🇺🇸 Letter from America 🇺🇸

“The shots of Edgeley Park, the passionate commentary of Jon Keighren and the eruption of the crowd in the Cheadle End… it made me realise what was so beautiful about the beautiful game”

Feb 24, 2023

Friday 24 February 2023

Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and especially a certain chap from America who will be reading this, a very warm welcome to your Friday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

I’ve always produced County fanzines and websites and one of the things I love the most is the unexpected things that crop up from time to time. I received a number of superb articles through the post when I was younger from a County fan still in prison at the time. I got invited on to XFM Manchester to play table football in the studio, with Jason Manford providing live commentary. And in 2000, when Brendan Elwood announced plans to move County to Maine Road, I was interviewed by a Swedish newspaper, over here doing a piece on the protests, and a photo of myself screaming and shouting ended up as part of their centre spread.

You can add a random message I received on Twitter this week to my list of favourite things. It came from an American called Britton Barthold who currently works for the Chicago Cubs in Major League Baseball, but has also developed a love for football in recent years, and in particular, a certain team you might be familiar with. I’m not going to say anything else, as Britton’s fantastic article captures the whole story. You’ll enjoy this one immensely, as I did. Britton’s never visited England before, but he’s looking to make his inaugural trip later this year, around autumn time, so he can enjoy his very first taste of Edgeley Park. I wonder what he’ll make of Mustaph’s and the Bamboo…

Finally, a big thank you to Connor from JC Fitness for sponsoring today’s edition. Connor offers a free 45-minute session for those looking to start out on their weight loss journey. If you’re looking to shift a few pounds, drop him a message.

Enjoy today’s issue.

Des Junior

In what is really not a shocking turn of events as a kid who grew up in the suburbs of New England, my father did not “wear a scarf”. It was quite the opposite. Soccer, as it is referred to in America, was an afterthought in my household. American football and baseball - the sport I now currently work in - were the dominant sports, which matches up pretty well with American stereotypes.

Now, I did play soccer for one or two years as a really young kid. I quit though. I got kicked in the shins and decided that was enough. Yikes.

I mean, soccer was just so boring, right? A game ending in a draw… what? Blasphemy! And for goodness sake, what in the world is offside? What’s the point? You see, in my typical American household, “soccer” was an event that happened every four years and then disappeared into irrelevance and didn’t matter anymore.

It’s funny how things change as we mature with age, though. Euro 2020 and England’s incredible run to the final was monumental in my love for what I will now call football, with Raheem Sterling’s goal against Germany in the round of 16 quite possibly being the moment I decided, “Holy crap, there’s something special about this sport.”

That was a good first step. But my next challenge was finding a club to support in England. The Premier League was the first easy destination and I dipped my toes into the clubs that were scattered in the top division. Nothing caught my attention up there though, so I moved down, and down, and down, until I stumbled upon a club whose ground was less than 10 miles from Old Trafford, yet whose supporters packed the stands to the brim on a weekly basis even as they dug themselves out of the depths of hell within the English football pyramid.

I watched one match and was hooked. I had watched a good amount of football in that short time and yet something clicked; there was something special, unique and plain different about the people who came to Edgeley Park to watch their boys play. It wasn’t like anything I had seen before in my short time around the sport and all I knew was I wanted to be a part of it.

The County community on social media and other platforms welcomed me with open arms. Matchday, with kick-off usually taking place around 9am in America for me, was a special occasion in my weekly schedule. County results had an effect on my day and mood, setting the tone for the rest of the hours I was awake. The shots of Edgeley Park, the passionate commentary of Jon Keighren on the broadcasts and the eruption of the crowd in the Cheadle End… my goodness, it made me realise what was so beautiful about the beautiful game.

And then I explain it to friends. “Wait, who do you support?” I have to explain (in cliff notes) the English football pyramid and where Stockport County stands within it. My father’s co-worker, a Liverpool supporter in England, asked what club I supported. “Stockport,” my father told him. “They’re shit,” his co-worker responded. Although County have put together some streak of wins after that comment, let it be known.

Then there are those who say, “Why didn’t you just jump on with a Premier League club?” Sure, I could’ve gone 10 miles down the road to Old Trafford or taken a different turn to the Etihad, but in my mind, what’s the point in that? Where’s the joy in jumping on with a club that is run more like a corporate franchise than a community of people who in a ground of 10,000 roar more passionately than 50,000? There is none.

In the time I have become a County supporter, the community and fans have shown a previously stubborn American the even greater side of an already great sport. Over recent weeks, as County make an incredible push for promotion to League One, I can only imagine the palpable emotions inside Edgeley Park as the boys take the pitch looking to continue the improbable climb. Sure, there are “more talented” clubs to watch… but are they really “better” than what the community of Stockport have shown to me in such a short period of time? No chance.

Major League Soccer starts this week in the United States. I’m excited as my love for football (I’m proud of myself… soccer is rarely used in my vocabulary anymore) continues to grow and I will surely watch matches in the evenings when I can. I fully support the growth of the sport in America, it needs to happen and it will, and I look forward to possibly attending some MLS games this season - but boy, is it going to compare to what is coming to Edgeley Park in the coming weeks? A promotion race after just recently digging themselves out of the National League only a year ago? A club with such a rich history (I recently watched the win against Manchester City at Edgeley Park in 1997 on YouTube, that was magical) that, even through thick and thin, have some of the most loyal and loving supporters in the sport?

Man, that’s lovely just to read back. You can’t make it up.

No matter what happens, Stockport County is something I hold truly to my heart, even as an American who has never visited the other side of the pond. I hope to change that soon and visit the ground and the community that solidified my passion for the sport I now love. As I said, there was no scarf my father wore (although he is slowly coming around to appreciating football as much as me), so I’m the sapling in my bloodline. But given the chance, there will be no doubt my children will don the blue and white of the County faithful and not only appreciate the beauty of the sport, but the beauty of the community and passion that comes with it.

You see, a sport is a sport. However, it is the people that make the sport bigger than itself. Stockport County have shown me that, giving me a group of football players that I jump up and down for and get heart rate warnings for on my watch. It has brought out a passion in me unlike any other, a burning love for something so simple yet so magnificent.

I look forward to learning more about the history of Stockport County, about the people of Stockport and getting involved more and more with such a special place and community.

Enough with the sappy stuff for now though. Let’s go win a damn promotion battle.

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Never mind Google or Yell.com, we’ve got you covered

STOP! That got your attention, didn’t it? Just a quick one… I’d hazard a guess that at some point in February, all of our readers will use Google or Yell.com at some point looking for a particular product or service. But before you do, please have a quick look at our own directory to see if we have what you’re looking for. A number of great businesses support The Scarf My Father Wore, allowing us to publish fresh content every day, so let’s send a few enquiries their way in return.

Click here to have a look at all the businesses in our directory.

On this day in 2001

Despite leading at half-time through Aaron Wilbraham’s goal at Watford on this day back in 2001, County were heading for defeat after Tommy Mooney and Allan Nielsen scored late on. But Andy Kilner’s men grabbed a point at Vicarage Road thanks to Wilbraham’s second of the game in the last minute.

The County Comedy Quiz

A massive thank you to Benji, Laurie and Jonesy for putting on a cracking night at Bask yesterday. Thanks also to everyone who bought tickets. Loads of positive feedback so we’ll definitely look at doing it again, maybe a promotion special in May!

Congratulations to the Stockport Sippers who took the first ever crown! (To the other teams, don’t feel bad if you didn’t win, a team containing Cashy the groundsman and his dad is almost impossible to beat in a County quiz!)