The County Family

A feature on the lifelong members of the Blue & White Army, which feels rather apt today following the tragic news of Lou Spalding’s passing

Mar 13, 2025

Thursday 13 March 2025

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NEXT HOME GAME: Burton Albion – Saturday 29 March, 12.30pm

NEXT AWAY GAME: Bolton Wanderers – Saturday 15 March, 12.30pm

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

Photo credit: Ian Brown

I’m afraid we’re starting today’s edition with some extremely sad County news, following the death of Lou Spalding, who’s run the Fingerpost Flyer to away games for over 30 years. I’ve travelled with Lou three times this season, to Accrington, Crawley and Charlton, and it won’t be the same heading down the motorways without him coming up and down the aisle handing out brews and goal time competitions. Our thoughts and condolences are with Lou’s friends and family, and all of the regulars on the Flyer. 🎩💙

Today’s article feels quite fitting, as it talks about lifelong County fans just like Lou. At the start of 2011, after County picked up just one point from seven league games in January, I wrote an editorial feature for my fanzine with the club rock bottom of League Two and staring relegation to the Conference in the face. I wrote about what the club means to us all, and the levels of dedication that go into following County across the country - the same dedication that would be on display for the next 11 years as the club did indeed drop out of the Football League, before taking over a decade to return. Looking back on a piece like this, and just a couple of days before a huge clash between two play-off rivals in Bolton, it really hits home how low we dropped and how high we’ve risen. Over 2,600 County fans will be making a hell of a racket at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and I’m sure a song or two will be belted out in Lou’s memory.

Today’s edition is sponsored by CE Building Services. A big thank you to Chris.

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: 227.84 miles

Total steps so far: 371,086

Total raised so far: £2,270

Total completed streets so far: 474 (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

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The front cover of Parklife in February 2011

“Oh well Des, at least it can’t get any worse than that.”

A comment from one of our regular readers, who always stops to talk to me after home games as I’m packing away any unsold magazines on the corner of Caroline Street. This particular discussion took place after the Morecambe game, as County’s first Edgeley Park outing of 2011 ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat. I say, disappointing. That wasn’t the word of choice for most County fans in the Cheadle End as various expletives were aired after witnessing the smallest player on the pitch glance a free header into County’s goal from a corner. I’ve seen steadier defences in the Stockport Sunday League. I’m not kidding.

However, I was actually in agreement that our on-field situation couldn’t get much worse. After all, I’d watched us pick up a battling point against a Crewe side putting together a push for the play-offs, seen us win at Barnet (cracking my ribs in the process celebrating Greg Tansey’s goal) and, for an hour anyway, more than match the League Two leaders Chesterfield in their own back yard. A back yard, incidentally, that isn’t a patch on Saltergate.

But, as they say, it’s the hope that kills you. It’s my own fault. Having trudged up and down the country for the last 20 years watching County, I should know what to expect by now. Can’t get any worse? I’d go on to see County concede another 19 goals in January. That’s to add to the 6 already conceded in 2011 before most people had even returned to work.

January was awful. We couldn’t have been more wrong if we’d tried in our conversation about things surely picking up after the Morecambe defeat. Just five days later, for the fifth time this season, another five-goal thrashing - this time at the hands of a Gillingham side renowned for their travel sickness, an indication of how truly pathetic we’ve been at “Fortress EP” this season. There’s quite a lot of alliteration of the letter F in that last sentence. And there was another F word getting a fair bit of usage in the Cheadle End as Gillingham’s goals rained in.

Next up? Another gut-wrenching feeling. On paper, a point at home to a promotion-chasing Rotherham side isn’t a bad result. But County must surely be one of the only sides in the country who can be cruising comfortably at 3-1 with only six minutes remaining before throwing it away and actually being extremely grateful to hold on for a draw.

