Stockport County

[claretrobo1]

Stockport are through to the 3rd round of the FA Cup. The last time we played them was in 2002, a month before I was born. Why do they have such an obsession with us? I presume it stems back into the firms of the 80s and 90s but I’ve never been too sure. And despite not playing us for 18 years and we’ve never really cared about them, they still have this hatred for us. Anyone know where this “rivalry” stems from?

[Fenwick]

Freaky Francis !

[Devils_Advocate]

Jealousy, a bit like our fans jealousy with Leeds and why we go on about them all them all the time

[Aclaret]

Freaky Francis !

Head on a stick !

[Bosscat]

Head on a stick !

Watching him sat on the Wembley Turf blubbing like a baby ....

[Bosscat]

Jealousy, a bit like our fans jealousy with Leeds and why we go on about them all them all the time

[Somethingfishy]

I think ultimately it stemmed back to a Friday night at their place in the late 80s. Our mob kicked off with them there but it does boil down to jealousy and knowing they were smaller but capable of matching us as they were massively overachieving at that point with Francis et al. They have no natural rivals and sort of settled on us at the time but it was far from reciprocated. I used to pity them if anything as they frothed at the mouths with their one way hatred.
I remember the game in 95 i think when we beat them 3-2 on the Turf as the Longside was being redeveloped. Their fans were seated where our fans are now in the Cricket Field stand and there wasn't much of a no mans land. The thing that stuck with me was that amongst their fans were a lot of families but it was they that seemed to be mouthing off the most..especially the women/mum of the family. You could see the hatred in their eyes..especially when John Francis scored the winner

Not a very classy fanbase in the slightest. Small time. Irrelevant. Rather like their club at the moment.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Horrible club. As above all because of a Friday night in 1988. Amazing to think in 2002 they were a championship club.

[TheFamilyCat]

The rivalry was stoked up by their local journalist (Steve Bellis?) who I think ended up on Stockport's board, or even chairman.

No Nay Never printed some of his articles, they really were shocking.

[Woodleyclaret]

They took 5,000.to the playoff final and couldn't sell all their tickets
We never saw them a rivals just a minor irritation on our way back up the leagues

[Somethingfishy]

The rivalry was stoked up by their local journalist (Steve Bellis?) who I think ended up on Stockport's board, or even chairman.

No Nay Never printed some of his articles, they really were shocking.

He certainly spouted some absolute nonsense about us. Some of it pretty close to the bone in an attempt to wind both sets of fans up. How he got away with it i don't know. Spoke volumes about their class as club that he ended up on their board and they even had the nerve to portray themselves as a family club too.

[Buxtonclaret]

We seemed to play them an awful lot at one time, league games and cup games.
I personally thought it was a bit funny.
I was their 'Golden Days' era achieving second tier status.
Don't mind County really. They used to play on Friday nights at one time. My dad used to take me to watch with it only being a short train ride.

[Aclaret]

The coppers were more up for a fight than the County fans that Friday night.

[Siddo]

Watching him sat on the Wembley Turf blubbing like a baby ....

To be fair, he applauded the Burnley fans as he walked off the pitch at Wembley and seemed to enjoy the banter in subsequent games.

[gandhisflipflop]

The OP has made me feel well old.

[Bosscat]

To be fair, he applauded the Burnley fans as he walked off the pitch at Wembley and seemed to enjoy the banter in subsequent games.

He also went on to be a Canadian Copper

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[Quickenthetempo]

Burnley and Stockport fans seem to still clash a lot in Manchester.

[Herts Clarets]

The trouble in 1988 was mainly with the police, not their fans. Got pretty nasty on the open end behind the goal, Chelsea supporting mate of mine had his head split open by a wayward truncheon and there were a fair few coppers took a kicking that night. Mate of mine's brother in law did 4 months inside on the back of video evidence after that game. On the way out after the game our van was approached by 3 or 4 Stockport fans looking for bother. They were quickly on their toes when they found along with the 3 in the front of the van, there were another 10 in the back. Made front page headlines on the Saturday morning.

[Dazzler]

Why do they have such an obsession with us?

They had ideas way above their station;they thought they were,or going to be a bigger club than us.

[dougcollins]

Who?

[Nonayforever]

Didn't one of their players spit at Ted Mcminn in the play offs ?

[Erasmus]

It was the trouble at the game in 1988, and then the play-off final at Wembley. That season they finished well above us on points, and must have been pretty confident of going up, especially after taking an early lead. Two of theirs got sent off, they felt unjustly, and they lost 2-1 after it looked like they were going to win easily. I think it left a sour taste for a few of their supporters.

