Newport 2 County 1
We have to share our League Two winning record with Luton, as victory number 13 eludes us in South Wales
Monday 27 November 2023
NEXT HOME GAME: Salford – Tuesday 28 November, 7.45pm
NEXT AWAY GAME: Aldershot – Sunday 3 December, 2pm
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and any ecstatic Exiles joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Monday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
Well, it had to happen at some point, and we have to cover it I suppose. Ed Bridges (from the Newport podcast 1912 Exiles) and Dan Levy take a look at Saturday’s game for us today, as County’s 12-game winning run in League Two comes to an end. We’re still five points clear at the top, though. We’ve been in worse positions over the last few years…
Today’s edition is sponsored by SW Appliances. A big thank you to Steve. If you’re looking for a new oven or a washing machine at the moment, have a look around Steve’s showroom on Castle Street before the Salford match tomorrow.
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: £1,017
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
Saturday’s match in one word:
Ed – Exhilarating!
Dan – Dreary.
Pre-match thoughts:
Ed – Very pessimistic. I’d mentally already written it off when we spoke last week, saying I’d accept a single-digit defeat and no injuries!
Dan – Apprehensive. We hadn’t played well for a couple of weeks, but had enough in small spells to win. I had predicted a narrow Stockport County win.
Post-match thoughts:
Ed – That was a big result, make no mistake. Newport aren’t going to storm the league, but that match tells me we’ve got enough about us to stay up this season, which was the main objective back in August.
Dan – We deserved to lose. And I guess we were going to end our run at some point.
Verdict on Newport:
Ed – Best performance of the season (so far!) and gritty in defence as well. We were unlucky not to get a clean sheet which really would have been the cherry on top.
Dan – They were better than us. Really solid pressing game, kept their shape, and took their only two chances well.
Verdict on County:
Ed – You looked leggy, which is no surprise after your mad run, and I think you were also stumped by Graham Coughlan’s tactical masterstroke. Stockport would have expected Newport to set up defensively, but instead we started with three strikers, and you could see it dawning on the Stockport players in the first five minutes that they weren’t set up to deal with it.
Dan – It was really lacklustre. Very little effort, second to everything, and we were ponderous in our transitions from defence to attack. We missed Sarce and/or Camps. Another really disappointing performance from Powell – he’s fine when he has the ball but wanders around aimlessly the rest of the time.
Top Exile:
Ed – The goalscorers, Morris and McLaughlin, got the plaudits for two well-struck finishes, but a big shout to James Clarke who was imperious in defence and made all the difference.
Dan – Nobody stood out as exceptional but they played a really effective team game.
Top Hatter:
Ed – Kyle Wootton looked decent, and impressed last year as well, but it was slim pickings. For what it’s worth, I still think you’ll be champions, but it was clearly an off day.
Dan – MaSH and Bailey both played well, and Madden when he came on injected energy that had been missing beforehand.
Atmosphere:
Ed – Nervous, even at half-time! But when the second goal went in, there was a real sense of belief that we were about to stun the leaders and establish our credentials as a side on the up.
Dan – It’s a rugby ground. It feels like a rugby ground, and is a bit deadening for atmosphere. The County fans were split into two separate groups by the side and on a terrace, and it didn’t feel easy to get singing going. A special mention for Dr Moan, just behind me, who never stopped moaning. You’d think that we were an appalling team heading for relegation. Apparently we should never pass backwards, but he wasn’t keen on sideways or forwards either. At one point my son asked him if he needed a hug. Perhaps he and the chap the other day on the Pop Side who moaned through our demolition of Colchester could get together and buy some therapy sessions.
Hopes for the rest of the season:
Ed – Let’s just get to 50 points and then see where we are.
Dan – I think that was just a blip and we’ll get going again. We’re a bit short of attacking midfielders if Collar joins Camps and Sarce on the treatment table, but I have confidence we will get our mojo back, starting on Tuesday against Salford. When we’re good we’re very good.
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 2-1 defeat at Newport County on Saturday 25 November 2023, as told from his County-related WhatsApp groups…
3.52pm: 1-0 down. Shit.
3.55pm: That’s unusually poor defending isn’t it. He’s got all the space in the world there. Big second half due.
4.33pm: 2-0. Cracking touch and finish that.
5.01pm: Tanto consolation.
5.11pm: Disappointing, but on the other hand if someone had said 13 games ago, "In the next 13 games you'll get 36 points", you'd have snapped their hand off.
Will you be at Edgeley Park for the Salford game tomorrow night? Fancy doing the match report for us? Email thescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com.
CHILL OUT! (with this brand new fridge freezer)
I don’t want to be accused of slander by a man with significantly more money than me, but I reckon Jeff Bezos has never set foot inside Edgeley Park. On that basis alone, don’t buy your kitchen appliances on Amazon. Get them from SW Appliances instead, a business owned by County fan Steve Gibbons.
Whether you visit Steve’s showroom on Castle Street, or purchase online, SW Appliances have hundreds of products in stock. You won’t get a personal service from Bezos if you buy a kettle off him, but you will if you do business with Steve. He’s the appliance version of a train spotter and what he doesn’t know about appliances simply isn’t worth knowing. (That’s not an insult by the way, it’s on his website.)
Perhaps you’re in need of a new fridge freezer at the moment. How about the one in the picture? With a total combined food storage of 280L, this Zanussi ZBB28441SV integrated fridge freezer certainly has the capacity to store family-sized quantities of food. It’s divided 70/30 between fridge and freezer, and features a low-frost freezer and a low electricity consumption as shown by its A+ energy rating. And it’s currently on sale for £399.99, reduced from £499.99.
Visit swappliances.co.uk for further details.
Photo of the day
Edgeley Park, Stockport
Spot the ball! Flynny tussles with Danny Cadamarteri during our 2-1 victory at home to Fulham in November 1999.
Today in SK
🍔 Food and drink
Lunch deal at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). One course for £7 or two courses for £11. 12pm till 2pm.
Med Monday at TRUNK (SK7) between 12pm and 9pm. Enjoy three tapas dishes for £15. T&Cs apply. Call 0161 222 9260 to book a table, and mention “The Scarf My Father Wore” to receive a 15% discount off the normal tapas menu.
Start your week in style by enjoying some delicious tapas dishes (with a cheeky cocktail or two!) at La Cueva (SK8).
🎤 Live music
Acoustica at Bask (SK1). Free entry.
❓Quiz night
The George & Dragon (SK7). 7.30pm.
The Scarf My Father Wore works closely with venues on a daily basis to bring you the most comprehensive guide to all of the best offers and events taking place across the whole SK region. Click on the links below for full details of everything taking place in your area over the next few weeks.
SK1 / SK2 / SK3 / SK4 / SK5 / SK6 / SK7 / SK8 / SK9 / SK10 / SK11 / SK12 / SK13 / SK14 / SK15 / SK16 / SK17 / SK22 / SK23
DJ Des
Sad news yesterday with the passing of former England manager Terry Venables. As a little bit of a tribute today, let’s take a trip back to the summer of 1996, and that unforgettable summer when El Tel took England to the semi-finals of the Euros.
Would you like DJ Des to play a song for your favourite County player, or a friend or family member? Email thescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com with your requests/shoutouts!
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