“It’s really hard to make a judgement on a jigsaw where some bits are clearly not in the right place”

Hannah Brown shares her thoughts from County’s defeat at Boundary Park on Saturday, alongside Oldham fan David Nestor

Jul 16, 2024

Tuesday 16 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, Oldham supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Tuesday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

We had a few technical problems yesterday which prevented us from sending out Monday’s edition – although with the exception of some of our Scottish and Welsh readers, I’m sure most of our subscribers have been sick of football for the last 24 hours or so! Another proud moment for England, reaching another major final, but Spain were deserved winners on the night.

At least a small number of our readers had something to celebrate on Sunday, with our Euro 24 sweepstake reaching its conclusion. Congratulations to Julie Houghton-Carey (£20), Jamie Oldland (£40), Chris Spicer (£50) and Nick Owen (£100) who have all had their winnings paid out. A huge thank you to everyone who took part, raising another £150 for Mentell (which has actually gone up to £175, as Chris kindly chucked half of his winnings back into the pot). I’m now only £44 off hitting that £2,000 barrier!

Sunday’s final between Spain and England contained lots of drama. Saturday’s friendly between Oldham and County did not. We’ve still got to cover it, though, so here’s Oldham fan David Nestor and County fan Hannah Brown with their verdicts.

Today’s edition is sponsored by The Mobberley Ice Cream Company, joining The Scarf My Father Wore family for the first time! A huge thank you to Sophie. Mobberley’s not far from Stockport at all, so if you’re looking for something fun to do over the summer holidays, pop in for an ice cream. They look bloody good!

Thanks also to YFC Oldham, who sponsor our Oldham Athletic content on the website. Any Latics fans reading this today, pop in one day this week for a bite to eat!

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: £1,956

Total completed streets so far: 347 (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

✍️ Saturday’s match in one word

David: Entertaining.

Hannah: Standard.

🤔 Pre-match thoughts

David: I wasn't sure what to expect from my team. Last season we hoofed it forward at every opportunity.

Hannah: Assumed it would be more of the same from last week but with longer stints, more “who’s the trialist” guessing games, and actively planning to avoid the atmosphere section. My brother teaches in Chadderton so was also prepared for Much Banter from his kids (didn’t disappoint).

🧐 Post-match thoughts

David: After the game I left the ground far more optimistic than I had when I arrived with what the season ahead might hold for us.

Hannah: Standard pre-season, innit? I always manage to forget in all the excitement about football starting again that it’s basically watching training games. It’s not about the result, it’s about getting game time, match fitness, and trying things out.

🔵 Verdict on Oldham

David: I was pleased to see we tried to play it through midfield with a fair bit of success.

Hannah: Oldham played well and I suspect they raised their game significantly – Wrexham’s away record last season reflected this. Apart from that stunning run and the opener, which was clearly some kind of genius set play to catch us unawares, I don’t think they were as controlling as they think they were.

🟣 Verdict on County

David: I thought both teams tried to play bright attractive football and was surprised at how small the difference was between the two teams considering we’re separated by two divisions.

Hannah: As above. It’s really hard to make a judgement on a jigsaw where some bits are clearly not in the right place. What I did see though was an appetite for getting stuck in. If they lost the ball they fought to get it back and there were some nice runs and shots on target. Suspect Derby and the post tour games will be very different and we’ll start to see more of a team emerging.

🔵 Top Latic

David: I didn't think there was a standout Oldham player. Considering it was our first game of the season I thought the four new signings that played fitted well into the team and gave us everything we lacked last season. Kitching took his goal well so I’ll give it to him, though what he was doing on the right hand side of the pitch I'm not sure!

Hannah: Mark Kitching was quite good actually wasn’t he? At the beginning of 2022-23 I wasn’t a fan of him at all and was glad to see the back of him, but on Saturday he did well and obviously that set piece was pretty special.

🎩 Top Hatter

David: I thought Lewis Bate was your best player and was sorry to see him go off at half-time.

Hannah: I thought Lewis Bate was excellent again, but Jack Diamond seemed significantly more confident than last week and I think he’s going to do really well for us.

👂 Atmosphere

David: I was in the lower section of the Main Stand at the Rochdale Road End of the ground. There were quite a good number of people there and they gave the team excellent support. We had our usual banter with Micky Mellon who took it in good spirit.

Hannah: The bloke next to me spent most of the second half showing me his holiday photos so it wasn’t massively exciting. Nice to see “football friends” after a few months away from EP.

🙏 Hopes for the new season

David: I feel quite optimistic but that's just me. I always feel optimistic before a ball has been kicked in anger. I bought my first Oldham season ticket in 1970 and have been lucky enough to see us play in a League Cup final at Wembley, an FA Cup semi-final against Man United at Wembley, followed by a replay at Maine Road. I've watched Oldham play in the Premier League. I've seen them beat the biggest and best teams in the country. They've given me enormous pleasure over the years. We've fallen through the divisions and become the first team to drop from the Premier League to the National League. Despite all that, they’re my team and I will support them until the day I die. I wish County all the best for the coming season and look forward to meeting you again somewhere in the Football League.

Hannah: More of the same really, and hoping we can start to gel in the pre-season games against higher opposition.

😀 Best part of the day

David: When the final whistle went and I realised we had a team that would be competitive in our league with a decent chance of getting out of it.

Hannah: My brother getting heckled by kids on both the way in and the way out.

