Saturday, 8^th November 2025.

Matchday: County v Luton Town, League 1.

There was some breaking news after the blog went to bed last week; our friends at Sky have been tampering with kick-off times again. Huddersfield (H) on 10^th January and Cardiff (A) on 24^th January are now set for 12:30 kick-offs. Not ideal for County fans heading to Cardiff, which is a cracking city for a day out, but we know we’re pretty well down the totem pole where the broadcasters are concerned.

Worrying rumours were circulating before the match that Ollie Norwood was injured and could be out for two months. When the team was announced just before two o’clock, the news turned out to be even worse; not only was he out but so were Ben Osborne, Joe Olowu and Tyler Onyango. Osborne wasn’t a massive surprise, he limped off at Tranmere, but Olowu and Onyango’s absences came out of the blue. All these changes reduced my lineup score to 8/11 but that was the least of my concerns.

The remembrance formalities were beautifully done and very well observed. The last post, played as usual by Christopher Stiles, was note perfect.

So far so good, but it went downhill from there. We started brightly, making a number a half chances but failing to put them away. The match continued in this vein, County dominating but failing to trouble the scoreboard operator, until the visitors took the lead after thirty-four minutes through Jake Richards. I still felt we could rescue something but when we conceded another though a Cohen Bramall free kick four minutes later, I started to fear the worst.

A penalty award in the 56^th minute looked like a possible lifeline but Nathan Lowe wasn’t able to force it home. A third for Luton by Isaiah Jones thirteen minutes later put the tin hat on it. It needed but one thing to make a thoroughly dispiriting afternoon even worse, and Owen Dodgson provided it with a pointless pull on a passing opponent, leading to a second yellow card and the inevitable dismissal. Add to that Odin Bailey taking a whack and being replaced by Lewis Fiorini, and it’s hard to imagine a worse outcome.

There are at least some crumbs of comfort; Malik Mothersille came on late and looked busy, other results went in our favour so we’re still top and we haven’t got a game now for nearly a fortnight, so the management have time to sort something out before we play Peterborough.

Today’s tune is “Lovin’ Hell” by The Delta Bombers:

Sunday, 9^th November 2025.

Matchday: County Ladies v Durham Cestria, FAWNL Plate 2^nd round.

Here’s how County lined up for today’s game, Kenedy Owen and Olivia Wilson coming in to replace Emma Lysons and Paige Cole:

It being Remembrance Sunday, the teams paid respect to the fallen.

County had slightly the better of the first half but there was no score at the break. Photos by kind permission of Andrew @machinsports:

Shaunna Jein and Livvi Turkington had chances in the second half but couldn’t quite take them stick. In an attempt to stir things up, Steve O’Hara made substitutions after seventy-three minutes, Livvi Turkington, Liv Greenhalgh and Gemma Lancaster being replaced by Mollie Newton, Natalie Watson and Maria Figueiredo. The change paid off some seven minutes later, Nat Watson latching on to a rebound from an Em Bradshaw rebound and firing home to put the Ladies ahead. Unfortunately, the advantage didn’t last long, Durham scoring an equaliser on eighty-eight minutes. The game continued into time added and the Ladies’ opponents managed to grab the winner in the ninety-fourth minute.

The defeat is bound to come as a blow to the team and management, as Steve O’Hara had made it a target to progress as far as possible in the competition.

County Ladies’ next match is a tough league encounter with Cheadle Town Stingers at SSV this coming Sunday.

Now the dust from yesterday’s defeat for the men has settled, we can reflect on the fact that most of the day’s results went in our favour and we remain top of the league for another week at least.

PPG Prophet’s graph doesn’t take any prisoners though; it knows a loss when it sees one:

Today’s tune reflects our last couple of weeks, “The Ups And Downs” by Steeleye Span. It’s a tale of seduction on the way to market, rather than a comment on the fortunes of a football team, but I hope you like it:

Monday, 10^th November 2025.

