County v Cambridge

Plus! 10 photos from Memorial Day in Marple Bridge

Aug 10, 2024

Saturday 10 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, Cambridge supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to a brand new season on The Scarf My Father Wore!

Ian Brown and Jonathan Baker join us this afternoon ahead of County’s first game back in League One, and we’ve also got some photos from yesterday’s Memorial Day at The Royal Scot in Marple Bridge.

Today’s edition is sponsored by Kingsway Carpets. A big thank you to Neil.

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: £1,976

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 County look forward to their first game in League One since a 3-0 defeat at home to Tranmere in May 2010.

Ian Brown, All Things Stockport County

County 1 Cambridge 2

Straight away on day one, County’s kick-off time has been switched from 3pm. What’s your thoughts on Sky Sports having even more involvement with the fixture list this season?

It was on Saturday 20 April that I joined in with the majority of the 10,120 present at County’s final home game of the season against Accrington Stanley to give a rousing “Welcome to Stockport” raspberry to the suits from Sky Sports and the EFL at the trophy presentation following the match.

County supporters could vividly remember the angst and inconvenience throughout a season in which kick-off times were changed and dates moved with little notice at all at the behest of the television company. My view, therefore, was that the reception was richly deserved.

Naively perhaps, I hoped that the new season, that sees us back in League One, would be less angst ridden and maybe, for a change, UK football authorities would take on board the interests of the travelling football supporter when new plans were formulated.

It was therefore with great dismay that I noted the new agreement between the EFL and the television company, which throws a considerable spanner in the plans of football fans, with four times more EFL matches to be televised than in the season just gone. Apparently all 72 clubs are guaranteed to feature over 20 times a season. Thus the lottery on kick-off times and dates will again blight the life of the average County fan as they seek to support their team, and we all know the carnage has already started with multiple County games being whipped around by Sky. A very considerable pox is wished on Sky (and the EFL) by this writer!

As for today, I expect our habit of playing excruciatingly badly in the season’s opening match to continue. County 1 Cambridge 2.

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.

Jonathan Baker, The County Away Day Show

County 2 Cambridge 1

County have lost their last five opening day matches. What should Dave Challinor do to break this curse?

1) Make full use of the bench, by fielding 15 players, and hoping that amidst the now customary dizzying array of substitutions, the referee fails to notice. This approach would simultaneously solve the goalkeeping selection dilemma (simply play both, with Addai in the slightly more advanced 'sweeper-keeper' role).

2) Tamper with the borough's street signage, so that directions for Edgeley/the football stadium instead guide the Cambridge United team coach to the Woodley home of Stockport Town FC, resulting in a no show from our visitors, and a consequent award of the three points.

3) Given that we appear to be rather more proficient at ending seasons than starting them, adapt the 'early Christmas Party' approach famously taken by Dave Bassett’s similarly late-blooming early 90s Sheffield United squad, by having the team arrive in SK3 atop an open-decked bus, having spent the previous fortnight consuming significant quantities of strong lager.

There, I think that should do it. Not sure how workable any of them are by teatime today, but we can only suggest!

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

Today’s other predictions

SK3 TV: County 1 Cambridge 0

The Scarf Bergara Wore: County 3 Cambridge 2

Stockport County Supporters Co-operative: County 2 Cambridge 2

Hatters Matters: County 2 Cambridge 1

If you’re looking to install a stair runner at home, get in touch with Kingsway Carpets

This is pretty smart, isn’t it? If you’re looking to install a stair runner at home, or you’ve got any other flooring ideas, give Kingsway Carpets a call on 0161 225 7294 or email info@kingsway-carpets.co.uk.

Kingsway Carpets is a family-run business with over 40 years experience. They offer a free measuring service, repayment plans, and guarantee to beat any like for like quotation!

Visit kingsway-carpets.co.uk for further details.

Memorial Day 2024

Photo of the day

Somewhere in Chicago

I received the following email from Britton Barthold last night, our Chicago Hatter!

“Hey Des! Wanted to reach out ahead of kick-off tomorrow. Will be watching intently over here in the States. Most importantly, the third kit arrived just in time for season’s opening. Hope all is well over in the UK for you. Might be over in London again this fall – if so, hopefully I’ll be able to stop by Edgeley again. Looking forward to another great season!“

Click here to read about Britton’s first ever County game last season, when he flew over from America for the Doncaster game.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Three films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Despicable Me 4 (U) at 3.30pm, The Instigators (15) at 6pm, and Longlegs (15) at 8.15pm. Click here for tickets.

💿 DJs

Bez (of Happy Mondays fame, obviously) is doing a set at AMP (SK1). Doors 7pm. Tickets £10.

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

DJ Brinner at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). 8pm.

🍺 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.

100 random grounds that County have played at

#82 – Princes Park, Dartford

Last visit: We’ve only been to Dartford once, during our disastrous 2012-13 campaign, when County suffered relegation to the sixth tier of English football. Just 61 County fans could stomach the Tuesday night trip to Kent in March. Mark Cullen gave us an early lead but Dartford equalised with 20 minutes to go.