Tuesday 24 January 2023
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Tuesday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
County in 10th. Bradford in 7th. A Tuesday night at EP. Win, and we’re in the League Two play-offs. These are the nights we’ve been waiting for, aren’t they? Ahead of the Bantams’ first trip to SK3 since 2010, we’ve got a bumper edition for you today, as we look forward to tonight with your favourite County correspondents, as well as the editor of Bradford’s excellent fanzine.
There’s not long to go until ‘A Curry with Colin Woodthorpe’ - our first live event of 2023. It’s taking place at Last Monsoon in Stockport on Monday 30 January at 7.30pm. Come and join us for an entertaining evening with one of Gary Megson’s first County signings ahead of our first season in Division One in 1997-98. Colin’s an absolutely lovely bloke, and having made 171 appearances for County, he’s got some fantastic stories from his five years at Edgeley Park.
You’ll also get poppadoms, mixed starters, curry, rice and naan breads. As well as a full colour souvenir programme. All for just £20. Fancy it? Send me a text or give me a call on 07816 111150, or you can email desmondhinks@hotmail.co.uk
Finally, a big thank you to John and all the team at Soft Soap for sponsoring today’s edition. If you’re looking for any cleaning services at the moment, they currently have a fantastic offer for new customers. Full details below.
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? Paddy Madden’s out for two games with an ingrown toenail…blah blah blah…tomorrow’s referee has handed out more cards than Moonpig…blah blah blah…County haven’t won at Birmingham since 1672.
Fortunately, he has a number of fellow County content providers to have a pre-match natter with. Here’s their thoughts ahead of tonight’s big one at EP.
Ian Brown, hedgegrower
Three points tonight and we’re in the play-offs. How excited are you?
I’m not getting too excited yet, but this one is an interesting game, and I’m expecting a high-octane encounter in a near perfect setting under the lights at EP.
Mark Hughes’ team were beaten more comprehensively than the 1-0 scoreline suggests when we met them earlier in the season at their place, but tonight’s opponents have strengthened their squad with the purchase of impressive midfielder Adam Clayton from Doncaster. Adam ran the show for Donny against us in a defeat that still rankles, and he could be the playmaker that Bradford lacked against us last time, but if we take the game to them from the start and keep their back line busy, I see us winning by the odd goal in three.
It’s another important game and a win sends us above the Bantams into the play-off places. I’ll enjoy that, but I won’t be starting the promotion celebrations just yet.
Nick Lee, The Scarf Bergara Wore
Well, you got your wish for Crewe to be postponed, you bloody jinx. What was so important on Saturday that you couldn’t make the Cheshire derby anyway?
Unfortunately the cruel cold world of semi-honest retail work involves me working a Saturday or two a month, and the way the fixtures have fallen in January has shat on me just like that woman who said she was a masseuse but definitely wasn’t a masseuse despite charging me for the privilege. It’s alright though, what could be better than a January Tuesday trip to Crewe? Apart from a trip to Crewe on literally any other day, obviously.
Jonathan Baker aka Geordie Hatter, The County Away Day Show
We’ve regularly spoken about music, but I’ve got food on my mind today, which is rather topical as Bradford has been named the Curry Capital of Britain umpteen times. What’s your favourite curry? And also, what’s your favourite food if you’re dining out in Stockport or Newcastle?
Favourite curry is a lamb rogan josh, and that's whether I'm in Bradford, Bramhall, or Bombay. With pilau rice, a couple of naan bread, and go on, just a couple of bottles of Cobra to wash it down.
Dining out in Newcastle? It would probably be the daytime nowadays, and I'd be heading for our historical Grainger Market, which is a kind of cross between Stockport's market and produce halls, in that you can get yourself a punnet of strawberries and a couple of cut-price Mills and Boons, then head for the next stall down and find a bench-perch in among the Geordie hipsters to blow the rest of your Saturday afternoon budget on a tray of artisan noodles, with optional dumplings. Worth the price though, they're delicious.
Back here in Stockport meanwhile, my neighbourhood row of shops is similarly handily laid out, in that within 50 yards of my front door I can source a book of postage stamps, a set of hula-hoops, and a large portion of fish and chips, and still have change out of a 20 pound note to avail myself of a haircut. Until a couple of months ago I could have rounded off the excursion with the purchase of a wedding dress, but the former bridal premises next to the Davenport Fish Bar is now vacant - my working theory being that the blushing fiancees of SK2 turned out to be less than enamoured by the prospect of spending their big day in a long white gown vaguely redolent of battered haddock, and took their custom elsewhere. The parade remains overall in rude health however, as evidenced by our newest addition: the small but perfectly formed Pizza Vere takeaway and restaurant, just a doughball's throw from the train station. The genuine Neapolitan fare offered by this family-run business is to die for, and you can bring your own drink from the Bargain Booze next door. There is simply nothing not to like about any of that in my personal estimation, so it's my current go-to option for a (very) local dine-out. I'm probably not sitting on the tables our Mediterranean friends still have placed outside, mind you - maybe we'll brave them in April, when the sunset temperature has risen above freezing.
