Manchester has been the bedrock of domestic success during the Premier League era: initially for Manchester United and, more recently, for Manchester City.
But just a few miles down the road from their prominent neighbours, Stockport County are on the rise again after a decade of decline.
The Hatters' recent history doesn't make for pleasant reading; a club with a proud and rich heritage - who were playing in the Championship as recently as 2002 - sunk as low as the sixth tier back in 2013.
The arrival of local businessman Mark Stott in 2020 has proven to be the catalyst for one the most remarkable comeback stories in recent memory, though.
After beating Wrexham to clinch National League title on the final day of the 2021/22 campaign, Stockport are now potentially just a game away from sealing back-to-back promotions and a return to League One for the first time since 2010.
Even before their 11 year spell in non-league, the presence of Stockport's gargantuan neighbours posed plenty of problems. But chief executive Jonathan Vaughan believes that the Hatters' recent upward trajectory, coupled with the current landscape of modern football, means that is no longer necessary the case. "I think historically, it probably was more of a challenge being next to City and United," Vaughan tells Mirror Football .
"But the way football has gone, because it's an international sport and international fanbase, the different offerings probably actually work in our favour.
"What they can't offer is that traditional matchday experience: a stadium with an old-school feel and where the prices are reasonable. At Edgeley Park, the experience is very different. You can get closer to the players and it's a bit more relatable. The Premier League has gone stratospheric, whereas I think you get that more traditional football experience down in the lower leagues."
After a record-breaking campaign last year led to them reclaiming Football League status, the Hatters have continued their roaring resurgence this term, where they currently sit fourth in League Two. Attendances are on the up and ambition is rife: Stott and Vaughan implemented a seven-year plan to guide Stockport back to the Championship after the former completed his acquisition of the club back in January 2020.
And while County could seal a return to the third-tier ahead of schedule if they beat relegated Hartlepool and Northampton drop points away at Tranmere on Monday afternoon, the club hierarchy have had to negotiate plenty of obstacles to get to this point.
Just weeks after taking ownership of the club, the Covid pandemic hit. Stockport were forced to play behind closed doors for almost a year-and-a-half; a real "baptism of fire", as Vaughan puts it.
Then, the club stumbled out of the blocks at the start of last season after coming up short in the race for promotion just months previously. That led to the departure of Simon Rusk and the appointment of Dave Challinor in November 2021: a moment Vaughan pinpoints as "the start of our comeback story".
"It was almost instant, Dave's impact. Right at the end last year, we had a bit of a wobble and Wrexham were breathing down our necks but we managed to get it over the line on the final day of the season.
"We felt both from a character profile and from his previous success that it was the perfect fit - but given where we were when he came in, I don't think anybody would have predicted we'd win the league in the manner which we did."
Crucially, Stockport's momentum hasn't waned since Challinor steered them back into the EFL. Although Vaughan admits that nobody at the club was "naive enough" to believe they would simply steamroll their way through League Two, the Hatters did harbour promotion ambitions back in August. The club were started the season as the favourites for promotion.
But after winning just two of their first 11 league games, Stockport have rediscovered the relentless consistency that was synonymous with a team that conquered all comers last term to end an 11-year spell in the wilderness.
"Our performances in those first few games surprised us all, to be honest. We felt as though we were underperforming on our potential. We're all extremely ambitious, but we know football is a challenging business and best laid plans are often hard to deliver.
"We've always had a really strong core fanbase; that's the foundation we've been looking to build upon. Even in the National League North we were pulling in crowds of 3,500, which is incredible. We feel like the club is in the strongest positive we've been in for quite some time.
"Average attendances this year have been just over 9,000, which is 60 per cent higher than the last time we were promoted from League Two, so we're really riding a wave of momentum at the moment.
"Getting into League One after only three seasons would be some achievement. We'd be ahead of schedule [in relation to the seven-year plan] but the ultimate goal is that promised land of the Championship. We feel that Stockport are a Championship club. We're confident that we can get the club there: that's the ambition."
Stockport are already assured of a play-off place if promotion evades them on the final day of the season. And even if they fail to reclaim a spot in the third-tier once the dust has settled at the end of May this time around, the foundations have been laid for further success.
The club's newly categorised academy is the "cornerstone" of plans to bring through homegrown talent - no mean feat considering those two pesky neighbours who lie just down the M60. Vaughan is adamant that the club "should be known" for their academy in years to come.
There's more, though - plans to redevelop The Railway End are in the works and Vaughan is hopeful that ground will be broken in the next couple of years. The club already boast a "Championship standard" training facility after purchasing Manchester City's old Carrington training base to help them attract a higher calibre of player.
Promotion would help them no end in that aspect, too. But the bigger picture is clear - already, so much has been achieved since the club battled back from the brink.
"We thought the opportunity [automatic promotion] was probably beyond our reach," Vaughan admits. "But Northampton dropping points has given us a chance; the ball is still in their court, but we've taken it to the last day of the season and who knows what the football gods will serve up. We have to do our job, first and foremost, and then hope Tranmere can do us a favour.
"When you speak to people around Stockport, though, you feel the sense of pride being restored. We've got good kit sponsorships in place, we're on a high in the league: the look and feel of the club is something people can be proud of again. There's a whole generation, people in the mid to late nineties and the 2000s, who experienced highs, I can see the joy in them at seeing the next generation experiencing some highs of their own."
