County v Bristol Rovers

After last week’s fun and games at the seaside, the league leaders return to SK3 for an early kick-off against the Pirates

Aug 24, 2024

Saturday 24 August 2024

If you’d like to write an article for The Scarf My Father Wore, share a few snippets or photos, or advertise your business, please email thescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com.

Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Bristol Rovers 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.

County’s first home game of the season kicked off at 5.30pm. Today it’s 12.30pm. Feels like we’re following a Premier League team all of a sudden with all these changes to the fixture list. You never know, this might be good practice! We’re top of League One and (bizarrely) signing players who made 27 appearances in the top flight last season. Welcome to County, Ollie Norwood!

We’re certainly a club on the up, and there’s a ton of optimism in Stockport ahead of today’s game, with Nick Lee, Waggie, Ian Brown, Dave Marchbank and Jonathan Baker all predicting a home win. Bristol Rovers are unbeaten themselves, though, without conceding a goal. Could be a tricky one.

Today’s edition is sponsored by Parkers Solicitors Ltd. A big thank you to Adam and all the team. If you’ve been injured in an accident and would like to discuss the matter further, call 0161 477 9451 or email info@parkers-solicitors.co.uk.

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

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, ahead of County’s first meeting with Bristol Rovers since the last time we were in League One back in 2009-10.

Nick Lee, SK3 TV

County 2 Bristol Rovers 1

How does a 12.30pm kick-off affect your usual Saturday routine?

I don’t really know where to start because 12.30 is the most barbaric of all the modern day kick-off times. Waking up at half 8 like a real person and having breakfast like an adult? It’s, quite frankly, an absolute sickener. What am I meant to do, have craft beer on my Weetabix like a proper wrong’un? But then, to quote Nigel Blackwell of Half Man Half Biscuit, “I set it against the scale of human suffering, and I think of the Mugabe government and the children of the Calcutta railways”.

Actually, that didn’t work and I’m still furious. Everyone knows the only acceptable modern kick-off time is Saturday at half 5 (and none of that 5.20 Vanarama bollocks either). What am I meant to do for the rest of the day, talk to my family like a human being or something?

Sincerely,

Disgruntled of Cheadle

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.

Waggie, The Scarf Bergara Wore

County 3 Bristol Rovers 0

Two wins from two. Same XI this afternoon?

Yeah, I think so. The only change I can possibly see is Norwood in for Camps although I don't think anyone can be dropped with the way we’ve played so far. Another game where Fevs and Tanto can come on to change the game if required. Two great wins against Cambridge and Blackpool. With another similar performance and result, I’ll be a happy bunny once again.

Waggie 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 2 Bristol Rovers 0

Best and worst memories from previous games against Bristol Rovers?

The worst experience for me was in 2008-09 when County took on Rovers at their place in League One; one of many depressing experiences at this footballing outpost.

County had a decent side out with Dom Blizzard and Michael Raynes catching the eye. Unfortunately, Raynes did this early on with a couple of fouls that did nothing to stem the wave of attacks the home side were imposing on us in the first few minutes. County struggled to clear from a free-kick, with the ball eventually reaching Byron Anthony who promptly leathered it home past Conrad Logan to give our opponents an early lead.

I should mention at this point that ex-County player and future England star Rickie Lambert was in the Rovers starting line-up and boy did he get dog’s abuse from many of the County following who were mostly perched on that ridiculous afterthought of a terrace to the left of the Main Stand.

A number of points struck me on this: firstly, he’d been gone four years; secondly, he behaved and played in exemplary fashion in County colours before departing; and last but not least, shit like that is usually counterproductive, firing up the recipient’s engines rather than dimming them!

And so it was again. Lambert ran us dizzy to a dismaying blizzard of crude abuse. It was only a matter of time before we paid the price, and when James Tunnicliffe was adjudged to have handled in the box, who should step up to smash the penalty home but Rickie Lambert. We were 2-0 down, the abuse continued unchecked, Logan made some brave saves, but we lost.

I was not a regular away game traveller in 1964-65, thus I sadly missed County’s FA Cup third round tie at Bristol Rovers’ Eastville ground. An epic performance by the then Lilywhites saw them bring their opponents back to EP with a heroic 0-0 draw.

Stockport buzzed with excitement as a result, and a massive crowd crammed into the ground on what would be a famous night for the club. I was one of the almost 20,000 but soon found that my habit of changing ends at half-time on the Pop Side wasn’t on – simply staying upright would be good I soon found!

On the pitch the game was a real cracker, both sides giving 100% without scoring, until half an hour in when the wonderful Derek Hodgkinson nicked one for County. The underrated Frank Beaumont added a second shortly after.

We held the 2-0 lead until the break whereupon matters changed dramatically, and Rovers hit back with two goals that seemed to hint at worse to come as they redoubled their attacking efforts. County should have been dished at this point. The fact that they weren’t was down largely in my view to the work of captain Trevor Porteous who drove them on against the odds and provoked an impressive response from his County team.

