The 2023–24 season is the 142nd season in the history of Stockport County and their second consecutive season in League Two. The club are participating in League Two, the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, and the 2023–24 EFL Trophy.

On 13 April 2024, Stockport secured promotion to League One, the third division of English football, for the first time in 14 years with a 2–0 win over Morecambe. The following day, defender Fraser Horsfall was named in the League Two Team of the Season at the annual EFL Awards.

Current squad

No. Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Previous club Date signed Fee Contract end Goalkeepers 1 Ben Hinchliffe GK Preston AFC Fylde 1 July 2016 Free 30 June 2024 12 Jordan Smith GK South Normanton Nottingham Forest 13 July 2023 Free 30 June 2024 13 Bobby Jones GK AFC Fylde 19 September 2022 Free 30 June 2024 Defenders 2 Kyle Knoyle RB Newham Doncaster Rovers 13 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 3 Ibou Touray LB Liverpool Salford City 1 July 2023 Free 30 June 2025 5 Neill Byrne CB Portmarnock Tranmere Rovers 6 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 6 Fraser Horsfall CB Huddersfield Northampton Town 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2025 7 Macauley Southam-Hales RB Cardiff Fleetwood Town 2 September 2020 Free 30 June 2024 15 Ethan Pye LB Manchester Rochdale 1 July 2021 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 23 Ethan Bristow LB Maidenhead Minnesota United 1 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 26 Rhys Bennett CB Manchester Manchester United 19 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 29 Josh Popoola CB Bournemouth 31 July 2023 Free 30 June 2024 32 Lewis Cass CB North Shields Port Vale 1 February 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 34 Todd Kane RB Huntingdon Manchester 62 12 March 2024 Free 30 June 2024 52 Joe Hillary CB Academy 28 December 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 Midfielders 4 Akil Wright CM Derby York City 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 8 Callum Camps CM Stockport Fleetwood Town 4 July 2022 Free 30 June 2025 10 Antoni Sarcevic CM Manchester Bolton Wanderers 22 October 2021 Free 30 June 2024 11 Nick Powell AM Crewe Stoke City 7 July 2023 Free Transfer 30 June 2026 14 Will Collar DM Horsham Hamilton Academical 6 February 2021 Free 30 June 2025 17 Ryan Rydel LM Oldham Fleetwood Town 22 April 2021 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 18 Ryan Croasdale CM Lancaster AFC Fylde 29 September 2020 Free 30 June 2024 22 Rico Richards AM West Bromwich Aston Villa 18 January 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 24 Connor Lemonheigh-Evans AM Swansea Torquay United 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2024 27 Odin Bailey AM Birmingham Salford City 9 January 2024 Undisclosed 30 June 2026 28 Ashton Mee CM Stockport Academy 22 August 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 30 Cody Johnson CM Oldham Academy 1 January 2023 Trainee 30 June 2024 Forwards 9 Paddy Madden CF Dublin Fleetwood Town 15 March 2021 Undisclosed 30 June 2024 16 Jack Stretton CF Newhall Derby County 7 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 19 Kyle Wootton CF Kidderminster Notts County 1 July 2022 Free 30 June 2025 20 Louie Barry LW Sutton Coldfield Aston Villa 28 July 2023 Loan 31 May 2024 21 Myles Hippolyte LW London Scunthorpe United 31 January 2022 Free 30 June 2024 25 Isaac Olaofe CF Lewisham Millwall 1 January 2023 Undisclosed 30 June 2025 31 Ben Knight RW Cambridge Manchester City 12 March 2024 Loan 31 May 2024 Out on Loan Ethan Ross GK Enfield Lincoln City 8 July 2021 Free 30 June 2024

Transfers In DatePosPlayerTransferred fromFeeRef 1 July 2023 CF Billy Chadwick Hull City Free Transfer 1 July 2023 LB Ibou Touray Salford City Free Transfer 7 July 2023 AM Nick Powell Stoke City Free Transfer 31 July 2023 RB Sam Bird † Fleetwood Town Free Transfer 31 July 2023 CM Ackeme Francis-Burrell † Wolverhampton Wanderers Free Transfer 31 July 2023 LB Taylor McMahon † Stoke City Free Transfer 31 July 2023 CB Josh Popoola † Bournemouth Free Transfer 9 January 2023 AM Odin Bailey Salford City Undisclosed 12 March 2024 RB Todd Kane Manchester 62 Free Transfer † signed for Emerging Talent Group

Out DatePosPlayerTransferred toFeeRef 30 June 2023 CB Ben Barclay Carlisle United Free Transfer 30 June 2023 RB Phil Bardsley Free agent Released 30 June 2023 DM Jacob Davenport Morecambe Released 30 June 2023 RB Chris Hussey Walsall Released 30 June 2023 CB Ryan Johnson AFC Wimbledon Released 14 July 2023 CF Daniel Okwute Kerry Free Transfer 17 July 2023 CF Scott Quigley Eastleigh Free Transfer 30 August 2023 RW Ollie Crankshaw Altrincham Undisclosed 2 January 2024 CF Billy Chadwick York City Free Transfer 10 January 2024 CB Joe Lewis AFC Wimbledon Undisclosed 11 January 2024 RB Sam Bird Stirling Albion Free Transfer

Loaned in DatePosPlayerLoaned fromUntilRef 26 July 2023 RB Jayden Richardson Aberdeen 12 January 2024 28 July 2023 LW Louie Barry Aston Villa End of Season 28 August 2023 AM Joel Cotterill Swansea City 15 January 2024 31 August 2023 CB Alfie Pond Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 January 2024 1 September 2023 AM Odin Bailey Salford City 1 January 2024 1 January 2024 LB Ethan Bristow Minnesota United End of Season 18 January 2024 AM Rico Richards Aston Villa End of Season 19 January 2024 CB Rhys Bennett Manchester United End of Season 1 February 2024 CB Lewis Cass Port Vale End of Season 12 March 2024 RW Ben Knight Manchester City End of Season

Loaned out DatePosPlayerLoaned toDate untilRef 1 July 2023 CB Joe Lewis AFC Wimbledon 10 January 2024 25 July 2023 GK Ethan Ross Altrincham End of Season 1 August 2023 CF Billy Chadwick Gateshead 2 January 2024 1 September 2023 AM Connor Lemonheigh-Evans AFC Wimbledon 10 January 2024 1 September 2023 CB Josh Popoola Spennymoor Town 29 September 2023 25 February 2024 GK Bobby Jones Marine End of Season 29 March 2024 CB Luke Partington Guiseley End of Season

Pre-season and friendlies On 30 May, Stockport announced their first pre-season friendly, against Preston North End to celebrate the club's 140th anniversary. Three days later, a further four matches were confirmed against Lincoln City, Altrincham, Chester and Huddersfield Town. On 6 June, the club announced their sixth and final pre-season opposition, against Blackburn Rovers.

Competitions Overall record

League Two

League table

Results summary

Results by round

Matches On 22 June, the EFL League Two fixtures were released.

FA Cup

County were drawn at home to Worksop Town in the first round.

EFL Cup

Stockport were drawn away to Sheffield Wednesday in the first round.

EFL Trophy

The Group stage draw was finalised on 22 June 2023. After coming second in the group stages, Stockport were drawn away to Wigan Athletic.

Group stage

Goalscorers

League goalscorers

Cup goalscorers Goals scored in the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy.

References