Saturday, 20th September 2025.
Matchday, Rotherham United v County, League 1.
I started the day in my usual Saturday fashion with the breakfast of champions, i.e. left-over curry from the night before and two cups of coffee that would keep a rhinoceros alert for a week. No dog to walk, as he was in Wales with his mistress, so I spent the time before leaving for the Fingerpost Flyer by listening to Geordie Hatter’s Awayday Show. Highly recommended if you haven’t heard it already:
Because there was a bus strike on, I’d volunteered to pick father and son tag team Peter and Luke Tindall up to take them to catch the Flyer. It’s a well-known fact that no good deed goes unpunished, and after collecting my passengers I stupidly ended up driving down the “Buses Only” section of Heaton Lane, so no doubt there will be a brown envelope in the post.
We all got a bit damp waiting for the coach to roll up and unfortunately there was little chance to dry out once underway as it seemed we had a choice between having the heating on or the driver being able to see where he was going. Luckily, I’d dressed for the conditions so it wasn’t the end of the world. Arrival at the New York Stadium was timed nicely for the electronic turnstiles to open, so I was straight in. £3.50 for a bottle of Fanta is a bit steep, but at least it came with a cap.
The weather was variable during the match; sometimes it was merely drizzling, sometimes it was an absolute monsoon. My allocated seat was right at the front but I retreated a couple of rows to try to get out of the rain. It didn’t work though, and I gather even those right at the very back were still getting wet at times.
The team was pretty much as last week with the exception of Ben Hichliffe coming in for Corey Addai and Corey O’Keeffe replacing the injured Tyler Onyango. 10/11 for me because I’d guessed about Ben coming in but hoped Tyler would be fit.
During the warm-up I had to deflect a wayward shot on goal with my hand to stop getting hit flush in the face. I didn’t have enough reaction time to punch it, so it bent my hand right back on itself, which made me see stars for a few seconds.
The game started with County kicking away from the travelling support and much of the action took place at the far end. When it did come our way, the returning Hinchliffe marshalled the defenders expertly, providing the confident leadership we sometimes lack with Corey Addai in nets. The centre half triumvirate of Pye, Hills and Olowu looked secure, Brad Hills in particular looking like last season’s iteration rather than the lost soul he sometimes appears when playing wider. The home team’s 9, Hugill, didn’t much care for Brad’s handling of him and was eventually booked for catching our man with either a stray boot or an elbow, whoever you believe. We should have been at least one up by half time, Beno Andrésson shot just wide when through one on one with the keeper and Brad Hills had a header cleared off the line.
The introduction of Jayden Fevrier and Malik Mothersille for Corey O`Keefe and Jack Diamond made us look more of a threat at the start of the second half. In fact Fev’s tormenting of United’s left fullback almost led to our goal, had Kyle Wootton not been shoved over in the box. Fortunately, the ball was retrieved by Ollie Norwood on the left, he crossed the ball and Wootton headed home to get the away end jumping to its feet as one.
There was some criticism of DC’s substitutions last Saturday, it was felt that they were too defensive and allowed Cardiff to besiege our penalty area for the last twenty minutes. This week he changed one forward for another when Nathan Lowe came on for Beno Andrésson and it meant Rotherham had to keep one eye on their own defence. Mothersille had done some good work down the left, but had to be replaced by Callum Camps after receiving treatment to his back. Odin Bailey, who had another excellent game, was replaced by Own Moxon at the same time.
As we know to our cost, a single goal lead can be difficult to defend but on this occasion we managed it very well and after three minutes of time added, the points were ours.
