The 1920–21 campaign saw Stockport finish bottom of the Second Division; however, instead of facing re-election, they were placed in the new Third Division North. The team won their first Football League title in 1921–22, when they defeated Darlington in front of 18,500 fans at Edgeley Park. The manager Albert Williams was presented with the trophy seven days later, before the final home game against Lincoln City. The club's goalkeeper Harry Hardy was called up for the England national team in 1924, and kept a clean sheet in a 4–0 win against Belgium. Stockport remained in the Third Division North during the 1920s, with two consecutive second-place finishes but failed to gain promotion.