But for an 18-month spell at Tranmere Rovers, Andy Thorpe would have more than 600 County appearances to his name.

As it is his total of 489 league games, (555 in all competitions), is a record that is likely to stand for all time.

The Stockport-born defender made his debut as a 17-year-old at Hartlepool in April 1978, adding three more to his tally before the end of the season.

His early games were spent at right back before he switched to central defender roughly 12 months after his debut.

And, although most people felt he was at his best playing in the middle of the back four, he was also more than capable of holding down a place in midfield.

His first league goal came, strangely, against the club he was later to join, Tranmere Rovers. His big moment came in August 1979 when he marked his 46th league game with the only goal of the game at Prenton Park.

After 314 league appearances, which included 183 consecutive games between September 1980 and April 1984, it was a real shock to the County faithful when 'Thorpy' was allowed to cross Cheshire on a free transfer before the start of the 1986-87 season.

Then, by one of those strange quirks of fate that often happen in football, his first away game for Rovers was in Stockport.

The half-time whistle was the signal for an embarrassed Thorpe to make his way into the 'home' dressing room. He later admitted that he was on 'auto-pilot' forgetting that he was no longer a County player!

In January 1988 Asa Hartford brought the defender home and the model professional went on to add another 175 appearances to his tally, passing Bob Murray's County record of 465 in 1991.

A deserved winner of the Stockport Sport's Personality of the Year in 1990, the local lad proudly led his hometown team out of the Fourth Division 12 months later, ending 21 years of misery in the basement division.
Released at the end of the 1991-92 season, his 555th, and final. County appearance came, fittingly, at Wembley when he replaced David Frain against Stoke City in the Autoglass Trophy Final in front of 48,339 fans.

After a spell in Australia and several seasons in local non-league football Andy made a surprise return to the Football League when he played two games for Doncaster Rovers, then in Division Three, as a non-contract player in September 1997.

ANDY THORPE'S LEAGUE CAREER

Club	Date Signed	Apps	Gls
Stockport County	August 1978	314	3
Tranmere Rovers	July 1985	53	0
Stockport County	January 1988	175	0
Doncaster Rovers	September 1997	2	0
Totalaaa		544	3