Please don’t cut key route to ground for football supporters

I AM writing on behalf of Stockport County Football Club concerning the recent proposals surrounding the underpass at Stockport Station.

Clearly, as a prominent local business on the Egdeley side of the station, we are very concerned about a plan which appears to inhibit the free movement of not only our own supporters but also opposition fans who, for several decades, have used the underpass as an access route between Edgeley and the town centre on match days.

Whilst we understand that Virgin need to protect their business from fare evasion, I am sure you would agree that Stockport County’s presence close to Stockport station has brought huge benefits to the town’s train operators over the years, and we still actively encourage all supporters visiting our ground to travel by train due to both the proximity of our stadium and the reduction of our carbon footprint.

I hope you will reconsider your current plans, and perhaps consider dividing the underpass in two so that rail passengers are segregated from people who are using it simply as a cut through.

Whilst we accept that you have no obligation to provide a right of way, this underpass has historically been an important conduit between Edgeley and the A6, and we would hope that there are no disincentives put in place to divide the town unnecessarily, and potentially damage local businesses, including ourselves.

We would humbly request that pedestrians are able to continue to enjoy unhindered access through the underpass, courtesy of Virgin Trains, with no restrictions and no need for any kind of ticket – we believe this would give reassurance to surrounding businesses but also provide very positive PR for Virgin Trains. Jon Keighren Director, Stockport County FC