An exclusive interview with Daniel Gray
The popular author speaks to The Scarf My Father Wore about his new book, The Silence of the Stands, which looks back at football’s Covid season
Wednesday 14 December 2022
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Wednesday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore. Today’s main feature is an exclusive interview with Daniel Gray, who’s just launched his new book, The Silence of the Stands, which looks back at the Covid season of 2020-21. After buying my copy at Stockport Waterstones recently, I’ve already finished it, and hand on heart, it’s one of the best football books I’ve ever read.
I’m delighted to announce details for our first live event today. I’m looking at hosting a special live event each month in 2023. The first of these is going to be ‘A Curry with Colin Woodthorpe’ on Monday 30 January at Last Monsoon in Stockport town centre. Start time 7.30pm.
Tickets are £20, which includes poppadoms, mixed starters and a choice of four curries with rice and naan breads, as well as a full colour souvenir programme.
On the night, Colin will be speaking about his five years at County during our time in the First Division between 1997 and 2002. Colin was one of Gary Megson’s first County signings in the summer of 1997, and he went on to make 171 appearances, scoring 7 goals.
He’ll also be reliving his time at Chester, Norwich, Aberdeen and Bury, as well as his managerial career, working as assistant at Colwyn Bay, AFC Fylde, Runcorn Linnets, and now Chester, where they’re pushing for the National League North title.
There will also be opportunities for fans to ask questions on the night, as well as have their photo taken with Colin.
If you’d like to come along, send me a text or give me a call on 07816 111150, or you can email desmondhinks@hotmail.co.uk
Finally, today’s edition is sponsored by The Site Supply Company. A big thank you to Steve Cree. Check out hivis.net if you need any workwear or high visibility clothing, and get 10% off all orders with the code TSMFW.
Des Junior
You’re a far better writer than me (as evidenced with the “Gray writes like Lowry paints” quote from BBC Radio on the book cover) so you’ll probably do better with the answer than I have with the question, but football behind closed doors was so shit wasn’t it?
Ha ha, in a nutshell yes from a fan point of view and that is what I am above anything else – a supporter who needs to be at matches. But then from a writing point of view, there was so much to note down and try to express – hearing the players, hearing birds tweeting in the rafters of the stand, thinking about how a lack of crowds might actually suit some footballers. Of course, though, the most enjoyable games I wrote about for the book were those with people in the stands.
Your travels took you to Jarrow, Middlesbrough, Lancaster City, Workington, Kendal Town, Southport, Cowdenbeath, Raith Rovers, Rothbury and Billingham Synthonia. Out of those ten games, which was your favourite.
I liked something about everywhere I went. I always try to travel in that spirit of being open-minded to a place and its football ground, and of trying to see the best in places. Whichever ground you go to, there are always people to observe and listen to and write about, which brings such colour. Plus, my mood was always good because finally I was back at football. But if I had to pick a favourite, I thought Workington’s Borough Park had so much character and presence and old-fashioned charm. Plus, when an away fan barracked the home keeper, the keeper turned and said: “Well you paid a tenner to watch me, mate.” What could be better than that?
I was thrilled to see a familiar team on the second page. “So it was that on a summer visit to friends in Cheshire, I’d found myself surveying Stockport County’s Edgeley Park.” Who’s your mates, and what did you make of our place? It’s ace, innit?
Oh absolutely, a place of character (that word again), a proper ground. The friends are old university mates who moved back nearby, so I’m familiar with the glorious scents of the McVitie’s factory and some of the town’s pubs.
Have you ever been to Edgeley Park to watch a game before?
Embarrassingly, no: I’ve just not been able to time it right. It is very high on my list though. I first wanted to go while seeing it when you played my team, Middlesbrough, in the Coca-Cola Cup in 1997 on TV. Armstrong, Angell and all in the fierce rain…
What’s your background like? How did you get into the football writing business?
When I look back, I was always making up little magazines with match reports and league tables as a kid, so deep down I probably always wanted to write about the game, if I couldn’t be a footballer. Then I began writing for the Middlesbrough fanzine, Fly Me to the Moon, when I was 19 or 20, and kept on with that for a good few years, always trying to improve. Along the way, I was asked to help on various writing projects, and that developed into other books, about football but also about history and travel.
How was your work life affected when football ground to a halt in March 2020?
I’d been a full-time freelance writer for a number of years, so from that point of view – working for myself, from home – not much changed. However, lots of work disappeared when football and other things closed down, which was one reason I realised I had to make something of the situation we found ourselves in. Outside of work, I found not having matches to go to and fixtures to write on the calendar really difficult – that loss of routine, ritual, belonging and not being allowed inside the ground. We think of our stadiums as our second homes really, and to suddenly find them padlocked – well, as I say in the book, may there never be another season like it.
The Silence of the Stands is genuinely one of my favourite book titles I’ve ever seen. Although I see from the acknowledgements, it was “your lass” who came up with that…
Ha ha, yes, and she won’t let me forget it. I originally wondered about calling it Facemasks for Goalposts, but that was probably (a) not very good and (b) too close to another book’s title, Gasmasks for Goalposts. I’m glad you like it. How much shall I pay her? A free copy I think.
I’ve got a little bone to pick with you. I thoroughly enjoyed your previous football book Hatters, Railwaymen and Knitters. But you went to Luton. Do you not realise WE’RE the proper Hatters?
You’re not the first Stockport person to remind me of that, and you won’t be the last. I can only apologise, though in fairness I was guided by the rules of that book: revisiting teams who had a big season the year I was born! Maybe this calls for a sequel…
Tell us about the other football books you’ve written, for County fans who perhaps haven’t read them.
Aside from Hatters… (sorry again), which was a football travelogue around England, I’ve done three shorter books which celebrate in brief chapters the delights of the game – seeing a ground from the train, outfield players in goal, multiple cup replays, referees falling over… Those three are called: Saturday, 3pm; Black Boots and Football Pinks; and Extra Time. There have been a few others too, on various subjects – there’s more on my website: danielgraywriter.com/books
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The only Christmas gift guide you need this year
11 sleeps to go! The Scarf My Father Wore have curated a beautiful Christmas gift guide this year, from independent businesses across the UK. Check the guide each day, with new items constantly being added. And don’t forget, we’re giving away every single item in our December prize giveaway, you just have to be a subscriber to win!
Stockport photo of the day
Holiday Inn Express, Station Road
The fifth floor of the Holiday Inn Express next to Stockport train station offers a great view, with a teasing glimpse of the EP floodlights.
Matt Walker ‘eats’ the World Cup
🇳🇱 No 16 - Netherlands (De Hems) 🇳🇱
We’re halfway there! It has been a manic six days and, at times, we've been living on a prayer. Europe United book launch shirt saw a rare airing in a packed De Hems. A few Lindeboom beers helped make new friends.
One of my favourite football books is Matt Walker’s Europe United, in which the author and Fulham fan spends a whole season taking in a game in all 55 UEFA countries. Well he’s back with another fun challenge, to experience Qatar 2022 in restaurants and bars across London which represent all 32 competing nations. Matt has kindly allowed me to use his photos and I’ll bring you one each day, giving you a tasty flavour of the World Cup, in more ways than one.