PURE 107.8FM
●●AS Stockport’s radio station Pure 107.8FM prepare for the conclusion of their tenth season covering every Stockport County game home and away, the big question is will this season have the same result as Pure’s first season with the Hatters – Play-Off Glory? Pure County presenter Chris Ridgway looks ahead… THEY talk about the play-offs being a lottery – they rarely mention the run into the play-offs being the rollercoaster this season’s Vanarama National League North is turning out to be.
If doing a league and cup double over Salford City was throwing your arms up in glee on The Nemesis, then for Stockport County fans at least, seeing Nuneaton Town’s deflected equaliser trickle in on April’s Fools Day was the equivalent of the impending drop of Oblivion.
Holding onto a play-off spot has been like grasping a fistful of sand in recent weeks, with all teams from third to seventh seeing themselves bounce in and out of the treasured spots, so with summer on the horizon the end of this season promises to be no walk along the beach.
Stockport County find themselves with work to do, yet the mood around the camp is a calm, positive one. Manager Jim Gannon is trusted by fans and players alike, while he can point to one of the tightest defences in the league and the third highest scorer in the division as reasons to be confident.
When trying to predict from the impossibly high number of permutations still lying in wait, it should be remembered the sayings aren’t always right.
This is football, not the lottery, just as rollercoasters are carefully constructed, thrill dispensing products. The meticulous work Jim Gannon and his staff are doing in building this team is the reason the club are where they are in the table.
Should County not win promotion, I for one will be gutted – but still have immense pride in my club and the magnificent work Jim Gannon, Mike Flynn and Dave Conlon have done this season.
It’s not a rollercoaster, but I for one am going to enjoy the ride. You can too, on The Home of Stockport County – Pure 107.8FM.