Into the last five minutes and the whole of South West England seemed to have parked themselves in the Rovers box as County were awarded a free-kick. Over it floated and midst the forest of bodies Ian Sandiford climbed highest to head the ball home to seal a 3-2 win.

That really was an amazing night – one of the best ever!

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.

Dave Marchbank, Stockport County Supporters Co-operative

County 1 Brizzle Rovers 0

We're top of the league. At what point are we allowed to start getting carried away again?

That’s not an easy question to answer. Under normal circumstances I tend to think around ten games in is the point you may start to get an idea regarding how the table may look at the end of the season. However, it may be worth pointing out in some ways County’s circumstances are not normal.

How so? Well for starters we’ve resigned Louie Barry on a season-long loan. No County supporter will harbour any doubts as to the quality Louie brings. The lad is, and has been, absolutely sensational for County. In my opinion, perhaps the best loan signing I’ve ever seen at EP, and at 61 I’ve seen more than a few.

Louie has started the season on fire. I had the pleasure of finding myself sitting next to his dad at a game last season. I had no idea who he was at the time, however when Louie scored and his dad shouted “that’s my lad”, I spun round and did a double check.

“Louie Barry is your son?”

“Yes.”

“We love having him here at County.”

“Louie loves it here too!”

To be honest it shows. His interview after he re-signed is well worth seeking out if you haven’t seen it yet. To me, it screamed let me out on that pitch, he was that enthusiastic.

Our signings look excellent. I’m particularly impressed with Diamond, Addai and Bate. If you then take into account our momentum, everything is gearing up nicely, so if supporters are excited and getting carried away it’s understandable at the very least.

Joining the Stockport County Supporters Co-operative costs £12 a year for adults, £3 for those aged 16-25 or £1 for under-16s. Click here for further details.

Jonathan Baker, The County Away Day Show

County 2 Bristol Rovers 1

The seaside playlist you put together for us before Blackpool last week included a Mexrissey track, which actually prompted this comment from a reader.

You got any more Mexrissey tracks for us this week, or anything else with a foreign flavour from your eclectic collection?

Immediately upon dipping my toes into a spot of research with the intention of delving into the wider oeuvre of last week’s Morrissey-inspired Mexicans, I found myself sucked into an irresistibly pungent Spotify rabbit hole containing the last thirty years of popular musical production emanating from the entire Aztec nation. Which turns out to be cheekily and inspiredly… eclectic. Very clearly, a thorough research undertaking is called for if I’m to do the national cultural output anything like due justice, but as a quick “starter for five” here’s the handful of jaunty numbers that had me most pronouncedly sashaying down the pavement outside Davenport Spar about 6 o’clock last night.

5) “Nación Apache” by Twin Tones (Apache Nation)

Starts and finishes with dashes of dialogue out of a Spaghetti Western, sandwiching a slide-guitar-infused two minutes and five seconds of laid back pop lushness. A deceptively simple proposition, riotously inspired in its execution.

4) “Disculpa Nena, Yo No Soy un Hippie” by Los Odio! (I’m Sorry, Love, But I’m Not a Hippy)

The title of course drew me in straight away, and the lyric goes on to rhyme “Tai Chi” with “Bruce Lee” which I’m sure we can all agree is worthy of some sort of lifetime achievement industry award right there off the bat. Overall, there’s a steady and ever-so-slightly sleazy authority about the unhurried but insistent beat defining this rather slyly apologetic number, which I am sure the County Nation are going to simply adore.

3) “Escribeme Pronto” by Mexican Institute of Sound (Write to Me Soon)

Apparently this lot have collaborated with Graham Coxon of Blur popular music royalty, and are famous enough across the Latin American continent to host a radio show on the Mexican version of the Grand Theft Auto video game (no, I don’t know how that would work either). What I think we can assert with some confidence is that there is a true genre-defying genius at work here. Shades of Buena Vista Social Club, with an overlaid hip-hop sensibility, and entirely random but perfectly pitched bursts of shouted Italian. I mean I appreciate this sounds like an absolute dog’s dinner the way I’m describing it, but I can assure you it not only works, it jumps out of the headphones and demands to be given your absolute and undivided attention. Give this simply preposterous creation five minutes of your matchday morning, County fans – you will not regret it.

