre along the A6 for approximately 2.8 miles, until reaching the traffic lights by ‘The Nelson Tavern’ and the Town Hall. Turn left (sign-posted ‘Cheadle, Stockport County FC’) into Greek Street. At the roundabout after 0.3 miles, take the second exit (sign-posted ‘Cheadle A5465’) onto Mercian Way. Take the second left turning into Caroline Street for the stadium.

Taxi

If you want to get a taxi from the train station to the football ground, you’ll be looking at paying in the region of £5, traffic dependent.

Parking

Though car parking at the club itself is limited to players, staff, match officials and visiting club officials, there are a number of pay-and-display car parks close by that are very reasonable. Streets close to the stadium are resident parking only and you might get a ticket if you ignore that and take a chance.

Where to eat and sleep?

Stockport is a beautiful place to stay, and a lot of the accommodation is in great period buildings. Some of our favourites are:

1. Alma Lodge Hotel & Restaurant. Set in an Edwardian building and offering guests free parking and Wi-Fi, the Alma Lodge Hotel also has a restaurant and bar on-site. If the weather is pleasant whilst you’re staying there then you might want to have a walk around the garden, but if it isn’t then there is a fireplace in the reception area that you can warm yourself up in front of. There is a conference centre, for those of you that need to do some business whilst you’re visiting.
2. Bredbury Hall Hotel. The joy of Stockport as an area is that it is rather leafy and has plenty to offer guests. As a result, Bredbury Hall Hotel joins Alma Lodge in having a garden area where you can spend time during your stay. There is a business centre and a fitness centre, covering the needs of most people, as well as free parking if you’ve driven and free Wi-Fi if you need to get online. There is a restaurant and lounge area, with breakfast available if needed.
• Free sports predictions 24 hours a day.
3. Holiday Inn Express Stockport. Sometimes it is good to stay in a chain hotel because you know exactly what you’re going to get. That is why the Holiday Inn Express might appeal to some of you, with its garden including a picnic area and a pleasant terrace you can sit out on if the weather is nice. You get a continental breakfast included in the price of your stay, plus there is Wi-Fi should you need to use it. The ‘Express’ nature of the hotel means it is rather no-frills, but that isn’t always a bad thing.

Stockport is a typical Manchester city with plenty of character and loads of places to get a drink and a bite to eat before the match. Here are some of our favourite places to help you narrow down your options.

1. Hennigans Sports Bar. Actually closer to nearby Manchester than Stockport, this pub will require you to travel a bit to get to the match but is worth it if there’s some live sport on before the Stockport game kicks off. Boasting numerous HD screens and a top-quality sound system, Hennigans is all about offering the best possible experience for watching a live event.
2. The Armoury. Part of the Robinsons chain of pubs, The Armoury is a community pub that promises a selection of larger, spirits and cask ales as well as soft drinks. You’ll find it a short walk from the train station, so it is the idea place to stop in for a pint on the way up to the ground. You can play darts whilst you’re here, as well as enjoy a nice sit outside in the covered area of the beer garden.
• We make dozens of free sports predictions every day.
3. The Cocked Hat. The Cocked Hat looks exactly like you’d expect a pub in the north of England to look from the outside, with the most important thing being the banner that denotes that it shows live sports. There are a wealth of different spirits on offer, in addition to numerous different alcoholic selections on draft. For those of you that don’t drink there are plenty of soft drink choices too. If you like to have a laugh, there is normally karaoke on days when there’s football taking place.

Facilities

The recent refurbishment of Edgeley Park means that the facilities are impressive for a club that has spent more than a decade outside of the Football League. Whilst you’re not going to get the same level of facilities that you might expect for a Premier League ground, they are on a par with, if not better than, most other stadiums in League Two.

Edgeley Park has undergone something of a refurbishment, with the match day hospitality areas one of the sections of the ground that has seen the biggest improvement. Whether you’re a business or a private individual, you’ll be able to enjoy a unique and thrilling experience including a three-course meal, complimentary programme and entertainment before kick-off.

As well as those looking to enjoy hospitality gaining a better experience thanks to the refurbishment of the stadium, anyone hoping to hire part of it for the purposes of a private enterprise will always be delighted. As well as conferences and business events, Edgeley Park can also play host to weddings, exhibits and special events.

History

During the formative years of Stockport County’s existence, the club played its matches in various park in the local area. In 1889, the team began playing matches at Green Lane, which is considered to be its first official football ground. In 1902, however, the decision was taken to move to Edgeley Park, which was at that time still the host of the local rugby club. Within a year, though, the rugby club had gone bust and Stockport County played at the stadium on their own.

The land, on which Edgeley Park stands, was donated to Stockport by the Sykes Family, who owned Sykes Bleaching Company. They sold it to Stockport County in 1932 for £1,600. Three years later and the main stand burnt down in a fire, which also saw the football club’s official records going up in flames too. Interestingly, it was used to host the World Lacrosse Championship in 1978, whilst Chester City played a home match in the Rumbelows Cup against Manchester City in 1991.