‘Cause County fans know, that we’re going away to Blackpool this summer
The travelling Blue & White Army are already looking forward to a Big One in August
Monday 1 July 2024
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Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Blackpool supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Monday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore. (If you’re only just joining us today, for no reason at all, I’m somehow trying to use Oasis songs for every single one of our League One season previews!)
Blackpool fan Jane Stuart is kicking off this week’s content for us. She writes loads of decent stuff on beer and football on her website. Click here to have a gander.
EURO 2024 – DAY 18
5pm: France v Belgium 🇫🇷🇧🇪
8pm: Portugal v Slovenia 🇵🇹🇸🇮
Here’s a list of the best places to watch today’s games…
Bask (SK1). All the action on two 75” screens.
Nelson Tavern (SK1).
Crown (SK2). Buy a pint of Helles today and you’ll be in with a chance of winning 52 free pints! There’s also a special menu throughout the Euros.
Armoury (SK3).
Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5). There’s four screens in the games room, a new projector in the lower games room, and a screen in the middle room where families and children can enjoy the match. Check out the Special Offer Wheel which will be offering a variety of great deals before, during and after each game.
Crown Inn (SK6).
Marple Tavern (SK6). Food served at half-time such as burgers, hot dogs, pizza and chips.
Railway (SK6).
Steelworks (SK6). Games shown downstairs (sound off) and upstairs (sound on).
Shady Oak (SK7). Food served during the games from the matchday menu. Pick up a loyalty card to receive a discount on certain drinks.
Three Tunnes (SK7). Buy a pint of Helles today and you’ll be in with a chance of winning 52 free pints! There’s also a special menu throughout the Euros.
Cross Keys (SK8). Bitter £2.30 a pint all day. Plus, discounts on certain lagers between 12pm and 6pm.
Railway (SK9). TVs in every room, and outside. Discounted doubles on spirits and 10% off four pint jugs.
Flute & Firkin (SK12). Call 01625 879181 to book a table, and quote “The Scarf My Father Wore” to receive 10% off your first round of drinks. (Not applicable for walk-ins.)
Friendship Inn (SK13). Five big screen TVs with surround sound, including one outside in the beer garden.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Victor Publishing. A big thank you to Merv.
Finally, I’m currently walking every street in Stockport to raise money for mental health charity Mentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target, please click here.
Total distance so far: 158.42 miles
Total steps so far: 254,782
Total raised so far: £1,909
Total completed streets so far: 347 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)
Further information on the walk can be found by clicking here.
Des Junior
Last win at our place: Tuesday 19 November 1996, Division Two, 1-0
Last win at their place: Saturday 14 August 2004, League One, 4-0
Today’s Sky Bet title/promotion odds: Us – 20/1 7/1 Them – 20/1 7/1
Top story in the local news today: “Our huge Blackpool customer base demanded we finally open a store here”
First question. “We’re all from Stockport, who the fuck are you…?”
I was in Stockport the other day! Belting curry at Last Monsoon and loved The Magnet. Already looking forward to going back.
Which team do you most want to beat this season?
Bolton ‘Wanky’ Wanderers.
Which Blackpool player is most likely to end up in League One’s team of the season?
Jordan Rhodes. Legend.
County haven’t been to Blackpool in the league since August 2004. In just one paragraph, sum up everything that’s happened at your place since then.
Wow. A lot! Promotion from League Two to the Premier League and back again. Shitbag owners taking the Premier League money before being ousted in court. A five-year boycott. A joyful homecoming. High turnover of managers. Will that do you?
Blackpool away. I think of a big rollercoaster, locals being terrorised by pissed stags and hens every weekend, and that bloke off YouTube who sells burgers for a quid from a backstreet lock-up. Do I need to educate myself further, or is that fairly accurate?
I don’t even know where the pound burger place is but I’ve heard it’s good! There doesn’t seem to be quite so many stags and hens these days, they tend to go abroad. Personally for me Blackpool is all about the thriving micropub scene, with new ones seemingly popping up every month. It’s brilliant.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Stockport County?
That burger I knew I shouldn’t have eaten on the terrace on a freezing Tuesday night many years ago. It was charred on the outside and frozen on the inside and it was decorating the terrace soon afterwards. I’m hoping your catering has improved a couple of decades on…
Rotherham play at the New York Stadium. NFL star Tom Brady is involved at Birmingham. Wrexham are plastered all over Netflix or Nickelodeon or whatever it is. League One has a bit of an American flavour this season. What’s the most American thing about Blackpool?