TSBW’s Match Review pod on the Luton defeat was a three-hander this morning, with Jimmy Harmer, Steve Bardsley and Dan Culverwell. Here’s what they thought of the game:

• The team: An unfamiliar lineup, with Norwood, Osborn, Olowu and Onyango all unavailable.
• Luton’s tactics: In many respects the perfect away performance with a mixture of excellent football and the dark arts; feigned injury, timewasting from five minutes in, &c. &c.
• First half: We created a number of half chances but failed to take any of them. Kyle Wootton complained that Nathan Lowe had a speculative shot rather than passing to him, then spurned a decent chance himself, and Callum Connolly knew he should have done better with a header. Corey O’Keeffe might have done better to prevent Luton’s first goal and Ethan Pye’s trip on their player to give away the free kick that led to the second was just asking for trouble. The wall we put up to defend the free kick made no effort to jump as the ball flew over their heads, which seems extraordinary. All the first half stats were in our favour except for the ones that really matter.
• Second half: No changes at first, perhaps an indication of the lack of alternatives on our current bench. The early penalty looked like a lifeline as we weren’t playing too badly even then, but the failure to take advantage pretty much cooked our goose. Nathan Lowe made a decent job of taking the pen but Luton’s goalie was having an inspired afternoon and Lowe’s pause in his run up gave him time to get across to save. Town’s third goal put paid to any thoughts of a comeback, Owen Dodgson getting done for pace again in the buildup. This pace differential led to his dismissal shortly afterwards when he naively dragged his man down and received a second yellow. It was damage limitation for us thereafter, with Jayden Fevrier moving to fullback and Callum Connolly making a fantastic goal line clearance to keep out a fourth goal. It was good to see Malik Mothersille on the pitch and looking dangerous, he might be returning to fitness just in time.
• Where do we go from here?: It’s been obvious all season that a number of our second-string players aren’t up to the job, a particular issue at full back. At least the international break will give the coaching staff time to work on solutions with the players we have but surely there needs to be some strengthening in the January transfer window.

Interesting perspectives on a bad day at the office, watch for yourself here:

It was the EFL’s Week Of Action last week and County’s Community Trust played a full part. There are some nationally-known faces in this clip including Lewis Bate who seems to be no longer wearing a boot.

Today’s tune should perhaps be playing on a loop in the treatment room at Carrington, although I accept it’s more likely to be something this pensioner has never heard of. Anyhoo, “Fighting My Way Back” by Thin Lizzy:

Tuesday, 11^th November 2025.

Matchday: County v Wigan Athletic, Vertu Trophy group stage.

It’s rare for me to miss a game, and rarer still to do so voluntarily, but there was a gig I wanted to see in Manchester tonight and I don’t set much store by the Vertu/BDSM/Pizza/PaintPot Trophy since it was bastardised by introducing Prem U21 teams. Nevertheless, these games are good for getting the second string some minutes and there’s a Wembley final in the distance if we can get through the rounds. It pays better than the League Cup, too. We needed to finish second or better to progress.

The team was the expected mix of fringe operators, youngsters and players coming back from injury:

County went one up in thirty-second minute, a belting goal by Corey O’Keeffe involving an exchange of passes with Lewis Fiorini. Wigan equalised eight minutes later with a controversial goal that has divided opinion overnight. It started with a corner and after a scramble the ball looped up and dropped down towards the goal line. Corey Addai had a flap at it and was bundled into the net, along with the ball, by two Wigan players. How you feel about it probably comes down to your views on Addai as a whole; my opinion is that that he could have done much better but challenges like that on ‘keepers went out with the ark. The score remained 1-1 until half time.

The second half began in monsoon-like conditions and looking at the pictures, it’s surprising that the game wasn’t called off. The linesman on the Bergara Stand side was particularly badly affected, a leaking gutter drenched him every time he ran down the line as seen in this picture from Sam Byrne’s Twitter feed:

Wigan’s team included our favourite pantomime villain, ex-Wrexham striker Paul Mullin. He missed an easy chance at the hour mark, which went down well with the occupants of the main stand. Five minutes later play was suspended as the ball wouldn’t roll and a pitch inspection was planned in fifteen minute’s time. In the event, after heroic efforts by the ground staff, the game was allowed to continue some twenty-five minutes after it should have ended. There being no further scoring in the remaining half hour, it ended with a point each and the prospect of what’s County’s Twitter account called “..the most pointless penalty shootout ever for an extra point.”

