County v Leyton Orient

90 minutes from Wembley…

May 14, 2025

Wednesday 14 May 2025

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NEXT HOME GAME: Leyton Orient – Tonight, 8pm

NEXT AWAY GAME: TBC

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

1992 (twice), 1993, 1994, 2008 and 2023. Stockport County have played at Wembley six times during their 142-year history. A seventh trip could be booked tonight, with victory over Leyton Orient in the second leg of the League One play-off semi-final at Edgeley Park. Dan Culverwell, Ian Brown, Jonathan Baker and Andrew Barlow are confident Dave Challinor’s men can complete the job inside 90 minutes. Nick Lee, the little scallywag, thinks we’re going to need extra-time. God, I hope not. (Unless we’re 1-0 down in the 90th minute.)

Today’s edition is sponsored by Hfhmakeupp. A big thank you to Hannah.

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: £2,312

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

Dan Culverwell, The Scarf Bergara Wore

County 3 Leyton Orient 1

Lewis Bate and Callum Camps are fit again, both coming off the bench on Saturday. Jack Diamond’s available after his suspension. Some tough decisions for Dave Challinor tonight. Would you put any of those three into the team?

I think Saturday’s starting XI deserve to play again but that doesn’t necessarily mean they will. This game is going to be won and lost from the dugouts. The tactical decisions made from both benches and the impact of their substitutions, for me, will be the main discussion points we’re talking about on Thursday morning when County fans wake up late for work with sore heads and lost voices. County should have the better bench that can impact the game at any stage and I see this being the difference tonight with a cagey 1-1 going into the final 20 minutes, before County’s subs make an impact and we go on to win 3-1.

➡️ 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 3 Leyton Orient 1

Will Stockport County be heading to Wembley for a seventh time after tonight?

Forecasting the result of play-off games is akin to attempting to knit fog, but as I have the flimsiest of reputations predicting outcomes this season to defend, here goes…

County will be heading for Wembley in my view as I feel there’s enough quality in the squad at Dave Challinor’s command to see us through. I see Tanto and Andrésson playing a key role tonight and in the final – both have the finishing skills required to see Orient off – and I would like to see them on the park together at some point in the game.

County fans celebrate on the pitch in May 2023 after beating Salford in the play-offs

Of course, ill fortune and dire refereeing might get in our way again, but if the majority of what will be a capacity crowd give the team the right sort of support, we can all be celebrating later tonight!

➡️ 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 Leyton Orient 1

As a born and bred Newcastle fan, who’s also fallen for County since moving to Stockport, what would it mean to you personally to see us make it to Wembley for a League One play-off final?

Any season incorporating a Wembley final is of course a special one, so the prospect of both my ‘birth’ and ‘adopted’ clubs competing for glory at the national stadium during 2024-25 is one that quite frankly I struggle to get my head around at all! And as for the thought of both of them emerging victorious… well, maybe that’s a question for another day. Yes, that is definitely a question for another day!

Will County follow in Newcastle’s footsteps this season?

Looking to tonight’s encounter, I’m foreseeing another very close-fought affair, but one in which our superior squad strength and the deafening support from what is surely going to be an absolutely electric Edgeley Park atmosphere will be enough to see us through.

➡️ 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.

Nick Lee, SK3 TV

County 2 Leyton Orient 2

What have you done to participate in County’s #PaintItBlue campaign for the play-offs?

What haven't I done, that's the real question here. If it moves, I've painted it blue. As a consequence I'm under investigation by GMPTE, the RSPCA and more worryingly, the NSPCC.

➡️ 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.

Andrew Barlow, Hatters Matters

County 2 Leyton Orient 1

Do you think County are ready for the Championship or is this all happening a little bit too quickly?

I’ve said this before, and it’s the general consensus among the group of lads I go to games with: we’d probably benefit from another season at this level to really build on what we’ve got.

We’ve acquitted ourselves extremely well in League One following last season’s promotion, but stepping up to the Championship is a completely different challenge. The financial demands at that level are enormous, and you have to ask how many teams we’d genuinely be able to compete with, budget-wise, if we did go up.

To put it in perspective, the teams that were promoted from League One last season finished 16th, 17th and 19th in the Championship this year. Meanwhile, last season’s automatically promoted sides from League Two finished 2nd, 3rd and 17th in League One this time around. That really highlights how steep the step up becomes as you climb the divisions.

I don’t think a complete overhaul would be needed if we did go up. The club recruited smartly last summer, bringing in younger players who can develop alongside the club’s progress. That said, a number of first-team regulars are out of contract at the end of June, so the extent of the summer rebuild might depend on who’s offered new deals and who needs replacing. Of course, there may also be some players heading for the exit doors because they’re in demand!

