Further tales from The Dark Ages

The three-day week, re-elections, and an awful FA Cup defeat at Stafford Rangers in John Snellgrove's latest piece

Feb 18, 2025

Tuesday 18 February 2025

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NEXT HOME GAME: Blackpool – Saturday 1 March, 3pm

NEXT AWAY GAME: Cambridge United – Saturday 22 February, 3pm

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

John Snellgrove was back on The Scarf My Father Wore earlier this month with the first instalment of his new series, looking back at County in the 1970s.

The Dark Ages

The Scarf My Father Wore

Feb 7

Read full story

We’ve got part two for you today, with County’s miserable decade continuing.

Today’s edition is sponsored by B.J. McKenna & Co Solicitors and Parkers Solicitors. A big thank you to Adam.

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: 216.74 miles

Total steps so far: 353,516

Total raised so far: £2,270

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

August 1973 and another season began. Twelve years plus since my first game. How much had changed since that first season? In many ways very little. The ground was looking even more careworn and rundown, but then so were many other grounds. No more would we see the red and white livery of Stockport Corporation buses, lined up by Alexandra Park to take supporters home after the game. I had my first car, a green minivan with the registration TUB 629 G. No radio in those days and very little else in what could be described as a basic vehicle. Still I put my transistor radio in the sidepocket and as far as I was concerned this was the height of luxury and a definite upgrade on the moped I used to travel on, to and from work at Taxal Lodge in Whaley Bridge over the top on freezing November nights.

I had also reached another milestone. From looking up to players as my heroes, they were now the same age as me. It wouldn’t be long till I would be older than players deemed veterans in their 30s. Still I suppose better than now realising the present team could be my grandchildren! (No, not great grandchildren yet.)

The 1973-74 season began astonishingly enough with eight draws in the first nine games. Solid enough foundations to build on, especially as the 10th game was a 3-1 victory at Crewe. But that really was it. The foundations collapsed and only four wins from December onwards led to the almost inevitable 24th place finish. Mickey Hollis was top scorer with 15 goals, a fantastic return in such a struggling team.

20 January 1974 witnessed our first ever Sunday game, a depressing 0-0 draw with Doncaster. Sunday games were one of a number of measures brought in by the Ted Heath government to conserve electricity during the three-day week. An early kick-off and no floodlights. It was watched by a healthy crowd of over 4,000. Younger readers might find it unbelievable that this was such a major event, but Sunday was regarded as a day of rest and few shops were open. In fact nothing was open barring paper shops. To be honest Sunday could be, no to be honest was, a really boring day with so many places closed and so little to do.

This surge didn’t last and for anyone having witnessed the Doncaster game it was not a spectacle to bring the masses back. Far from it. Before the end of the season, gates were below 2,000 and who could blame the absentees. You really had to ask yourself why you were putting yourself through such punishment.

Maybe a higher up being was saying you have to go through this to get your reward. It was a rite of passage for a true supporter. Well, we’ve certainly been rewarded over the past few years. Maybe that’s why so many get so upset over one defeat today. They haven’t experienced the really bad times. Yes, we weren’t non-league, but only one failure to be re-elected, or the more likely prospect of running out of money, and oblivion would beckon which few clubs would survive. Over the next few seasons the faithful dwindled and in the 1974-75 season plenty of gates were well below 2,000.

The next two seasons are probably best glossed over. Future County stars such as Ken Fogarty and Steve Massey were to become regulars. Jim Fryatt returned for one game, scored, then was never to be seen again. And Wyn Davies, of Newcastle and Manchester City fame, joined the club.

Results though were as bad as ever. Still, now with my own transport, we foolishly decided to head to Stafford for an FA Cup replay after struggling to a 0-0 draw at home the previous Saturday. What with the joys of the M6 and then struggling to find their ground we succumbed to a depressing 1-0 defeat. We stood behind one of the goals and then witnessed one of those pit-of-the-stomach moments as a loud cheer came from the far end and it was obvious Stafford had scored and that was that.

