BARNSLEY will take on one of League One’s highly-rated new clubs when they host Stockport County from 7.45pm.
Newly-promoted Stockport have 11 points from seven games so are seventh, two points off the third-placed Reds.
County were previously in League One in 2010 but tumbled down three divisions in four seasons to the Conference North amid financial crisis.
Following a takeover by local businessman Mark Stott, who wants to take them to the Championship, they returned to the EFL in 2022 then, after losing the League Two play-off final last year, won that title earlier in 2024.
Dave Challinor’s side won their first three league games of this season, without conceding, as 2-0 home victories over Cambridge United and Bristol Rovers were separated by a 3-0 success at Blackpool. They drew 1-1 at Mansfield Town and Crawley Town before losing 4-1 at home to Leyton Orient on Saturday, conceding their first home league goals.
Head coach Darrell Clarke told the Chronicle: “Stockport and Wrexham have both had big investments and see themselves as Championship clubs which is a little bit different to the modern teams who come up from League Two into League One when a lot of it is about survival. They will feel they can get out of League One this year.
“It’s a different game to the last one. Burton had a lot of possession but didn’t cause us many problems. Stockport have scored quite a few goals but can be hurt the other way.”
He added: “Stockport have had a really good start, they are a club on the move and have had a lot of success and investment. Dave is a top operator.
“It’s a really competitive league – the most competitive it’s been for years so results like the one on Saturday can happen. Leyton Orient have not had a great start but they are a talented team with a great manager. None of the results surprise me.”
The kick-off time has been changed as the game is live on Sky. Clarke said: “I think it’s my first ever game at quarter to eight on a Saturday night. But hopefully we get a good crowd.
“A lot of it is financial for sponsorship and TV. If you ask most fans they prefer 3pm on a Saturday which is right.
“But TV injects a lot of money into clubs and we have to adapt to it.”
Clarke played for Stockport very briefly in January 2005, coming off after 32 minutes in his only appearance as his struggles with injuries continued during a loan from Hartlepool United.
He said: “It was very very brief.
“I went there for a month but got injured in my first game. It was the back end of my career when I struggled with knee injuries. It was under Chris Turner, my old manager from Hartlepool. I don’t remember a lot of it. I got stretchered off then needed a knee op.”
That game was sandwiched in-between Barnsley’s last two meetings with Stockport, almost two decades ago.
The most recent clash was a 2-2 draw at Edgeley Park on January 22, 2005 – with a last-gasp penalty denying Barnsley a win at the bottom-placed side following goals by Michael Boulding and Tony Vaughan. Stockport’s last trip to Oakwell, on December 28, 2004, saw them they come from 3-0 down to draw 3-3, which was also the score in their visit the previous season. Overall, the clubs have met 93 times with Barnsley winning 32 and losing 29, while the Reds are unbeaten in five meetings since a 4-1 away defeat in September 2002. The last four games have brought 21 goals.
Stockport’s first choice goalkeeper is Corey Addai who spent the 2020/21 season with Barnsley, never making a first team appearance and featuring only once on the bench. He moved to the Reds’ then sister club Esbjerg before making his name at Crawley Town and moving to Stockport for this season. They also have defender Callum Connolly who made his professional debut for Barnsley during a three-game loan spell from Everton as a teenager in 2016.
Barnsley then host Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday from 7.45pm.
See page 21 for a preview of that game and all the October fixtures.
