Why County?
From Edinburgh to Edgeley, Armoury regular Gordon Cundill shares his story of how he became a County fan
Saturday 17 June 2023
NEXT HOME GAME: Huddersfield - Saturday 22 July, 3pm
NEXT AWAY GAME: Lincoln (in Spain!) - Friday 7 July, 4pm (Click here for our away day guide)
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, and anyone else joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Saturday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.
We’ve got a lovely weekend feature for you to enjoy today, as Gordon Cundill looks back on six decades of following County.
Today’s edition is sponsored by The Marple Plumber Ltd, who have a fantastic offer for The Scarf My Father Wore readers. They’re currently offering a full boiler check and service for just £65. Scroll down for further details, and if you have any boiler issues whatsoever, be sure to give Paul a call.
Enjoy today’s issue.
Des Junior
I grew up in Edinburgh. I went to Tynecastle Secondary School, and my father brought me up as a Hearts fan, regularly taking me to Tynecastle to see the Jambos, so it was definitely in the blood.
Due to family circumstances, I moved to Stockport in 1964, starting school at Belmont Secondary. Two lads in my class – Tony Malone and Tony Park – were County fans and tried to persuade me to go to Edgeley Park. My mum always said you should support your local team, so on 14 November 1964, the magic of the FA Cup took me to Edgeley Park for the first time. Wigan Athletic, still a non-league club back then, were our opponents in round one. County came from a goal down to win 2-1, thus starting a 59-year love affair!
Another home draw brought Grimsby Town to Stockport in round two, with the scheduled tie on the Saturday abandoned due to fog, before we beat the Mariners two days later.
Everyone thought the cup run would come to an end in round three, as we travelled to Third Division leaders Bristol Rovers. But after a battling 0-0 draw at Eastville, followed by an incredible 3-2 victory in the replay, we were in the fourth round. And what a draw… Liverpool away.
Newspapers were predicting that Liverpool would declare after 10, but County players hadn’t read the script and the Reds were lucky to escape with a 1-1 draw. Rumour has it that Bill Shankly was away scouting their next European opponents and went ballistic on hearing the result, ordering his players in for extra training on the Sunday. We lost the replay 2-0 in front of over 24,000 fans – the biggest crowd I’ve ever seen at Edgeley Park.
My first away game was in April 1965, the first of so many trips to Gresty Road, home of Crewe Alexandra. Although we lost 3-2, and eventually had to seek re-election after finishing bottom of the Fourth Division, I was hooked on County.
Under the chairmanship of Vic Bernard, the club started to progress. The following season we finished 13th before storming the league as Fourth Division champions in 1966-67. That was the “Go Go Go County” and “Friday Night is County Night” era. As a side note, our average home attendance for the season just finished is the highest since 66-67.
Friday nights were a real high for me, with the 14 wooden steps of the Cheadle End bouncing up and down. I was still at school, 15 or 16, but l was starting to mix with “The Big Lads”. If you know, you know. We had three seasons in Division Three and at that time we had in my opinion the best front four l have ever seen at EP.
In 2001, l was lucky enough to meet Jim Fryatt, the best header of a ball l have ever seen. He told me that scoring was easy with Pricey (Johnny Price) on the left and Lennie (Len Allchurch) on the right knocking the ball across for Big Billy (Bill Atkins) to nod them down. Jim, or Pancho as he was known, only stayed for a year but scored 28 goals in 49 games. When he left he was replaced by Alex Young. Christened “The Golden Vision” by Everton fans, he was a hero of mine when he played for the Hearts, so seeing him in a County shirt just four years after leaving Edinburgh was incredible. Unfortunately he was never fully fit and it didn’t work out as we wanted, but seeing him in Hearts and County shirts was unreal for me.
Palace away in 1972 was another standout game for me. I was on holiday in Emsworth, Hampshire, staying in a pub l’d previously stayed in when installing a machine in the area. The landlord’s son knew l was a County fan and fancied going to the game, so we drove to Selhurst Park to witness the 1-0 win courtesy of Hughie Ryden. He had an MGB, so it was a bit nippy, but it did mean we were back in the pub before 11pm, and drinking until way after midnight. Good job l was staying there!
Between 1974 and 1980 l was a bus conductor so this restricted my games due to working shifts, but one game l did get to during this period stands out due to the infamy of it. Yes… United away. 30 August 1978 is a day that will go down as the biggest display of… I’d better stop now as l don’t want to get sued… but if you were there, you know the truth. The records show a 3-2 defeat, but really it should have been a 2-1 win.
We seemed to do OK in the League Cup in the 70s, beating West Ham – a game l missed due to work. Norwich, Arsenal, Everton and Preston are games we lost at home in later rounds, but it made a diversion from the toils of the league.
I don’t remember too much about the 80s, either too much drink or too little to get excited about until 1989 when Brendan Elwood arrived, followed by Danny Bergara. The Man from Uruguay transformed the club and although his programme notes somewhat baffled people, the players understood him. Too many of his signings to mention, except the one standout, who you couldn’t miss: Big Kev!