County came out on top in the end with successful pens by Lewis Fiorini, Owen Dodgson, Jayden Fevrier, Corey O’Keeffe, Corey Addai and Bruno Cina. Corey Addai more than played his part in the shootout by scoring one himself and keeping out Wigan’s fifth.

Unlike previous matches of this sort, it sounds as though a number of players stepped up to the mark. There were special mentions for Corey Edwards, Christy Grogan, Owen Dodgson, Corey O’Keefe, Corey Addai (despite the controversy over the goal), Lewis Fiorini, Owen Moxon and Che Gardner. Jayden Fevrier meshed well with Malik Mothersille, a pairing that could prove vital in the next few weeks.

Here’s the final Group A North table looks:

It’s good to see that the U21 team in our group failed to progress again. These interlopers from on high diminish the competition by their very presence as far as I’m concerned, but at least they rarely do well. Finishing second means we’ll be away in the next round and we’re in Draw B of the northern section so we will play one of Bolton, Harrogate, Port Vale or Crewe. Apart from Harrogate, which is a dismal experience as an away supporter, I don’t really mind who we get.

Janice and I were at The Band On The Wall while all this was going on, watching Ray “Chopper” Cooper, ex-Oysterband, at one of his solo shows. A splendid evening, even if he sometimes had to make himself heard above the DJs who were giving it large and noisy next door. Playing one instrument well is impressive to me but he seems to have achieved mastery over everything it’s possible to get a tune from.

Today’s tune is a cracking bit of cello from Ray, who lives in Sweden these days, “My Compass Points To North”:

Wednesday, 12^th November 2025.

My day was dominated by a Supporters’ Co-Operative board meeting via Zoom. A few highlights:

• The Co-Op calendar made a decent profit, 50% of which was donated to Walthew House.
• The discount on away game travel with Edgeley Con Club Coaches has driven a welcome increase in membership.
• The Co-Op AGM on the 24^th of this month at The Spinning Top is an important part of the annual calendar and we need at least twenty members present or online to form a quorum.
• We desperately need a new website and a suitable designer has been identified. These things don’t come cheap though, so various ways of raising funds were discussed.
• Tickets for the Evening With Antoni Sarcevic are going well and it’s hoped that money raised will help with the new website.
• Work is proceeding on a new brochure to publicise the Co-Op and the benefits of membership.

This week’s main pod from The Scarf Bergara Wore featured regulars Russ Johnson, Waggie and Andy Reding with debut fan guest, the Cheadle End drummer, Dan Love.

• Dan’s answers to the newbie’s questions provided an interesting perspective, given his relative youth compared to the rest of the panel.
  • First match: County v Chorley, Saturday 21^st March 2015. Not an auspicious start, a 2-0 defeat.
• • Favourite match: Notts County v County, Tuesday 16^th April 2024. What a night to be a County fan, a 5-2 victory that clinched our League 2 championship.
• • Favourite goal: Any one of Paddy’s.
• • Favourite player (past): Liam Dickinson.
  • Favourite player (present): Ollie Norwood.
• The drum: Dan liaises with away clubs in advance about taking the drum in. County co-operate with him, where possible, and if the drum isn’t allowed in at a ground, their fans wouldn’t be allowed to bring one to EP.
• Blue on blue: There was some unpleasantness between our own fans at Tranmere that had to be sorted out by the Police. It didn’t involve Dan or the drum but was too close for comfort.
• Luton (H): Their win against us has elevated their team to prime Brazil status according to their socials. I was unaware that Brazil were known for timewasting from the very first minute of matches in their pomp, but international football isn’t my area of expertise. If we hadn’t lost four core players in one week and we’d taken our chances as well as they did, things could have been different.
• Wigan (H): The game took place in the sort of downpour that would have Noah getting quotes for timber and creating a private zoo. Dan compared it to the games in the last few seasons at Morecambe and Accrington, which is saying something. The ground staff and the referee deserve great credit for getting the thing finished after a delay to clear the worst of the water away. A number of players emerged from it with their reputations enhanced:
  • Christie Grogan: The tall ex-Stoke central defender has done well whenever called upon this season.
  • Corey Edwards: The young Rochdale loanee was the star in midfield, outshining Owen Moxon, who continues to underwhelm.
  • Corey O’Keeffe: The Barnsley loanee, who has shown flashes of good form recently, scored a terrific goal.
  • Che Gardner: He seems to have added some strength to his speed and had the Latics defence worried on a number of occasions.
  • Jayden Fevrier and Malik Mothersille: The two linked up well, which bodes well for our next few games where injuries and suspension mean we’ll have need of them both.
  • Corey Addai: Made a couple of decent saves, including one of the pointless penalties, and scored one himself. So far so good, but the way he conceded Wigan’s goal won’t have helped his confidence or his reputation with the fans.
  • Leon Berry: His choice of rain-related music was the high point of the break for the weather gods to blow themselves out.
• Meat raffles: Andy’s reaction to the world of meat raffles had me in stitches, he obviously hasn’t spent enough time in smoke-filled working men’s clubs.
• Random Shit Of The Week: A Waggie creation this week, it involved guessing (in most cases) the next item in a sequence. Categories, all County-related, included managers, league finishes, SCAN numbers and goal scorers.

