Meet the Subscribers!
John K Bilsbury reminisces about Blackburn away, Alan Ogley, and the day County returned to the Football League
Sunday 5 November 2023
NEXT HOME GAME: Bolton – Tuesday 14 November, 7.30pm
NEXT AWAY GAME: Swindon – Saturday 11 November, 3pm
Happy Guy Fawkes Day everybody! Worksop fans chucked a flare onto the pitch yesterday when Jay Rollins fizzed a firecracker past Jordan Smith. But County’s FA Cup candle is still burning brightly this season, with Kyle Wootton’s quadruple rocketing the Hatters into round two. We’ll take a look back at the game tomorrow, and by then we’ll also know our second round opponents, with the draw taking place this afternoon after the live game between Chesterfield and Portsmouth.
For your Sunday reading, I’ll leave you in the capable hands of John K Bilsbury, the second County fan to feature in our ‘Meet the Subscribers’ series.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Colourtone. As always, a big thank you to Paul.
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: 46.68 miles
Total steps so far: 83,302
Total raised so far: £915
Total completed streets so far: 24 (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
John K Bilsbury, 66, lives in Great Moor with his partner Janice (plus his dog). Even though he’s not a fan of travelling, he’s worked all over the world, from the Arctic to Australia, and America to Japan. John was born at home in Hazel Grove, within earshot of engines being tested at Mirrlees, a place he’d later work at for 31 years as a diesel engineer.
Favourite thing about The Scarf My Father Wore?
I enjoy reading opposing fans’ views (when they provide any… I’m looking at you, Salford) and the predictions provided by Ian Brown and Jonathan Baker are always enlightening.
Where do you normally read your daily dose of The Scarf My Father Wore?
I usually start the day at daft o’clock by drinking coffee strong enough to raise the dead and reading through my inbox.
How or why did you become a County fan?
My father took me to a match when I was a kid, probably because my mum told him he could go if he took me with him. He could take it or leave it. I was hooked from the start.
What does Stockport County mean to you?
My town, my team.
What was your first County match?
At home to Barrow just before Christmas 1966, a 2-1 victory.
Where do you sit inside EP?
Upper tier 5 in the glorious Cheadle End.
Who else is in your usual County matchday crew?
Just me and Janice, my other half. My mate Allen, who I knew from Scouts and met up with again via Facebook and a match at Curzon Ashton of all places, sits just in front of us.
Who is your favourite ever County player?
Alan Ogley, a man with “County” written through him like a stick of rock. His “eve of battle” speech before the Hartlepool play-off semi-final had me blubbing and unable to speak.
Worst ever player?
Difficult one, this. I’m in awe of anyone who can play football better than me, which is practically anyone with a pulse. One does spring to mind, with a name redolent of an area of Liverpool and a horse injured in an IRA bombing, but I’ll leave that for others to work out.
Favourite current player?
They’re all fantastic but if I really have to name one in isolation, I’ll go for Tanto Olaofe if only for that beaming smile when he scores.
Who is your favourite ever County manager?
Jim Gannon. He so often grasped the shitty end of the County stick and kept coming back for more.
Best atmosphere you’ve experienced watching County?
Another nigh-on impossible one to answer but I’ll plump for Blackburn away in the cup. Flynny whirling the Romania shirt round his head is an iconic County image.
Favourite ever game?
When I was on The Scarf Bergara Wore, Russ seemed surprised when I chose the game against Halifax when we clinched promotion to League Two above all the other great occasions but I’m going to stick to it because it meant so much after all those seasons in the Slough of Despond.
Worst ever game?
County v Burnley. Division Two play-off final at Wembley, May 1994. The game where Danny seemed to have been feeding the team red meat for a fortnight and we had bloody Elleray as referee.
Favourite ever goal?
I couldn’t tell you who it was against but it was a Sammy McMillan overhead kick in the early 1970s.
If you could play in an exact moment from County’s history, which would it be?
The League Cup semi against Middlesbrough. If I could have diverted Luis Cavaco’s shot away from the keeper and into the net, we might have left Boro with a pile of useless Wembley T-shirts to use as dusters.
What is the biggest sacrifice you have ever made to get to a match?
I don’t think I can claim to have made any real sacrifices. I might have rushed my tea once or twice to get to the ground on time.
What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen at the match?
Bradford away last season when their defender Yann Songo’o fell over the ball then couldn’t work out where it had gone.