I’m sure all aboard were grateful that the journey home was a short one, everyone was wet through and as explained earlier, we couldn’t rely on the coach’s heating system to dry us out. By the time we landed, my right hand was starting to swell quite noticeably so once I’d dropped Pete and Luke off in Mersey Square, I headed off to A&E at Stepping Hill. It was quiet for a Saturday night and I was seen very quickly. After an x-ray it was determined that there was slight damage to the bones, but as I’ve broken this wrist at least twice before, it could be old damage. I was fitted with a splint and sent on my way rejoicing. My holiday snaps will be reviewed at the Virtual Fracture Clinic on Monday and I’ll get a phone call to tell me the SP.
Today’s tune is Tom Jones doing what he does best, high tempo gospel stuff “Didn’t It Rain?”:
Sunday, 21st September 2025.
Matchday: Stockport County Ladies v Doncaster Rovers Belles, FAWNL Division 1 North.
It was third against sixth at Stockport Sports Village today, with County hoping to continue their excellent start to the season. Here’s how the Ladies lined up:
Before kick-off, both teams observed a minute’s silence to mark the passing of Matt Beard. Matt was an influential figure in growing the women’s football in England and his loss will be felt deeply by all who knew him.
County started the game in dominant fashion, goals by Levi Rathburn, Em Bradshaw and Abbie Podmore giving them a 3-0 advantage at half time. The second half continued in the same vein, goals by Kenedy Owen and a second for Levi Rathburn made the score 5-0 before the Belles got one back. A first of the season for Nat Watson with five minutes to go made the final score an impressive 6-1.
Kenedy Owen was declared Player Of The Match for an impressive display topped off with a goal and an assist.
The splendid win cements third place in the table for the Ladies, just three points behind leaders Cheadle Town and with a better goal difference.
County Ladies’ next match is at Edgeley Park next Sunday, the 28th, in an FA WNL Cup Group-Stage tie against Liverpool Academy. Tickets are available via https://tickets.stockportcounty.com/match-tickets at £5 for adults and £1 for seniors, U16s go for free. As if watching the girls play at HQ wasn’t benefit enough, you get ten loyalty points for buying a ticket as well.
Today’s tune, in the least imaginative link ever, is the perfectly mad Electric Six with “Danger – High Voltage!”
In any normal week, I’d be writing a precis of TSBW’s Match Review pod that lands on a Monday morning but the splint on my right wrist renders taking notes impossible at the moment. In any case, the best way of experiencing it is always to watch it yourself, so here’s the link:
One of the best things about the win on Saturday is that we’ve moved up to eighth in the League 1 table so I don’t have to show the whole thing:
Staying in touch with the leaders without being “the best version of ourselves” bodes well for when we really get going.
PPG Prophet’s latest graph also looks better for a three-point haul:
I got the promised phone call from the Virtual Fracture Clinic and it was good news; they don’t think I’ve broken anything, the damage they could see was probably from the time I fell down the stairs from the Gents’ at a stock car meeting at Scunthorpe. The splint can stay on until the swelling goes down.
Looking back to Saturday, it was pretty much a perfect day apart from the incessant rain, so today’s tune is “Perfect Day” by The Jolly Boys:
Tuesday, 23rd September 2025.
Hot news on the podcast front, The Scarf Bergara Wore has once again been nominated as a finalist in the Football Content Awards 2025 – and hopefully soon, the Northwest Football Awards too!
Here’s what Russ Johnson had to say about the nomination and how you can help the pod to bring home the award:
“For those unfamiliar, the Football Content Awards is the UK’s biggest celebration of football content—covering football clubs, podcasts, YouTube channels, TikTok creators, and more. This year, over 29,000 nominations were submitted, grouped into 2,000+ entries across 32 categories. A panel of 30+ judges selected the finalists, making up 50% of the vote—the rest is up to the public.
We’re proud to be finalists in the Football League category, which is incredibly competitive. Back when we started, we were in the Non-League category – where we felt like big fish in a small pond (though we still didn’t win!).
We don’t chase awards, but it’s always nice to be recognised. It’s a testament to the hard work our team puts in behind the scenes. Maybe this year, we’ll bring home the prize!
How Can You Help?
