2023 transfer represented Stockport County, Salford City changing of the guard: View | OneFootball

This one deal signalled the Hatters reasserting their dominance over the fellow Greater Manchester club

Key Takeaways

Having spent their years consistently in the Football League, the 2010s saw Stockport County drop to the sixth tier and acquire previously unconsidered rivals, one of which being Salford City.

When the Ammies were taken over by a collection of former Manchester United stars in 2014, together with businessman Peter Lim, Salford and Stockport were on opposite trajectories.

However, following a takeover of their own, the Hatters began a rapid catch-up operation that ultimately saw them take their historical spot above Salford.

One transfer between the two clubs, that of left-back Ibby Touray, was a firm signal that the baton was being handed back.

For the entirety of their pre-takeover history, Salford were seen as a respectable non-league force but weren't in the conversation for rising to the Football League.

Precisely the opposite was true for the Hatters, but in 2014, when Salford were just bedding in their new owners, County were adjusting to regional football for the first time in their history as the Ammies were staring up the pyramid.

The duo crossed paths briefly in the sixth tier but, following those years, there was a time that moving from County to Salford would have represented a step up.

Touray deal marked the start of the handover

When the North West pair met once more in League Two, the tide was turning again.

Potentially the most tense meeting in the clubs' histories was the 2022/23 play-off semi-final, Salford took the first leg at the Peninsula Stadium before a dramatic second leg sealed County's trip to Wembley on penalties.

That summer, the baton would well and truly be passed with the signing of Touray.

He had been a mainstay of the Salford side from the sixth-tier days, later rising to club captain and turning out as a regular starter through the club's transition from non-league to Football League.

He left that summer with the Ammies' club-record number of appearances, but on the expiry of his contract felt that Stockport represented a good move for him at the prime age of 28.

Seeing such a high-profile player move between the two clubs as they were at very similar points in their journey turned some heads, but with hindsight, it was a clear marker in the sand that County were on a faster ascent, and it proved a wise risk to take for Touray.

The hierarchy of the two clubs was cemented the following season

Having gone toe-to-toe the previous season, the 2023/24 campaign provided the evidence that County had surpassed Salford, as the Touray transfer seemed to have nodded to.

It would be remembered as a title-winning season for the Hatters, who lifted the League Two trophy and earned their place back in League One, while Salford finished up at the other end of the table, not far from a relegation fight.

Touray was a vital part of that success, making 32 league appearances, providing a County season-best of nine assists and netting one goal, aptly against his former employer at the Peninsula.

His efforts were recognised on a national scale with his inclusion in the PFA's League Two Team of the Year, alongside fellow Hatters Ben Hinchliffe and Fraser Horsfall.

He entered the 2024/25 season as a key part of a third-tier side, adding weight to his switch being the right move at the right time; one which marked the changing of the guard between two Greater Manchester clubs.