“Steve Evans has done the best job of any manager in the EFL”
It’s 7th v 2nd at Edgeley Park on Saturday and our build-up to the big game starts by speaking to Matt Farley, host of The Stevenage FC Podcast
Thursday 16 February 2023
County have won their last three; Stevenage haven’t won in three. Whatever your thoughts on Steve Evans (and I’m sure today’s headline will ruffle a few feathers…) he’s done a fantastic job at Stevenage this season, but perhaps now is a good time to be playing them. With excitement already building ahead of Saturday, when all four sides of Edgeley Park will be cheering on Dave Challinor’s men - who could end the day just one point off the automatic promotion places - our build-up starts with Matt Farley, who hosts The Stevenage FC Podcast.
There’s now just one week to go until ‘The County Comedy Quiz’ at Bask. A huge thank you to everyone who’s bought tickets so far. If anyone else is free next Thursday, come and join me and Benji for a top night out. We’ve got a cracking quiz. We’ve got great prizes. We’ve got Paul Jones joining us for the evening. We’ve even got a little bit of stand-up comedy as well. All that for a fiver. Click here to join us.
Today’s edition of The Scarf My Father Wore is sponsored by Ovenclean Stockport. If your oven is covered in cheese after your attempts at cooking a special Valentine’s Day meal the other night, give Paul a call and he’ll have it sparkling in no time at all.
Enjoy today’s issue.
Des Junior
You seemed to make a big statement beating leaders Leyton Orient 3-0 on 21 January, but since then it’s three games without a win, which is the only time this season that’s happened. Have you been unlucky recently or is this a little bit of a wobble as we approach the run-in?
The last three games have been tough ones for us. We’ve had a few injuries to key players and ultimately I think that’s one of the reasons why we’ve only picked up two points from those three, but we’ve also been very unlucky with a couple of poor referees. It’s probably our first blip of the season, but I’m sure this team are more than capable of turning it around and with a couple of players returning from injury I think we’ll be just fine.
How do you think you’ll get on in SK3?
I think it’ll be a tough game for us given our recent six consecutive away draws in a row. However, I think we’ll win on Saturday and get back on track - a 1-0 win, with us scoring in the last 10 minutes like we’ve done so many times this season.
What’s the away day culture like at Stevenage? I’ve got to be honest, I was surprised to see County announce that the away end will be available to home fans this weekend.
The away attendances have improved hugely this season and rightly so as we’re 2nd in League Two. The long away journeys are tough and I think people forget that we’re still a much smaller club compared to a lot of others in this division. We’ll have 200-300 on Saturday.
I think it’s fair to say most football fans in the country don’t have a lot of time for Steve Evans. But I’m guessing he’s pretty popular in Hertfordshire at the moment…
What a manager and what a top bloke. First of all, he has transformed the football at our club, after spending the last few years towards the bottom of League Two. He’s done the best job of any manager in the EFL in my opinion. To take us from 21st to 2nd in a few months is a remarkable turnaround. But also, whatever anyone thinks of Steve, he’s honestly a lovely bloke. He’s galvanised the fanbase and gives lots of time to the supporters. We’ve even had him on our podcast this season.
How’s Carl Piergianni been doing for you?
Player of the season for us - what a signing! I’ve always wanted him at the club and to get him after his season with Oldham was a magnificent signing. Not only has Pidge been brilliant defensively, he’s also club captain and boasts some of the best heading stats in the division. He’s also in the top three for scoring goals in our team, so watch out from corners…
“Physical, long ball, fouls/time-wasting to break up momentum, and a big threat from set pieces with a sprinkle of quality in there as well.” That was a comment on one of the County message boards about you. Discuss.
I LOVE IT! Pretty much bang on, although I’d say we have a lot more quality than a “sprinkle” in the side. You don’t beat Leyton Orient 3-0 and win at Aston Villa if you’re not a quality side. What we are is an incredibly fit, well-run team with a top manager in charge, who can win games with intelligent in-game decisions.
What are your thoughts on Stockport County?
A big club and a very good side, deservedly in the top seven. I’ve got a funny feeling you might be joining us in League One next season…
Best and worst memories following Stevenage?
I would have to say the best memories are the back-to-back promotions from the Conference to League One. But this season we’ve made so many new ones. Being 2nd in the league, last minute winners and the greatest night in the club’s history when we beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round - what a night!
The worst would be some of the league matches over the past 2-3 years, even though I’ve enjoyed watching the team play home and away.
You won the Conference as Stevenage Borough, but then axed the ‘Borough’ part of your name as soon as you joined the 92. Why was that?
Our chairman Phil Wallace felt that we needed a new identity when joining the Football League. Stevenage FC sounded more of a modern name than Stevenage Borough, which sounded quite non-league. I like our new name and also our new badge which was created in 2019 establishing a new era at the football club.
Finally, let’s have a plug for your podcast.
We started The Stevenage FC Podcast in 2019 as at the time there weren’t any podcast platforms at the club. We’ve grown so much this season and now have between 500 and 1,000 people tuning in per episode, which is terrific. We’ve had Steve Evans on and have made a huge connection with the club. We want to get even bigger and who knows, one day we might be The Official Stevenage FC Podcast.
Can the Hatters make it four wins on the trot on Saturday? Is Steve Evans the best manager in the EFL? And is there anything more certain than Carl Piergianni heading home from a corner at the Cheadle End this weekend? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
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Here’s something you should definitely do in February
Buy tickets for The County Comedy Quiz at Bask!
The Scarf My Father Wore editor, Des Junior, absolutely loves a County quiz. He’s alright at compiling County quizzes as well. Rightly or wrongly, he also fancies himself as a bit of a comedian. On that note, The Scarf My Father Wore are delighted to team up with Bask to bring you The Comedy County Quiz. It’s a proper County quiz, with some fantastic prizes on offer, but our aim is to crack you up with some of the questions along the way.
We’ve also got special guest Paul Jones joining us. The former County defender, and Bolton Wanderers legend, will be speaking on the night, as well as handing out the prizes to the winners!
Click here for our full list of things you should definitely do in February!
Bunch of fives
5️⃣ things Sam Smith loves to do when he they visit Stockport
1) Catch a train to Themchester Piccadilly
2) Enjoy a meal at The Fisherthem’s Table in Marple
3) Hire a handythem to fix up his their apartment
4) Have a pint at The Woodthem (yes, I know it’s been knocked down now…)
5) Hit the dance floor in the Bamboo to the Shania Twain classic ‘Them! I Feel Like a Them!’
5️⃣ things Steve Evans loves to do when he visits Stockport
1) KFC
2) McDonald’s
3) Subway
4) Greggs
5) Domino’s
On this day in 2008
Jim Gannon’s men were 1-0 up at home to Bury on this day back in 2008. But in the 42nd minute, goalkeeper Conrad Logan was sent off, and with no replacement on the bench, it was down to Adam Proudlock to stick the gloves on. He kept the Shakers at bay until they equalised in the 71st minute, before scoring the winner eight minutes later.
Photo of the day
The Unity Inn, Wellington Road South
A classic Stockport boozer. With the Stevenage build-up, this is quite topical as well. It was from this establishment that your editor jumped on a coach to Broadhall Way for the FA Cup tie back in 2003. Got there at half-time, knocked out by non-league opponents, and took hours getting home after our driver got us lost on the way back. Although the journey ended with one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen on an away day, as one of our contingent slapped a pie on the driver’s head once he finally dropped us back at the Unity.
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 February, 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.
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