County v Stoke

For the first time in 14 weeks, Dave Challinor’s men are back in action at Edgeley Park

Jul 27, 2024

Saturday 27 July 2024

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STOCKPORT COUNTY PREDICTION GAME 2024-25: Predict County’s top scorer, final league position, cup performances etc. £10 to enter. 40% of the pot to the winner, 30% to second, 20% to third, and 10% to Mentell. If you’d like to enter, drop us a message or an email.

Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Stoke 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.

Well, the Pop Side’s shut, the lift in the Cheadle End ain’t working, and County fans are still receiving counselling after the trauma of trying to buy Blackpool away tickets this week, but I’m sure we’re all very much looking forward to being back inside Edgeley Park this afternoon for the first time since April. Stoke are the visitors, and we’ve got pre-match build-up from Nick Lee, Russ Johnson and Ian Brown.

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: £1,966

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 home game of the summer.

Nick Lee, SK3 TV

County 3 Stoke 3

Stoke are in town today, a team we had running battles with on a regular basis in the 90s. Do you think we should board up all the pubs and shops on Castle Street before the game?

Alright Sheila Bailey, calm down.

I'd be up for them boarding stuff up provided that there was still one of each different type of shop still open. So one cafe, one shop selling baked goods, one pub, one purveyor of fruity vapes, you get the gist. Spreads the custom round as well, we can't have Gary from Gary's getting all the cash can we? Also, the Crofter is exempt from the above as they've been boarded up on and off since April, so we'll let them off.

Entertaining 3-3 draw for me, followed by definitive judgements being made on at least three of the summer signings as well as two of our existing players.

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.

Russ Johnson, The Scarf Bergara Wore

County 2 Stoke 1

With just two weeks to go until the start of the season, we should start getting some idea of the line-up for the opening day. Who do you think will be starting in goal on day one?

The goalkeeper spot has been the subject of much debate on our podcast. The general feeling is that Ben will start with perhaps Addai finishing the season. Jimmy was lucky enough to speak to Ben in Pinatar and he was
clear with us that he's there to start as number one. Ben roomed with Addai (not sure about Metcalfe) so it looks like there's a close goalkeeper unit developing.

Stoke struggled recently against Crewe in a friendly, so I expect us to be closer to them than maybe our division difference suggests. 2-1 County.

Russ 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 Stoke 1

What are your best and worst memories from previous encounters with Stoke?

I cannot recall many games with Stoke being anything other than rancorous at best. An intense mutual antipathy reined twixt the two clubs, fed season after season by players and fans who maybe should have behaved better.

As the 1991-92 season drew to a close, we seemed to be playing Stoke every week – drawn against them in a two-legged play-off semi-final before that Wembley encounter in the Autoglass Trophy final. This unlikely clutch of games provides both my best and worst memories.

First off, the best, and that encompassed both legs of the play-off semi. The first leg at EP was a typically tense affair, spiced up nicely for County when Stoke’s midfielder Carl Beeston was sent off in the first half. Stoke fans were suitably unimpressed by this and even more so when Peter Ward won the game for County with a peach of a free-kick.

No doubt Stoke fans would have fancied their team’s chances of overcoming that deficit three days later at the Victoria Ground, but they didn’t, as County nicked a goal within seconds of the kick-off via the excellent Chris Beaumont, and thereafter took everything Stoke could throw at them, a magnificent defensive display seeing County clinch a Wembley play-off final against Peterborough with a 1-1 draw. Two superb team performances from Danny’s boys.

The worst memory is that Autoglass Trophy final mentioned above, a game that saw a besuited Danny Bergara become the first manager born outside the UK to lead a side out at Wembley. Pride flowed through the ranks of County supporters who were outnumbered two to one by the Stoke fans, but never outsung. In fact, the support for our team was nerve tinglingly awesome at times.

Mark Stein was key to Stoke’s game at this time – a player of some talent it must be said – but sadly lacking in other areas such as discipline, temper and judgement! County made a decent game of it though, coping with everything that came their way, mainly routed through Stein.

We were very much still in it at the hour mark, the Stoke keeper doing well to keep the score at 0-0. Enter the officials, and boy were we badly served by the men in black who allowed Stein to trot back from an offside position to nick the winning goal – the first but sadly not the last time that County’s fate at the nation’s premier venue would be decided by poor refereeing decisions.

As far as today’s game goes I find myself again greatly unfussed as to the likely scoreline. The game for me is a chance to see County show what they can do against decent opposition. For me the rancour of old is very much a thing of the past, be it Stoke, Burnley or whoever – surely we have moved on!

OK, if you force me Des… County 2 Stoke 1.

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.

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Photo of the day

Edgeley Park, Stockport

County fans were wearing “f**k you Wrexham we’ve gone and won the league” hats at the end of last season. Not sure if we’ll get to wear this sort of merch this time around, judging by the amount of money Birmingham are spending. No real pressure this season though. It’s just nice to be back in League One innit?

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Inside Out 2 (U) at 12.15pm, followed by Deadpool & Wolverine (15) at 2.30pm, 5.15pm and 8pm. Click here for tickets.

💿 DJs

Clint Boon at AMP (SK1). Doors 7pm. Free entry.

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 Petersgate Tap (SK1), Thread (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), The Marple Tavern (SK6), The Railway (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Shady Oak (SK7), The Three Tunnes (SK7), The Railway (SK9), Flute & Firkin (SK12) or The Friendship (SK13).

🎵 Karaoke

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

🎤 Live music

Planet Abba at Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5). 8pm. Tickets £10.

100 random grounds that County have played at

#75 – John Smith’s Stadium, Huddersfield

Last visit: It’s called the John Smith’s Stadium these days, but Huddersfield’s place was called the Galpharm Stadium when we last visited back in September 2009. A 0-0 draw during the Gary Ablett relegation season.