As for tonight, well I've just watched highlights on Twitter of the last time we beat Bradford at EP, and that one finished 2-1, with us coming from behind. I can see another close one under the lights tonight, and I'll go for (and would bite your hand off now for) a carbon copy result.
How do you think County will get on against Bradford tonight? Is there anything better in life than a January Tuesday night in Crewe? And what’s your go-to curry of choice? Click on the button to leave your comments.
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An interview with Mike Harrison, editor of The City Gent
Your game on Saturday was also called off. What did you do instead?
On Saturday morning I was supposed to play tennis, but that was called off due to the courts being icy, so I wasn’t surprised when our game against Carlisle was also called off after a pitch inspection. And even if it had been played, I’m not sure it would have finished as it was a right pea-souper by 4.30pm. So, what did I do instead? I lit my log burner and read the papers while listening to 5 Live.
Since finishing bottom of League One in 2018-19, you’ve finished 9th, 15th, and this season you’re only just in the play-offs on goal difference as things stand. Are fans frustrated with the lack of progress?
City fans have got used to the lack of progress; many are frustrated, but others are quite sanguine about it. Each season the club has tried to sign the right players and release the ones they think they don’t need, but so far every formula that has been tried hasn’t worked. But that’s football and despite all the good intentions anything can happen during a 90-minute game. But at least so far this season Mark Hughes and his team have got us closer to promotion than we’ve been since our relegation to League Two four years ago.
You’ve won one, drawn one and lost one so far in 2023, which coincides with your “consistently inconsistent” comment you gave us on Saturday in our League Two article. So what’s the reason for the inconsistency?
Lack of games could be the reason as we never seem to know when we’ll be playing. We only played three league games in November, three again in December, and only three so far in January - and the Rochdale home game was close to being called off as well due to a very wet pitch which wasn’t quite waterlogged. In hindsight it was a shame that it wasn’t postponed! We don’t play this coming Saturday either because County lost to Walsall in the third round of the cup. The last three months of the season will see us playing Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday which hopefully will suit us and we can get some momentum going.
What’s your business been like in the January transfer window?
So far January has been very busy with six players in and five going out. It is a statement of intent that while the first half of the season has been good, it needs to be better in the second half. It’s a bold move to make so many changes and it’s one that City fans hope pays off.
What are your best memories supporting Bradford?
We’ve been blessed with some great memories following Bradford even though we do find ourselves stuck in League Two again. I remember County getting to the semi-finals of the League Cup in 1996-97 when you were in Division Two, but can you imagine what it felt like for us getting to the final 10 years ago, knocking out Premier League Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa over two legs to get to Wembley? Then two years later going away to Premier League champions elect Chelsea and giving them a two-goal start before winning 4-2 at Stamford Bridge? Clinching promotion to the Premier League at Molineux in 1999 is also up there in our recent highlights following the Bantams.
What’s the away day culture like among Bradford fans?
There does seem to be a new culture from the younger travelling fans which I’m not a part of. Hopefully there won’t be any daft enough to try and sneak smoke flares into the ground but some do try. The allocation of 1,400 has been sold out so I would expect the City fans will help create a good atmosphere in the ground.
The City Gent is one of the few remaining fanzines still being printed. How have you managed to keep going all these years?
It’s been going since November 1984 and as far as we’re aware it’s the longest running printed football fanzine still going, which is a proud boast. We keep going because we still have enough fans willing to write interesting articles and enough fans willing to buy it. I should probably charge more than £2 for it but I want to keep it affordable.
What’s your rivalry like with Leeds and Huddersfield?
It’s been so long since we’ve played either of our West Yorkshire neighbours it doesn’t feel like there’s any rivalry at all at the moment. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll be renewing with Huddersfield again next season.
Best Bradford XI from players you’ve seen?
It is almost impossible to pick just 11 players from the hundreds that I have seen play over the 50+ years that I have supported Bradford City. But I have favourite teams like the one that achieved promotion from Division Four in 1968-69, or the one that got to the FA Cup quarter-finals in 1976, or the ‘nearly team’ of 1987-88, and of course the one that did get promoted in 1998-99. The ‘history makers’ from 2012 to 2015 are also very special and close to all City fans’ hearts.
Prediction for tonight?
It’s hard to predict the score as our dealings in the January market means that the City team will be much changed and who knows how our new players will do. I do expect a hard-fought game with both sides needing to win, so on that basis I’ll say that it will be a draw. Unless we have a referee charitable enough to give us a soft penalty for a change!
County v Bradford
How do you think County will get on against Bradford tonight?
All this talk of "Beat these and we're in the play off positions" is making me nervous. I hope we'll win but I'm expecting it to be close.
Is there anything better in life than a January Tuesday night in Crewe?
Last time I went, I got a wayward shot straight on the end of my nose during the warmup so basically any visit that doesn't involve that happening again will be better.
And what’s your go-to curry of choice?
Current favourite is a Lamb Handi (if it's fron the Zulaika) or a Pakistan-style Keema Lamb (if it's from the Heaviley Tandoori).