This was another golden period for County with four trips to Wembley and although they all ended in defeat, we had enjoyed promotion under Danny with a 5-0 win over Scunthorpe on the last day of the 1990-91 season. The reason for Danny’s departure is well documented – suffice to say it did not sit well with most fans – although Dave Jones proved to be a more than competent replacement culminating in promotion to Division One. During this period we had in my opinion the two best midfielders to play for County: Tom Bennett and Chris Marsden. We finished 8th in 1998 under Gary Megson, our highest ever finish, but in true County style Jones, Todd, Marsden and others were sold, and relegation followed four years later.
After the Brian Kennedy years, former player Jim Gannon finally stopped the decline and a win at Wembley on our fifth visit resulted in promotion again.
Eleven years of sorrow and anguish followed and Tuesday night trips to footballing hotbeds like Brackley, watching County from a hill in Colwyn Bay, and even going to works teams like Vauxhall Motors were some of our “highlights” in those dark days. No disrespect to those teams as we were where we belonged on purely playing terms. This was after playing Liverpool at EP and the Old Trafford robbery.
Then in January 2020, a local businessman took over the club, a shrewd man who was successful and wanted to save his local team. Welcome to Edgeley Park, Mark Stott. He set out a seven-year plan to get County back to the Championship and has gone about it in a way that heartens this old County fan. No rash promises, no Netflix series, and no promise to learn the local language. He already speaks fluent County! Just calm methodical improvement every year. I am writing this just over a week since our last visit to Wembley (yes, another play-off defeat) but l am not too disappointed. In Mark Stott we trust, and l can’t wait for the next chapter in the history of Stockport County Football Club.
So there you have it. The ramblings of a 72-year-old man who’s been watching County for 59 years. In answer to the question “Why County?” I hope that this explains why. Onwards and upwards. It’s forever being beautiful.
Get a full boiler check and service for £65
Boilers are complicated things, aren’t they? If yours is playing up, don’t start fiddling with it yourself, it’s really not worth it. Give one of the experts a call, such as Paul from The Marple Plumber Ltd. Allow his boiler and central heating expertise to give you peace of mind. Paul is Gas Safe Registered and a Vaillant Advance installer, but he can service/repair/replace/install any type of boiler. And this month, for just £65, Paul is offering a full boiler check and service if you quote “The Scarf My Father Wore”.
Visit marpleplumber.co.uk for further details.
Today in SK
🥂 Food and drink 🥂
Head down to Petersgate Tap (SK1) for a refreshing pint of Newton Court Cider.
Bottomless Saturday at TRUNK (SK7). £30 per person (includes 1 breakfast item) from 10am till 12pm. Bottomless lunch £35 per person (includes 3 tapas dishes) from 12pm till 4pm. T&Cs apply and 90 minutes of selected bottomless drinks.
🎤 Karaoke 🎤
Lee at the Nelson Tavern (SK1). 8pm - 1am.
🎶 Live music 🎶
Alabaster Queen at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). Plus DJ Sandra. 8pm.
Simon Hughes at The Alexandra (SK3). 4pm.
Danny Muldoon at The Armoury (SK3). 9pm.
The George & Dragon (SK7). 8pm.
🎭 Theatre 🎭
Today is your final opportunity to see PORT by Stockport-born playwright Simon Stephens at Brinnington Community Centre (SK5). Simon, born in Stockport in 1971, has received both an Olivier Award and a Tony Award. He is one of the most prolific contemporary playwrights in the UK. PORT is his love letter to Stockport – in a way that can only make sense in Stockport! 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets £4.
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
The Bamboo, Hazel Grove
Having opened for the first time in 1961, apparently the Bamboo has closed its doors for the final time. Whether your experiences of the ‘Boo were good or bad, there’s no denying this old place will go down in Stockport folklore. The Manchester Evening News did a feature in 2018 if you fancy a bit more reading material today.
We’ve got everything from Art & Gifts to Yoga
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…
Art & Gifts - Bags - Builder - Butcher - Car Valeting - Carpets & Flooring - Chartered Accountants - Cleaning - Coach Hire - Coatings - Dog Walking - Financial Services - Fire Protection - Football Prints - Glazier - Internet Installation - Kitchen Appliances - Locksmith - Mobile Car Repairs - Osteopath - Painter & Decorator - Party & Event Services - Personal Trainer - Physiotherapist - Plasterer - Plumber - Recruitment - Removals - Security Equipment - Shoe Repairs - Solicitors - Timber Supplies - Tutor - Vintage Clothing - Workwear - Yoga
On a serious note, our sponsors help us to keep The Scarf My Father Wore completely free of charge for everyone (rather than paying for a subscription, like most Substack websites) so if you do enjoy our daily offerings, please support them whenever you can. Make a mental note to yourself that whenever you need a cleaner, or a plumber, or a solicitor (or if you are looking for a dominatrix, send me a private message as I know a cracking lady in Heaton Moor…), check out our own directory before you head over to Google or Yell.com. Loads of the businesses we work with are County fans, and we’ve often got great offers for our readers as well.
Click here to have a look at all the businesses in our directory.