Key Edgeley Park ingredient played vital role in landing Stockport County favourite | OneFootball

Hatters fans may not realise how important they were to signing Tanto Olaofe

Striker Tanto Olaofe has been a transfer success story for Stockport County.

He first arrived in SK3 from Millwall in January 2023 and played a pivotal role in the club’s promotion to League One in the 2023/24 season.

So productive was that season, and so well-received was Olaofe at Edgeley Park, that he signed a new three-year deal in the summer of 2024, with an optional year.

But fans inside the stadium may not realise just how important they were to getting the deal done.

The key Edgeley Park element to Tanto Olaofe’s signing

Although not the biggest, County’s ground is a significant venue, especially at League Two level, where the club were when Olaofe first visited with a view to signing.

Much of the capacity is housed in the Cheadle End behind the goal, routinely full since gaining momentum back to the Football League and always vocal.

Olaofe visited the stadium during the process of signing for the club, before his transfer had been announced. The ground and the fans clearly made an impression on him.

Speaking on the club’s official announcement of the Olaofe deal, Challinor said: “He was at the game on Boxing Day, so has felt the atmosphere inside Edgeley Park from the stands.

“Very soon he’ll get to feel that from on the pitch.”

That was backed up by director of football, Simon Wilson, who added: “It was well known that Isaac has attended our last two games, and it is here that this club sells itself.

“Who wouldn’t want to play in front of our supporters? Every now and then, you get a reminder of what an exciting place this is to be part of and what is being built.”

For both men to make such a clear nod to Olaofe’s visit, it’s clear that his time experiencing Edgeley Park had been a key motivating factor.

Challinor had wanted Olaofe for a long while

The County boss made no secret of the fact that he was a big admirer of Olaofe.

Challinor revealed when signing Olaofe that he had even tried to get him at his previous club, Hartlepool United.

From there came a first attempt once in the hot seat at Edgeley Park, before finally landing him at the start of 2023.

It’s little wonder the Stockport manager wanted to pull out all the stops, showing Olaofe exactly where he’d be playing and the energy of the fans he’d be playing for.

Challinor and County fans can be proud of their work

Although supporters made not have even known the role they were playing, they and Challinor can both be proud of what came out of it.

In Olaofe’s first full season, he notched an impressive 20 goals in League Two, making him the club’s top goalscorer as they marched towards the league title and promotion to League One.

Few players will have quite such a quick, and seismic, impact as that, but it’s evidence of just how at home Olaofe immediately felt.

It wasn’t long until the striker had his own chant, ‘Tanto’s on fire’, to the tune of Gala’s ‘Freed From Desire’ – belted out each and every time he hit the back of the net.

Whatever comes next, Olaofe has already been a huge success as a signing and, thanks to his early visits to Edgeley Park, it’s one Challinor, his backroom staff and the match-going fans can take pride in.