But that didn’t matter too much. What did matter was the back-to-back relegation dogfights coming up against Hereford and Lincoln. Two other teams in serious trouble at the wrong end of League Two and a good opportunity for County to get a few points on the board. Erm, moving swiftly on…

Have we reached the end of this god-awful month yet? Ah yes, it was rounded off with an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Rotherham, with Adam Le Fondre lording it up over the travelling County fans having scored a simple goal against the country’s worst defence. Still stuck in League Two though aren’t you Alfie?

This current crop of players will all leave Edgeley Park for pastures new over the next couple of years. I’ve no doubt Wardy will move on at some point. But who are the ones who will always be here come rain or shine? As always, it’s the fans. Yet it’s the supporters - you know, these loyal people who keep clubs like County ticking over with the purchase of match tickets, shirts, programmes etc - who in most cases get treated the worst.

Away from Edgeley Park, is there anywhere else in the country you could get such little value for money but still have a few thousand loyal customers flocking back every week. I doubt it. But this season I know most people reading this will have come away from games feeling slightly short-changed and pissed off. And rightly so.

I know football fans up and down the country these days have a major problem with the amount of money players earn each week. I don’t think anybody can deny it’s getting a little out of hand. But the wages players earn these days isn’t the main thing I take offence at. What does leave a sour taste in the mouth is when people like you and me spend a lot of money supporting the team, both at Edgeley Park and away from home, and get absolutely nothing in return. If you get battered six or seven nil against a team that are clearly stronger than you, then fair enough. I’d still clap the players off at the final whistle. But half the teams in this season’s League Two are extremely poor and we’ve been humiliated by a large number of them when County’s players have shown a real lack of effort and passion.

For all this talk though, we’ll still return to the club we love week after week. In some ways, it doesn’t matter how badly we get treated because we’ll still be walking down Mercian Way every other Saturday. If you’ve got the County bug, you’ve got the County bug. There isn’t anything you can do about it.

On a personal note, if a love for all things County hadn’t been drilled into me before I’d even reached primary school, I certainly wouldn’t be sat on my sofa right now finishing off this latest issue to send to the printers. It’s four in the morning by the way. And who said the life of a fanzine editor isn’t glamorous?

There’s plenty more people like me though who share an incredible passion for this football club that, over the years, seems to do its level best to disappoint us when it can. I’ve been lucky enough to meet some fantastic people over the last few years, many of whom are now good friends. Saturdays aside, we might not have anything in common. But the only thing that matters is that we share an unconditional love for a football club that was former over 125 years ago by members of a church group on the other side of Stockport.

Last month I was invited to a gathering at the Finger Post pub in Offerton to celebrate the birthday of a home and away County fan, who it’s been a pleasure to get to know over the last few years. Again, it’s somebody I don’t necessarily see away from the football (you can’t be close friends with every single person who goes to County; if you did you’d have trouble fitting 4,000 people into your life on a regular basis) but when we meet at County, or on a train heading somewhere daft to watch the team, we’ll have a pint and a chat.

At his birthday do, he made a speech halfway through the night which was actually quite emotional. Without going into too much detail, he seemed to have had a tough couple of years - as have all of us at some point in our lives I’m sure - but then started following County and, in his own words, found a real sense of belonging. There’s many others within the County family who feel exactly the same. In my opinion, it is a special group to be a part of. And it’s open to all - unless you’ve got six fingers and have a Burnley postcode.

Stand outside the turnstiles on a Saturday afternoon and another abundance of County passion is visible (and I don’t mean the tosser bellowing “County fanzine” at you as you walk past). I’m talking about the excellent Help The Hatters group. People who give up their time to stand in the cold for a couple of hours selling anything from scarves to hoodies. Why do they do it? To raise money for Stockport County Football Club. And that’s just a small part of their project, which has seen them doing anything they can to help the club recently, whether it’s car boot sales or helping to do up the training ground. Again, members of the County family with such enthusiasm for the club.

There’s plenty of other examples. Take the meeting which took place in the Bungalow club a couple of weeks back. Tuesday night games are hard enough sometimes, getting away from work on time, nipping home to get changed and having a bite to eat before heading to Edgeley Park. But it was full of County fans who had organised the meeting off their own back, again giving up their own time to come together to see what could be done to help the club in what is a perilous time at the moment - on and off the pitch.

