Stockport County have appointed Gavin Bailey as their new Chief Executive Officer. The move, reported by About Manchester this week, sees Bailey step up from his previous role as Chief Operating Officer to lead the club's day-to-day operations.
Bailey replaces Simon Wilson, who departed Edgeley Park in the summer of 2025 after six years with the club. Wilson initially served as Director of Football before becoming CEO. Bailey joined Stockport County in January 2025 and has since overseen significant operational growth, including substantial diversification across the club's revenue streams.
What does Gavin Bailey bring to the role?
Gavin Bailey arrives with extensive experience managing large-scale property and hospitality operations. This expertise was honed across owner Mark Stott's wider business portfolio. Prior to his arrival at Stockport, Bailey led the growth and expansion of CitySuites, which is Manchester's largest hotel. His brief now is to continue driving growth across the entire organisation, both on and off the pitch.
He will work closely with owner Mark Stott, Sporting Director Damien Allen, and Head Coach Jimmy McNulty. The club's long-term ambition is to achieve Championship football while ensuring continued development aligns with its core values and identity.
How does this fit the club's current context?
The appointment comes at an exciting period for Stockport County. The club is continuing to develop its infrastructure, commercial operations, and wider footballing setup following years of sustained growth. This off-field stability is seen as key to supporting the team's on-pitch ambitions.
As of 26 August 2026, Stockport County sit 9th in League One with 3 points from their opening two games, recording a win and a loss. They have scored 4 goals and conceded 3, giving them a +1 goal difference. They are currently 3 points behind early leaders Bradford City. Top scorer J. Diamond has netted once in his two appearances so far. You can track the team's progress on our standings page.
What are the immediate priorities?
Gavin Bailey's immediate focus will be on overseeing all club operations and building on the commercial momentum already established. His background in hospitality and revenue generation is expected to be directly applied to projects at Edgeley Park.
The timing is significant with a busy period of fixtures ahead. The Hatters' next match is a home game against Wycombe Wanderers on 29 August 2026. Wycombe are currently 16th in the table. Fans can view the full schedule on our fixtures page. Integrating the football and business strategies will be a central task as the season develops.
