The Senior Flags victory of 1896 was the start of the first
of two all conquering periods. For eight consecutive seasons
from 1896 to 1903 Stockport swept aside all opposition to win
the Flags, a record that has not been equaled since. In the
same period the Iroquois Cup and First division Championship
were both won six times.
The Club has to thank in particular two families, the Masons
and Johnsons who's family members made up between them nine
out of the total of twenty who played on the team during that
period. The Mason family alone accounting for six of the players.
A major trophy of the period remains in the possession of
the Club. This is the Flags Final Challenge Flag, which was
won outright in 1898. The flag is a large, finely detailed embroidered
Trophy depicting two lacrosse players dressed in the kit of
the period stood on each side of a shield, with the winning
Clubs of the previous seasons scrolled on each side. The Challenge
Flag is permanently on display at the Club's Headquarters.
With the close of the 1902-3 season saw the beginning of the
retirement of some of the best players of the previous decade
and the introduction of a policy of rebuilding. However the
next few years were not to be without success, in particular
in seasons 1904/5, 1905-6 and 1908-9. The main adversary during
this period was South Manchester against whom there were many
clashes of which the 1906-7 Flags Final was considered the toughest
and was won by South Manchester three goals to two. Such was
the determination of both teams that it went to two extra periods,
amounting to a total playing time of two hours.
The consensus of the Lacrosse administrators of the day was
that match periods of this length, especially of such strenuous
encounters were far to long, and for future seasons should a
draw occur then a replay would take place. This was a rule that
was to stand until the 1980's when the greater involvement of
match Sponsors decreed that a result on the advertised day was
desirable and therefore extra periods were reintroduced followed
by a sudden death period if there was still no outright winner.