It was so dispiriting. County losing to a team that a few years previously would have been given a good game by our reserve team. Whether we travelled in “Tubs” the minivan I’m not sure. I might have upgraded to my purple Morris Marina by then. A man of little taste!

Again, it must be stated how difficult it was to get news. The Stockport weekly papers were it. Saturday afternoon on Radio Manchester had reporters at the league games. They had an “It’s a goal” jingle but in County’s case it generally wasn’t. On one joyous afternoon it got played twice as County went 2-0 up at Aldershot. As the jingle played again about 4.20pm it didn’t need Nostradamus to tell us where this was heading. Aldershot had pulled one back, inevitably going on to win 3-2.

Always suckers for punishment we were persuaded to head up to Rochdale for a Monday game. In front of a tremendous crowd of 1,287 (the whole crowd, not just the away support) County won 3-2 with goals from Wyn Davies, Colin Hardman and Lee Bradley. One moment I remember was congratulating the referee on finally giving a decision in County’s favour and him looking up at me, smiling and giving me the thumbs up. This was the last high spot of the 1975-76 season as County lost their final five games, conceding 13 without scoring. Once more, unsurprisingly, we had to apply for re-election but again we managed to survive for no doubt another exciting season.

What epitomised these barren years was the Northampton programme in April 1975. A generous two sheets; eight pages consisting of the teams and pen pictures of the opposition. No manager’s notes, no fixtures, no league table. The absolute bare minimum. The only highlight was County won 1-0 with a John Griffiths goal. Two 0-0 draws in the last two away games gave County enough points to finish 20th and avoid having to apply for re-election. The club was barely functioning and without Dragan Lukic, Alan Kirk on the board and long-serving secretary Terry McCreery probably would have gone under.

On a personal note I was now working at St Joseph’s on St Petersgate and, as was the tradition then, the primary school finals were played at Edgeley Park. After defeating my previous school St Bernadette’s in the semi-final, I must give an honourable mention to the full-back in the St Bernadette’s team - a certain David Espley, fanzine royalty and editor of The Tea Party. I hope he has forgiven me for depriving him of an appearance on the hallowed turf. After never really knowing what was under the Main Stand I finally got to find out. We were allowed to change in the home team’s dressing room which was rather basic and I was able to walk on the pitch legally. The crowd was over 1,000 and we managed to beat Bridge Hall 4-2.

Next time: the arrival of a hotshot goalscorer but would he end the decline?

Sponsor Spotlight: B.J. McKenna & Co Solicitors and Parkers Solicitors

The Scarf My Father Wore is proud to have two firms of Stockport solicitors who sponsor and support us: B.J. McKenna & Co Solicitors and Parkers Solicitors, who are both part of the McHale Group.

B.J. McKenna & Co Solicitors, with offices in Heaton Moor and Heaton Chapel, are a specialist firm dealing with property, wills, probate and lasting powers of attorney. They can assist with any residential or commercial property matter as well as drafting your will, lasting power of attorney or dealing with the death of a loved one.

Parkers Solicitors, with its office on the A6 in Stockport (opposite McDonald’s), specialise in personal injury. They can represent you in any kind of accident such as a car crash, trip or slip, medical negligence, or an injury at work. They can also represent you in any general litigation matter such as an owed debt or dispute.

Both solicitors are part of the McHale Group who have three other offices in Altrincham, Heywood and London. They have over 90 staff and can take care of absolutely any legal matter you have.

➡️ Visit bjmckenna.com or parkers-solicitors.co.uk for further details.

Photo of the day

The Armoury, Shaw Heath

We’d like to wish Steve Cash - a long-standing member of the Stockport Sippers Society - a great big Happy 66th Birthday! (Fourth from the left in the pic.)

Today in SK

🍰 Food and drink

Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8). Plus, discounts on certain lagers till 6pm.

A number of venues are featured on The Scarf My Father Wore such as The Nelson Tavern (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Alexandra (SK3), The Crown Inn (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 or a bite to eat.