“I’ll level with you – that National League one did hurt”

Gaz from Chips for a Quid joins us for an in-depth chat covering the past, the present and the future as County and Wrexham prepare to lock horns once more

Nov 15, 2024

Friday 15 November 2024

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

Gaz from Chips for a Quid has always provided us with some great content, and his latest offering is no different, ahead of County’s first meeting with Wrexham in the third tier since 2004-05.

Today’s edition is sponsored by Eleven Accounts Services and CFN School of Motoring. A big thank you to Louise and Craig.

Thanks also to Rough Hands Tap who sponsor our Wrexham content on the website.

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: £2,027

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

An intense battle for the National League title was finally settled on the last day of the 2021-22 season (Photo courtesy of Mike Petch)

How’s your season gone so far?

Better than I expected! Thoroughly enjoying it. In 24 years of supporting Wrexham I've never seen us finish higher than mid-table in the third tier, and it looks like we might do better than that this season. I think we'll end up in the play-offs. We lost Jack Marriott to injury and that's slowed us down a bit – we're missing his goals – but we're still very competitive and give pretty much everyone a good game. Long way to go mind…

How’s Andy Cannon doing?

He's been great, you know. A proper scrapper in the middle and he's got a bit of a nastier streak in him too – in a good way. He likes to wind up opposition fans and isn't scared of a tough tackle. He's scored some cracking – and important – goals for us along the way as well. He might be a few sandwiches short of a picnic, mind. He said in one interview that he thought he saw a lion on the motorway.

Why do you think your high profile, expensive signings from the summer are languishing on the bench?

This is the Parky way. Very few of his new signings jump right in unless there is a very obvious gap to fill. Ollie Palmer was one who went straight into the side. But Tom O'Connor, Elliot Lee, Andy Cannon are all key members of our team who were slowly bedded into the squad and were better for it. We'll see the same with the likes of Mo Faal and Ollie Rathbone I think.

Best and worst memories from previous games against County?

Even though we lost, that 2-1 game in the baking September sun in 2021, shortly after COVID restrictions had gone and we could all bunch together on the terraces again, was a brilliant afternoon. Our end went absolutely bananas after that early goal.

The 3-0 was terrific, too, at least for one afternoon as we all know what happened ultimately…

Last year was one of the worst. We were outplayed from start to finish. County looked superb. We looked horrific.

Where were you when you were shit?

Ha ha! Do you get this sung at you as well? County's crowds are a bit different now to the Conf North days…

We relish this chant now. It's always nice to sing it back: “Where were you when we were shit?”

Teams end up getting their highest crowds against us, because they've come to see The Wrexham. And of course Ryan might turn up.

Can you still recognise your club with the influx of supporters?

For me, definitely. The main difference today is that the fans who would drift in and out of matches years ago are turning up every week. The atmosphere in town before each matchday is absolutely buzzing. There's some grumbling when tickets for big games are hard to come by, but I guess that's the price of progress. The sooner the new Kop is built, the better.

What do you think will happen when the owners get bored (or the ratings drop for their "reality" TV programme)?

They've already taken on board some new investors, and the plan is to pass it along to a safe pair of hands when the time comes. They promised to leave the club in a better position than when they found it, and I think they'll stay true to that pledge. But yes, of course they'll get bored eventually. And that's fine. They could go tomorrow and it still would have all been worth it. The "reality" programme probably needs a bit more jeopardy because we keep winning at the moment, but it's been brilliant for our profile.

Are you one of the few fans who hasn’t been on Welcome to Wrexham?

I think we've all been on it by now. I make a couple of fleeting appearances, including an over-the-top celebration at Chesterfield.

Do you think the increasing dislike of Wrexham by supporters of many other clubs is just jealousy or do you understand some of the resentment?

It's a bit of both isn't it? Very few would have turned down the investment we were offered, and even fewer would admit that.

Ryan or Rob?

Sophie's Choice. They're basically a single entity when it comes to club promotion anyway.

Sheep or goats?

Sheep. None of us have much nice to say about that shocking club Chester down the road, but one thing some of us did enjoy is the flag they'd bring along to games that read "GOATBUSTERS" with the No-Goats sign. That was always amusing. They couldn't even get their insults right.

