SALE Sharks have given £10,000 to Stockport County to ensure that supporters can see this Friday's game at Edgeley Park.

County's derby with Cheshire rivals Crewe may have been played behind closed doors if the rugby union side had not stepped in to help pay the police bill.

Brian Kennedy's Cheshire Sports company, which owns the Sharks, have been helping cash-strapped County out in the last few weeks.

And Stockport's new chief executive Sean Connolly approached them again when there was a danger they could not meet the policing bill.

Cheshire Sports chief executive James Jennings said it would be a tragedy if the fans were not able to see County's last home game of the season.

"The game was in danger of being played behind closed doors as the football club was struggling to pay the police bill and we felt that it was important that Stockport play its final game of the season in front of their own supporters," he said.

"We have always tried to help the football club when we can and it would have been a sad day for the supporters if they had not been able to watch the final game of the season.

"The board of Stockport County has been working tirelessly to find a solution to the football club's problems and we hope that potential investors now provide the much-needed investment and that the debenture holder the necessary time for a long term solution to be found."

Tandem

The two clubs are keen to work in tandem with the possibility of sharing a new stadium in the future after a move away from Edgeley Park.

That's despite Stockport boss Jim Gannon sparking a row last month by claiming the Sharks had affected the pitch by training on it the day before a game - an allegation denied by the rugby club.

County chairman Martin Reid said: "We have a great working relationship with Sale which is getting better all the time. We are very grateful for what they've done and we look forward to working with them over the coming years to try and bring success to both clubs."

County are expecting to make a further announcement today about the way forward for the club.

A meeting took place last night between the club, the Trust and various consortia who have expressed an interest in taking over County.

The threat of administration still hangs heavily over a club which owed £500,000 to the Inland Revenue.

Despite the club's financial problems County remain one of the best supported sides in League One.

More than 600 tickets have already been sold for the trip to Brighton a week on Saturday for the club's final game of the season.

Meanwhile, County's player development manager Alan Lord ran the rule over nine trialists during yesterday afternoon's development game at Chesterfield, devised to look at players released by Premier League clubs.

Hull City striker Bill Law gave County the lead but the Spireites hit back with two goals in the final ten minutes.

Lord said: "It was very difficult with seven or eight players on the pitch who didn't know each other.

"But, by and large, they acquitted themselves very well and it was only in the closing stages, when we began to tire a little, that an experienced Chesterfield began to carve us open."

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