Oldham v County

Week 2 of pre-season takes us to Boundary Park

Jul 13, 2024

Saturday 13 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 Saturday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

For the first time since Wrexham away on the final day of last season, we’ve got lots of our fantastic County collaborators back in the building today. Ian Brown, Jimmy, Jonathan Baker and Nick Lee all share their thoughts ahead of this afternoon’s pre-season derby at Oldham.

Today’s edition is sponsored by The Mortgage Mill. A big thank you to James.

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: £1,931

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

Ian Brown, All Things Stockport County

Oldham 2 County 3

What are your best and worst memories from past encounters with Oldham?

“I was there son!” If I had a son that’s what I would be saying to him with pride about this match – easily the best display from a County side I can remember against Oldham.

Latics were top of Division Two, and looked it, playing with awesome power dominating the first half. County somehow managed to come in only 1-0 down at the break, and that was a fluke as I recall, as the otherwise excellent Owain Fon Williams misjudged a corner allowing it to drift past him into the net.

For the second half County had their backs to the Cheadle End and we saw a complete turnaround following Jim Gannon’s half-time words to his team. The game was transformed as Carl Baker, who had come on for Michael Rose, was now running the show with Gary Dicker, whilst Jim McNulty and James Tunnicliffe kept the back door firmly shut. Oldham, under mounting pressure from the Hatters, started to fray at the edges; their attacks were less frequent if still worryingly threatening at times.

The goals came for County… three of them!

The first was a cracker as Peter Thompson headed on Tommy Rowe’s cross for Paul Turnbull to volley home, before Thompson scored himself, converting from Michael Raynes’ flick-on.

Oldham were stunned perhaps, but not finished by any means, and County did well to repel their attacks for a while. But with Oldham getting more and more lively, so Jim acted decisively again to put matters in order, bringing Stephen Gleeson on for Anthony Pilkington. It worked a treat, as County’s third goal arrived via a delightful chip from Raynes that gave the visiting keeper no chance, to rapturous cheers from a large Edgeley Park crowd of 8,360.

The worst experience was back in 2003-04 when the Hatters travelled to Boundary Park to dispute bragging rights with Oldham. Neither side were pulling up trees in League One so notionally we had a chance that evening. County fielded a good side with John Hardiker, Rickie Lambert and Aaron Wilbraham offering some class in front of Nick Colgan (our current head of goalkeeping) in goal, so I was probably not alone in thinking we might produce our best game for the occasion.

We didn’t.

Latics had Calvin Zola running the show on this forgettable occasion, terrorising the visitors, and Rob Jones had to upend the flying Congolese forward to stop him early on. Oldham feasted on the result of that, taking the lead via the spot-kick that followed.

It was one way traffic thereafter and Colgan did incredibly well to keep the score down with a string of super saves. Hardiker was Hardiker, working his socks off, but otherwise County were not at the races. A mix up twixt Dave Challinor and Jones enabled Oldham to snatch a second and double our misery.

As for today, I’ll say 3-2 to County but without really having a clue as to the result. County’s signings look terrific, and we should have things pretty much our way, but Latics are one of the National League favourites and I have great respect for that league. Oldham won’t let any respect they might have for us get in the way of giving us a game.

Ian follows County home and away, producing detailed match reports every week, along with lots of other great content. Head over to hedgegrower.blogspot.com.

Jimmy, The Scarf Bergara Wore

Oldham 1 County 3

Boundary Park is notoriously one of the coldest football grounds in the country. What’s the coldest place you’ve ever been to? And what’s your favourite method of getting warm?

The coldest place I’ve been to is the Scottish Borders. In February. The car said it was minus 20 and it was absolutely freezing. I was working outside and my hands went completely numb.

Favourite method of warming up (keeping it PG) has got to be sat in front of a wood burner with a mug of hot chocolate.

We might all need a hot chocolate after Oldham today

I reckon a 3-1 win to us today. I think we’ve got some goals in this new team of ours.

Jimmy is part of The Scarf Bergara Wore team, hosting live County podcasts every Wednesday at 8pm. Click here for links.

Jonathan Baker, The County Away Day Show

Oldham 2 County 3

You missed Chester away last Saturday but you had a very cool excuse: watching Kool and the Gang at a jazz festival in a field in Sussex. How was it?

The festival was brilliant, even if the weather didn’t exactly cooperate over three days, and a slightly leaking tent did not help! A Premier Inn and a youth hostel on the way back proved a very good transition/recuperation stage.

Jonathan, aka Geordie Hatter, hosts The County Away Day Show on selected Saturday mornings during the season, when the Hatters are on the road. All episodes can be found at the-geordie-hatter.mixlr.com.

Nick Lee, SK3 TV

Oldham 1 County 4

You’ve been a regular contributor on The Scarf My Father Wore, but this is your first under the new guise of SK3 TV co-host. What’s the podcast all about and what can County fans look forward to over the season?

We’ve got the live County show on Monday nights, where we have the first word on the weekend’s action, and we’ve got a number of former and current County personalities lined up to join us. Other than that we have loads of other stuff lined up. From more County content to a wider focus on Stockport including exclusive sessions with bands and anything else we can think of. It’s properly exciting, and we’ve assembled a great team of contributors to help deliver it.

Nick’s one of the co-hosts of SK3 TV, a new podcast for the 2024-25 season, with live episodes every Monday at 8pm. Click here for links.

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Photos of the day

It’s not quite Banksy, but some little scamp in Stockport has been creating some beautiful street art across the town over the last couple of days.

Photo credit: Jeremy Miriam

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Two films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Inside Out 2 (U) at 12.30pm and 2.45pm, followed by A Quiet Place Day One (15) at 6.15pm and 8.30pm. Click here for tickets.

💿 DJ

Stockport’s biggest party at the weekend is at Bask (SK1), with DJ Gareth Brooks playing till 3am. Last entry 1.30am.

🍺 Food and drink

All pints £2.50 at The Cross Keys (SK8) from 6pm till 9pm.

If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as The Petersgate Tap (SK1), Thread (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5), The Railway (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Shady Oak (SK7), The Three Tunnes (SK7), The Railway (SK9), Flute & Firkin (SK12) or The Friendship (SK13).

🎵 Karaoke

The Nelson Tavern (SK1) with Lee. From 8pm.

🎸 Live music

The Mixtape Biros at AMP (SK1). From 7pm. Free entry.

The Bridgewater Blues at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). 8pm.

The Bridgebeats at The Crown Inn (SK6). Sounds of the 60s. 9pm.

Borderland at The Marple Tavern (SK6). Playing music from the 60s right through to today – so something for everyone! 9pm.

100 random grounds that County have played at

#64 – Field Mill, Mansfield

Last visit: August 2023. County led twice in the first half, through Louie Barry and Fraser Horsfall, but two goals after the break from Davis Keillor-Dunn secured a 3-2 win for the Stags.