Famous burgers and the bright lights of the prom and the amusement park.
I’ve been watching Football Cops on Channel 4 recently, featuring Sunderland fans kicking down barriers after the game at Coventry, and loads of little Crewe rapscallions playing up at home to Walsall. On a scale of 1 to 10, how naughty are Blackpool fans these days, and how safe will our lot be when we make the trip to Lancashire this season?
It’s easy to avoid or find trouble as you see fit, same as anywhere.
Who or what needs to be top of Blackpool’s shopping list before the new season starts in August?
Josh Bowler.
What’s your early predictions in terms of the promotion and relegation places?
No idea. Let’s wait and see what happens…
Click on the links below to read the other 2024-25 season previews we’ve published so far.
Birmingham / Bolton / Charlton / Crawley / Exeter / Huddersfield / Leyton Orient / Lincoln / Rotherham / Wigan
Purchase the latest edition of Phil Brennan’s champions book and receive a £2.50 discount
You wait more than 50 years for County to win a league title… and then three turn up at once! Our phenomenal recent success – three titles in six seasons – has forced Phil Brennan to update his excellent Champions Again Olé Olé book, although I have a feeling Mr Brennan will have rather enjoyed the additional workload.
County have now been league champions on eight occasions during their history, and you can read about all of them in Phil’s book, including the most recent – our incredible 2023-24 League Two title-winning campaign.
You can save a bit of money as well, as Merv from Victor Publishing has kindly offered The Scarf My Father Wore readers a £2.50 discount. Simply enter the code “scarf” at checkout, which is valid throughout July.
Click here to purchase your copy.
Photo of the day
Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen
County fan Ross Hall (right), who wrote a very funny piece for The Scarf My Father Wore after his trip to Wrexham on the final day of last season, poses for a photo at England’s game with Slovakia yesterday.
Today in SK
🎬 Cinema
One film at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 (15) at 6.30pm. Click here for tickets.
🍺 Food and drink
Treat yourself to lunch at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). One course for £7, two courses for £11. 12pm - 2pm.
10% discount on food for NHS card holders at The Shady Oak (SK7).
Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8). Plus, discounts on certain lagers between 12pm and 6pm.
If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as Bask (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5), The Crown Inn (SK6), The Marple Tavern (SK6), The Railway (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Three Tunnes (SK7), The Railway (SK9), Flute & Firkin (SK12) or The Friendship (SK13).
🎶 Free jukebox
The Nelson Tavern (SK1). From 6.30pm.
100 random grounds that County have played at
#52 – London Road, Peterborough
Last visit: An FA Cup first round replay defeat in 2010-11. After a 1-1 draw at Edgeley Park, County were well beaten 4-1 at London Road 10 days later. Greg Tansey scored our consolation in the second half.
Support our sponsors this summer if you require any of the following!
🧱 Builders Merchant: MKM Manchester South
🧽 Car Valeting: Rub A Dubz Detailing Ltd
🧼 Carpet Cleaning: A Star Clean Ltd
🏠 Carpets & Flooring: Kingsway Carpets & Rugs Ltd
🐈 Cat Flaps: That Cat Flap Company Ltd
🧹 Cleaning: Beespoke Cleaning
🚙 Coatings: Colourtone Ltd
🧽 Commercial Cleaning: JFC Cleaning Solutions
🐶 Dog Trainer: Forever Home Dog Training
🚘 Driving School: CFN School of Motoring
💷 Financial Services: The Mortgage Mill
👷♀️ Handyman: Apt Property Maintenance
💻 IT Services: Bridge Computer Services
🪚 Joinery: SAW Contracts Ltd
🔑 Locksmith: APL Locksmiths Ltd
💪 Male Weight Loss: MAN v FAT
🖌 Painter & Decorator: BGM Decorators
🚑 Personal Injury: Parkers Solicitors Ltd
🧱 Plastering: DT Plastering Services and Damp Proofing Specialists
📘 Publishing: Victor Publishing
🚚 Removals: ASAP Clearances
☀️ Solar Panels: Malbern Solar Ltd
👨💼 Solicitors: B.J. McKenna & Co
🍹 Spirits: Guerrilla Chicken Spirits
🪨 Stonemason: LM Stone Creative
🖊 Tattooist: Bancroft Tattoos
☀️ Travel Agent: PTF Travel Ltd
🧰 Vehicle Repairs: C J Motors Stockport
⚖️ Weight Loss: Slimming World Reddish & Bredbury with Shlean