County 0 Blackburn 1

Friday night feedback from a Hatter and a Rover

Aug 04, 2024

Sunday 4 August 2024

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STOCKPORT COUNTY PREDICTION GAME 2024-25: Predict County’s top scorer, final league position, cup performances etc. £10 to enter. 40% of the pot to the winner, 30% to second, 20% to third, and 10% to Mentell. If you’d like to enter, drop us a message or an email.

Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Blackburn supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Sunday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

Dave Philbin takes a look back at the friendly on Friday night for us today, along with Ian from BRFCS.

Today’s edition is sponsored by SAW Contracts Ltd. A big thank you to Steve. Give him a call on 07801 490294 or email sawcontracts@gmail.com if you’re looking for a qualified joiner in the Stockport area.

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: 176.31 miles

Total steps so far: 284,130

Total raised so far: £1,976

Total completed streets so far: 399 (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

✍️ Friday’s match in one word

Dave: Injuries (more).

Ian: Pleasant.

🤔 Pre-match thoughts

Dave: He's here! He's finally here! Hang on, is that Dwight Gayle warming up over there? I wasn't going to bother going as I thought it'd be two reserve teams, but when Barry was confirmed we had to go, even though he wasn't going to play!

Ian: How many of our new signings would play? Would any of them have a clue? To what extent will we get schooled? What will the third kit look like in the flesh?

🧐 Post-match thoughts

Dave: Gave a higher level team some problems again with a mix of youth, experience and "trialists". Trialists aside, I don't think a couple of our lot were in the plans for next Saturday so it was all about minutes again. Hoping all of the injuries were taken off as a precaution.

Ian: Our two new strikers look like they might add something to our otherwise blunt attack, although neither of them scored so it’s still probably going to be a long, hard season I fear.

🔵 Verdict on County

Dave: Thought we did well in parts. Conceded a few chances as expected but Addai made some great saves. Unlucky with the penalty but I thought it was a stonewaller. Hard to make a go of it when you constantly have to make changes, adapt, and play players out of position. Adamarola looked frightening down the left hand side when he let the shackles off. Hoping his knock isn't too serious. Number 5, trialist, supposedly Liam Moore, sign him up. Looked brilliant and has League One experience.

Ian: Gave us a decent workout but I always temper any views that arise from watching a pre-season friendly… I’ve been bitten before by judging too soon! Enjoy it for what it is – a fitness exercise.

🟣 Verdict on Blackburn

Dave: They looked really good on the ball and continue their unbeaten pre-season run at Edgeley Park after the last two. Solid at the back and didn't give away too many chances.

Ian: Not as bad as I’d feared, not as good as will be needed for us to stay up.

🎩 Top Hatter

Dave: Corey Addai.

Ian: One of the Trialist brothers perhaps? “A proud day for the Trialist family…” etc and so on. “That’s Gayle isn’t it?” “Aye… and Oli Norwood.” “I’d have been happy to see them in our squad 10 days ago.” Your right winger gave Pickering a torrid first half. Sorry, no idea who it was though. Who remembers matchday programmes with actual line-ups?

🐶 Top Rover

Dave: Any of the back line.

Ian: Our new number 9 Gueye looked like he might create a stir this season but my MOTM was Sondre Tronstad.

👂 Atmosphere

Dave: I decided to sit in the Main Stand for a change last night and unbelievably, when Louie was paraded on the pitch at half-time, it erupted into song! Other than that, a sub 3,000 gate produced as much atmosphere as you'd expect.

Ian: Convivial. I had to laugh at the stewards allowing Rovers fans to sit anywhere they liked then being baffled when the late arrivals looking for designated seats seemingly outnumbered the remaining unoccupied seats somehow, resulting in the adjacent section being opened and everyone then able to spread out and be supremely comfortable. It was my first visit to Edgeley Park and I enjoyed it.

🙏 Hopes for the new season

Dave: Hoping we can field a team of 11 for the first half of the season! After that, same as last week – be in with a shout of the play-offs with 10 to go and see what happens.

Ian: Not to go down!

😀 Best part of the day

Dave: LOUIE BARRY.

Ian: Stockport Produce Hall. I live in Sheffield and we have The Cutlery Works on a similar theme. This is right up there. Delicious Katsu Curry – would recommend.

😡 Worst part of the day

Dave: There wasn't one.

Ian: Slipping over the four-hour parking threshold at the station NCP. An expensive schoolboy error.

The smile on the face of Dave’s daughter perfectly sums up the feeling of every County fan now that Louie Barry’s back at EP

The British Library receives a copy of every single book published in the UK. In the same fashion, Des Junior believes a detailed record of every County game should be preserved for the history books. So here’s the full story of our 1-0 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers on Friday 2 August, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…

8.20pm: Barry announced by Steve Bellis and comes out to a reception like he's Christ returned! Gets the crowd onside by saying he wasn't tempted to go anywhere else.

8.34pm: Rovers penalty. Handball.

8.35pm: 0-1.

9.09pm: There’s a kid at the front of the Cheadle End in an Argentina shirt with no shoes or socks on. And the kid next to him is in a United shirt.

9.14pm: Peep. Full-time. 0-1.

9.15pm: Well they can win the friendly, we’ll do them in the League Cup.

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Photo of the day

Somewhere in Edinburgh

I can’t believe it’s six years since I was last at the Edinburgh Fringe. I also can’t believe I did this to Hal Cruttenden in broad daylight. (For context, we’d seen his show and had a chat with him the previous night!)

As you can see, your editor’s rocking his 2007-08 County shorts as well.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Despicable Me 4 (U) at 11.15am, followed by Deadpool & Wolverine (15) at 1.30pm, 4.15pm and 7pm. Click here for tickets.

🍽 Food and drink

Enjoy a delicious Sunday roast at The Crown (SK2) or The Three Tunnes (SK7) with homemade Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings. 12pm - 6pm.

If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as AMP (SK1), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5), The Shady Oak (SK7) or The Cross Keys (SK8).

🎱 Free pool

The Nelson Tavern (SK1). 8pm - 11pm.

🎤 Live music

Big Summer Bash at Bask (SK1). Live music from June Holland (2.30pm), GAFFA (3.30pm), Jazzy (4.30pm), Jimmy Page (5.30pm), Toenails (6.30pm), Fake Wife (7.30pm), Will Edgar (8.30pm) and The Wears (9.30pm). Free entry.

Simon Langley at The Steelworks (SK6). 3pm.

100 random grounds that County have played at

#78 – Impact Arena, Alfreton

Last visit: Our first trip to Alfreton was that horrendous 6-1 Tuesday night defeat during our inaugural season in the Conference, but we’re unbeaten in our five subsequent visits. Most recently, we were there in December 2018 for a 1-1 draw in the National League North. Nyal Bell equalised for Jim Gannon’s men with 10 minutes to go.