County v Bolton
Memories of THAT night in 2021 as the Trotters make another November visit to SK3
Saturday 9 November 2024
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Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Bolton supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Saturday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
If you’re looking for a convincing betting guide ahead of today’s game, hoping to win a few quid at the bookies, I’d suggest you look elsewhere. Our six County correspondents have come up with two wins, two draws and two defeats in their predictions. To be fair, I don’t think any of us have a clue what’s in store this afternoon. All part of the fun of following a football team, eh? Nick Lee, Dan Culverwell and Ian Brown offer their thoughts as we countdown to kick-off.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Beespoke Cleaning. A big thank you to Vicky.
Thanks also to Luke and Hannah at LBL Roofing & Building Ltd who sponsor our Bolton Wanderers 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: 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
Des Junior loves writing about County. But he can never be arsed doing match previews. They’re a bit dull, aren’t they? Will Collar’s out for a month with diarrhoea… blah blah blah…tomorrow’s referee has handed out more cards than Moonpig…blah blah blah…County haven’t won at Birmingham for a thousand years.
Fortunately, he has a number of fellow County content creators to call upon. Here’s their thoughts, general chit-chat and score predictions, as Bolton come to SK3 in the league for the first time since October 2000, when Aaron Wilbraham scored a last-minute winner in Division One.
Nick Lee, SK3 TV
County 0 Bolton 0
Just how good was that FA Cup game in 2021-22?
It was genuinely the best game I've ever seen at EP. I know we've been in the Championship and we had 96-97 and everything, but that Bolton game really did have everything. Catastrophic errors from a keeper, the last great EP atmosphere, front foot football after whatever it was that Steve Rusk served up. Just a magical night. It's become the game I show people when they ask why it is that I like football so much. A proper game for the neutrals. That said, I don't think my nerves would handle a repeat today.
Nick’s one of the co-hosts of SK3 TV, a new podcast for the 2024-25 season, with live episodes every Monday at 8pm. Click here for links.
Dan Culverwell, The Scarf Bergara Wore
County 2 Bolton 1
Do County fans need to be more patient this season?
Yes, yes, yes. We have to understand that we’re building towards having a team and a club that can be sustainable at Championship level on and off the pitch. I’m not going to say “look where we came from” but we are on a journey and we will get things wrong at times. Not every player we sign will work out as we hoped and we won’t perform in every game we play in. On our day we’re competitive and good enough to match anyone in League One and we won’t be finishing in the bottom four this season. We’re moving forwards but we might have to be slightly pragmatic when it comes to expectations this season, compared to the constant success we’ve had in recent years.
Dan is part of The Scarf Bergara Wore team, hosting live County podcasts every Wednesday at 8pm. Click here for links.
Ian Brown, All Things Stockport County
County 0 Bolton 2
Why did Tuesday night go so badly wrong?
County were given a footballing lesson from a side oozing in confidence, playing to a plan, and enjoying every minute of a game that was effectively over in the first 20 minutes. Another large Tuesday night crowd were sold short, many heading for home well before the end.
What went wrong? All the basics really. County’s play was the slackest I can recall seeing in a crucially important match for some time, and their defending was abysmal quite often, laying the foundation for their undoing. I’m sure County did have a game plan, but it was not apparent just what it was, as any semblance of footballing order from the Hatters disappeared early on in a welter of misplaced passes and challenges declined at crucial moments.
But, we’ve been here before, and under Dave Challinor’s stewardship too. There is usually a reaction from him and his team, so we do our bit too. Let’s turn up today and maybe turn up the volume of our support. They’ll need it for sure!
Ian follows County home and away, producing detailed match reports every week, along with lots of other great content. Head over to hedgegrower.blogspot.com.
Today’s other predictions
County Supporters Co-operative: County 0 Bolton 2
Hatters Matters: County 3 Bolton 1
The County Away Day Show: County 2 Bolton 2
Beespoke Cleaning can provide a weekly, fortnightly or monthly service for you
Look how spotless this place is. I’m not saying your place isn’t, but it would be nice to get a bit of help with the cleaning, wouldn’t it? Especially for County fans, as they spend a lot of time away from home. There’s trips to Burton, Birmingham and Stevenage coming up before Christmas. Wouldn’t it be nice to get back to Stockport from your travels and find your home in immaculate condition.
Beespoke Cleaning can do exactly that for you, whether you’d like their services once a week, once a fortnight or even once a month. The business has been operating since 2010, with a long list of satisfied regular customers, as cleaning projects are completed in a timely manner and with the highest level of quality.
Visit beespokecleaning.com for further details.
LBL Roofing & Building
Any Bolton fans (or indeed, any County fans living in that neck of the woods) joining us today? If you need any roofing work doing at home, LBL Roofing & Building are dedicated to providing top-notch services with an unwavering commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.
With extensive experience serving Bolton and the North West, their team of skilled professionals specialise in all aspects of roofing, from minor repairs to complete roof installations. They understand the importance of a durable and reliable roof, which is why they focus on precision, attention to detail, and using the highest quality materials in every project.
Whether you're a homeowner in need of a roof repair or a business requiring a full roof replacement, they offer tailored roofing solutions that are built to last. With LBL Roofing & Building, your roof's integrity is their top priority, ensuring that their work not only meets but exceeds your expectations.
Visit lblroofingandbuilding.co.uk for further details.
Photo of the day
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Your editor looking a little nervous during the live BBC coverage of the Bolton game this time three years ago. Might be pulling that same face this afternoon if we defend like we did on Tuesday night.
Today in SK
🎬 Cinema
Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Blitz (12A) at 3.15pm and 8.15pm, and Small Things Like These (12A) at 6pm. Click here for tickets.
🍺 Food and drink
Pop in for a pint at Heaton Hops (SK4), CAMRA Pub of the Year for Stockport and South Manchester.
All pints £2.50 at The Cross Keys (SK8) from 6pm till 9pm.
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 Alexandra (SK3), The Steelworks (SK6) or The Three Tunnes (SK7).
🎵 Karaoke
The Nelson Tavern (SK1) with Lee. From 8pm.
🎙 Live music
The Randomers at AMP (SK1). Doors from 7pm. DJ afterwards. Free entry.
Blues With a Feeling at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). 8pm.
The Driscols at The Crown (SK6). 9pm.
Random photos of County players at other clubs
#44 – Antoni Sarcevic, Bolton
Antoni Sarcevic captained Bolton to promotion from League Two in 2020-21. Then we nicked him the following season, and he went on to win two league titles during his time at Edgeley Park.
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