Tinseltown
An exclusive County-related extract from Ian Herbert’s new book on Wrexham’s Hollywood owners and the club’s return to the Football League… a year after we did it, obviously!
Friday 29 September 2023
NEXT HOME GAME: Forest Green – Tuesday 3 October, 7.45pm
NEXT AWAY GAME: Accrington – Saturday 30 September, 7.45pm
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Friday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
There’s been loads of back-and-forth between County and Wrexham fans on social media over the last couple of years (we’re both as bad as each other on that front) but whereas some Hatters have developed a real hatred, I maintain the stance I’ve always had: I’m glad to see a club like Wrexham back in the Football League. We have far more in common than that which divides us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still pissing myself at that five-star demolition job we did on them last Saturday (sorry, Ian), and they’ve obviously attracted a number of Disney whoppers following the takeover, but you can’t tell me Wrexham’s hardcore fans – the ones who stuck with the club through 15 years in non-league – didn’t deserve their moment in the sun at the end of last season.
I bought a copy of Tinseltown recently, written by Daily Mail columnist Ian Herbert, reflecting on a crazy and bizarre few years in North Wales, culminating in Wrexham’s return to the Football League in April. There’s numerous references to County throughout the book, and I have to say it’s an absolutely fantastic read. I contacted Ian recently to see if I could share an extract with you and I’m delighted he agreed. We pick up the story in the summer of 2021, with County and Wrexham gearing up for what turned out to be an epic title race.
Finally, a big thank you to Gilly at The Ironing Service for sponsoring today’s edition. Give her a call on 07726 555612 if you’ve got any ironing you’d quite like a hand with.
Have a great Friday!
Des Junior
There was an urgency about all this borne of the knowledge that Stockport County, who’d finished third in the table the previous season and had lost in the play-offs, had spent money for their own National League promotion push. There were many parallels with Wrexham. County had also seen better days and Stockport also had its own faded post-industrial charm with its redbrick viaduct, built with 11 million bricks in Britain’s railway age, and a mill, with a 200-foot chimney, from which the town once sent six million hats around the world.
County had fallen even lower than Wrexham, to the sixth tier National League North, playing – and losing – to Tamworth and Brackley, but the club had never lost their core support. Football still glued the community together. They’d attracted 6,300 fans for a league game against Spennymoor. Their 129-year-old stadium, set among the Victorian terraced back-to-backs of the town’s Edgeley Park district, had the same careworn look that Harvey found when he paid his undercover visit to the Racecourse during lockdown. There was peeling paint, and weeds were taking over the Railway End for away fans, which was open to the elements. Owner Mark Stott didn’t make films or TV shows but he shared McElhenney’s and Reynolds’ vision of football as a vehicle to give a place some confidence back. He had enquired about buying Macclesfield Town, which was also in a shocking state of disrepair, and found its owners unreceptive to the idea, before Stockport County’s need of investment was made known to him.
Some of the expert advisers Stott sought out issued a warning familiar to McElhenney and Reynolds. “This is going to eat up your money.” But Stott bought the club on 20 January 2020, and when Covid struck two months later, and football was suspended, he set the course which Wrexham would follow 18 months later – smartening up concourses, applying paint, building executive lounges to attract sponsors. The club had a support base which more than matched Wrexham’s.
In the transfer market the rationale was also the same as Wrexham’s. Be bold, because with other substantial ex-Football League sides in the division – Chesterfield, Notts County, Grimsby Town – and just the single automatic promotion spot, fortune favoured the brave.
There are no spending restrictions in the National League so owners can pump as much money as they want into their teams, so long as it is permanent investment – sponsorship or stock options – and not loans. Tighter Football League financial sustainability rules, which stipulate clubs may only spend a percentage of their income, have led some ambitious National League clubs to spend before they reach that level. It was the model by which other ambitious teams – Fleetwood Town and Salford City – had both been promoted. Stockport’s transfer budget was around £2.5 million. Wrexham’s outlay was already indexed to the level of the club’s turnover, which was partially contingent on the main club sponsors they could find that summer of 2021, but they and Stockport were certainly the division’s biggest spenders.
