County Supporters' Co-operative Official Thread

Absolutely superb, very well deserved if not a tad overdue!

County Quiz on Tour !
We are now just 6 days from the Supporters Cooperative's 2nd Quiz of the season, when ,on Saturday 21 January 2017 Nick Lee and the Supporters Cooperative head off to the Social Club at New Mills Football Club taking their popular `County Quiz Night' on tour, in support of the Guardian Account!

Two Stockport teams are signed up - `Ken Dodd's Dad's Dead Dog' and `Coop Elite', along with a number of teams from New Mills FC, and YB and Red Hatters are working on entering teams also.
There is still time to enter a team, or as an individual, and you can do this by contacting john giles20@hotmail.com

Quiz Master Nick Lee's light touch at the mike, and with the questions, goes down well with participants, and with questions set at just the right level a great night is expected.

The cost to enter is £3 per person/ £15 per team .......prizes to winners ..........and a grand raffle !

Don't miss out....join us..... at 6pm on 21 January 2017.

Help Required.

The Newsletter of 24 December saw us appeal for help, most specifically the Stockport County Supporters Cooperative are looking for a Solicitor or person with a decent level of knowledge on legal matters, to assist us on an occasional basis with matters that might crop up from time to time.
To date we have not received a response, but if you would like to help us, please contact us via info@countysupporterscoop.co.uk

Gary Stopforth.

Gary heads off for Oz after next Saturday's game with Darlington at Edgeley Park.
Before the game, at 12.30pm, James Gannon and Gary Stopforth will be in the Bungalow to enable SCAN to make a Certificate Presentation to Gary.
This will be a last chance to let Gary know how much we appreciate his efforts whilst he has been with us, so please do not miss it.

Start Time Now 7.30 pm for County Quiz on Tour !
With just 3 days now until the Supporters Cooperative's 2nd Quiz of the season,on Saturday 21 January 2017 at New Mills Football Club , to ease the rush getting to the Quiz, the start time has now been moved to 7.30pm.
Here are some train times for outgoing journey...

Leaves Stockport 18.01 arr 18.22
18.26 arr 19.15
19.01 arr 19.23

There is still time to enter a team, or as an individual, and you can do this by contacting john giles20@hotmail.com

Quiz Master Nick Lee's light touch at the mike, and with the questions, goes down well with participants, and with questions set at just the right level a great night is expected.

The cost to enter is £3 per person/ £15 per team .......prizes to winners ..........and a grand raffle !

Don't miss out....join us..... at 7.30 pm on 21 January 2017.

Robinsons turn up trumps again !


With pre planning for the third Stockport Hatters Half Marathon just underway, Race Director John Giles and his team of workers were given a major boost ,from Robinsons Brewery .
The popular Stockport Brewer confirmed that they would again place themselves at the head of the massive community effort that is this fast growing, and nationally known road and trail race.
Asked to comment, Giles said ` I am delighted to know that Robinson’s Brewery will again, for the third year in three, be supporting the race as our Premier Corporate Partner’. Continuing, Giles offered ` Robinson’s support enables us to get out of the blocks early, organisationally speaking, ensuring the race continues to grow, we greatly appreciate their support ‘
This years race starts outside Edgeley Park at 09.30 on Sunday 3 September 2017.
Entry costs £18 affiliated runners, and £20 for un-affiliated, and anyone willing to join `Team Hatters Half’ and help out ( and earn a race goody bag) on race day, can get information via this facebook page…..

www.facebook.com/events/642592042594408/

County Quiz on Tour.
Last weekend saw Stockport County Supporters Cooperative take its popular `County Quiz’ on tour, pitching up at the Social Club at New Mills Football Club.
It was always a massive ask, to stray beyond our notional borders, but with the County fan base reaching far into Cheshire and beyond we felt it a risk worth taking, at least John Giles Dave Marchbank, and Nick Lee did and great credit is due to them!
Nick Lee was the genial Quiz Master again and did a terrific job, posing some decent questions to an unknown and possibly, to a degree, none County audience.
So…there was some trepidation before the first question was aired, but it all went off swimmingly, with 9 teams packing the New Mills AFC Social Club. The New Mills Club were absolutely great hosts and amongst those present supporting the event were the New Mills first team fresh from their league game.
The competition was keen throughout, and despite gnarled and battle hardened `Coop Elite’ pulling out all the stops, they were unable to make it 3 wins in three, finishing third, behind `Ken Dodd's Dad's Dead Dog'.
The exotically named `Ken Dodd's Dad's Dead Dog' were doughty performers, but were just edged out of the honours by ` Norfolk and Chance’ who won out by just one point!
The evening was a big success and raised almost £200 for the Guardian Account which was boosted to £31200.
Buoyed by the success of this most unlikely of efforts, Giles, Marchbank and Lee have plumped for a repeat closer to home, so…diaries out please, to note that the next `County Quiz’ will be at the Spinning Top, on the A6 near the Garrick Theatre, on Saturday 11 March 2017.

Make Us An Offer !

It is a month or two since we offered items in this fashion, in support of the Guardian Account, but...it is some 13 years since County Legend and goal mouth `hot-shot' Luke Beckett plied his trade in these parts.

Luke was a County player from 2002 until 2004, during which time he notched up the impressive total of 45 goals from just 84 games.
In 2015 Luke popped into the Bung to receive his SCAN Certificate.

We now invite offers for Luke's signed, framed shirt- a fantastic collectable item!



