THE search for the loudest and most passionate supporters in The Football League is on with the launch of the éReal Football Roaré award.

And Stockport County fans will have the opportunity to stake their claim at the clubés opening game of the new season, against Hereford United on Saturday.

With the Football League being the sole focus of attention for the first fortnight of the new season, the award has been developed to encourage fans to play an active, and vocal, role in welcoming back the return of Real Football.

The éReal Football Roaré award will see the Football League measure the decibel levels at every Coca-Cola Football League game during the opening two weekends of the new season. The club whose supporters generate the most noise, as the teams emerge from the tunnel, win the honour of being named the loudest fans in The Coca-Cola Football League.

In launching the éReal Football Roaré award, Football League Chairman Lord Mawhinney said: éThe start of the new season is an exciting time for all supporters, and the atmosphere they generate is vital to the spectacle of League football.

éThe éReal Football Roaré award is something that all fans will want to win for their club, and I encourage everyone to make themselves heard as the big kick-off approaches.é

The findings of the 2006 Football League Supporters Survey - which featured the views of more than 43,000 fans - show that: éit is good match atmosphere that the supporter is looking for above anything elseé.

Coca-Cola Football League Ambassador, Chris Kamara, has also welcomed the new award.

He said: éI think this is a great idea, and I would encourage all supporters to get along to their local clubés éReal Football Roaré match and sing their hearts out for the lads.é

County manager Jim Gannon said: éEvery club will say their supporters are a 12th man, but no club has fans like ours and ités quite appropriate that the Edgeley Park faithful have been allocated the number 12 shirt.

éThereés no doubt the fans played a huge role in helping us beat the drop, and those fans have got a vital role to play this season as we look to push the club in the right direction.é

The measurements at each ground will be taken from the centre-circle as the teams emerge by a representative of PA Sport. They will be using sound meters provided by Cirrus Research - a leading developer and producer of noise measurement instrumentation.

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