Pinatar ‘24 – A Veteran’s Retrospective

Plus! 16 photos from day one in League One

Aug 11, 2024

Sunday 11 August 2024

If you’d like to write an article for The Scarf My Father Wore, share a few snippets or photos, or advertise your business, please email thescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com.

Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Sunday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

I’m afraid I’ve got some sad news to share with you today. Louie Barry won’t be available for County’s trip to Blackpool on Saturday. Lancashire Police have banned him from entering the town as they’ve said they can’t risk him repeating what he did yesterday, especially with 4,000 Hatters descending on the seaside.

(I’ve watched that goal about 20 times already today!)

To get you in the mood for County’s trip to the seaside next weekend, we’re taking a look back at last month’s Spanish jaunt today. Graham Hall, our Costa del Sol Hatter, shares the tale of his trip with us. Today’s edition also includes a load of photos from sunny Stockport, with County fans very much enjoying life back in League One.

A big thank you to DLS Fitness for sponsoring today’s edition. If you’re looking to get fit this summer, head down to Vernon Park tomorrow for your first session.

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: £1,976

Total completed streets so far: 399 (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

My partner Anne had been moaning for ages that I'd not taken her anywhere on holiday. So with some trepidation I arranged ‘secretly’ to take her for a five-night jaunt – the trepidation because she's never seen County play other than on TV, so I thought it was about time that was rectified but didn't know how she'd react to what was clearly a somewhat selfish act on my part. In fact the last time I’d seen the boys live was at Wembley in 2008 (yes, fifth time lucky), though I did take her to stand outside EP in the winter drizzle on a non-matchday some years ago, on one of the very few trips back to the UK since I left in April 1997.

I actually left on 13 April – the day after we trounced the Turd Morons 1-0 thanks to that glorious Andy Mutch late winner – for a life as an international rock star, firstly on the wonderful Greek island of Skiathos and then down here to the Costa del Sol, where I/we have been ever since, more or less.

So anyway, we got in the car on the morning of 15 July and a mere six and three quarter hours later(!) finally arrived at our hotel in central San Pedro del Pinatar, partly owing to an unwanted excursion round the city of Murcia after missing any turnoff sign to where we actually wanted to go.

The drink that evening in a local Irish bar was more than welcome, especially when it turned out the only two other customers in there were County fans. Now don't forget Anne still had no idea at that stage exactly why we were in SPdP, so having advised our new mates Chris and Carl that it was all still a secret and asked them not to mention the match or even the fan event, I made out to her it was just an amazing coincidence that we'd met two County lads so far from home.

The following morning, by the time we'd met half a dozen more Hatters strolling along the seafront and seen the most resplendent flag draped proudly from an apartment balcony, even she realised something unusual was happening. So I had to let her know about the fan event on the Wednesday, especially as one of the chaps we met very kindly downloaded a couple of spare tickets for us, after it had already sold out. (Good plan, eh? Break her in gently and see what her reaction to that idea was!) As it turned out there were half a dozen more fans staying in our little hotel, including a member of the Danish Hatters Supporters Association, but we didn't actually know that till later.

Meeting all the new players (not all of them on crutches!) was of course wonderful, and to their credit, the idea of a 71-year-old fan asking these young gentlemen for autographs didn't seem too untoward. Dave Challinor was particularly gracious and Steve Bellis was… well, as you know, just the most wonderful ambassador any club could possibly hope to have. Anyway, as further proof that we were actually there, if you stop the ‘County in Spain: Steve Bellis' video at 3.41, Anne's the white haired lady in the blue T-shirt at the bottom of the picture and I'm the hunky guy sitting to her left.

As for the match itself, well muggins here was totally unaware of the plan to play three periods of 30 minutes, not working out why all the players should leave the pitch for an extended water break after half an hour and wondering what all the crowd noises were about whilst I later queued for drinks at the bar, then finding it inexplicable that the ref should end the match as soon as Derby scored. Hey-ho.

Finally, I have to say what a fabulous set of fans we have, and what a fabulous club we support. Typified by Ben coming over to give a young fan his signed gloves right in front of us at the end of the match. I even think Anne 'gets it' a little more now, and wasn't totally angry that I'd dragged her all that way after all.

Click here if you’d like to read more from Graham, with the article he wrote as part of our ‘Meet the Subscribers’ series.

Lose a few pounds for the summer

A lot of people struggle to find the motivation to lose weight on their own. If that sounds like you, a good option could be a few sessions with DLS Fitness. Every Monday and Wednesday, from 7pm till 8pm, the group meet for Boxercise and circuit training in Vernon Park.

Each session costs £5. If you’re interested in taking part tomorrow, meeting time is 6.45pm in the car park facing British Gas.

The opening day

Photo of the day

The Prince Albert, Edgeley

Cashy Junior and Cashy Senior enjoying their Saturday night on Castle Street after County’s opening day victory.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

Three films at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Despicable Me 4 (U) at 1.45pm, Fly Me to the Moon (12A) at 4pm, and The Instigators (15) at 7pm. Click here for tickets.

🍽 Food and drink

Enjoy a delicious Sunday roast at The Crown (SK2) or The Three Tunnes (SK7) with homemade Yorkshire puddings and all the trimmings. 12pm - 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 Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5), The Shady Oak (SK7) or The Cross Keys (SK8).

🎱 Free pool

The Nelson Tavern (SK1). 8pm - 11pm.

🎤 Live music

Zoe Kyoti at The Steelworks (SK6). 3pm.

100 random grounds that County have played at

#83 – Ewood Park, Blackburn

Last visit: We’ve won at Ewood Park a couple of times in the League Cup, but lost all four league games at their place. The most recent of those was back in November 2000. Aaron Wilbraham gave us an early lead, but Mark Hughes equalised after the break before Craig Hignett’s last minute winner.