Wednesday 22 November 2023
NEXT HOME GAME: Salford – Tuesday 28 November, 7.45pm
NEXT AWAY GAME: Newport – Saturday 25 November, 3pm
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Wednesday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
Technically, the first ever subscriber to hit the subscribe button was Bask supremo Benji Taylor. But when you create your own Substack, you automatically become the very first subscriber, so I thought I’d interview myself today. Talking to yourself is the first sign of going mad isn’t it? Ah well. I’m a County fan, that ship sailed a long time ago.
Today’s edition is sponsored by Kingsway Carpets. As always, a big thank you to Neil.
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: 46.68 miles
Total steps so far: 83,302
Total raised so far: £987
Total completed streets so far: 24 (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
Favourite thing about The Scarf My Father Wore?
I absolutely love writing about County, as you’ve probably gathered by now. The traditionalist in me does miss paper fanzines (although I don’t miss lugging cardboard boxes down Hardcastle Road in the rain…) but a monthly publication goes out of date so quickly these days, and I do enjoy this Substack platform which makes it easy to upload articles on a regular basis, connecting over 800 email subscribers and hundreds of other readers. If you lot keep readin’, I’ll keep writin’!
Where do you normally read your daily dose of The Scarf My Father Wore?
In bed with Michelle Keegan when her husband goes to work. Don’t tell anyone, though.
How or why did you become a County fan?
My father was a County fan, like my grandfather before. I didn’t have a choice. (I really didn’t have a choice, as you’ll see from how old I was when I went to my first game.)
What does Stockport County mean to you?
If everything went tits up for whatever reason, and we ended up in the North West Counties League losing 5-0 each week, the same faces would still be in The Armoury on a Saturday; the hardcore of 3,000 or so still cheering on their team at Edgeley Park. That’s County, for me. There’s something really comforting about that.
What was your first County match?
My first game was a Fourth Division match at home to Leyton Orient on 2 March 1987. I was two years old. (I told you I didn’t stand a chance.) The game was on a Monday night, and my dad left a few minutes early to get me back home. County were 2-0 up with four minutes to go. It ended 2-2.
Where do you sit inside EP?
A bit all over the place in recent years. Sometimes a corporate day in the Main Stand, sometimes the Pop Side with the Yellow Block crew, sometimes the Cheadle End with the Stockport Sippers Society.
Who else is in your usual County matchday crew?
More often than not, I’m with the Sippers. A fantastic bunch ranging from 30s to 70s in age, with a combined total of eight million County matches between them. That’s only a slight exaggeration.
Who is your favourite ever County player?
Big Kev. Young boys always look up to their football idols, and what an idol that man was.
Worst ever player?
I’ve got Mark Halstead in my head. Probably a bit unfair as he’s played in the Premier League and had an absolute blinder when he came back to Edgeley Park with Torquay just before we clinched the National League title. But years ago we lost 7-0 at Grimsby on a Tuesday night with him in goal and he stuck his fingers up to the 68 travelling County fans at half-time (he’d conceded five during the first half) so he’s getting it.
Favourite current player?
Hinchliffe’s a good’un isn’t he? Comes across really well on and off the pitch. I’d love to see him celebrate a Football League title/promotion before he retires.
Who is your favourite ever County manager?
I utterly adored Danny Bergara as a kid. Laid some flowers in the Cheadle End on the day he died and burst into tears. I’d love Jimbo to also have a stand named after him one day, though.
Best atmosphere you’ve experienced watching County?
The Cheadle End was still brand new but it felt like the roof was going to come off when Alun Armstrong smashed that FA Cup equaliser past Neville Southall.
I’ve got to mention the Autoglass final in 1993 as well. “Danny Bergara’s Blue and White Army” echoing around Wembley is something that will never leave me.
Favourite ever game?
Nuneaton and Halifax were unbelievably special afternoons. If I was only allowed to watch the highlights from one game for the rest of time, however, I think Chesterfield in 1997 would shade it. That Monday night at Saltergate was magical.
Worst ever game?
5-0 at Morecambe, 6-0 at Macc, 7-0 at Grimsby. There’s a few contenders. I think the lowest I’ve felt watching County, though, was the day our relegation to the Conference was mathematically confirmed at Crewe. Football fans invest an astronomical amount of time and money in their club over a lifetime, and it’s heartbreaking dropping out of the Football League. That was such a toxic away end, with arguments between fans and players all afternoon.
Favourite ever goal?
Gleeson’s volley at Wycombe wasn’t a bad moment, was it? I knew we were going to win the play-offs as soon as that ball hit the back of the net.
If you could play in an exact moment from County’s history, which would it be?
Why Tony Barras didn’t wipe out Ken Charlery bearing down on goal in the last minute at Wembley I’ll never know. I was only seven at the time but I think even I’d have tripped him up in that same position.
What is the biggest sacrifice you have ever made to get to a match?
I phoned in sick the day we played at Tranmere on a Monday night in 2009-10. My boss had a few questions for me the following day having seen me jumping over the seats celebrating Carl Baker’s winner from the penalty spot, live on Sky.
What’s the funniest thing you’ve seen at the match?
The late, great Chrissy Thompson pissing about with a massive fish he’d grabbed off the market at Tamworth away. I couldn’t stop crying with laughter for a few minutes.
Favourite matchday boozer?
The Armoury before the game, Bask after.
Favourite matchday tipple?
Not had an alcoholic drink for over six months now. A nice glass of fresh orange doesn’t lead to crippling three-day hangovers…
Favourite County song?
