County 0 Wigan 0

First time we haven’t scored since February, but a point keeps us in the play-offs

Oct 07, 2024

Monday 7 October 2024

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Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Wigan 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.

No goals to talk about from the weekend, but still an insightful piece from Jack Street, as County and Wigan share the points at Edgeley Park, just like they did the last time they met in SK3 over 20 years ago.

Today’s edition is sponsored by Kingsway Carpets. A big thank you to Neil.

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: £2,027

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

✍️ Saturday’s match in one word

Interesting.

🤔 Pre-match thoughts

I was actually a bit apprehensive about the game. I know Wigan have a lowly position in the table but I felt that was a false position. Our form lately has been patchy, and I was worried we'd turn in a sub-standard performance and get turned over.

🧐 Post-match thoughts

Slightly disappointed not to grab the win. Although a draw was probably a fair result overall, given they had the best of the first half, and we had the best of the second.

🔵 Verdict on County

We weren’t good enough in the first half, which was making me worried in line with my pre-match thoughts. The game was passing people like Fiorini by, so I was pleased to see Challinor making some big changes at half-time. We were much better in the second half, driven by the subs, particularly Powell. We created a number of decent chances and their keeper ended up making some really good saves to keep it at 0-0. I was also really pleased to see DC be really bold at the end and bring Tanto on for a midfielder (Bate). The easy route would have been just to swap out Barry, who was looking knackered; to go two up front and keep Powell behind them was a really attacking move. It didn't pay off ultimately, but it could have done right at the death.

⚪️ Verdict on Wigan

They were very good first half, without offering a great deal of threat in front of goal. They look very, very solid. Countree Boy made a very salient point on the way out: they look like a team who have the mentality of surviving from their time in the Championship, making themselves really difficult to beat and sacrificing attack for that, and they haven't really shifted that mentality just yet since they dropped down to League One (witness the number of 0-0's they've had recently). They'll need to change that, and it will be interesting to see if they do, and what impact that has on their resilience.

🎩 Top Hatter

I think the sponsors got it right with Camps, he was excellent; but Touray was also superb on the left for us.

⚪️ Top Latic

I never pay that much attention to oppo players unless they’re frightening me to death, and no one really stuck out like that for Wigan. Aasgaard looked decent in the first half but then faded. I'd probably give it to their keeper (Mr Tickle, ha ha ha), as I think he saved the point for them in the end.

👂 Atmosphere

Always decent in Yellow Block on the Pop Side as we're right next to the away fans. Wigan fans didn't disappoint. They were noisy throughout and hilariously sensitive around refereeing decisions – must be all that time in the Prem. The ref was dogshit, but for both teams in my view, and their whining about it was really causing us to piss ourselves laughing. We had a decent shout for handball, and then for the next five minutes they shouted "handball!" at everything to mock us. Lads, it only works if you've not been whining about every other fucking decision yourselves. Good crowd though and there was some decent-natured banter between both sets of fans throughout, including a combined singalong of "Bolton Get Battered". Also special mention for the warm reception they gave Powell, not something County fans have done too well in the past for returning players.

🙏 Hopes for the rest of the season

Same as before: top half finish, hopefully top 10.

😀 Best part of the day

The disallowed goal. Nothing quite like giving it straight back to away fans who have gone large too quickly.

😡 Worst part of the day

Veltins before the game, Franziskaner after it. Prost!

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 0-0 draw at home to Wigan Athletic on Saturday 5 October, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…

12.19pm: We have a new landlord in The Armoury.

12.20pm: Anyone we know?

12.21pm: No.

12.22pm: Is the beer still good?

12.23pm: Yes.

4.05pm: I wish JK would give over with the “derby” thing. Wigan’s as far away as Huddersfield. Bolton is our closest team this season – but I wouldn’t even call that a real derby.

4.28pm: I do remember some tasty days v Wigan in the 70s. One even made the front page of the Manchester Evening News if I remember correctly.

4.30pm: We’ve been the better side this half. So Wigan 1-0 written all over it.

5.16pm: I quite enjoyed the game. It was interesting at least. As others have pointed out, them first half, us second. First time we’ve not scored since Swindon in February. And a proper comedy ref today.

8.39pm:

8.42pm: Be afraid Des… Very afraid.

9.57pm: It's odd. Up to Christmas last season not many people fancied Touray as a player. He now looks a very good defender. Does League One suit him more than League Two? Same as Camps.

10.40pm: And Powell… maybe?

11.07pm: He certainly looked up for it against his old club. Good from DC to put him in today. Also nice to hear the pie eaters near us give him a good welcome when he came on. Not something I’ve heard that much from County fans when some of our old players have returned.

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Photo of the day

Millmoor, Rotherham

I was busy on Friday, but if I’d had some free time I genuinely might have taken a trip to South Yorkshire to revisit one of my favourite away grounds as a kid. The doors to Millmoor were opened on Friday for supporters to have a walk round the ground and on the pitch, following a programme of ground refurbishments under the long-standing landlords. It’s still being used to this day by local teams. County’s final game at Millmoor was in February 2008, with Tommy Rowe scoring a hat-trick in a memorable 4-1 win.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

One film at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) this evening. Joker: Folie à Deux (15) at 8.15pm. Click here for tickets.

🍺 Food and drink

Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8).

If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Crown Inn (SK6) or The Three Tunnes (SK7).

🎶 Free jukebox

The Nelson Tavern (SK1). From 6.30pm.

Random photos of County players at other clubs

#23 – Christian Ribeiro, Bristol City

Christian Ribeiro started his career at Bristol City, and once turned down a move to Everton as he felt he had a better chance of playing first team football at Ashton Gate. Injuries hampered his career and he was loaned out on a number of occasions, including to County in 2009-10. He made seven appearances for County, with all seven ending in defeat under Gary Ablett. Ribeiro later played for Scunthorpe, Exeter and Oxford, but was sadly forced to retire at just 27.