Saturday 13 May 2023
I don’t think anyone could dispute my description of County’s last Football League play-off semi-final first leg as “a pain in the arse” - a 6pm kick-off on a Sunday in Buckinghamshire. Fifteen years on, our next first leg destination might be a lot closer on the map, but with train strikes and ticket struggles, there’s still just as many aches in the backsides of County fans. (And another kick in the bum is the rumour of Paddy Madden being ruled out tonight.)
With only four points separating the Hatters and the Ammies after 46 games, this one is extremely difficult to call. Rather apt, then, that we’ve got a Salford win, a couple of draws, and a County win, as part of our match preview from Ian Brown, Jonathan Baker, Nick Lee and Richard Kedzior. For what it’s worth, I’m going to stick my neck out and say we’ll beat Salford this evening, with Challinor rallying his troops after Monday’s disappointment. (I won’t mention the fact I’ve got a horrible feeling we’re going to lose to Bradford at Wembley…)
Finally, a big thank you to Paul at Colourtone for sponsoring today’s edition. See below for further details on what they have to offer.
Come on County!
Des Junior
Des Junior loves writing about County. But he can never be arsed doing match previews. They’re a bit dull, aren’t they? Paddy Madden’s out for two games with an ingrown toenail…blah blah blah…tomorrow’s referee has handed out more cards than Moonpig…blah blah blah…County haven’t won at Birmingham since 1672.
Fortunately, he has a number of fellow County content providers to call upon. Here’s their thoughts (and score predictions) as we head into the play-offs.
Ian Brown, hedgegrower
Salford 1 County 2
Cup half full: County are unbeaten in 13. Cup half empty: we’ve drawn 7 of the last 13 and seem to be lacking a little bit of killer instinct to finish teams off, especially now that Wootton’s out. How’s your County cup looking as we head into the play-offs?
Bearing in mind my past fears of play-offs, which routinely seem to pay scant attention to form or league position - and the fact that we mightily miss the likes of Wootton and latterly Collar - my cup is surprisingly nearer full than empty. It may depend on Challinor’s ability to motivate the group sufficiently and how much, if at all, he’s able to use Collar, but we are unbeaten in 13 whilst Carlisle, Bradford and Salford all suffered defeats over the final 10 days of the season. My view has always been that if we bring our best game with us, we’ll be OK against anyone in the play-offs.
Salford are the weakest side left in and approached with the right balance twixt confidence and caution should not be a problem; avoid a defeat at their place and we’ll be quids in at EP. In that respect I see us coming away with a 2-1 win, and a hands down victory for the reduced Blue and White Army who will roar us home at Kersal Moor - with a similar scoreline in the second leg the week after!
Jonathan Baker aka Geordie Hatter, The County Away Day Show
Salford 1 County 1
I’ve thought of an appropriate playlist for you to compile this weekend. Top five songs to mend a broken heart, for all the County fans who couldn’t get tickets for Salford away.
1) “The Saturday Boy” by Billy Bragg
There is surely no broken heart more pitiful to witness than that occasioned by an innocent first love scorned. The young Billy Bragg, the scars of such playground-based emotional devastation still raw, is ideally placed to recount early heartbreak in this standout track from an early oeuvre already preposterously replete with instant folk-punk classics.
“In the end it took me a dictionary to find out the meaning of unrequited, while she was giving herself for free at a party to which I was never invited,” remains one of my favourite-ever lyrical couplets. If there is a finer evocation of the precise moment of near-fatal teenage love-trauma within our popular musical canon, I should be frankly astonished.
Billy may have never made the first team (he only made the first team laugh, as he admits herewithin) but could he write a love song worthy of selection? First name on the sheet, for me.
2) “End of the Affair” by Marine Research
If “Talulah Gosh” by Talulah Gosh features prominently within my top five tracks of all time (which you’ll know from last week’s article) then this slice of perfectly-pitched pop from the band formed by Amelia Fletcher and Co upon the “Gosh’s” demise surely threatens a more than creditable top 10 finish.
In an evolution from the throwaway-thrash-guitar motif characteristic of the earlier combo’s output, the more mature Marine Research sound comes overlaid with a fuller rhythm section whose heavenly orchestral sweep proves more than adequate to carry a lyric detailing with heartrending precision the domestic minutiae of a break-up. The overall effect of this four-minute early 90s masterpiece is an assault on the senses as intense in scale as that imparted by an end-to-end play-off semi-final played in driving rain, complete with extra-time, penalties, a dog on the pitch, and two sendings-off. Lavish praise, I know.
3) “I Can See Clearly Now” by Johnny Nash
I’m perhaps more clearly following the brief here, as Jamaican-American Hit Parade regular of the 1970s Johnny Nash reaches his career zenith with this reggae-infused evergreen classic suffused with a spicy dose of post-break-up positivity. The word “bittersweet” could surely have been expressly minted to describe the delicate optimism evoked, as our hero looks forward to a life’s next chapter. He’s 2-1 down after the first leg, is Johnny here, but it’s very much half-time in the tie and with home advantage to look forward to under the floodlights next midweek, there’s surely all to play for. You’ve got to admire the boy’s spirit - and hell, has he got a voice to die for!
