Shrewsbury v County

Only our third trip to Shrewsbury’s new place tonight (we’ve lost the previous two)

Oct 01, 2024

Tuesday 1 October 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, Shrewsbury supporters, and anyone else from The Football Family joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Tuesday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.

Ian Brown, Dan, Jonathan Baker and Nick Lee join us this afternoon, a few hours before County kick off in Shropshire.

Today’s edition is sponsored by DT Plastering Services and Damp Proofing Specialists. A big thank you to David. If you need a quote for any work that needs doing, give him a call on 07774 325529 or email dtplasteringservices@gmail.com.

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: £2,001

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

Des Junior loves writing about County. But he can never be arsed doing match previews. They’re a bit dull, aren’t they? Will Collar’s out for a month with diarrhoea… blah blah blah…tomorrow’s referee has handed out more cards than Moonpig…blah blah blah…County haven’t won at Birmingham for a thousand years.

Fortunately, he has a number of fellow County content creators to call upon. Here’s their thoughts, general chit-chat and score predictions, as County look to build on a decent result at Barnsley with (hopefully) three points at struggling Shrewsbury.

Ian Brown, All Things Stockport County

Shrewsbury 0 County 3

Should Challinor have started with Connolly at right-back rather than Onyango on Saturday night?

With Onyango having a nightmare 45 minutes it was exactly the correct decision by Dave Challinor to bring Connolly on for the second half in his place on Saturday.

It’s a bit of a stretch though in my opinion to then say we should have started with Connolly, who has not looked particularly better than Onyango when given the opportunity.

The issue for me is not Connolly or Onyango, it’s whether or not we opt to give whoever turns out for us at right-back maximum cover, and that for me means playing Fevrier and Diamond to provide real penetrative attacking width, thus (in theory anyway) taking the pressure off our back line and putting it squarely on our opponents.

Using Fevrier and Diamond late on in games is a waste of a vital resource in my view. They should be on from the start, and our defenders will benefit!

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.

Dan, The Scarf Bergara Wore

Shrewsbury 0 County 2

We’ve clearly got some talent going forward, but we’ve only scored one goal in each of our last four league games. Why are we not scoring more?

For me we aren’t clinical enough. We’re having plenty of shots in games, with 107 in the seven league games so far this season, but only 39 on target with 11 goals scored. Out of those 107 goal attempts, 70 are chances from inside the box. So the stats bore out; we’re just not taking the chances we create. We’ve also hit the woodwork five times.

If you look at the last four games as you mention, as a smaller sample size I think it still shows we ain’t being clinical in the chances created. 57 shots, 19 on target, 40 chances inside the box, 4 goals scored.

I do think we’ll score a couple tonight. A Horsfall header from a corner, and as we’ve not had a penalty yet this season, I’ll go with one this evening. Not sure who the taker would be, but Barry will be the one fouled in the area.

I think that’s two areas Shrewsbury look weak: defending corners, and the last two games they’ve given away penalties.

Dan 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

Shrewsbury 1 County 2

Give us your favourite band or song with a Shropshire flavour.

I was about to go with famed one-hit wonders T’Pau, whose lead singer Carol Decker was brought up in Shrewsbury, before discovering that another native of the town is Stewart Lee. While better known for his decades-spanning career as a somewhat avant-garde comedian, in 2021 he ventured very briefly into music, partnering with cult veteran Midlands indiepop outfit The Nightingales to take the lead lyric role in a re-release of their early single “Use Your Loaf”.

An acerbic take on the depressingly stale banter to be found across the production lines of an industrial bakery setting, set to a melody quite possibly fronted by a hurdy-gurdy, the number remains a favourite of many of the band’s fans and was praised on original pressing by no less a judge than Mark E. Smith as “typically brilliant”. I suspect the Fall lead man would find little fault with Lee’s softly sardonic delivery within this later incarnation, which for my money suits the bittersweet mood of the composition down to the ground. I’m a big fan!

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

Nick Lee, SK3 TV

Shrewsbury 0 County 2

We’re into October now, so we’ve had a decent chunk of the season to analyse. Are we good enough to make the play-offs?

Without a doubt. I said in the summer we’d finish top six and I’ve seen nothing to change my mind. For what it’s worth I think we’ll do the usual County thing of losing in the play-offs before going up automatically next season.

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.

Tonight’s other prediction

Hatters Matters: Shrewsbury 1 County 3

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Photo of the day

Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury

The away end at Shrewsbury’s old place, where we last played on New Year’s Day 2007. Ah, they don’t make ‘em like that any more.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

One film at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. The Outrun (15) at 4.30pm. Click here for tickets.

🍺 Food and drink

The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have a great range of offers throughout the week, including £4.50 for drinks off the Doubles Bar, a comprehensive range of shots for £2, and 3 for £6 on Jägerbombs.

Bitter £2.30 a pint all day at The Cross Keys (SK8). Plus, discounts on certain lagers between 12pm and 6pm.

If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as The Crown (SK2), The Dog & Partridge (SK2), The Crown Inn (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6) or The Three Tunnes (SK7).

Random photos of County players at other clubs

#17 – Glynn Hurst, Bury

Glynn Hurst – who scored in County’s 2-2 draw at Maine Road in October 2001 – made 27 appearances for the club over the course of our final two seasons in Division One. He later played for Chesterfield, Notts County, Shrewsbury and then Bury, before dropping into non-league.