I never get this 'horrible club with horrible supporters' idea. In my experience, football supporters are pretty much the same everywhere, you get a few bad ones at every club, including our own. I don't think Stockport are any better or worse than Burnley in that respect, and I'd be quite pleased to see them back in the league. It would also be pleasing to draw them in the cup after they got through today against Yeovil.

[Bordeauxclaret]

Felt like we used to play them about 12 times a season in the early 90’s.

[BurnleyFC]

The very definition of a tin pot outfit.

[CaptJohn]

It was the 88 match at Edgeley Park that did it. Totally the fault of the Manc Police IMHO. There was a hell of scrap in our end with them. I remember it well because my son was two days old! The following morning the midwife came round to check on things and ended up stitching a wound I had on my face and telling me I should grow up No sympathy from my wife either
Then there was the Wembley Play off and a scrap in the bogs at a Motorway services on the M1 with some of their lot.
Just watch, we're going to draw the sods in the 3rd round.

[Woodleyclaret]

FAO Capt John
I always knew you where a secret member of the Suicide Squad !
I remember walking past a pub near Wembley full of Burnley fans pre playoff final kickoff just in time to see a Stockport fan being thrown into the garden after he charged into the pub .You are right though Stockport away round 3 or City away.
See you sometime Neil

[bobinho]

They’re our bogey team, remember that.


I do love... just.

[Quickenthetempo]

Didn't one of their players spit at Ted Mcminn in the play offs ?

I remember being next to the tunnel in the CF stand after one game and loads of young teens were giving verbals and having spitting wars with the Stockport players.

[TheFamilyCat]

He also went on to be a Canadian Copper

C_71_article_1240817_image_list_image_list_item_0_image.jpg

And his daughter is Stacey Francis, England international netball player.

[scouseclaret]

There was a period when we seemed to draw them in one or other cup every season, along with league games. I’m pretty sure we played them 9 times over two season in the late 80’s or early 90’s. they also had a very gobby local journo who was fanning the flames with articles about how much he hated Burnley in a way his editor should never have allowed.

As already mentioned, they don’t seem to have a “traditional” rivalry and because we seemed to play them so much, they alighted on us. It was never reciprocated and I think the 1994 play off final put it to bed.

[Devils_Advocate]

There was a period when we seemed to draw them in one or other cup every season, along with league games. I’m pretty sure we played them 9 times over two season in the late 80’s or early 90’s.

11 times in two seasons (89/90 & 90/91)

[scouseclaret]

11 times- amazing! They seemed to relish it, we were sick of the sight of them!

[tim_noone]

The coppers were more up for a fight than the County fans that Friday night.

Exactly this...GMP imo were always heavy handed With Burnley fans and football fans in general.they were no different the season after.

[cricketfieldclarets]

Exactly this...GMP imo were always heavy handed With Burnley fans and football fans in general.they were no different the season after.

Remember being told this before our game with Bolton after going up under Stan.

[mybloodisclaret]

They’re our bogey team, remember that.


I do love... just.

I remember her. That lady being interviewed on Wembley Way pre match when the interviewer says Burnley are going to outnumber you 10-1 today.... and she says they are our bogey team, then Ted McMinn, Gary Parkinson and Ouphhh David Eyres take centre stage!

[Dark Cloud]

We were a big scalp back then and they put more than one over on us on the pitch and as a perennially small club they really made the most of it. We however, won the one that really mattered which was the Wembley '94 final when on the terraces it was 34,000 v 7,000 which makes pictures of that game utterly bizarre and on the pitch it rapidly became 11 v 9 as they self destructed, when on paper they were probably the better team and could easily have have won it. As mentioned we seemed to play them every other week at one time and I remember being in a pub packed with Clarets close to Piccadilly Station once after a match at Edgeley when a whole load of them suddenly turned up and started smashing the windows. It was weird when their home gates were so small.

[Quicknick]

Carlisle are another club that regard us as big rivals. No idea why.

[harpers_perm]

I only think of 3 things when I hear Stockport County.

1. The classic pub machine question from the late 80's - which football ground is closest to the River Mersey

2. The commentary from the 94 play off video 'Ted McMinn the intended man, long ball to Deary the intended man, Davis plays out with Eyres the intended man'. I think the commentator said'intended' around 5,484 times in the 90 minutes.

3 As stated previousl, that little fat woman who looked like Nursie from Blackadder 2 'they are our bogey team, remember that.

[scouseclaret]

Carlisle are another club that regard us as big rivals. No idea why.