As Wrexham went about building their own squad, agents sought to play them and Stockport off against each other, knowing how badly each wanted the automatic promotion spot. “Agents were coming to us about their players saying, ‘Of course, he’s got an offer at Stockport, but he’d rather come to you,’” says Reed. “Whether that was true or not … but it was their way of saying, ‘Well, if you don’t sign him, he’s going to one of your rivals.’ You have to pick your way through that minefield.”
Stockport County had had their chance to buy Mullin. It had been made known to them at the start of the summer that he might be available, but the decision was made not to sign him. The £5,000-a-week wages would have burnt a big hole in their budget and the rationale at Edgeley Park was also that strikers can be unpredictable, scoring many goals in one season and none for the next two. They wanted year-on-year consistency. They had already made their major investment when, the previous March, before Wrexham’s reconstruction effort had even started, they bought Paddy Madden, a 31-year-old from League One Fleetwood Town, on wages thought to exceed £3,000 a week. He had scored heavily in the Football League season after season and was the second-best finisher of all time in League One. Fleetwood had no particular wish to sell him but Stockport’s offer was too good to refuse. The clubs both Wrexham and Stockport were doing business with illustrated the marginal difference between the leading National League sides and some teams two tiers up.
County might not have had Maximum Effort at their disposal but the creative marketing team that promoted Stott’s property developments helped with the club’s promotional work. Looking for ways to leverage off the stir McElhenney and Reynolds were creating they sent six of Stockport’s blue home shirts to Hugh Jackman, the actor who had a long-running creative partnership with Reynolds. “Support us instead,” the club said. “We’re going to win the National League.” Jackman didn’t respond. But the bookmakers had Stockport County down as favourites heading into the season.
Get some help with the ironing
Those who have shared hotel rooms with me on previous County trips will know I’ve often ‘ironed’ my Saturday night outfit by hanging it up on the bathroom door and sticking on a boiling hot shower for a while. Probably not the best way of doing things, for your clothes or the environment.
As the above photo indicates, I have started to get the ironing board out as I’ve matured over the years. But it’s still one of the most boring chores known to man, isn’t it?
If you find the ironing a bit tedious, or if you’ve got a huge pile of clothes building up that you’re struggling to get through, you should definitely phone Gilly from The Ironing Service.
Established for over 20 years, the business offers a reliable ironing service, with a 24-hour turnaround, including collection and delivery to your home or place of work.
You can reach Gilly on 07726 555612 for further details.
Photo of the day
Somewhere in Dubai
Former County striker Ian Moore enjoying some of Dubai’s delights on holiday this month.
Today in SK
🎶 DJ
The Nelson Tavern (SK1) have their resident DJ playing on a Friday night, with Dicko (Ian Dickinson) on from 8pm till 1am.
🍟 Food and drink
Petersgate Tap (SK1) have just taken delivery of this year’s supply of Good King Henry bottles. Pop in for a couple.
Lite bite meal deal at The Friary (SK3). Cod or haddock, served with chips, and a side of peas, curry or gravy. Plus tea or coffee. £9.95. Open till 7.30pm.
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
Bunch of fives
5️⃣ goals against Wrexham last Saturday
1) Olaofe 21
2) Olaofe 30
3) Barry 32
4) Olaofe 50
5) Madden 90
County’s last 5️⃣ games at Glanford Park (quite possibly, ever, with everything that’s going on)
1) Scunthorpe 0 County 0, 1987-88
2) Scunthorpe 1 County 1, 1988-89
3) Scunthorpe 5 County 0, 1989-90
4) Scunthorpe 3 County 0, 1990-91
5) Scunthorpe 2 County 1, 2008-09
5️⃣ non-Stockport places with an SK postcode
1) Stalybridge
2) Dukinfield
3) Hyde
4) Glossop
5) Macclesfield
5️⃣ Michelle Keegan TV shows
1) Coronation Street
2) Our Girl
3) Ordinary Lies
4) Tina and Bobby
5) Brassic
5️⃣ famous people born on 29 September
1) Alfie Boe
2) Robert Webb
3) Sebastian Coe
4) Julia Gillard
5) Des Hinks Junior
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We might not have found a psychic from Poynton or a dominatrix from Davenport just yet, but we’ve pretty much got you covered for all other products and services you might need across Cheshire and Greater Manchester. Just take a look at this little lot…
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