Did you know we went and won the league. Twice?

Did you? You never talk about it.

Which failed title race against Stockport County hurt more – National League or League Two?

Last year we honestly didn't care. But I'll level with you – that National League one did hurt. After that 3-0 at Y Cae Ras I think everyone thought we might just pinch it. And then, of course, we get tonked on the final day and you do your bit very professionally. That was a miserable journey home from Dagenham. I don't miss that away day, bad memories only.

What’s your prediction for this latest instalment?

Impossible to call! So let's go for a wild prediction. 3-3. Mullin misses a pen in the 90th but it's ordered to be retaken, which is then saved, but he scores the rebound. Scenes among the 23 Wrexham fans allowed into the ground to witness it.

Let’s finish with a couple of questions sent in from two of my mates…

I have an acquaintance (through work) who is Canadian. She has shown zero interest in football but since the takeover has now decided she is Wrexham’s biggest fan, goes to all home games, tries goading me by text etc (that’s not gone too well for her up to now). New fans are always welcome but are these ones annoying idiots or just evil fucks?

There are loads of international fans who have adopted Wrexham as their team now. I’ve guided a few Americans in the direction of "The Turf Bar", as they put it, on matchdays over the past couple of years. For the most part, I have found them enthusiastic, polite and eager to learn more about the club. Our high street actually has stuff on it now and not just boarded up windows because so many people are flocking here over the weekends to visit and buy stuff. There's quite a lot to like about that.

Doesn't Parky's playing style get really fucking tedious after three years? Even my Wrexham season ticket friends question his need for midfielders…

Ha ha! Depends who you talk to on this one. I genuinely believe that the "Lump It To The Big Man And The Rest Will Work Itself Out" mentality of Parky Ball is a myth. We've played some lovely stuff and scored some terrific goals under his stewardship at times. Watch George Dobson this season and you'll see we play nicer footy than some suggest. You don't sign a player like that if you're just going to whack it over his head.

Switch your business finance records over to the cloud

County fans use cloud computing on a daily basis. They post photos of pies and selfies with Louie Barry to Facebook. They pay for coach travel via online banking. They stream TV and film from apps like iPlayer and Netflix on long journeys home from Crawley and Charlton. If you’re a County fan who runs a business, why aren’t you using the cloud for your accounts as well?

Louise from Eleven Accounts Services always advises her clients to switch their business finance records over to the cloud, as it allows for flexibility, it provides you with financial information in real time, and it also tightens security.

Visit elevenaccounts.com for further details.

Get yourself on the road with CFN School of Motoring

If you’re looking for driving lessons, give Craig a call, who’s been a driving instructor for over 20 years. He offers a full and thorough driver education experience. Driving is a skill for life and must not be under-estimated. Craig provides a training environment to facilitate client centred learning, which will ensure that your driving lessons are tailored to suit your development requirements, helping you to develop at a pace that suits your ability and learning capacity. All of Craig’s customers leave his care as safe, competent and confident drivers!

Visit craignicksonadi.co.uk for further details.

Photo of the day

Racecourse Ground, Wrexham

The runners-up applaud the champions onto the pitch on the final day of the 2023-24 League Two campaign. (We won’t mention that Wrexham won the game, or the fact they’re currently higher than us this season.)

Pop into Rough Hands Tap for a pint this weekend

Any Wrexham fans (or indeed any of our other readers from North Wales) joining us today? Enjoy a pint or two at Rough Hands Tap this weekend, Wrexham’s newest craft beer bar.

Located at Chapter Court on Queens Street, everyone’s welcome for good chat and cracking craft beer or bangin' coffee.

Visit roughhands.co.uk for further details.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Juror #2 (12A) at 5.45pm, followed by Gladiator II (15) at 8.15pm. Click here for tickets.

💿 DJ

The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have their resident DJ playing on a Friday night, with Dicko (Ian Dickinson) on from 8pm till 1am.

🍺 Food and drink

Happy Hour at Covent Garden Café (SK1) between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. If you spend £20 or more you get to roll the dice, and if you roll a 6 your bill is half price!

Pop in for a pint at Heaton Hops (SK4), CAMRA Pub of the Year for Stockport and South Manchester.

Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8).

If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as AMP (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2) or The Three Tunnes (SK7).