Wrexham, Wetherspoons and being wound up
A chat with Dan from Another Saturday Ruined ahead of County’s first pre-season friendly at Chester this afternoon
Saturday 6 July 2024
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STOCKPORT COUNTY PREDICTION GAME 2024-25: Predict County’s top scorer, final league position, cup performances etc. £10 to enter. 40% of the pot to the winner, 30% to second, 20% to third, and 10% to Mentell. If you’d like to enter, drop us a message or an email.
Football is back!
I know England fans will have been enjoying (well… ish) the Euros over the last few weeks, as well as Scotland supporters (well… for about 10 minutes), but for those who prefer club over country, there’s always a tinge of excitement ahead of your first pre-season friendly of the campaign. County haven’t been in action for 10 weeks, but at 1pm, they’ll be kicking the first ball of the summer at Chester, as the build-up to our first season back in League One commences.
Dan from the Chester fanzine Another Saturday Ruined joins us this morning. That’s a rather apt title; it’s absolutely pissing it down over here.
EURO 2024 – DAY 23
5pm: England v Switzerland 🏴🇨🇭
8pm: Netherlands v Turkey 🇳🇱🇹🇷
Here’s a list of the best places to watch today’s games…
Bask (SK1). All the action on two 75” screens.
Petersgate Tap (SK1). Table service during the England game. Pies and sausage rolls available to order at half-time.
Thread (SK1).
Crown (SK2). Buy a pint of Helles today and you’ll be in with a chance of winning 52 free pints! There’s also a special menu throughout the Euros.
Armoury (SK3).
Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5). There’s four screens in the games room, a new projector in the lower games room, and a screen in the middle room where families and children can enjoy the match. Check out the Special Offer Wheel which will be offering a variety of great deals before, during and after each game.
Railway (SK6).
Marple Tavern (SK6). Food served at half-time such as burgers, hot dogs, pizza and chips.
Steelworks (SK6). Games shown downstairs (sound off) and upstairs (sound on).
Shady Oak (SK7). Food served during the games from the matchday menu. Pick up a loyalty card to receive a discount on certain drinks.
Three Tunnes (SK7). Buy a pint of Helles today and you’ll be in with a chance of winning 52 free pints! There’s also a special menu throughout the Euros.
Cross Keys (SK8). All pints £2.50 from 6pm till 9pm.
Railway (SK9). TVs in every room, and outside. Discounted doubles on spirits and 10% off four pint jugs.
Flute & Firkin (SK12). Call 01625 879181 to book a table, and quote “The Scarf My Father Wore” to receive 10% off your first round of drinks. (Not applicable for walk-ins.)
Friendship Inn (SK13). Five big screen TVs with surround sound, including one outside in the beer garden.
Today’s edition is sponsored APL Locksmiths. A big thank you to Anthony.
Thanks also to Beckers Mechanical, who sponsor our Chester content on the website.
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: 158.42 miles
Total steps so far: 254,782
Total raised so far: £1,909
Total completed streets so far: 347 (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
How’s your summer been so far?
Apart from the weather, it's been decent – hoping it picks up in time for our Isle of Man pre-season games! Our transfer business has been really encouraging, which always helps.
You were 4th in January, looking solid for the play-offs, but ended up in 10th. What happened?
Good question. Injuries played a big part in it, as it always will with a small squad. Maybe we found it tough after over-achieving the season before too, and losing Kurt Willoughby who scored a bagful for us that season. Hoping for much better this time around.
How’s your manager regarded by fans?
By almost all of us, he is loved. And rightly so. He used to stand on the terraces, now he's in the dugout and doing a great job – what's not to love about that?
Best and worst memories from past games against County?
Best has to be the FA Cup game at Edgeley Park back in 2014-15. Chester won and there were six goals in the game, so not much more you could ask for from a cup tie.
Worst, by a long stretch, is the 6-0 hammering at our place in 2018-19. We were woeful, you lot were great. Not a good combo from a Chester fan's point of view!
What’s your thoughts on everything that’s happening with that team in red down the road?
Now they've had a couple of promotions and the takeover is old-ish news, it's slightly less annoying. It's amusing the number of so-called Wrexham fans there suddenly are now, who couldn't be bothered to support their team when they were sh*t, but I suppose that would happen with most clubs in a similar situation.
What pub recommendations would you give to County fans for today?
