Hartlepool 0 County 5
December’s a big month for the play-off push, and it starts in perfect style with our biggest ever victory at Victoria Park
Monday 5 December 2022
I went to Bredbury Hall on Saturday night. OK, now the excuse for Sunday is sorted out, a very warm welcome to your Monday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore. Despite England’s win, there’s only one place to start - our fantastic 5-0 victory in the north-east on Saturday. Mark Dobson and Sandy McGregor come together to share their thoughts from Victoria Park, although we could be heading in very opposite directions come May.
Four prizes were given away in our December giveaway on Saturday night. Next up is a Reem Gleam & Mane Event Christmas Gift Set, which I’m going to draw at around 6.50pm today, just before the Brazil game.
To give all subscribers a fair chance, each winner will be chosen by a random number generator, which you can watch live on Twitter (@countyscarf).
Finally, today’s edition is sponsored by The Site Supply Company. A big thank you to Steve Cree. Check out hivis.net if you need any workwear or high visibility clothing, and get 10% off all orders with the code TSMFW.
Cheers, thank you. (Sorry, Monkey Hangers.)
Des Junior
Saturday’s match in one word:
Mark - Predictable.
Sandy - Dominant.
Pre-match thoughts:
Mark - With most of our games the question you ask yourself beforehand is at what point will the opposition put the cue on the rack, see out the game and stop the punishment. This game in particular had added interest with Challinor leaving for Stockport; our fanbase is pretty divided on that front. Dave is in our top three managers of all time in every category you would use to measure success - points per game, win percentage, 46 game average - and some still see him as a fantastic manager who left because the owner wouldn’t give him the budget he was promised following promotion from the National League. Others see him as a snake who signed a contract and then jumped ship for more money. To add fuel to the fire our owner Raj Singh announced our latest manager Keith Curle was getting a contract for another 18 months on the morning of the game and in his programme notes said he was the best manager we’d had at the club during his time there - yet another dig at Challinor.
Sandy - Looking forward to a full-blooded encounter with Pools fans and players fired up. I know from numerous trips to Victoria Park that County don't get a lot there, but I hoped we might have too much for them.
Post-match thoughts:
Mark - It went pretty much as expected. Most teams go easy on us once they get far enough in front to consider the game won, but given Singh had baited Challinor before the game I thought Stockport would rub our noses in it and that’s what happened. We are owned by the Poundland Mike Ashley, managed by a guy who spends most training sessions vaping by the side of the pitch and most press conferences telling everyone how bad the players are, and the players, many of whom really are not very good, look like they don’t want to be at the club. We are going down, but going down playing for 0-0 draws when we have the worst defence in the Football League. At home I’d at least like to see us try and take the game to the opposition, but once again what little attacking threat we have was left on the bench. I fully accept Curle inherited a mess, but he knew what he was taking on and in terms of points per game is doing no better than Paul Hartley was. He slated the players again after the game but I’m struggling to see what that achieves. We all know the squad isn’t great, it’s the manager’s job to get something out of what he’s got, not just carp on about how bad a team he inherited. After losing seven of the last eight league games Curle gets an 18-month contract extension - that could only happen at Hartlepool.
Sandy - About as routine an away win as you could ask for. I remember in National League North thinking there were times when we looked more than a division better than the opposition. I felt that way on Saturday.
Verdict on Hartlepool:
Mark - Awful. Same as it’s been for most of the season. Comedic defending, pedestrian in midfield, and almost zero creativity up top. It looked like we had done no preparation for the game and had no idea how County were going to play.
Sandy - They were poor. They created one chance on half-time and wasted it. After that they seemed short of fight. Dead men walking and the fans can see it.
Verdict on County:
Mark - Don’t take this the wrong way, but teams like Stockport don’t even have to play that well to rinse us. I suspect you have probably played better than that this season. Typical Challinor side to be honest: motivated, hard-working, and well prepared.
Sandy - Thought we were a bit sloppy first half. We gave the ball away too much, particularly when not under pressure. Second half we had the foot on their throat and didn't let up.
Top Monkey Hanger:
Mark - Tough question. Umerah is a quality striker, who put the effort in once again without getting any real service or support. Hastie gets a lot of stick off our fans but credit to the kid he doesn’t hide in games and at least tries to make things happen.
Sandy - H’Angus the Monkey. Tried to wind up the County fans in the last 10.
Top Hatter:
Mark - Wootton took his goals really well and I thought he did a great job the way he led the line, but if I could pinch a County player for Pools for the rest of the season based on what I saw on the day it would probably be Will Collar.
Sandy - Probably Will Collar. Scored one, set up one.
Atmosphere:
Mark - It’s the same most games. Fans do their best to get behind the team as they did for 20 minutes yesterday and then the team gifts the opposition goals and it gets pretty toxic after that. Like most away fans that come here Stockport supporters looked like they were enjoying themselves. Who wouldn’t when you play us?