4) “Perfect” by Fairground Attraction
If I was laying out here my top five UK one-hit wonders, then this outlying chart-topper from an otherwise forgotten London-based soft-rock fourpiece would have smashed straight in at No 1. It holds its own pretty comfortably in this present selection mind you, on account of the note of bruised romantic caution so concisely portrayed in Eddi Reader’s lyric, the depth of emotion peeking out from the deceptive cover of a soft-pedalled jangle-along backing track.
By the time of its 1988 release I was a fully-signed-up Smiths fan and as a regular attendee of Wolverhampton Polytechnic’s Saturday night “Downstairs Disco” (see last week’s article, again...) had to pretend not to be into such mainstream fare, for fear of having my obscure indie-cards taken off me. The truth, of course, is that I bloody loved every ounce of its being, and used to sing along to it on daytime Radio 1 (which I also didn’t admit to ever listening to), while I was washing the dishes. Do you know what, if it came on again now, I still would.
5) “I Will Survive” by Cake
Fully (and finally!) meeting the brief here, with this timeless number, surely destined in perpetuity to remain the joyfully defiant call-to-arms for scorned lovers the globe over. We could (and you might argue, depending on your tastes, should) have gone for the original and anthemic disco version of the track, as belted out in her prime by Gloria Gaynor, but having discovered during the course of my research this assured and charmingly left-field cover by 1990s US alt-rock outfit Cake, I consider its place in the listing to have been earned on merit.
Just don’t tell Ms Gaynor I said so, obviously - I don’t want her seeking me out in The Armoury after the second leg and giving me a good hiding, and I’m sure you wouldn’t want to witness such a sorry spectacle. With which heartfelt plea I will bid goodbye - until next time (whenever that may be...), County fans!
Click here to listen to the five songs you’ve just read about.
Nick Lee, The Scarf Bergara Wore
Salford 1 County 1
Where will you be and what will you be doing at 7.45pm?
I’ll be with my mates Emma and Dave at a Eurovision party that was planned prior to our involvement in the play-offs. Luckily they’re also County fans, so their upstairs telly is coming downstairs as part of a much-vaunted dual screen system. Planning on drinking copious amounts of sangria, either to drown my sorrows or by way of celebration.
I’m going for a 1-1 draw and a nervy second leg ahead.
Richard Kedzior, Salford fan since 2007
Salford 2 County 0
What’s your prediction for the first leg?
Given our home form this season - just 10 wins from 23 games having scored 28 goals - I have to admit to feeling a tad nervous and almost wishing that both legs could be played at Edgeley Park given that we possess the second best away record in the league. However, if we set up with the right mindset and fully utilise our attacking options then I could see us going into the second leg with a two-goal advantage.
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.
Today in SK
🍰 There’s been a few familiar faces at Coffee Block (SK1) this week, helping them get ready for today’s Eurovision Song Contest celebrations. The bunting is up, there’s Eurovision classics playing throughout the day, and there’s some special cakes to get stuck into! Open till 5.30pm.
🎲 Live music from covers band Loaded Dice at the Dog & Partridge (SK2). 8pm.
⚽️ If you weren’t one of the lucky 536 County fans to get a ticket for tonight’s play-off semi-final first leg at Salford, at least the game is being shown live on Sky Sports. Bask (SK1) have got all the action on their 75” screens. There’s DJs playing before and after the game, and you can still enjoy a decent half-time pie courtesy of Ate Days A Week.
🍏 The play-offs are packed with nerves and tension, so County fans might feel like they need a Lyne Down this afternoon. Petersgate Tap (SK1) is the best place for one of those.
🍹 The Armoury (SK3) have just launched their new cocktail menu. Mark Stott definitely wouldn’t mind a Red Wine Cobbler, and Lee Todd’s going to be getting stuck into a Lounge Lizard or two. There’s eight cocktails to try in total; head down today to see which one tickles your tastebuds!
🎤 Fancy a good old sing-song when you get back from Salford tonight? The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have karaoke with Lee from 8pm till 1am.
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 May, 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.
Photo of the day
Adams Park
As County prepare for their first Football League play-off campaign since 2007-08, here’s something to get us all in the mood. The moment Stephen Gleeson almost broke the net in High Wycombe 15 years ago. Although that goal meant nothing, didn’t it Paul…
Bunch of fives
5️⃣ play-off first legs
Chesterfield 4 County 0
County 1 Stoke 0
County 1 Port Vale 1
York 0 County 0
Wycombe 1 County 1
5️⃣ Wembley opponents
Stoke
Peterborough
Port Vale
Burnley
Rochdale
5️⃣ things on the telly at 7.45pm
The One Show
Dad’s Army
In With a Shout
Falklands War: The Untold Story
Salford v County