Wigan Athletic were so keen to off load Micky Quinn they actually made a payment to County to help the Hatters meet the striker's wage demands!

So, in 1982, Quinn arrived in SK3 with something of a bad-boy reputation.

He made his debut against Peterborough United, for who future Arsenal and England legend, David Seaman, was making his first League appearance.

Quinn didn't beat 'safe-hands'. And he only managed one goal in his next five appearances as well.

Over weight, and with a poor attitude, manager Eric Webster, even with an embarrassingly small squad, dropped his new signing.

It was the wake-up call the Scouser needed. He returned, wearing Number 11, and scored against Bury.

The following week he was given his Number 9 jersey back, and scored the winner against York City; his love affair with his adoring Pop Siders had begun.

With a similar build to the celebrated centre-forward Frank Newton 50 years earlier, the stocky striker's career took off at Edgeley Park.

The former Derby apprentice was a throw-back to centre-forwards of old: aggressive, powerful, good in the air and possessing a powerful shot. He was a clinical finisher with the priceless ability to turn sharply in the opponents' penalty area and create chances out of nothing.

It was a joy for County supporters to at last have a player who was always likely to score for, whenever Quinn had possession of the ball in the opponents' half of the pitch, he had a single-minded desire to get on the scoresheet.

For a heavily-built player, he was also deceptively quick and few defenders enjoyed playing against such a fast and combative striker.

41 goals in 70 appearances gave him cult status at Edgeley Park and, whilst his aggressive play sometimes went too far, it was part and parcel of the player's hunger for success.

The image of Quinny, Gladiator like, stood on the wall, at the Gresty Road End, celebrating with the Blue & White Army, after clinching his hat-trick in a 3-0 win at Crewe in September 1983 is firmly etched in the memory of every County fan fortunate to be there.

His inevitable move came in January, 1984, when he joined Oldham Athletic for £52,000. 34 goals in 86 League & Cup appearances later, he was transferred to Portsmouth for £150,000.

In Quinn's first full season at Fratton Park, his 22 goals helped Pompey to promotion from Division Two and, during his stay, he was rarely out of the news, good and bad, scoring regularly and spending a short period in prison.

In June, 1989, Mick Quinn moved to Newcastle United for £680,000 but any reservations the Tynesiders had about the 27-year-old were quickly dispelled when he scored four goals on his debut against eventual champions, Leeds United.

He could not maintain the 34 league and cup goals in his first season, but had scored 57 League goals for the Toon in 110 appearances when he was transferred to Coventry City in November, 1992.

Having already reached the target of 200 league goals, Quinn scored twice on his Coventry debut and finished top-scorer with 17 league goals. The speed he had shown at County may have gone but his desire for goals remained, amply proved by a hat-trick on the opening day of the 1993-94 season at Highbury.

Mick finished his distinguished career in 1994 with short loan spells at Plymouth and Watford. His 515 League appearances produced a magnificent tally of 228 goals.

Idolised on Tyneside, Micky is a proud member of the Newcastle United Hall of Fame alongside another former County legend, Len White.

In 2005 the Mighty Quinn was enrolled in the Stockport County Hall of Fame and, by a strange co-incidence, Len White joined him 12 months later.

Micky Quinn's League Career
Club	Date Signed	Apps	Gls
Wigan Athletic	September 1979	69	19
Stockport County	July 1982	63	39
Oldham Athletic	January 1984	80	34
Portsmouth	March 1986	121	54
Newcastle United	July 1989	110	57
Coventry City	November 1992	64	25
Plymouth Argyle (loan)	November 1994	3	0
Watford (loan)	March 1995	5	0
Total		446	157