Favourite matchday boozer?
Don’t have one. To quote my literary hero, Para Handy, captain of the Vital Spark: “Drink's a curse, and I'm done wi't, for I canna stand it."
Favourite matchday tipple?
A bottle of Fanta in the ground. The fact that we’re no longer trusted to have caps on our bottles is a challenge but one that can be overcome with a bit of ingenuity.
Favourite County song?
“The Scarf” always brings a lump to the throat. I enjoyed the Phil Bardsley song at Grimsby last season but that had a very limited lifespan for obvious reasons.
Worst County song?
There was some hideously racist stuff in the early 1970s but the worst current one involves stamping a rival fan to death. We shouldn’t be singing that.
What do you like the most about Edgeley Park?
Firstly, that it’s still there at all; we could easily have ended up in a soulless flatpack somewhere or, even worse, at Maine Road. Secondly, that the distinctive façade has remained relatively untouched for years.
Best thing about being a County fan?
The journey home on the Flyer after an away win.
Worst thing about being a County fan?
Seeing fans wearing our colours behaving like utter knobs because they’ve had a few scoops or they’ve got something up their noses.
Most despised rival club and why?
Whenever I’m asked who I support, I tell them: “Stockport County and whoever’s playing Manchester United.” The floodlit robbery on the night of 30 August 1978 lives on in my memory 45 years later.
Most despised rival player and why?
Mark Stein, the horrible little shit, because of his actions against Jim all those years ago.
Do you collect any County/football related memorabilia?
Not collect, exactly. I’ve got a few replica shirts lying around and I tend to keep tickets to put in my Memory Box ready for when I lose my few remaining marbles.
Any chance encounters with County players?
I once walked plumb spang into Ken Fogarty coming out of the toilets at a motorway services on the way home from a match.
Have you ever decked an opposing fan?
I haven’t, I’m a lover, not a fighter. (And I’m not much of one of those, either…)
If you could invite any five people round for a chippy tea, who would it be?
Jim Gannon, Jeremy Corbyn, Mark Steel, Wilko Johnson and Paul O’Grady.
Tell us something impressive about yourself without sounding stupid.
It’s a constant source of amazement to me that my employer was able to send me places to fix things and get paid for what I did.
Can you play football to any sort of standard?
Nope, never could. Like Billy Bragg, “I was always the last one, the last to get chosen when my classmates picked their teams.”
Describe a perfect day.
Watching County win at EP, a curry on the way back with Janice then back home to make a fuss of the dog.
Anything you’d like to say to finish?
Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of Stockport, I’ll show you something to make you change your mind.
And finally, here’s a few of John’s favourite things…
TV programme: At the moment, Brassic.
Film: I don’t watch films really but I can recite The Blues Brothers word for word. “You, on the motorcycle!”
City: I’ve enjoyed Lisbon whenever I’ve worked there.
Food: Pakistan-style Keema and boiled rice from Heaviley Tandoori.
Drink: Ice-cold fizzy water.
Book: Para Handy Tales by Neil Munro.
Band: I can’t choose between Oysterband and Dr. Feelgood.
Click on the links below to read our previous interviews with The Scarf My Father Wore subscribers.
Give your car a lick of paint
Granted, Stockport used to be a little rough around the edges. But the town’s getting a good old lick of paint these days, with fancy new offices, apartments, bars and restaurants springing up. You can’t be driving up and down the A6 in a tatty car with chipped paintwork, so give your car a nice lick of paint too. Colourtone is your go-to company for that. They’ve been servicing the automotive and industrial markets in Cheshire and Greater Manchester for decades, and carry an extensive range of car paint and industrial paints.
Visit colourtone.com for further details.
Photo of the day
Everton Stadium, Liverpool
That’s bloody steep, innit? The ‘Blue Wall’ is starting to take shape at Everton’s new stadium, which is expected to open either halfway through next season or for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. County have only played at Goodison Park twice during my lifetime. If we can make it through the second round of the FA Cup, I’d quite like one final trip there before Goodison closes its doors for good.
Today in SK
🍽 Food and drink
Enjoy a delicious Sunday lunch at the Andrew Arms (SK6) with a three course meal priced at just £19.95. Call 0161 484 5392 to book a table.
🎶 Free jukebox
The Nelson Tavern (SK1). 3pm - 6pm.
🎸 Live music
Déjà Vega at Bask (SK1). 5pm. Tickets £12.
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