2) “Una Vez Más” by Ceci Basteda (One More Time)

Starts with a ticking clock (or possibly, time-bomb), comes in with what sounds like a homemade jingle out of a child’s Bontempi organ from the 1970s, and then blindsides you with a backstage line-up of orchestra-standard tijuana-style-brass. And that’s all within the first six seconds, at which stage the sultry female vocal comes in, and sends you flat out on your back begging for mercy in the midday heat. Play this one to that Donald Trump; he’d change his stump-tune overnight, and start actually attempting to dismantle those pretend border walls of his with his own bare and weirdly tiny hands. It’s that bloody good, really. Excuse me, I feel ever so slightly faint, and need a short lie down. Just one more to go, now…

1) “El Primero Del Gang” by Mexrissey (First of the Gang to Die)

This internationally acclaimed outfit – actually, if you don’t mind, a fully fledged supergroup comprising independently-reputed artists from across the Mexican pop spectrum, united by a shared appreciation of the works of the Bard of Stretford – only ever produced a single and slim collection of seven songs, all of them Latin-infused covers of Morrissey classics. I very nearly plumped for their quite astonishing take on “Suedehead” but (with apologies to our mutual friend the eponymous shirt-collecting member of the County Nation) this duo-lingual take on perhaps the most sublimely realised of the early post-Smiths singles has just edged that singular number out, to claim top spot in our selection. It starts off with a sublime burst of sun-kissed brass you see, and then just kicks on from there – but then, you are a connoisseur of Mexican pop by now, so knew that already, right? Enjoy!

Click here for today’s playlist!

Jonathan, aka Geordie Hatter, hosts The County Away Day Show on selected Saturday mornings during the season, when the Hatters are on the road (the next one’s Mansfield). All episodes can be found at the-geordie-hatter.mixlr.com.

Today’s other prediction

Hatters Matters: County 2 Bristol Rovers 0

We’re looking for one Bristol Rovers fan with a business to be featured as part of our Football Family section, and you’ll also have your logo, photos and editorial included alongside any Pirates content we publish. It’s £45 for the year. If you’re interested, email thescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com for a chat.

If you’ve been injured as a cyclist, see how Parkers Solicitors can help you

Parkers Solicitors have decades of experience in winning accident claims for injured cyclists. They understand that being knocked off your bike can be very traumatic and can provide a full service, from getting your bike repaired and recovering the repair costs to funding private physio and scans recovered from the other side, whilst assisting with obtaining a replacement bike if required. Parkers will also help you recover any loss of earnings and other expenses such as travel and medication costs as a result of the accident.

Cyclists are vulnerable road users and often accident victims of cars not seeing them or cutting them up. If you get the registration of the vehicle who collided with you, great, but often people don’t realise they can also claim for other incidents, such as your bike being damaged by a pothole, or being involved in a hit and run without obtaining the registration of the car, or getting hit by an uninsured can. You can still claim in all these scenarios.

If you’re ever knocked off your bike, get in touch with Parkers and they will assist you through the whole process.

Personal injury is a complex area of law. You need people who are experienced and aware of issues that may arise in order to get the outcome you’re after. The solicitors at Parkers are specially trained to help you. They understand the claims process which means they’ll talk to you in language you understand, not lawyer jargon.

It’s their job to do the hard work so that you don’t have to. They’re willing to take on the stress to make the whole process as hassle-free as possible for you. They understand that such processes can seem complicated and even intimidating, but with an expert team to support you, there’s nothing to worry about.

Hit and run claims

Don’t worry if you didn’t get the registration or any details of the vehicle that knocked you off your bike. Parkers can still claim for you from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB). This is a special body created to ensure that those who are injured because of somebody else’s fault still have the chance to claim compensation.

Uninsured driver claims

Don’t worry if the vehicle that knocked you off your bike was uninsured. Parkers can still claim for you from the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB).

Pothole and poor road condition claims

Bike accident claims resulting from road quality issues require the involvement of local authorities, such as city or town councils, which Parkers are used to dealing with regularly. It’s good practice to report it to the council as soon as possible and also to take pictures of the defective road, such as the pothole or grid which caused the incident.

Transfer from another solicitors firm or claims company

If you are not happy with your current solicitor, you can get a second opinion from Parkers and transfer the case. They pride themselves on their knowledge, attention to detail, speediness and being contactable. If you aren’t receiving this treatment, give them a call.

Visit parkers-solicitors.co.uk for further details.

Photo of the day

The Manchester, Blackpool (last Saturday)

Rumour has it, when the Krays came up to the North West in the 60s, it was the Bollington Bastards who sent them on their way.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Three 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, and It Ends With Us (15) at 5.45pm and 8.30pm. Click here for tickets.

💿 DJ

DJ Jimmy Sweet at AMP (SK1). 9pm.

Stockport’s biggest party at the weekend is at Bask (SK1), with DJ Gareth Brooks playing till 3am. Last entry 1.30am.

🍺 Food and drink

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

🎵 Karaoke

The Nelson Tavern (SK1) with Lee. From 8pm.

🎸 Live music

Reserved at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). 8pm.

The Racketeers at The Crown (SK6). 9pm.

100 random grounds that County have played at

#92 – Nene Park, Rushden & Diamonds

Last visit: County only visited Rushden & Diamonds a couple of times, once in 2003-04 and then again in 2005-06. That was the year the Northamptonshire club were relegated from the Football League (when County survived on that dramatic final day against Carlisle) but they did record a home win over the Hatters in September. County led twice but lost 3-2 in the last minute.