Anyone who's been before will know the Deva is nowhere near any pubs, annoyingly, but you've got Telford’s Warehouse about a 20 minute walk away, which is great if it's sunny. There's a Wetherspoons called The Bull & Stirrup just a bit further up from Telford’s for a much cheaper pint though.
Best moment as a Chester fan?
Since reformation, Ben Heneghan's stoppage time winner against Wrexham on national TV. As Chester City, promotion out of the Conference in 2004.
Worst moment as a Chester fan?
Being wound up and ceasing to exist as a club, in 2010, will almost certainly always be the lowest point. I don't see how anything can beat that.
What do you think of Stockport County – A) the club B) the manager C) the fans?
Fantastic club with a great history and fanbase. Had your fair share of ups and downs and done brilliantly to be back where you are now after being mired in the National League North for as long as you were.
Challinor’s a great manager, and has been wherever he's managed, but the job he's done at County is incredible. Especially competing against the likes of our friends over the border…!
Fans are top drawer. Travel well. You've always brought well over 1,000 to Chester before, and always make a right racket. A big core fanbase that have been with you through the non-league days.
Contact APL Locksmiths to make sure your van is secure
We’ve regularly promoted APL Locksmiths’ services when it comes to your home. But lots of our readers work in the trade, and might benefit from getting in touch to ensure their work vans are safe and secure when they’re done for the day.
APL Locksmiths offer the ultimate transit custom lock package, including high position hooklocks on both the side loading door and rear barn doors plus a driver’s door replock, all on the same high security dimple key. Call 0161 442 4243 or email anthony@apllocksmiths.co.uk for a quote on your van before it’s too late.
Visit apllocksmiths.co.uk for further details.
Not your average garage…
Beckers Mechanical, based in Chester, are not your average garage. Established in 2017 by Peter McDaid and Scott Dewar, they combine skills, knowledge and experience rarely found in an independent garage. Their customers come to quickly rely on their diagnostic skills and the speed with which work is completed getting their cars back on the road in the shortest time possible. All parts and labour are covered by the Servicesure National Warranty Scheme and they also offer Servicesure’s “Brakes for Life” scheme.
Visit beckersmechanical.com for further details.
Photo of the day
Deva Stadium, Chester
“First of all, that Sarcevic goal is up there as one of the best goals I’ve ever seen live. The pass, the touch and finish were right from the top drawer.”
That’s how County fan Dave Philbin described Antoni Sarcevic’s goal in last year’s pre-season friendly win at Chester. Sarcevic isn’t with us any longer. Will any of our new signings score a belter this afternoon…
Today in SK
🎬 Cinema
One film at The Savoy Cinema (SK4) today. Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 1 (15) at 4pm and 7.30pm. Click here for tickets.
💿 DJs
From 7pm, AMP (SK1) will have DJs on, and if England beat Switzerland the bar will be handing out free shots!
Stockport’s biggest party at the weekend is at Bask (SK1), with DJ Gareth Brooks playing till 3am. Last entry 1.30am.
⚽️ England v Switzerland
Flute & Firkin (SK12), a tap house in Poynton with 16 craft ales on cask and keg, is a cracking place to watch England’s quarter-final today. Call 01625 879181 to book a table, and quote “The Scarf My Father Wore” to receive 10% off your first round of drinks. (Not applicable for walk-ins.)
🍻 Food and drink
All pints £2.50 at The Cross Keys (SK8) from 6pm till 9pm.
If you’re simply in the mood for a couple of pints today, pop along to one of our featured venues such as The Petersgate Tap (SK1), Thread (SK1), The Crown (SK2), The Armoury (SK3), Reddish Working Men’s Club (SK5), The Marple Tavern (SK6), The Railway (SK6), The Steelworks (SK6), The Shady Oak (SK7), The Three Tunnes (SK7), The Railway (SK9) or The Friendship (SK13).
🎤 Karaoke
The Nelson Tavern (SK1) with Lee. From 8pm.
🎸 Live music
The Dirty Truth at The Dog & Partridge (SK2). 8pm.
The Still at The Crown Inn (SK6). 9pm.
100 random grounds that County have played at
#57 – Moss Rose, Macclesfield
Last visit: Macclesfield’s only down the road from Stockport, but even so, with County on the verge of relegation to the sixth tier, 2,105 fans in the away end (over 50% of the crowd) was still a cracking turnout on our last trip to the Moss Rose in March 2013. Ian Bogie’s men picked up a point through Jon Macken’s late equaliser.
Support our sponsors this summer if you require any of the following!
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