😡 Worst part of the day

David: Can't say that I had a worse moment to be honest.

Hannah: I’d been led to believe that Boundary Park had “amazing” food options. Lies. By half-time there was only crisps and fruit pastilles left, so we got four bottles of soft drinks, four packets of crisps, and a packet of fruit pastilles. £22. Twenty-two English pounds. Now considering starting a Go Fund Me so I can buy ice cream in Pinatar. If you see me, please don’t ask about it unless you want to get me started on a ridiculous rant, with photo evidence. Game’s gone.

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 1-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic on Saturday 13 July, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…

9.34am: Anybody fancy Oldham today?

10.11am: No thanks.

10.27am: Not me.

3.03pm: Mark f*****g Kitching?!?!

4.45pm: Can't wait for some idiots to moan about losing a pre-season friendly.

6.07pm: Well thank god that was a friendly, we were awful. Both our goalkeepers were OK but the rest of the team were poor. Backpass after backpass after backpass. Oldham wanted it more. I know we had a lot of new guys and trialists, but we had no width, no speed and no vision.

6.08pm: Sounds like England in the first five games!

Crafting delight with every scoop

Nestled in the heart of the picturesque Cheshire countryside, Mobberley Ice Cream has earned itself a reputation for “the best ice cream around” with a commitment to quality, community, and quirky flavours that you've never tasted before.

The business has recently been taken over by local entrepreneur Sophie Fox and it has already gained a loyal following of ice cream fans.

Here’s a closer look at what makes Mobberley Ice Cream a true local gem.

At Mobberley Ice Cream, every batch is a labour of love. Using traditional methods and the finest local ingredients, the team creates an array of flavours that tantalise the taste buds. From classic Heavenly Vanilla Bean to adventurous concoctions like Toast and Jam, each scoop promises a rich, creamy texture that can only come from craftsmanship.

One of the secrets behind Mobberley’s exceptional ice cream is its commitment to using farm-fresh ingredients from the dairy farm, ensuring the freshest, highest-quality product. All of their flavourings are natural, so if they can't make the flavour, they don't make the ice cream!

They regularly participate in community events, from summer fairs to local farmers' markets, bringing joy and sweetness to every gathering. They also host ice cream socials at their picturesque farm, including open mic nights, and you can even hire the delightful farm shop for your own events such as birthdays!

As demand for their delicious ice cream grows, Mobberley Ice Cream is expanding its reach.

Sophie told The Scarf My Father Wore: “We’re growing our weddings and on the road events business, where we can cater events in the local area. You can even order personalised wafers! What a sweet addition to your wedding!

“We’ve introduced innovative new flavours and vegan-friendly options, ensuring there’s something for everyone, and not forgetting dog-friendly treats too!”

Discover the magic of Mobberley Ice Cream for yourself. Visit their farm, try their latest flavours which change on a weekly basis, and become a real Mobberley ice cream fan! They’ve also expanded their offering so you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, homemade cakes or simply a coffee at the farm if you're popping by.

Visit mobberleyicecream.co.uk for further details.

Photo of the day

Mazuma Mobile Stadium, Morecambe

I won’t lie, having been absolutely battered by the Morecambe rain and wind for over a couple of hours by this point (click here to read how bad it was!), I hated Michael Mellon for a few moments when he slotted in the opening goal of the game in the 69th minute at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium last December, in the worst conditions I’ve ever experienced watching County. We salvaged a point, though, won the league, and now Mellon is joining us in League One, signing on a season-long loan from Burnley. The striker scored 15 goals in just 27 appearances for Morecambe last season, and netted another three on loan at Dundee. Could be a very shrewd signing indeed.

Treat yourself to a takeaway tonight!

Any Oldham fans (or indeed, any County fans living in that neck of the woods) joining us today? Located at 334 Featherstall Road South, YFC offer delicious spicy dipped burgers (pictured above) as well as tasty kebabs, pizzas and desserts.

Or, you can place an order online between 4pm and 11.30pm, and have tonight’s tea delivered straight to your front door.

Visit yfcoldham.co.uk to place an order for delivery.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. A Quiet Place Day One (15) at 5.45pm, followed by The Bikeriders (15) at 7.45pm. Click here for tickets.

🍔 Food and drink

10% discount on food for NHS card holders at The Shady Oak (SK7).

Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8). Plus, discounts on certain lagers between 12pm and 6pm.

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), Bask (SK1), The Nelson Tavern (SK1), The Petersgate Tap (SK1), Thread (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5), The Crown Inn (SK6), The Marple Tavern (SK6), The Railway (SK6), The Three Tunnes (SK7), The Railway (SK9), Flute & Firkin (SK12) or The Friendship (SK13).

⁉️ Quiz night

The Steelworks (SK6). Tonight’s rounds include Disney, general knowledge, literature and Family Fortunes. 7.30pm.

100 random grounds that County have played at

#66 – Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood

Last visit: We’ve only been to Fleetwood once, back in November 2011. Jim Gannon’s first game back in charge of County, with a 5.45pm kick-off at the seaside. Yeah, that was a pretty daft day. Fleetwood won the Conference that season with 103 points, but County acquitted themselves well in this one, roared on by 1,165 raucous Hatters in the away end.

Sean McConville equalised for County from the penalty spot just before the hour mark, but Fleetwood went on to grab a winner, through a certain Jamie Vardy.