County 2 Bristol Rovers 0

We’re still top of the league!

Aug 27, 2024

Tuesday 27 August 2024

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

Will Howells and Neil Davies join us today for a look back at Saturday’s early kick-off at Edgeley Park, as County maintained their 100% start to the League One season.

Today’s edition is sponsored by BGM Decorators and Forever Home Dog Training. A big thank you to Ben and Gareth.

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: £1,981

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

Will: Routine.

Neil: Schooling.

🤔 Pre-match thoughts

Will: I thought this would be our toughest test so far but was quietly confident we’d not concede. I was aware Rovers were struggling at the top of the pitch and I’m already fairly comfortable that we’re not particularly error prone with our playing it out from the back. I wasn’t confident enough to verbalise this on the Pop Side though – not wanting to be accused of being a jinx if somehow they did turn us over.

Neil: I predicted a 2-0 defeat on The Talking Gas Podcast earlier in the week.

🧐 Post-match thoughts

Will: Largely that how I felt before the game is how it played out.

Neil: I thought we were well beaten by a far superior team. You’ll only get better, strengthen again in January, and I think you’ll not be far away come May.

🔵 Verdict on County

Will: I used routine above; it’s not too early to say that is it? We did what we had to do to win the three points. A moment of magic from Barry; a decent delivery from Norwood, header back from Horsfall and poacher’s finish from Wootton. Lovely. A bit more open at the back than I’d have liked at times but once we got the second we fully took control of affairs and saw things out comfortably. We already look a step above where we were last season which is excellent.

Neil: Excellent. County kept chipping away at Rovers, and once the breakthrough was made it was a great display of game management.

🟢 Verdict on Rovers

Will: Similar to Cambridge in a lot of ways, albeit a bit better. They created chances and definitely threatened us but appear to have nobody who can finish. That said their passing was more wayward than Cambridge’s, plenty of unforced errors resulting in throw-ins our way from sloppy passing. Possibly just early season rustiness. Have the look of a mid-table side to me.

Neil: We’re definitely a work in progress and I expect Rovers to evolve as the season goes on. What I saw on Saturday isn’t a sustainable method, though.

🎩 Top Hatter

Will: Honestly I’m having trouble picking a standout. Norwood looked like he’s been in our midfield for years rather than a few weeks of training. Pye is showing how much he’s growing as a ball playing centre-back. Horsfall was colossal at the back and won headers for fun from Norwood’s corners. Camps is playing his best football in a County shirt at the moment. Barry did Barry things. I could mention everyone. But in the interests of picking one I’m going to go with Wootton. Based simply on the fact he was my pick in the first two games so might as well make it three from three for the big man. I tipped him to have a massive season for us this year but even I’m impressed with how well he’s started. Long may it continue.

Neil: Louie Barry will get the plaudits (and everyone off their seat). However, in terms of a technician and dictating the game, Ollie Norwood was in a class of his own.

🏴‍☠️ Top Pirate

Will: Anyone but Chris Martin, whose theatrics (complete with customary yelp when he wasn’t touched by Camps) in the first half were only matched by the hilarity of him coming out for the second half only to come off four minutes in. That left the Rovers manager with only two more opportunities to change things. He should never have come out at all. So yeah, best one? Erm… maybe Luke Thomas who seemed to stand out, though that could just be his hair.

Neil: It was a tough day at the office but I thought Kamil Conteh put a real shift in for us.

👂 Atmosphere

Will: Despite chants of “Is this a library” and “We’re Bristol Rovers, we don’t need a drum” Rovers fans were loud before the game and then pretty quiet throughout. Cambridge were much louder. Yellow Block was Yellow Block. Good to have Mozzer back after he was away for Cambridge. After not getting a pre-season I felt my own lungs were nearly up to full match fitness. Thought we did alright. Did enjoy our sustained 5-10 minutes of "Dave Challinor’s Blue and White Army” prior to our second goal, even forgoing the customary “IO County” before the corner. Felt properly 90s that. Was good to see some of the kids in the area joining in with it at points too as they’ll be the next generation coming through soon enough. Thanks to Imposter for being the other half of keeping that going when it lulled. Oh, and for the record Rovers fans, we don’t need a drum in Yellow Block either. It’s a young lad who has brought it in there and he well and truly takes his cues from the old heads. People who have been going in Yellow Block for decades.

