What is the future for Stockport County?

I have had three goes at trying to write this article. Each time I get close to finishing a definitive article, another piece of information reaches me and I have had to rip up my paper and re-sharpen my pencil.

Just what is the future of Stockport County? We know we owe the tax man £250K by May 18th and we know there is more tax to pay and other creditors to see clear, but getting a hold on the exact level of debt is proving rather troublesome.

Each day, it seems, another snippet of information emerges, or another leaked ‘rumour surfaces or another insinuation is whispered into my ear.

Each ‘nugget’ contradicting the last one. The Trust are the guilty ones, or maybe just some of them and then again its Jimbo himself who has contributed to the problems but then again its the ex-MD, or if not him its the part time FD, and, hang on what about Cheshire Sport……

Net result. The more I hear, the less I know. The less I know the less inclined to get stuck in and help.

Hopefully, Thursdays Trust meeting will go a long way to shining a light onto all of this.

Let me therefore tell you what I have concluded. And it is likely to be only 50% correct.. or less!

OK, we have one consortium, headed by Lord Snape and including (amongst other business folk) Brendon Elwood.

We have a second consortium, put together by the ex MD, Mark Maguire and involving a Turkish Building Company. This last bit may be down to Chinese whispers and involves a Supermarket build, the Council being onside with it, possible Sale Sharks…. this could be the new ground ‘opportunity’ somewhere in the metropolitan borough of Stockport.

Lastly, and weakest of the rumours is the coming together of a third consortium. I did not glean any more on that group.

As regards these consortia, one is reckoned to want complete control, leaving the Trust with zero (or very little) and yet one consortium may be prepared to work with the Trust. Whether the Trust end up with 51%, 49% 30% or whatever depends on who you listen to and how much alcohol they have in their bloodstream.

Further, it is rumoured Jim Gannon will not work with one consortium and will leave. At the end of the season probably.

Of course, the Trust only need 26% of their vote to torpedo any of these options, so would this raise the possibility of a minority of Trust members voting against all proposals and trying to plough on alone? Would this then lose them any goodwill left? And… would this mean the extinction of the club?

One thing seems obvious, we cannot stay as we are. The yolk round our neck that is the debt to Cheshire Sport is slowly strangling us. Time ticks on and as each week passes by the chances of the Trust alone paying off the debts recedes. Is there a well meaning and wealthy fan out there that will give us the softest of loans? And get on with Jimbo. And smooth talk Cheshire Sports into loosing that noose?

After talking and listening and pondering at length I think the best realistic scenario is a Trust friendly consortium who take a large but still minority stake in SCFC, who have been able to re-negotiate the Cheshire Sport debt and who have Stockport MBC as a willing partner. I think this would probably mean the end of Edgeley Park.

Then again……



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I am sure there are those of you out there who know a little more. Please share your thoughts by emailing stockport @ vitalfootball.co.uk or if you are a little shy by posting in the forum.

Roll on Thursdays Trust meeting!