“The Scarf” obviously. I wish “The Streets of Stockport” got a good airing more often.
Worst County song?
The gimpy, generic songs that Premier League fans sing as well. We’re better than that.
What do you like the most about Edgeley Park?
It feels like a second home.
Best thing about being a County fan?
Do you know what, I honestly can’t think of an exact answer for this one. County’s been a constant feature throughout my entire life, though, through the good times and the bad. It’s always been there in one way or another. That’s not a bad thing to have.
Worst thing about being a County fan?
Walking through Stockport and seeing Citeh and United shirts everywhere. There’s a lot more royal blue on show these days, though, which is lovely to see.
Most despised rival club?
Burnley. I’m a 90s kid.
Most despised rival player?
Most of that Burnley team in the 90s. And Stoke.
Do you collect any County/football related memorabilia?
I don’t really make a habit of collecting anything anymore, although I do have boxes and boxes of County stuff in the loft that needs carefully organising one day.
Any chance encounters with County players?
Most recently, chatting with Colin Woodthorpe on the pitch at the Deva Stadium a few yards next to the group of Chester fans pelting Brackley fans with coins and lighters after the play-off semi-final. That was a bit surreal.
Used to see a few County players out and about in Manchester back in the day – Jim Goodwin and Neil Cutler on Deansgate Locks, Dicko in The Ritz.
Have you ever decked an opposing fan?
I used to enjoy bouncing round Bournemouth and Sheffield and London with the lads in my early 20s, I won’t lie, but nothing ever really happened. I got chinned on a County weekend in Blackpool and quickly realised pain wasn’t for me.
If you could invite any five people round for a chippy tea, who would it be?
I’ve written a stand-up routine about this very question and one of the people I’d invite is the first person who returned a used pair of underpants to Primark. Whoever that person is absolutely fascinates me. Can’t think of anyone else to invite. The Gallagher brothers and The Cheeky Girls. That’ll do.
Tell us something impressive about yourself without sounding stupid.
After making it through auditions in Manchester and then London, I was on the final standby list for The Apprentice in 2019. If any of the eight male finalists had failed their background checks or become ill, I’d have been in the boardroom with Sugar. Wasn’t to be. I would have mentioned my Countdown appearance but I looked extremely stupid on that, declaring one away on a numbers round when I still had a one left over to play with.
Can you play football to any sort of standard?
If Dave Challinor gave me a call now, a small part of me genuinely believes I could still come on for the last 15 minutes at Newport on Saturday and grab the winner.
Describe a perfect day.
Nuneaton was pretty much it. Woke up at Bredbury Hall, beans on toast, train from Stockport station with the lads, watched County win the league, celebrations on Castle Street, before returning to Bredbury Hall dancing and drinking with the players all night. That was some hangover on the Sunday morning.
Anything you’d like to say to finish?
David Elleray is a c**t.
And finally, here’s a few of Des Junior’s favourite things…
TV programme: I love my comedies. Peep Show, The Thick of It, The Office, Men Behaving Badly and Auf Wiedersehen, Pet have all been enjoyed again and again.
Film: I was obsessed with Fever Pitch as a kid. I love British films like Kes and The Full Monty but I can be easily captivated by an American crime classic like Heat as well.
City: New York’s the best city I’ve been to abroad. Edinburgh or Liverpool in the UK.
Food: I love a cheeky Italian.
Drink: I’ve started drinking Huel and it’s bloody tasty, especially the vanilla one.
Book: Big fan of Bill Bryson’s tales, and more recently I’ve been getting into Ben Aitken, who has a similar style.
Band: Oasis or Simply Red.
Click on the links below to read our previous interviews with The Scarf My Father Wore subscribers.
John K Bilsbury / Bob Carey / Graham Hall / Peter Jaquiss / Nick Lee
Make a feature out of your stairs
Kingsway Carpets stock a fantastic selection if you’re looking to make a feature out of your stairs. Fitting available in time for Christmas for all types of flooring.
Visit kingsway-carpets.co.uk for further details.
DJ Des
Might get a little bit of stick for this, but here’s DJ Des with some Simply Red.
Would you like DJ Des to play a song for your favourite County player, or a friend or family member? Email thescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com with your requests/shoutouts!
Today in SK
🍕 Food and drink
For those on a gluten-free diet, finding a nice portion of fish and chips to tuck into can be quite difficult. But on a Wednesday at Fishers of Cheshire (SK2), gluten-free meals are available. Open till 9.30pm.
Lunch deal at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). One course for £7 or two courses for £11. 12pm till 2pm.
Any pizza and two drinks for £14.95 at Platform 5 (SK8).
The Cheshire Line Tavern (SK8) have recently launched their new winter menu, featuring favourites such as beef stew with dumplings and cottage pie. On a Wednesday, you can enjoy two main courses for £20. Call 0161 428 3352 to book a table or visit cheshirelinetavern.co.uk. Open 12pm - 11pm.
❓ Quiz night
Flying Coach (SK7). 9pm. Free entry. Chicken wings for just 25p.
The Scarf My Father Wore works closely with venues on a daily basis to bring you the most comprehensive guide to all of the best offers and events taking place across the whole SK region. Click on the links below for full details of everything taking place in your area over the next few weeks.
SK1 / SK2 / SK3 / SK4 / SK5 / SK6 / SK7 / SK8 / SK9 / SK10 / SK11 / SK12 / SK13 / SK14 / SK15 / SK16 / SK17 / SK22 / SK23
Photo of the day
10 Downing Street, London
Can you spot a young Keith Briggs?
We’ve got everything from Art & Gifts to Yoga
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