County 2 Huddersfield 1

Dave Challinor’s men book a play-off spot (as a minimum) with two games to spare

Apr 24, 2025

Thursday 24 April 2025

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NEXT HOME GAME: Lincoln City – Saturday 26 April, 3pm

NEXT AWAY GAME: Wycombe Wanderers – Saturday 3 May, 3pm

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

Dave Philbin and Matt from And He Takes That Chance look back at Easter Monday’s game for us today – the 2-1 scoreline confirming County’s place in the top six whilst ending Huddersfield’s hopes of making it.

If you’re at a loose end tomorrow, I’ve got a few seats remaining for my stand-up comedy night at The Fingerpost in Offerton. Starts at 7.30pm. If any subscribers would like a couple of free tickets, drop me an email. Be good to see you! Got a cracking line-up including Sam Serrano (Dave, Comedy Central), Fil Milton (One Liner World Championships runner-up), Dan McKee (BBC New Comedy Awards semi-finalist) and Tony Burgess (City Life Comedian of the Year).

A big thank you to MAN v FAT for sponsoring today’s edition. You can register for just £1 using the code TSMFW.

Thanks also to Gag N Bone Man Comedy who sponsor our Huddersfield Town content on the website.

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: 253.75 miles

Total steps so far: 418,084

Total raised so far: £2,302

Total completed streets so far: 474 (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

✍️ Monday’s match in one word

Dave: Play-offs!

Matt: Familiar.

🤔 Pre-match thoughts

Dave: My main thoughts going in to the game were that of pure excitement. Not about the match as such, but my 6-year-old daughter Lily (7 as you’re reading this!), who loads of you will know, was mascot! Arrived at the ground at 1pm ready for a tour of the stadium. When we got to the changing rooms, it was a no adults allowed area and the mascots went in to get their shirts signed and get as many selfies as they could. After that we got lots of photo opportunities pitchside and in the dugout, before finishing off for a peek at the media room and then heading over to the Pop Side. Lily was to walk out with Corey and another mascot, but she had other ideas as she ran out, clapping and leaving Corey in her wake! It was excellent and props should be given to everyone who looks after the mascots. Only downside was there were more mascots than players, but that didn't matter too much. As for pre-match thoughts, I expected us to beat them in a cagey affair, so that was right!

Matt: The nucleus of this group of players have been letting the club down for almost three years now. They’ve given up on the manager, their teammates and the club whilst angering an apathetic fanbase to the point that we’re now actively booing them onto the field such is our disdain and mass dislike for several members of the squad. They’ve given up; it was always going to be a defeat.

🧐 Post-match thoughts

Dave: Another game of two halves which has been a theme in recent weeks. Quite a boring first half with neither side doing much to deserve more than a point. Their goal was well worked but our quality came up trumps when it mattered and I feel it was a fully deserved win.

Matt: Nothing has changed. The players lack backbone when any opposition move out of first gear and are incapable of finding answers to basic solutions. Whereas this performance was one of the better ones in the last few months, it was still painfully mundane. I’ve never seen a group of players shrink and lose confidence after going in front in all of my time supporting the club. The defending for both goals was shambolic at best and I can’t wait to never see several of these players in our shirt colours again.

🔵 Verdict on County

Dave: Slow to start. As Challinor said it didn't look like the players wanted it enough, which was a shame given what's at stake. No doubt they got the hairdryer treatment and again came out looking better. Went down to a well-worked goal but created more than enough chances to win. Great header from Horsfall for the equaliser, then a penalty that was never a penalty for the winner. About time we got one of those decisions! Wonder if it's corruption when it goes in our favour? Don't think there was anyone else in the stadium that I'd have wanted to take the penalty more than Norwood. He has oozed class and composure for months, and it was so nice to see what it meant to him. Speaking of class, Addai and Diamond were absolutely fantastic. Addaimond? Needs work!

Matt: Cruise control. You were in first gear until we scored; you upped it to second and didn’t need to do any more. Easy.

🔴 Verdict on Huddersfield

Dave: Looked like a side who had nothing to play for in the first half. Then in the second I thought they exploited some gaps well and created some great chances which they'd have taken if it wasn't for Corey.

