Stockport County face Barrow in first match back in the Football League

The Hatters won promotion back to League Two last season

Author: Matt SoanesPublished 30th Jul 2022

Stockport County take on Barrow in their first game back in the Football League in more than a decade later.

Having been released at the end of the 2010-11 season, the Hatters won promotion back to League Two by topping the National League last season.

There have been big changes for the club since it was bought by local businessman Mark Stott in 2020.

Stott wiped out the club's debts and returned the team to full time football.

Speaking ahead of today's game at Edgeley Park, manager Dave Challinor said: "I'm looking forward to what is always a long, hard season.... but I'm optimistic and really looking forward to seeing where we are as a group."

"We'll be a work in progress over the course of the season... (of course) I hope that everything goes swimmingly (and) all the new players come in have unbelievable games... (but) the reality of it is we'll be judged in April or May.

"We'll have a certain amount of points we need to get to... the quicker we can get to that the better.

Stockport have had a strong pre-season, with six wins from seven. Challinor added: "I think we're in a good place... We go into (the game) with people fit... we go into it with optimism and belief that we've got good players."

"I have confidence in the group we've got... we've got players that first of all can play the game, but second of all can win the game for us".

The Hatters have made eight additions to the squad over the summer; the latest being right back James Brown, who's on a season long loan from Blackburn Rovers.