If you enjoy what we do, please consider voting for us:
Head to the link: https://footballcontentawards.com/voting/
Go to the “Best Podcast” category
Choose The Scarf Bergara Wore and Vote!
You don’t need to register or provide any personal information.
Thanks so much for your support. It means the world to us.”
The highlights of Saturday’s game are worth a watch, get them here:
My fellow TSBW blogger, Josh, has penned an excellent article on the season so far from an exile’s perspective; get his view from a distance here:
https://scarfbergarawore.co.uk/exiled-review-the-season-so-far
Today’s tune, for exiles everywhere, is “Far From Home” by the Levellers:
Wednesday, 24th September 2025.
The club’s Community Trust have been playing a blinder at their weekly Parkinson’s sessions and 90 Minute Club, teaching participants how smart meters can show real-time gas & electricity use, help avoid surprise bills and inspire simple changes that add up to big savings. The guest at this week’s 90 Minute Club was the GOAT himself, Ben Hinchliffe. This picture from Help The Hatters stalwart and 90 Minute Club volunteer, Dot Jones:
Former County manager Dave Jones has appeared on the “Under The Cosh” podcast. It’s full of fascinating stories, the one about Chris Marsden’s retribution for being sold is an absolute corker. The whole thing is highly recommended:
This week’s main pod from TSBW featured Waggie in the driving seat, Jimmy Harmer and Dave Whitehead as co-pilots and fan guest Liam Cash, the wizard in charge of the impeccable lawn of a pitch at Edgeley Park. Before getting into the grass talk, the panel discussed the win at Rotherham:
- A deserved three points: An equaliser for the home team would have been an injustice but we should have sealed the win earlier with good chances for Beno Andrésson and Ethan Pye.
- Odin Bailey: From looking like he was surplus to requirements, his recent performances have been a revelation and it’s hard to see being dropped now.
- Jayden Fevrier: Tormented their left back when he came on, seems to be carving a niche as a super sub.
- Malik Mothersille: Looked good on the ball but needs to show more enthusiasm for chasing back when he loses it. Went off after hurting his back.
- Kyle Wootton: Another goal, he’s thriving now he isn’t alone up front.
- Game management: Too defensive against Cardiff, this time the changes kept the pressure on the opposition. Is this evidence that Chally continues to learn his trade in this division?
Attention then turned to this Saturday’s match against Reading:
- Do we keep the same team? The back three looks secure, which is perhaps a bit unfair on Callum Connolly, and would Arttu Hoskonen get a start if he was fit? Should a fit Tyler Onyango replace Corey O’Keeffe or should Jayden Fevrier start?
- Score predictions were all for a win, scores ranged from 2-0, through 2-1, and 3-0 to 3-1.
- This optimism was based on Reading’s poor start, but my innate caution leads me to point out that Plymouth hadn’t started too well until they played us.
It was then Liam’s turn to fill us in on the grass:
- The pitch was deemed second only to Bolton’s in the EFL last season, a tribute to Liam and his six staff.
- At the end of each season, the top 25mm is cleaned off to optimise drainage and remove unwanted growth. The artificial stitching lies below the grass itself and is now some four years old. The main base dates from the Bergara era, 1994-95.
- The next step with the pitch would be to improve its rain resistance, which would represent a major investment. Some changes would be required if and when the Pop Side gets redeveloped.
- There have been a surprising number of burials of ashes around the pitch over the years, originally at the Railway End and more recently at the Cheadle End. A side effect of this is that it brings home to members of Liam’s staff just how important the club is to the fans.
- Carrington: In addition to the pitch at Edgeley Park, Liam and his six staff now have three at the training facility to deal with. The third pitch, previously used by Sale Cuckoos, has allowed the U18 and U21 teams to join the first team at Carrington, which is now the real hub of County operations outside matchdays. All three training pitches match the main playing surface for size, but don’t have the same hybrid construction. Investment at that level is deemed too expensive for a rented site and, although this wasn’t mentioned, I suppose it would be a waste if the much-vaunted new facility in the borough was to materialise.
