Despite losing out on a trip to Wembley, Stockport County have recorded their highest points tally in a League One season in the club’s history finishing third with 87 points, five points clear of the record set County’s 1996/97 promotion winning season.
The Hatters went behind in all seven of their final fixtures and despite not losing a single game, they were defeated on penalties by 6th-placed Leyton Orient.
Dave Challinor and CEO Simon Wilson will be turning their attentions to improving an impressive Stockport County squad with difficult changes to come.
One of these changes comes in the shape of the imminent release of Macauley Southam-Hales, according to Pete O’Rourke. The defender is out of contract this summer with the North West side following a one-year contract extension following County’s promotion to League One.
Now though, he is set to leave when his deal expires and his situation has alerted other clubs.
Goodbye to a Stockport County favourite
Southam-Hales was brought to Edgeley Park during the summer of 2020 from Fleetwood Town, making him County’s current second longest serving player behind club legend Ben Hinchliffe.
‘MSH’ has featured 119 times for Stockport County across the five years, predominantly finding himself operating as a right wing-back rather than directly as a right-back and has regularly been involved in Dave Challinor’s sides throughout the divisions.
His infectious personality and dedication on the pitch led to him becoming a fan favourite and this season, he even scooped up the PFA Community award as well as the Stockport County Community Player of the Year award for his services to the community around the town.
A dynamic, rapid, wingback, Southam-Hales has popped up with a goal this campaign in the seventeen league matches he has been involved in, a header at the back post against Birmingham City with the Welshman unlucky not to have found a winner a few minutes later having struck the post. He also netted both against Crawley and Reading this season.
Injury woes
Unfortunately, it is hard to avoid Southam-Hales’ injury problems during his time at Stockport County. His 2022/23 season came to an end on Boxing Day against Crewe Alexandra, featuring just 13 times in their return to League Two.
The 29-year-old then suffered a horrendous patella tendon rupture in February 2024 in a ‘one in ten year’ injury, missing the end of the 2023/24 season from February onwards and then the opening period of the 2024/25 season as a result of the impact of this injury.
Unfortunately, Southam-Hales has missed the end stages of this season as well. With his contract at Edgeley Park likely to not be renewed it, Southam-Hales’ last County appearance will have come in early March as a result of injury, limiting him to only 20 games in all competitions with ‘MSH’ missing out on the opportunity to say goodbye to County fans.
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