Stockport Independent Issue 195

23 OCTOBER 2025 Visit our website: www.independentnewspapers.co.uk Independent LOCAL SPORT SENIOR development coach Jamie Crowther has left the Hatters to take up new role at AstonVilla. Crowther has played a crucial role in the success of Stockport’s Academy since the club’s return to the Football League in 2022. Initially joining the club as the professional development phase lead coach, he oversaw the tran- sition of a number of Academy players into the first-team. In the 2023/24 season, he oversaw a memorable FA Youth Cup campaign, reaching the third round. The young Hatters were even- tually knocked out by Everton at Goodison Park. More recently, he played a role in the setting-up of County’s Under- 21 team. For the past two seasons, he has also been the Wales Under- 18s assistant coach. He has now been appointed as the Under-18s professional devel- opment phase (PDP) Coach at Premier League AstonVilla. Crowther played for Colwyn Bay, Barrow, Connah’s Quay Nomads, Aberystwyth Town and Caernarfon Town before moving into coaching as first team coach at Airbus UK Broughton in July 2020. He left there for Stockport two years later. THE landmark 50th anniversary year of Cheshire’s County Cricket League (CCL) ended with cele- brations for Cheadle, Bramhall and Bollington. Cheadle were crowned Division One champions and will take their place in the Premier Division next year along- side promoted Bramhall, who are returning to the top flight after seven sea- sons away. Bollington will be play- ing Division One cricket in 2026 after finish Division Two runners up. There were also celebra- tions at Oakmere who were promoted from Division Three. Bowdon slipped out of the top flight, Stockport and Ashton onMersey were relegated from Division Two whilst Over Peover and Mobberley took the bottom two spots in Division Three. Nantwich had to settle for run- ners-up stop in the Premier behind new champions Didsbury. Jimmy Warrington signed off with 3-39 for Nantwich as they consolidated their runners-up position on the last day of the season with a comfortable seven win over Chester BH. Alderley Edge ended the campaign in fifth, a place below Timperley. How- ever, Edge did secure some silver this sum- mer, lifting the 1st XI T20 competition. In Division One, Mac- clesfield missed out on promotion by just 13 points, fin- ishing in third, a place above Stock- port Georgians. Bramhall sealed their promotion on the last day after a hard-earned eight wicket win at Davenham. All-rounder Liam Molloy rounded off a successful campaign with his seventh half-century, passing 700 runs for the season in the process. He also claimed 35 wickets along the way. Ups and downs as 50th season comes to a close JIMMYWarrington – the leading CCL seam bowler in its history – has announced he is hanging up his boots. The Nantwich bowler bows out with 883 wickets to his name taken in all competitions. He told the league’s newsletter he was: “Leaving the game before it leaves me.” Jimmy was looking to retire at the end of the 2024 season after his side won the league. He said: “I came back for this season, thinking maybe one more, but I got injured in game three and just haven’t been properly right since. “And I’m not playing if I can’t give it everything and really be an asset to my team.” Another factor is Jimmy’s twin children both playing the game and he’s keen to see as much of them play- ing as possible. He said: “Family mat- ters hugely to me and I want to give time back to them.” Over such a long career, Jimmy has enjoyed many successes with Nant- wich, especially the two Lord’s finals that the club has played in. He said: “It was a fantastic expe- rience to have my name announced over the Lord’s Tannoy when I opened the bowling from the Pavilion End, I absolutely loved that.” Along with two ECB National Club Final appearances, Nantwich have won six Premier titles, the T20 in 2018, and two Cheshire Cups in Jimmy’s time, although it was one of their less successful seasons that Jimmy recalled as another of his most memorable games – and it was with bat, rather than ball, in hand. He said: “We had a poor time of it in 2016 and were in serious danger of being relegated. We were at Mac- clesfield last game and it was either us or them going down – they made 200, got the batting points, and we were 143-8 when I came in to join Ben Johnston, a very young lad who was battling really hard. “If either of us got out, that would have givenMacc another bowling point which would have meant relegation for us – but we batted out about eight or nine overs and got the draw, under pressure I have rarely felt to be honest. “Both teams ended the season level on points and we stayed up having won one more match. That’s some- thing I won’t forget.” Prolific: JimmyWarrington receiving his player of the match award after recording 8-36 against Bramhall in 2015 (Photo credit: Nantwich CC) Jimmy calls it a day Missed chances hurting County Challinor wants more efficiency in front of goal Frustrated: Dave Challinor believes his side need to be more clinical (Photo credit: SCFC) Record breaking Joe at the double JOE Astles became Stockport County’s youngest goal scorer on record when he netted twice againstWolverhamptonWanderers U21s at Edgeley Park. At just 16 years and 105 days, he becametheyoungestknownplayer to score a senior goal for County when he came on as substitute with 15 minutes to go in the Vertu Trophy tie. With the sides locked at 3-3 the young forward’s two goals won the game and fired the teenager into the record books. He also broke a record that had stood for more than half a century. When Steve Massey made his debut for Stockport County on February 28, 1975, he was 16 years and 337 days old. A local Stockport boy, he also came off the bench and marked a memorable first appearance by scoring a goal in County’s 2-1 vic- tory over Darlington. Jamie makes a Villa move FRUSTRATED Stock- port County manager Dave Challinor says missed chances in front of goal are hurting his side – and that has to change. Speaking after the Hat- ters were held to a 1-1 draw by visitors Reading, Chal- linor said: “We again, have not taken the chances we created and have missed out on getting three points. “We have taken the lead in eight of our last 10 games and only won four of them. “In the past, we haven’t been overly creative in terms of the chances we were mak- ing but we were really effi- cient at putting the ball in the net. “But this season, even though we have scored in every game, we should have scored more.” He added: “The positive from the last three games is that we have created enough chances to win them all comfortably. “We have to score our chances if we are going to achieve anything this sea- son. We have to be better to allow ourselves to compete at the very top.” To advertise in the Independent, contact Robin Atkins on 07767 840274