Brian Kennedy - and the decline and fall of Stockport County

by **Tony Bennett** 07.09.13 21:11

The recent decline and fall of Stockport County Football Club is the most spectacular ever in Football League history.

And its declining fortunes are very much connected with the history of the ownership of the club's ground by Cheshire multi-millionaire businessman, Brian Kennedy, the man who selflessly, single-handedly and single-mindedly has led the so-far-unsuccessful search for Madeleine McCann, based in a house he bought in Knutsford in 2007. His strenuous efforts to trace Madeleine included employing the likes of Francisco Marco, Antonio Giminez Raso, Julian Peribanez, and, last but not least, Kevin Halligen a.k.a. Richard Halligen.

Last season (2012-2013), Stockport County's fortunes declined even further with yet another relegation, this time to the 'Conference North', the sixth tier of English league football.

Now the ever-dwindling band of Stockport County supporters is demanding that Kennedy attend a meeting - but so far, he's not said if he will attend:

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Wikipedia says this about Stockport County's history:

QUOTE

Stockport County joined the Football League in 1900 and competed in it continuously from 1905 to 2011. Having spent most of their history in the lower reaches of the Football League, the 1990s were more successful with the club competing in the First Division for five seasons. Instability on and off the pitch led to Stockport quickly falling back to the lower divisions. The club started the 2011–12 season in the Conference National, having been relegated from Football League Two at the end of 2010–11. They are currently the longest-survived Football League team to drop out of the league, having played in the league for a total of 110 years. At the end of 2012–13, Stockport were relegated to the Conference North, 11 years after they had last competed in the second tier of English football and becoming the only team to drop from that tier to the sixth.

UNQUOTE

This recent Guardian article charted Stockport County's decline:

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It included this paragraph:

While sources at County claim there is no debt beyond what is owed to shareholders, the prime anger for supporters is rooted in the draining of assets. Brian Kennedy, a Scottish millionaire who also owns Sale Sharks – which until last year ground-shared before moving to the City of Salford Stadium – sold the club in 2005 to the supporters' trust for £1. But Kennedy retained Edgeley Park for which County pay rent to his company, Cheshire Sport, with the current sum around £12,500 a month

ETA: Football footnote: This week one Rickie Lambert, aged 31, scored for England in a World Cup qualifier - and is expected to play for England in the all-important, indeed crucial, away game against Ukraine next week.

Just 10 years ago, he was on the substitute's bench for Stockport County, and wasn't even used:

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by **Tony Bennett** 11.09.13 11:25

Stockport County fans STILL waiting to see if Brian Kennedy, owner of their football ground, Edgeley Park, will meet them.

Manchester Evening News today:

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by mank 11.09.13 13:52

I think they will be waiting a long time Tony, over to plan B.
A very well researched piece by the way - we'll have to make
you an honorary Stopfordian smilie

by **Tony Bennett** 11.09.13 14:07

mank wrote:I think they will be waiting a long time Tony, over to plan B.
A very well researched piece by the way - we'll have to make
you an honorary Stopfordian

Why, thank you!

If it helps, two Madeleine Foundation meetings were held in Stockport - well, about a mile west of Hazel Grove, if that counts.

And of course, Cheshire is the headquarters of one of the most famous-ever, if least successful, private investigations.

It houses Brian Kennedy at the luxurious Swettenham Hall.

And his Latium business empire based in the home town of so many footballers and the WAGs = Wilmslow.

The charming town of Knutsford houses the headquarters of this six-year-long investigation.

Where Gary Hagland plotted with Kennedy on how to search for Madeleine in Morocco.

While the 'crack' detective Dave Edgar, famed for locating Madeleine on a boat to Australia one week, and then 'in a prison lair near Praia da Luz' the next week (not to mention claiming that Jane Tanner might have seen a woman, not a man), lives in nearby Crewe.

MInd you, I'm not sure if Stockport really is in Cheshire these days.

Last time I was there all those nice 'Welcome to Cheshire' signs, with the blue-coloured county crest atop them, had been replaced with over-large, garish hoardings welcoming you to such newfangled 'unitary authorities' as 'Cheshire West and Chester' and 'Cheshire East'.

Life will never be the same again...

LATE NEWS Relegation-haunted (again!) Stockport County climb out of the relegation zone on Saturday with a thumping 3-1 win over bottom club Gainsborough.

by **PeterMac** 11.09.13 16:06

How can you have Stockport COUNTY ?
Nottingham County - v - Nottingham City (AKA Forest) yes, clearly so, but Stockport is not a County.
Most odd.

by jeanmonroe 11.09.13 16:21

PeterMac wrote:How can you have Stockport COUNTY ?
Nottingham County - v - Nottingham City (AKA Forest) yes, clearly so, but Stockport is not a County.
Most odd.