Another team left stranded without a rival after Workington got booted out of the league in the late-70s.

[martin_p]

11 times in two seasons (89/90 & 90/91)

I was living in South Manchester at the time and I loved it! An away game 25 minutes on the bus!

[Claret]

The trouble at that 1988 game all began with a pie being thrown!
Burnley fans were packed into a small open end and there was a small group of Stockport fans to our left on the terracing thar ran along the side of the ground. They were stood at the front next to the Burnley fans. A pie was thrown from the Burnley end and must have hit one of their fans because a minute later I saw a couple of Stockport fans complaining to a policeman and pointing into the Burnley end. I am guessing they pointed someone out because Some police officers then came into the Burnley fans to try and grab someone but all it did was start a fight and the officers returned to the side of the pitch. They must have radioed for help because then we saw the column of riot police trotting across the pitch, at the double, truncheons drawn. They began to wade into the Burnley fans indiscriminately and it was so packed that no one could move out of the way or even duck. It was just the press of bodies in front of me that prevented me being hit on the head by a truncheon that came within inches of me. I felt the whole affair could have been handled better!

[Billy Balfour]

Yep. Make pies with lighter pastry.

[claretonthecoast1882]

The trouble at that 1988 game all began with a pie being thrown!
Burnley fans were packed into a small open end and there was a small group of Stockport fans to our left on the terracing thar ran along the side of the ground. They were stood at the front next to the Burnley fans. A pie was thrown from the Burnley end and must have hit one of their fans because a minute later I saw a couple of Stockport fans complaining to a policeman and pointing into the Burnley end. I am guessing they pointed someone out because Some police officers then came into the Burnley fans to try and grab someone but all it did was start a fight and the officers returned to the side of the pitch. They must have radioed for help because then we saw the column of riot police trotting across the pitch, at the double, truncheons drawn. They began to wade into the Burnley fans indiscriminately and it was so packed that no one could move out of the way or even duck. It was just the press of bodies in front of me that prevented me being hit on the head by a truncheon that came within inches of me. I felt the whole affair could have been handled better!

Went with my mate, his older brother and his mate who drove there. Getting home being asked by the parents how was it probably as that season I started going away without my dads supervision and saying nothing about it, then seeing the trouble shown on Saint n Greavsie show next day

[Herts Clarets]

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[clansman]

At that Friday night match the police made a massive tactical error in that they waded in at the bottom of the terrace. The resulting mayhem came about as clarets then crushed down on them.!
I’m sure GMP developed a hatred of Burnley after that night.
As for Carlisle they are nutters but that was a proper rivalry that they had with Burnley Blackburn and preston. Now it’s just Morecambe and Barrow!

[CaptJohn]

FAO Capt John
I always knew you where a secret member of the Suicide Squad !
I remember walking past a pub near Wembley full of Burnley fans pre playoff final kickoff just in time to see a Stockport fan being thrown into the garden after he charged into the pub .You are right though Stockport away round 3 or City away.
See you sometime Neil

Hi Neil, The last time I saw you walking down the hill was before the last match before lockdown. Spurs at home I think. It's been a weird old year for sure. Take care.

[edlass]

I might as well add this here. A mate of mine told me fc Halifax were singing songs about us. He is an Fc Utd fan. I couldn't explain to him why that was.

[Devils_Advocate]

In the late 80's & early 90s lots of the little clubs in the North West and Yorkshire like Stockport, Wigan, Halifax, Rochdale, Scarborough etc didnt like us cos they saw us as being arrogant and seeing ourselves as bigger and better than these clubs as we took over their grounds. They had a point cos we were full of it back then but we sort of was big time compared to those kind of clubs so our attitude was also understandable.

Now compare this to how our fans see Leeds fans thinking them as arrogant and above their station and you'll see the comparison between the sad obsession teams like Stockport and Halifax still have with us isnt that much different to the way loads of our fans seem obsessed and full of bitterness towards Leeds who lets face it are a bigger and better club than us even if we've had the better of it in recent times

[Burnley1989]

I might as well add this here. A mate of mine told me fc Halifax were singing songs about us. He is an Fc Utd fan. I couldn't explain to him why that was.

Rochdale are another

[Billy Balfour]

Stockport and Halifax still have with us isnt that much different to the way loads of our fans seem obsessed and full of bitterness towards Leeds who lets face it are a bigger and better club than us even if we've had the better of it in recent times

Yep, a much bigger club given that Leeds is mainly a one football club city, but I wouldn't say they are a better club. By the way, I'm in no way bitter about them. They're just an EPL rival, all be it one from Yorkshire.