XI questions with | Stockton Town

Across the country, supporters are preparing for the new campaign with renewed hope and ambition for the season ahead.

Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign getting underway on Saturday 8 August, we sat down with supporters from the NPL clubs at Step 3 to hear their thoughts on how things are shaping up.

Today, we catch up with Stockton Town fan Jess Metcalfe.

It was another brilliant campaign from your side to finish fifth last season, after ending the 2024/25 campaign in third. After missing out on promotion both times, how do you ensure you can make the next step this time around?

To finish third and fifth is a great achievement in our first two seasons in this league. 

I’m sure that when we first came into this level, few would have thought we would have been finishing in the playoff places. 

No doubt we will want to better ourselves this season though. I think the main thing we need to improve on from last season to help us take that next step is holding onto leads, as we gave away too many points from winning positions. 

We could have been right up there challenging for the title if we hadn’t given away some of those points. 

But I’m confident the lads will put it right this season, and they will do their best to finish as high as they possibly can.

What does a successful season look like for Stockton Town? Is anything but promotion a failure?

No, I don’t think the season ending without promotion for Stockton would be a failure.

There’s no reason to not believe that Stockton can’t challenge for the title this season, but obviously the league is very strong, and plenty of teams will be in-and-around those top places. 

In my opinion, I think winning the Durham Cup and getting into the play-offs would be a good target for this season, but obviously promotion would be nice.

Manager Michael Dunwell has been in charge for over 12 years now. With all his success so far, how confident are you that he takes Stockton to the next level?

Michael has done a fantastic job at Stockton, and the rise of the club is absolutely phenomenal. 

The team have faced a lot of setbacks over the years but have always managed to bounce back. I’m looking forward to experiencing many more good times for the club under him, and I’m very confident Michael will be the man to take us to the next level.

Sum up your transfer window so far…

I think we’ve had a very good transfer window as we’ve brought in a lot of versatile players which will help us cover different areas of the pitch. 

Aaron Brown is coming in after winning four individual awards for Bishop Auckland last season. He can play a few different positions, has lots of experience, and his signing adds another leader to the squad.

Paul Rooney has experience playing at higher levels, he can play in midfield or at the back, he looks very comfortable on the ball and can pick out a pass, and brings some more height into the team. 

Layton Watts can play in midfield or out wide and knows exactly what it takes to play at this level, after his time at Whitby. 

As for Frank Nouble, he has made hundreds of appearances over his career at many different levels - he played for West Ham in the Premier League and has also played in China as well. 

Now it’s time for the NPL, but I’m sure nothing will faze Frank. His experience on the pitch and in the changing rooms will be invaluable.

Which new signing are you most looking forward to seeing in a Stockton shirt?

I'm most looking forward to seeing Layton Watts, as he has shown what he can do at this level already.

He's a player who will work hard in whatever position he plays. He's very good on the ball, is skilful, and scored two in his first appearance for the club in a friendly against Guisborough. 

He showed that if he gets a chance to score, he will take it. I think Layton will become a fan favourite for the Anchors.

You can sign any player from the NPL Premier Division. Who are you getting, and why?

Although some fans may not be familiar with him, as he plays for newly promoted Redcar Athletic, the player I would sign is Oscar Fletcher. 

He has been a crucial part of Redcar's success over the last couple of seasons, can score goals, create assists, and is great on the ball. 

I think his name will be on a lot of fans' lips across the NPL by the end of the season.

There are plenty of new teams in the division this season. Are there any away grounds you’re particularly looking forward to visiting?

I think I’m most excited about going to Bury, particularly because of the history the club has and the huge crowds they get.

Which lesser-known Stockton player should opposition fans look out for, and why?

I’d have to say the player opposition fans should look out for is Cam Painter. 

Although Cam isn’t in the headlines every week, he has been a very important player within our squad. I think our success at this level over the last couple of seasons wouldn’t have been achieved without Cam in the midfield. 

He may not score many goals or get loads of assists, but his ability to put a foot in, win the ball back, and run for the 90 minutes is outstanding. 

He’s an absolute warrior, and I wouldn’t replace him with any other midfielder in the league.

Who do you expect to be the most important player in your squad?

I think Josh Scott will be the most important player in our squad. 

Josh has proven over his time at Stockton what a great player he is, he scores plenty of goals, but he is such a selfless player as well. He works hard all game for the team, and you never get anything less than 100% from him. 

Josh was deservedly awarded the Stockton Town Supporters' Player of the Season award for the 25/26 season, and I’m sure Josh won’t stop there and will look to add more accolades to his already impressive time at Stockton.

No doubt he will also want to up his goal tally even more. Goals win games, and Josh Scott scores them.

Who wins the league, and why?

The NPL Premier Division can be very unpredictable, as seen with Hebburn finishing last season as champions. 

But I think Bury are huge favourites and will go on to win the league. The club is climbing back up the pyramid, and I don’t think they’ll slow down anytime soon. 

I expect them to add more signings to their already strong squad, and with their huge crowds backing them on the pitch, I think they are the most likely winners. 

The other teams in this league won't make it easy for them though.

What’s your final message to the team ahead of the new season?

Results won’t always go the way we want them to, but stick together and believe in each other because we believe in you. 

You've proved you belong at this level, and that you can go up against some of the best teams and beat them, so give it your all and let’s make it a special season. 

Up the Anchors!