Sandy - I was expecting more from the Pools fans. I thought it would be more electric, especially considering the animosity this time last year. Maybe the last 12 months have shown why Challinor made the move and they know it. To be fair a few of them did stay until the final whistle and applauded Challinor when he acknowledged them. County fans were in buoyant mood. We never had to get out of second gear.
Hopes for the rest of the season:
Mark - In an ideal world I’d like to see a new owner and some investment in the playing side. Throw in a manager like Challinor who got the club and the town and everything is in place for the club to be successful. We still get good attendances and the potential is there to be a decent League One outfit pulling in 6,000-7,000 gates. More realistically, I hope Singh spends some money in January, and that two teams end up being more shite than we are so we avoid what’s looking like the inevitable relegation. That said it’s really hard to be hopeful at the moment.
Sandy - I think anything less than the play-offs will be a disappointment. Automatic will be a tough ask but it’s not out of reach.
The British Library receives a copy of every single book published in the UK. In the same fashion, Des Junior believes a detailed record of every County game should be preserved for the history books. So here’s the full story of our 5-0 win at Hartlepool United on Saturday 3 December 2022, as told from Des Junior’s three County-related WhatsApp groups…
1.58pm: Here’s where ground sponsorship leads: The Suit Direct Stadium, Hartlepool. FFS.
1.59pm: I think that’s quite dapper.
2.00pm: Suits you sir.
3.17pm: 1-0 Wootton. Horrendous back header.
3.21pm: 2-0. Easier than City.
4.09pm: Stop being scared of having a finger up your bum. Get your prostate checked if you’re over 55.
4.21pm: 3-0. Nice header. Shite defending again but who cares.
4.24pm: Are they crying in the home end yet? I hope we're not taking the piss out of them.
4.27pm: 4-0 Camps.
4.45pm: Collar makes it five! That means Jon Keighren is contractually bound to say five-star.
5.03pm: Very cold. Very wet. Very happy!
5.16pm: Have managed one or two out of the three more than once at Hartlepool before now. Never the final one though.
5.27pm: Jeff Stelling tweeted this last October.
5.28pm: He got away with it today. He wasn’t on Soccer Saturday. They were abysmal though. Them and Gillingham for the drop.
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The 12 Days of (County) Christmas!
For today’s festive County treat, I’m taking you back to Boxing Day 1999, and a five-goal thriller with Wolves in front of 10,278 at Edgeley Park. Tony Dinning and Ian Moore both equalised on the day, before Moore’s second wrapped up all three points in the last minute, right in front of the Cheadle End, to leave Andy Kilner’s men nestled in the First Division play-offs.
Ian Moore was a reem player, wasn’t he? Speaking of reem, today’s prize in our December giveaway is a Reem Gleam & Mane Event Christmas Gift Set, courtesy of Well Gel Products.
Gift wrapped in a paper gift bag with a bow and gift tag, this is the ideal Christmas gift for all your horsey friends. Reem Gleam is a fabulous warming wash that leaves the coat gleaming and skin warmed and smelling great. The Mane Event is an easy to use spray that both encourages mane growth after damage caused by winter rugs and may help prevent it when used as a regular conditioning product brushed through the mane a few times a week.
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Facebook: Well Gel Products
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Make sure you subscribe to The Scarf My Father Wore to be in with a chance of winning!
Click here for further details, as well as the full range of items in our Christmas Gift Guide.
Stockport photo of the day
Regent House, Heaton Lane
Does this mean my room at Travelodge is going to be clean, or will I find a cheeky shit in the kettle?
The only Christmas gift guide you need this year
20 sleeps to go! The Scarf My Father Wore have curated a beautiful Christmas gift guide this year, from independent businesses across the UK. Check the guide each day, with new items constantly being added. And don’t forget, we’re giving away every single item in our December prize giveaway, you just have to be a subscriber to win!
Matt Walker ‘eats’ the World Cup
🇷🇸 No 13 - Serbia (Paya & Horse Pub) 🇷🇸
“Paya, the pub's artistic Serbian owner, was in a World Cup mood. Dined on ajvar (smoked aubergine and pepper dip), cevapi (Serbian sausage) & pork belly bon bons. Washed down with Jelen beer and one of the best ever World Cup goals. Albeit for Brazil.”
One of my favourite football books is Matt Walker’s Europe United, in which the author and Fulham fan spends a whole season taking in a game in all 55 UEFA countries. Well he’s back with another fun challenge, to experience Qatar 2022 in restaurants and bars across London which represent all 32 competing nations. Matt has kindly allowed me to use his photos and I’ll bring you one each day, giving you a tasty flavour of the World Cup, in more ways than one.
Today in SK
🥙 Need a hangover cure after the England game last night, or simply can’t be bothered cooking on a Monday? Pop into Fishers for a delicious doner kebab. Just £3 all day today. Open till 9.30pm.