The second item is a more recent offering namely the terrific limited edition pink shirt.
This is XL and in very good condition, the label testifying to it being `not worn'



You are invited to make us an offer for either of these great items( so far the Becket shirt has attracted a top offer of £100).

These should be sent by email to hedgegrower@gmail.com, before closure and announcement of the prevailing offer on Friday 17 February 2017.

We will advise , mid way through this process as to the value of the offers currently ahead of the field at that point.

Stockport County Supporters Cooperative.

Following the previous Newsletter we now give you the link enabling access to the Supporters Cooperative eBay account, with a reminder that all the items offered on this eBay account are sold in support of the Guardian Account.

It would be appreciated if you could take time out to `follow' this account......


www.ebay.co.uk/usr/countyco-op,

What's Up Coming ?

March will be another busy month for County supporters as, on the park, the team pushes on to hopefully claim a play-off place.

Off the field of play there are events aplenty to keep the average County fan entertained.
In date order…..

Chris Thompson Fund Raiser.

On 4 March, at the Fingerpost in Offerton, from 6pm onwards, there will be a fundraiser in support of the family of the late County fan Chris Thompson who passed away recently.

There will be a DJ and Karaoke for those that like that sort of thing, and some quiet rooms for those that don't!

An auction of some really terrific items will take place twixt 8pm and 9pm, with a local notable sorted to do the necessary cajoling to persuade you to part with some dosh!

Raffle tickets have now been printed and are selling well, and if you seek out Damian Beaumont in the Cheadle End Cabin before the FCUM game, you can pick some up
And Katye Ebbage will have some in the Bungalow pre match , and post match the tickets will also be in the Spinning Top after the game- so again look out for Damian ( he’ll be at the bar!).

Oh…..and details of the raffle and auction can be found……:

www.facebook.com/events/1565232500184201??ti=ia

But.....heck.....no....you need to see them now.....


Raffle Prizes

Hotel Stay at The Albany Hotel, Blackpool
Hampers from Selfridges Exchange Square, Manchester
2 x Corporate Tickets for a Stockport County game
£250 Beauty Hamper from Harveys of Halifax
2 x Tickets to watch Soccer AM Live in the studio
Adidas Online discount voucher
A voucher for The Almond Group Pubs
£50 voucher for The Midway, New Bridge Lane
£30 voucher for The John Millington, Cheadle Hulme
£10 Voucher for the Almond Pub Group
2 x 10 Day Passes for Life Leisure
Family Tickets for Stockport County v Tamworth from Danny Bonsall
£50 Selfridges Voucher from Dave Jones and Jess Greg
Signed and Frame Mike Flynn Photo from Gary Eccleston
£250 Voucher from Prestbury Travel
6 Bottles of Prosecco from Marks and Spencer
Bottle of Port from Stephen Crosthwaite

Auction Items

A signed Stockport County shirt from the 2006 last day survival
A framed signed Manchester City Shirt
A BMW Convertible for the weekend
Rare Match Worn Pink/Black Striped Stockport County Pre Season Shirt


County Quiz Night at the Spinning Top.

On then to the 11 March, when another round of the Supporters Cooperatives increasingly popular County Quiz Night returns to the Spinning Top.

So….diaries out…..make a note, and we will see you on the 11th

Looking further ahead, the Supporters Cooperative events team have been busy recently, and have recruited the valuable help of Tim Rowson and runner Rebecca Sykes to assist them with a burgeoning programme of events.

County Night at the 2017 CAMRA Stockport Beer & Cider Festival.

Amongst these is a second `County Night' at the 2017 Stockport Beer & Cider Festival which will again go ahead at Edgeley Park in June.


The Supporters Cooperative will once more host the evening, and we would welcome ideas for the Thursday night from County supporters, who should direct same to dave.marchbank@gmail.com

Coop eBay Account.

Tim Rowson, meanwhile has established the Supporters Coop eBay account in support of the Guardian Account and this can be reached at www.ebay.co.uk/usr/countyco-op,

Hatters Half Marathon.

Also…looking further ahead, John Giles is well on with the Stockport Hatters Half Marathon, a race he pioneered 2 years ago, and which this year is on Sunday 3 September at 09.30.

The Events Team have runner Rebecca Sykes to assist and help make the third Hatters Half the best yet!

In this respect a number of local clubs already had the race in their race calendar, and we hope that Stockport Harriers will soon follow suit!

If you are a runner taking part in a local race expect to see someone handing out a leaflet for the Hatters Half soon, or if you would like to take a few dozen leaflets from us to distribute at a race you are competing in, then please e mail johngiles20@hotmail.com

Cheadle End Cabin on Match Days.

In second place as far as Guardian Account sources of income are concerned, is the Cheadle End Cabin, which on match days attracts much interest from County fans, pre- match.

A tidy sum has been raised via the cabin, from where County memorabilia is sold in support of the Guardian Account, between 1.30 and 2.30.

Shirts are by far the most popular line but we also sell and receive donations of hats, scarves and a few badges.

Why not call in at some point after 1.30, we would be delighted to see you!

Bung before the Game.....

You might also like to pop into to the Bung before the game, where Help the Hatters are hosting and it is hoped that SCAN presentations might be taking place. A number of players/ players family from the 1965/6 team have been invited, for around 1.15.And…..you will be supporting the Players Fund by buying a pint too!

Spinning Top...afterwards......
After the game County fans will be heading for the Spinning Top next to the Garrick Theatre on the A6, where Landlord Mike Swann again donates a massive 10% of takings to the Guardian Account.

That’s great stuff from Mike- please support him …..and the Guardian Account.


Stockport County Supporters Cooperative.