From Ladies to Women: a huge step forward
For all but one season of their thirty-seven-year existence, Stockport County Ladies have proudly carried the club’s name. They may not attract the same crowds as the men’s team and as an entirely voluntary organisation they have had to balance lives outside football with the demands of training and fitness, but their commitment to the cause has never been in doubt.
The first team currently compete in the FA Women’s National League Division One North, the fourth tier of women’s football in England, and sit in fourth place at the time of writing. They play their home games at Stockport Sports Village on Sunday afternoons.
So far so impressive, but a recent announcement from the club is going to turn the intensity up to unprecedented levels.
From the 2026-27 season the name “Stockport County Women” will be adopted, marking a more modern, professional outlook and a desire, in the club’s own words, to “become a superpower for women’s sport in our region and create the same opportunities for girls and women as the club has built for the men’s team, and to establish Stockport County Women as a future force in the women’s game.”
Central to this ambitious reorganisation is the appointment of Tracey Neville MBE as Managing Director of the women’s team. Tracey’s arrival is the first step in the creation of a new board dedicated to developing the Women’s team and building a well-defined and visible pathway from grassroots in the borough to the highest echelons of the game.
Tracey Neville is a scion of a celebrated football family; her mother and father were stalwarts of Bury FC in the days before it all went wrong and her brothers Phil and Gary both played for England. Her own career centred around netball, playing at the highest level in the UK and Australia and as an international for England, winning bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.
As a coach she won honours with Manchester Thunder and at international level with England. In an interview for County’s website, she is quoted as saying “We want young girls in Stockport to believe that they can reach the top of the game without leaving their community. That’s how you build something powerful, sustainable and truly representative of the people it serves.”
It’s clear that Stockport County are making a massive commitment to women’s football in the area and the journey promises to be an exciting one for the club and the fans alike.