Stockport - Sports

Sports

Athletics

Stockport has three athletics clubs — Manchester Harriers & AC, Stockport Harriers & AC, and DASH Athletics Club. Manchester Harriers train at William Scholes' Playing Fields in Gatley, and they organise highly-regarded schools cross country races throughout the winter. Stockport Harriers are based at Woodbank Park in Offerton, and have several International middle-distance and endurance athletes including Andy Nixon. DASH Athletics Club are the newest Club in Stockport based at both Hazel Grove Recreation Centre,and the Manchester Regional Arena at Sportcity in Manchester. In 2006 DASH AC Coach Geoff Barratt was UK Athletics' Development Coach of the Year, and in 2007 the club won England Athletics North West Junior Club and North West Overall Club of The Year accolades.

Football

Stockport County F.C. play in the Conference National league. The club was formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, changing its name to Stockport County in 1890 reflecting the town's status as a county borough. It joined the Football League in 1900. Its most successful season was the 1996-97 season, when it reached the Football League Cup semi-finals and won promotion into the Championship.

Stockport Sports FC, a non-league footbal club, also play in the town. Stockport Sports (formerly Woodley Sports) compete in the NWCFL Premier Division. Ex-England international and former national team manager of Thailand and Indonesia Peter Withe manages Stockport Sports.

Lacrosse

Stockport Lacrosse Club which plays at Stockport Cricket Club, Cale Green, was founded in 1876, and its first match was played as Shaw Heath Villa. It is reputed to be the oldest club in the world and has men's, ladies', and junior teams. There are lacrosse clubs at Norbury (Hazel Grove) Cheadle, Cheadle Hulme, Heaton Mersey, Heaton Mersey Guild, and Mellor. Stockport Grammar School old boys (Old Stopfordians) play at Disley. Edgeley Park hosted the 1978 Lacrosse World Cup.

Swimming

Stockport Metro Swimming Club, based at Grand Central Pools, is the most successful British swimming club, through the last three Olympic Games. Stockport Metro swimmers have claimed 50% of British swimming's medal haul. At the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Graeme Smith won bronze in the 1500m freestyle, and, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Steve Parry won bronze in the 200m butterfly. Most recently, at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Keri-Anne Payne and Cassie Patten won silver and bronze, respectively, in the 10 km open water swim.

Tennis

Stockport is the birthplace of tennis player, Fred Perry the last Briton to win the Men's Singles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open (in 1936), making him the last British male to win a Grand Slam title.

Rugby league

When the rugby football schism occurred in 1895, Stockport, founded in 1895, became a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League). Stockport played for eight seasons from the 1895–96 season to the end of 1902–1903 season, the latter two seasons played at Edgeley Park, the club finished 17th of 22 in the initial combined league, then 5th, 11th, 11th, 9th, 12th, 6th, in the 14-club Lancashire Senior Competition, and then 18th of 18 in Division 2 of the recombined league, after which it withdrew from the Northern Rugby Football Union.

Rugby Union

Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club played at Edgeley Park from 2002 to 2012.