Random Shit Of The Week took the form of anagrams of County players’ names. Surprisingly difficult, I got two before the answers were given.
An enjoyable hour-and-a-bit as always, get it here:
Today’s tune is for all those souls whose ashes are buried on the edge of the greensward at Edgeley Park; “Bury Me Standing” by the Oysterband:
Thursday, 25th September 2025.
Saturday’s 1-0 win at Rotherham was Ben Hinchliffe’s 150th clean sheet in his 403rd appearance. It becomes ever harder to dispute his status as County’s GOAT.
From the Department Of “We think we’ve got ticketing problems,” the BBC have been investigating the illegal re-selling of tickets for Premier League matches. The main article, linked below, concentrates on Brighton but the figures around the same issue at Liverpool are mind-boggling. In two years, they’ve closed down 145,000 dodgy ticket accounts and just last season they issued 1,114 lifetime bans and closed down 162 social media groups.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c98en3pzrw5o
TSBW’s Match Preview Show this week was fronted by Lauren Hedley, talking to Alex of the Elm Park Royals podcast. It’s fair to say that Alex isn’t overly optimistic, but we’ve seen how that can turn out in the past…
- The season so far: Reading sit in 20th place on 8 points, with a league record that goes W2, L4, D2. Having finally shaken off their previous owner, Dai Yongge, hopes were high for a top half finish but that’s fading after a poor start.
- The transfer window was disappointing. Some of the better players left and those who replaced them came in late and haven’t had time to gel yet. So far, so familiar.
- Players to watch include midfielder Lewis Wing, winger Daniel Kyerewaa and striker Jack Marriott.
- Reading have sold around 1,000 tickets so far, they have the Railway End this time and they’re keeping a wary eye on the weather.
- Alex expects a cagey game from them, similar to their 1-1 draw at Bolton, where they sat back and relied on the break to get something. He predicts a 2-0 win for County, which would be nice.
The show is here for your delight:
Today’s tune, as befits a game against the home of Huntley & Palmers, is Half Man, Half Biscuit with their hymn to away fans, “Midnight Mass Murder”:
Friday 26th September 2025.
A rare opportunity to combine my twin passions of County and railways…
I expect many County fans will use the Thompson Street Bridge over the railway en route to the ground on match days. The bridge is to be renamed after a famous Stockport resident, John Axon, who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his bravery in trying to prevent the Chapel-en-le-Frith crash in February 1957. Despite the scalding steam filling the cab of his loco following a brake failure, Driver Axon stayed aboard in a vain attempt to prevent an accident. He was fatally injured when his train collided with another freight at Chapel station. The Guard of the other train, John Creamer, was also killed in the collision. The renaming ceremony is to be held on the bridge at 1:00 PM on Tuesday 30th September.
The scene of the accident gives some idea of the forces involved:
Back in May, County announced the arrival of Matt McKie as a non-executive director. His duties revolve around increasing the club’s income from commercial sources and improving its marketing and digital profile. Past appointments have included senior roles at organisations like EA Sports, FIFA, Nike, the International Olympic Committee and (Boo! Hiss!) Manchester United. He’s the subject of this week’s Footballco podcast, and it’s well worth a listen for an insight into the commercial side of the club:
Here’s what I’m hoping to see as a team tomorrow. It’s the same XI as last week with the exception of Tyler Onyango, assuming he’s fit, coming in at the expense of Corey O’Keeffe.
The blog is out a bit early this week as we’re going to see Skinny Lister at the Waterloo in Blackpool, one of our favourite venues. Today’s tune is my favourite of theirs, “Plough On.” The clever way they’ve incorporated the traditional tune “Speed The Plough” into the mix makes it for me.
See you all at Edgeley Park!
Animo et fide.