In the UK we are proud to be odd!
However, even the oddest of us odd 'uns are surprised by the oddest investigation into a missing child led by an oddball!

by littlepixie 11.09.13 18:59

I was brought up in Stockport and even though our address was Cheshire, we were told we were part of Greater Manchester.

by AndyB 11.09.13 19:25

PeterMac wrote:How can you have Stockport COUNTY ?
Nottingham County - v - Nottingham City (AKA Forest) yes, clearly so, but Stockport is not a County.

Not any more but it once was. As were Nottingham, Derby and Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, although Newcastle never had a football team called "County". There were probably others as well

by **Tony Bennett** 20.04.22 19:17

Tony Bennett wrote:The recent decline and fall of Stockport County Football Club is the most spectacular ever in Football League history.

And its declining fortunes are very much connected with the history of the ownership of the club's ground by Cheshire multi-millionaire businessman, Brian Kennedy, the man who selflessly, single-handedly and single-mindedly has led the so-far-unsuccessful search for Madeleine McCann, based in a house he bought in Knutsford in 2007. His strenuous efforts to trace Madeleine included employing the likes of Francisco Marco, Antonio Giminez Raso, Julian Peribanez, and, last but not least, Kevin Halligen a.k.a. Richard Halligen.

Last season (2012-2013), Stockport County's fortunes declined even further with yet another relegation, this time to the 'Conference North', the sixth tier of English league football.

Now the ever-dwindling band of Stockport County supporters is demanding that Kennedy attend a meeting - but so far, he's not said if he will attend:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Wikipedia says this about Stockport County's history:

QUOTE

Stockport County joined the Football League in 1900 and competed in it continuously from 1905 to 2011. Having spent most of their history in the lower reaches of the Football League, the 1990s were more successful with the club competing in the First Division for five seasons. Instability on and off the pitch led to Stockport quickly falling back to the lower divisions. The club started the 2011–12 season in the Conference National, having been relegated from Football League Two at the end of 2010–11. They are currently the longest-survived Football League team to drop out of the league, having played in the league for a total of 110 years. At the end of 2012–13, Stockport were relegated to the Conference North, 11 years after they had last competed in the second tier of English football and becoming the only team to drop from that tier to the sixth.

UNQUOTE

This recent Guardian article charted Stockport County's decline:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

It included this paragraph:

While sources at County claim there is no debt beyond what is owed to shareholders, the prime anger for supporters is rooted in the draining of assets. Brian Kennedy, a Scottish millionaire who also owns Sale Sharks – which until last year ground-shared before moving to the City of Salford Stadium – sold the club in 2005 to the supporters' trust for £1. But Kennedy retained Edgeley Park for which County pay rent to his company, Cheshire Sport, with the current sum around £12,500 a month

ETA: Football footnote: This week one Rickie Lambert, aged 31, scored for England in a World Cup qualifier - and is expected to play for England in the all-important, indeed crucial, away game against Ukraine next week.

Just 10 years ago, he was on the substitute's bench for Stockport County, and wasn't even used:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

There is good news for Stockport County at last! - after McCann supporter Brian Kennedy was a major cause of their steep decline ten years ago.

They are currently top of the National League** and heading for promotion!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/national-league/table

Note for ladies on the forum:

1. The National League is not the Football League
2. The Football League has four divisions, called the Premiership, the Championship, League One and League Two.
3. If you get to finish first in the National League, as Stockport County are likely to do, they will be promoted to League Two.

by **CaKeLoveR** 20.04.22 19:34

What happened to the first and second divisions? (I'm female, so try not to explode). big grin

by **Tony Bennett** 20.04.22 20:00

CaKeLoveR wrote:What happened to the first and second divisions? (I'm female, so try not to explode).

A good question.

The 1st Division became the Premiership.

The 2nd Division became the Championship.

The 3rd Division became League One.

The 4th Division became League Two.

Suppose you met a moderate footballer while clubbing. He tells you he is a footballer, and you ask '"What Division?' He replies: 'Third Division'.

Today, a moderate footballer would play in 'League One'. Immediately sounds better, doesn't it?

by **CaKeLoveR** 20.04.22 20:03

I see, thank you - it sounds better!!

by Vera Krista 20.04.22 21:50

I understand nothing

my head is spinning. so the 4th division is like local football clubs?

by **Tony Bennett** 20.04.22 22:38

Vera Krista wrote:I understand nothing my head is spinning. so the 4th division is like local football clubs?

Premiership
^
Championship
^
League 1
^
League 2
^
National League
^
National League South & National League North
^
Regional Premierships
^
Regional Championships
^
Regional Division 1s
^
Regional Division 2s
^

Think of it like a long ladder, with Manchester City and Liverpool at the top and your local pub team desperately trying to get into Regional Division 2