I don’t expect the players to share the same passion for the club as we do. After all, we’re the strange ones who will drop everything to rush to Morecambe on a Tuesday night to stand on a cold terrace in the pouring rain. I wouldn’t inflict that on my worst enemy so I don’t expect the players to follow suit. But I do want them to realise just how much this football club means to a lot of people, and how relegation to the Conference would be devastating for many generations of supporters.

As fans, we can sing, we can chant, we can organise meetings, we can hold fundraising activities etc. I don’t think the enthusiasm and passion County fans have for the club will ever dwindle. And that’s the one thing that could keep the club going in difficult times like we’re experiencing. But there’s not much more we can do this season now. The games are fast running out and it’s down to the players to dig deep and do everything they can to keep Stockport County in the Football League, where it belongs.

Whatever happens, there’s no doubt the County family will be here next season, as they have been for well over a century. Here’s hoping we’re still in the Football League.

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Photo(s) of the day

In the build-up to the recent home game with Blackpool, I spent all week sharing the 55 photos I’d snapped at the seaside earlier in the season - our best away day of 2024-25 so far. With Bolton coming up on Saturday, I’ve decided to do the same again, as our 5-0 victory at home to the Trotters is certainly the EP highlight of the campaign to date. I took 20 photos on that memorable November afternoon, so there’s four each day for you.

Today in SK

🎬 Cinema

One film at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy (15) at 5.15pm.

➡️ Click here for tickets.

🍻 Food and drink

Happy Hour at Covent Garden Café (SK1) between 1.30pm and 2.30pm. If you spend £20 or more you get to roll the dice, and if you roll a 6 your bill is half price!

The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have a great range of offers throughout the week, including £5.50 for drinks off the Doubles Bar, a comprehensive range of shots for £1.50, and 3 for £7 on Jägerbombs. Also, double up for £2 on premium spirits.

Enjoy a coffee and a cake for just £6 at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). The perfect excuse for a catch-up! 12pm - 4pm.

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

From 7pm, Deya Brewing Company are taking over the taps at Flute & Firkin (SK12). Walk-ins are welcome, but if you’d like to book a table call 01625 879181. Pizzas supplied by the award-winning Social Trattoria.

A number of venues are featured on The Scarf My Father Wore such as The Crown (SK2), The Alexandra (SK3), The Crown Inn (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Three Tunnes (SK7) and The Ram’s Head (SK12). Support them this month by popping in for a few drinks and a bite to eat.

Random snippets from old County programmes

#18 - County v Swindon, 18 January 2003

Quite a bit of transfer activity at EP halfway through the 2002-03 season. Carlton Palmer explained some of his decisions to supporters.

May I start my notes today by explaining why I have allowed Ben Burgess to go on loan to Oldham and why I’ve sold Neil Ross and Keith Briggs.

As far as Ben is concerned, although he was improving, I don’t think he was doing as well as we would have liked. I was going to leave him out last Saturday at Notts County before it was called off and I then got a call from Iain Dowie.

Sometimes you go to a club and things don’t work out for you so we thought it would be beneficial for Ben, and us, to see how he does in a different environment.

I looked long and hard at Briggsy’s situation. He’s on good money for the Second Division and if he’s not in the team then he’s an expensive substitute. He’s good cover in a lot of positions but, unfortunately, the positions I think he’s suited to, which are right back or right midfield, are currently occupied. I thought the offer from Norwich was a good offer and we’ve built in a 30% sell-on clause should he move on.

With Rossy I always knew that once Alby was fit then, unfortunately, he’d be surplus to requirements. Macclesfield have paid us good money and to be quite honest, we had to take it.

I’d like to wish Keith and Neil all the best at their new clubs. I hope Ben is a big success at Boundary Park as well because the door certainly isn’t closed on him here at Edgeley Park.