How Stockport County's owner Mark Stott created his wealth | OneFootball

The County owner has made some incredible improvements in his short time at the club

Mark Stott took over Stockport County in January 2020 and since set about changing the club’s fortunes.

He arrived with director of football Simon Wilson and together they put into action a seven-year plan to return to the Championship.

Just over halfway along that journey, and with only one promotion left to go, it’s safe to chalk the project up as a success so far.

But how did Mark Stott make his money?

How Stockport County owner Mark Stott made his money

Stott grew up in nearby Poynton, just a 20-minute drive away from Edgeley Park, and his early jobs included selling advertising space for a local newspaper, car sales and IT, before landing in the industry where he would find his ultimate success: property.

His property empire centres around Select Property Group, which he founded, and Vita Group, a property company where he is currently listed as the CEO and who have been the Hatters’ front-of-shirt sponsor for the past few seasons.

Those two companies house and manage brands such as Affinity Living, Vita Student, Union and City Suites.

Head into most major cities in the UK and look up at some of the tallest buildings — chances are you’ll see a Stott-owned premises.

Mark Stott’s net worth

Although Stott’s net worth is not publicly known, his property empire spans the entire country and even has offices in Dubai, Shanghai and Hong Kong.

In 2020, he bought the club for cash, paid off all the debts and set about investing a further £7.7million in the club, which was then converted to equity, to fund improvements in the playing staff, stadium and training facilities.

Quoted on the club website following the announcement of that equity conversion, County CEO Jonathan Vaughan said: “It has always been Mark’s plan to make sure the money he put into the Club was gifted and did not want to burden the Club with long-term loans.

“This puts the Club in a strong financial position and for this, we are very grateful.”

While Stott’s precise net worth remains unknown, it’s safe to say he isn’t short of money to invest in the club.

Stott’s future plans with County

The County owner admitted recently that the club have dropped from having one of the top budgets in the National League and League Two, to a top-ten budget following their promotion to League One.

If he is successful in actioning his seven-year plan to reach the Championship, he will only encounter even greater budgets from even bigger clubs, meaning at some stage additional external investment may be a route that is looked at.

First, however, comes consolidation and a potential push for promotion in League One, along with major projects, such as the expansion to Edgeley Park — which plans to take the ground from a 10,852 capacity up to 18,305 — and further updates to both the academy and training facilities.

So positive has Mark Stott’s stewardship of the club been to this point that many County fans cheer Vita successes as their own, as the property empire that Stott built and is still building has allowed him to restore County to its rightful former glory.