Matt: Currently the bar is so low for acceptable performances that even Tom Thumb couldn’t make that limbo. There were brief moments but overall it’s a side that’s given up on everything and are treading water until their next contract, likely in a lower division.

🎩 Top Hatter

Dave: I think Diamond was the man of the match but I will never begrudge Brad Hills winning one.

Matt: I’m pleased that Fraser Horsfall is doing well, but I thought Diamond caused us a lot of problems on the day.

🐶 Top Terrier

Dave: Ruffels was good, as was their keeper.

Matt: Lee Nicholls made an outrageous save from Andrésson where he touched it onto the post near the end. We can be thankful for him in keeping the score down.

👂 Atmosphere

Dave: Good! Almost a full house and matched the energy on the pitch. The noise before kick-off and after 74 minutes was excellent. Looking forward to the play-off semi-final at home which will definitely be under the lights.

Matt: Dreadful. Nobody said much in my front room apart from a few eye rolls and shoulder shrugs. I’ve stopped wanting to spend money on watching this group of charlatans, so I’ll not be going away until next season.

🙏 Hopes for the rest of the season (or next season in Huddersfield’s case)

Dave: All season I’ve said play-offs and we've achieved it. Now let’s go and win them.

Matt: A new squad, new sporting director and new manager. Our owner has made a mess of every appointment so far so I’m not holding out much hope.

😀 Best part of the day

Dave: Lily walking out of the tunnel clapping the fans! And it was the first time all five of us have been to a game together.

Matt: The decision to not go. Stockport is a nice away trip – it’s a decent club so to not want to go is disappointing but it’s where a lot of fans are at. I thought the ones who did go were tremendous (on TV anyway).

😡 Worst part of the day

Dave: The weather.

Matt: Being right. We’ve hammered the players on the podcast since January and they prove every week that they deserve it and it’s not a nice thing to have to do, but the effort levels have been completely unacceptable.

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 2-1 victory at home to Huddersfield Town on Monday 21 April, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…

3.49pm: That sounded decidedly average.

3.50pm: Rubbish then reasonable then meh, I think.

4.20pm: Well that was crap.

4.21pm: Indeed. We haven’t looked on it today.

4.33pm: A leaping header from Horsfall!

4.45pm: Penalty! Although that looked very soft.

4.56pm: Massive win that just from a momentum point of view. Officially in the play-offs now – a great achievement for our first season in League One whatever happens now.

5.22pm: Not vintage County today but we still found a way, didn’t we? We just keep winning. Awesome stuff.

Have you managed to stick to your 2025 New Year’s resolutions?

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MAN v FAT has weight loss clubs centred around football in the following areas locally: Ashton, Bury, Bolton, Manchester Central, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Wigan.

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Photo(s) of the day

Sincil Bank, Lincoln

Lincoln City visit SK3 this weekend. Here’s a few snaps from our trip to their place back in October.

Could you be the next Jason Manford or John Bishop?

Have you ever wanted to try stand up comedy? Are you "the funny one" in your social circle? Want to get on stage but don't know where to start?

Gag N Bone Man Comedy run a fantastic course for aspiring comedians, which includes eight weekly workshops covering everything you need to know from how to write your material to which end of the microphone to speak into. Then at the end of the course you’ll perform your first routine at a Sheffield comedy venue!

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Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Three films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. A Minecraft Movie (PG) at 3.15pm, Mr Burton (12A) at 5.30pm, and Becoming Led Zeppelin (12A) at 8.15pm.

➡️ Click here for tickets.

🍺 Food and drink

The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have a great range of offers throughout the week, including £5.50 for drinks off the Doubles Bar, a comprehensive range of shots for £1.50, and 3 for £7 on Jägerbombs. Also, double up for £2 on premium spirits.

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

A number of venues are featured on The Scarf My Father Wore such as The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Alexandra (SK3), The Crown Inn (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Three Tunnes (SK7), Flute & Firkin (SK12) and The Ram’s Head (SK12). Support them this month by popping in for a few drinks and a bite to eat.