Neil: I was fortunate enough to sit with the County fans in the Cheadle End thanks to a complimentary ticket off Clint Hill. You really get behind your lads and Edgeley Park is right up my street. Loads of old charm to it and slap bang in the middle of its community.

🙏 Hopes for the rest of the season

Will: Same as before really, flirt with the play-offs and if we get there then great. If we don’t then I’m pretty zen about the whole thing. I’m in no rush to fly through this division although I do think we’re capable of it. I really wanted a cup run this season but we’ve already blown one opportunity on that front.

Neil: I predicted a 16th place finish before a ball was kicked and I’ll stick to it after what I’ve seen in the opening three league games.

😀 Best part of the day

Will: Barry’s goal feels like the easy option, but yeah.

Neil: Being in the heart of the community is massive for me as a fan. I loved a pint in The Prince Albert, the walk to the ground and the traditional feel to the place. It’s in my top five grounds visited now I think.

😡 Worst part of the day

Will: Driving 200 odd miles darn sarf a few hours after the game. Though it ended up being a smooth journey, thankfully.

Neil: The result was expected but the way we got beat with no attacking intent or quality wasn’t pleasant at all.

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 2-0 victory at home to Bristol Rovers on Saturday 24 August, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…

1.09pm: Wow!

1.10pm: Just Barry doing Barry things.

1.21pm: Pretty even half, I think. One bit of class the difference.

1.31pm: Both teams had their moments, but County have the lead thanks to Barry's brilliance and there's been a mixed bag of defending from both sides when under pressure. Wouldn’t be surprised to see another goal or an effort cleared off the line.

1.52pm: 2-0!

1.57pm: That goal came from Norwood’s 50-yard pass and Fevrier’s run and shot leading to the corner. Every corner has been hit to the far post so clearly a plan.

2.31pm: I still have a slightly irrational disliking of Bristol Rovers since the Paul Trollope days. Nice one.

Leave the painting and decorating to the professionals

Don’t be like this random stranger Des Junior found on the internet. He thought he could decorate his living room himself. But now look at him, sat forlorn on his floor covered in a tin of Dulux. His wife’s left him, and his evenings are now occupied by microwave meals and old repeats of The Sweeney. You know what he should have done, don’t you? He should have called BGM Decorators.

BGM Decorators is a family business that has been in the trade since 1988. They’ve been built on hard work, honesty, and a high quality service that has consistently enhanced their reputation. They provide a painting and decorating service on a domestic and commercial basis across Stockport, Greater Manchester and Cheshire, as well as offering tenant turnover services and working alongside estate agencies and private landlords.

Give Ben a call on 07816 589989 or email bgm.decorators@yahoo.co.uk.

Introduce your dog to the wonderful world of scent work

Any dog can be trained to detect scents. If it’s something you’re interested in learning more about with your own dog, Gareth from Forever Home Dog Training is hosting a new course, starting next month. You can choose to start on either Wednesday 4 September or Monday 9 September, both at 6pm, and these are six-week courses, as part of the introductory bronze level.

Visit foreverhomedogtraining.com for further details.

Photo of the day

Somewhere in Liverpool

Despite the 4-0 defeat at Tranmere back in February, County fans still enjoyed their Saturday night once they got back to Liverpool.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Four films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Ozi: Voice of the Forest (PG) at 1.30pm, Harold and the Purple Crayon (PG) at 3.30pm, Thelma (12A) at 6pm, and It Ends With Us (15) at 8.30pm. 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.

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 Nelson Tavern (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5), The Steelworks (SK6), The Shady Oak (SK7) or The Three Tunnes (SK7).

100 random grounds that County have played at

#94 – City Ground, Nottingham Forest

Last visit: September 2001. The day of your editor’s 17th birthday! I remember wearing an absolutely horrendous outfit (something like pink shirt, black trousers and very shiny black shoes), getting very drunk, and ending up in the Students’ Union when we got back to Stockport, but that’s about it. Forest won the game 2-1. Jack Lester scored twice early on, with Mike Flynn pulling one back after the break. We enjoyed a memorable victory at Notts County on our last visit, but we’ve not won at Forest since 1949.