Off the pitch, I’d argue that another year in League One would also give us more breathing room to get things right with the ground improvements. There’s clearly an increased demand for both home and away tickets, and although redevelopment has been talked about since 2022, it’s frustrating that we’ve not seen any solid movement yet. Hopefully that changes this summer, with the planning application finally due to go before the committee.

Financially, we’re haemorrhaging money every season. Boosting Edgeley Park’s capacity could really help by increasing matchday revenue – but until the expansion plans are approved and construction starts, that’s a big limitation on our growth off the pitch.

➡️ Andrew runs Hatters Matters, a comprehensive guide to the history of Stockport County with more facts and figures than you can shake a stick at. Visit hattersmatters.co.uk to have a butcher’s.

Get your face painted tonight!

County have been asking fans to #PaintItBlue for the play-offs this month. If you’re struggling to think of ideas, why not have your face painted! Hannah from Hfhmakeupp is at The Stylish Hair Studio on Castle Street today ahead of the second leg. Just a fiver to have your face painted before the match, with glitter designs also available.

Photo of the day

Edgeley Park, Stockport

Our last play-off game at home. An unbelievable atmosphere that day against Salford. Let’s hope for similar scenes tonight.

Today in SK

🍺 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). Plus, discounts on certain lagers between 12pm and 6pm.

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.

Chapter 14: Winning at Wembley

The aftermath of County’s play-off final victory at Wembley, as our Chat GPT tale continues.

The pitch shimmered with flashbulbs and floodlights. Blue shirts scattered like confetti across the grass, hugging, shouting, collapsing to their knees in disbelief. Flags were tied around waists, draped over shoulders. Some of the players took their boots off and walked barefoot. Like they needed to feel it properly. Make it real.

Danny stood, arms folded tight across his chest, trying to drink it all in. His throat was sore from shouting. His legs ached like he’d played the full ninety. But he didn’t care. Not one bit.

Lucy was filming everything. Her phone shook in her hand, her commentary mostly breathless swearing and laughing. But she wasn’t really looking through the screen. She was just trying to hold on to it — every second.

“You alright?” Danny asked, though he already knew.

“I think I’m in love with Antoni Sarcevic,” she said, beaming.

Danny grinned. “You and half of Stockport.”

The County end had become a festival. Drums, songs, voices cracking. People still in their seats, others draped over the railings, not wanting it to end. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

The stage had been rolled out near the halfway line. The PA system crackled, barely audible under the chants. “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your 2025 League One play-off winners — Stockport County!”

Another eruption. One more wave of sound.

The players made their way over, some still in kits, some already in commemorative t-shirts, hats half-on. A few had kids with them — tiny mascots in full County strips, overwhelmed and wide-eyed. Sarcevic had a flag tied around his neck like a cape. Tanto had a flare tucked somewhere he probably shouldn’t.

And then — the moment.

The trophy was there. Gleaming. Blue and white ribbons fluttering in the breeze.

Captain Paddy Madden stepped forward. Took it in his hands like it was something sacred.

Danny held his breath. Everyone did.

And then he lifted it.

Straight above his head. Skyward. Triumphant.

A thousand phones went up. Fireworks exploded behind the stand. Music blared — but no one could hear it, not over the roar.

Lucy was jumping now, both arms in the air. “YESSSS! Come on, County!”

Danny just laughed. Not because it was funny, but because it was too much to feel all at once. The kind of laugh that comes with tears in your eyes.

“I wish your grandad could’ve seen this,” he said softly.

Lucy looked at him, her smile flickering. “He did. You told me — he never missed a game. Not really.”

Danny nodded. She was right. The ghosts were here. All of them. His dad. The old Pop Side. Every cold Tuesday night. Every coach trip. Every heartbreak that led to this.

County had done it.

They’d won at Wembley.

As the players paraded the trophy, each taking their turn, Danny took out his phone. Took a picture of Lucy, her back to him, arms aloft, the whole stadium in front of her. He didn’t post it. Didn’t need to. He just saved it. Locked it in.

Later, they stayed in the ground long after most had left. Just watching. Soaking it in.

Lucy finally sat back down, exhausted, legs swinging over the edge of her seat.

“Best day of my life,” she said, barely a whisper.

Danny didn’t speak. He just put an arm around her.

And there they sat, father and daughter, surrounded by echoes and litter and the afterglow of history.

At the top of the steps, under the arch, the trophy still shone.