An excellent pod, not to be missed:

Today’s tune is Hinds with “The Bed, The Room, The Rain And You”:

Thursday, 13^th November 2025.

Peterborough away on a Thursday night may not be the dream fixture but at least it’s now definitely on. There’s plenty of room on the Fingerpost Flyer for a stress and alcohol-free journey there and back, here’s the details:

Adults – £25:

Accompanied Under 14s – £20:

I foolishly got myself involved with a daft American Stevenage fan who felt qualified to denigrate the pitch at Edgeley Park on the strength of a clip from the game against Wigan. I hadn’t got the patience to explain about the legacy that Liam Cash and his staff were left by Sale Cuckoos, sometimes the game isn’t worth the candle:

Sam Byrne has given us this list of injured players and their expected recovery times. The asterisks mark those who haven’t played a competitive game so far this season. It’s going to be a taxing few weeks:

Ben Osborn (4 weeks)

Tayo Edun* (4 weeks)

Arttu Hoskonen* (4 weeks)

Brad Hills (4 weeks)

Tyler Onyango (4-6 weeks)

Ollie Norwood (6-8 weeks)

Lewis Bate* (2+ months)

We’ve drawn Crewe away in the next round of the Vertu Trophy. A winnable game if we shape ourselves, not far to go and at least it isn’t Harrogate.

Today’s tune is for my new Twitter correspondent, “All The Way From America” by Joan Armatrading:

Friday 14^th November 2025.

Splendid picture here, in honour of Dave Challinor being declared League 1 Manager Of The Month for October:

Help the Hatters, who do such splendid work keeping Edgeley Park looking pristine, also help to maintain Swanbourne Gardens, a purpose built, fully adapted respite facility equipped with hoists, ramps, specialist bathroom facilities and a range of toys, apparatus and equipment. It offers short breaks and overnight stays for children and young people, aged 0 to 19, with complex health needs. The group invites offers for two County shirts worn by former players, all proceeds to be donated to Swanbourne Gardens.

These are the shirts, both in very good condition:

Jordan Keane’s shirt from our National League days (size L) and Ibby Touray`s shirt worn in League 1 (size M). As I write this, both have been subject to offers of £100 each.

Further offers should go by email to Ian Brown at hedgegrower@gmail.com  before noon on Sunday 23 November 2025

The Wigan (H) highlights are here, and well worth a watch:

Jamie O’Hara (“Who he?” as they say in Private Eye) has stirred up a hornets’ nest north of the border by claiming on Sky Sports that County are good enough to win the Scottish Premiership. For what it’s worth, I reckon we could probably finish fourth or fifth but it’s the football equivalent of arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Needless to say, a number of County fans have added fuel to the online fire and it’s building up nicely. Russ Johnson of TSBW is going on Scottish TV’s podcast on Monday to throw his two penn’orth in, which should be interesting.

Today’s tune, aptly enough, is a plea for unity between Scotland and England, “Both Sides The Tweed.” This live version features one of my musical heroes, Dick Gaughan, with two other luminaries of the Scottish traditional scene, Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham:

See you all at Peterborough!

Animo et fide, you lovely people.