Saturday, 18^th October 2025.

Matchday, County v Exeter City, League 1.

With everything that’s going on at the moment, it was good to see County supporting the EFL’s Together Against Racism programme and Hate Crime Awareness Week.

It tied in nicely with my article in the programme:

My team selection earned me a surprisingly good 10/11, my only mistake was picking Corey O’Keeffe instead of Tyler Onyango. I wondered if Beno Andrésson might play in place of Nathan Lowe, but it turns out he twisted his ankle in training so he’s going to be out for a week or two.

Kick-off was delayed by fifteen minutes because Exeter’s team bus was stuck in traffic between their hotel and the ground. It appears they wanted half an hour but the referee insisted on a three-fifteen start.

The ground improvements continue apace:

• First, a word of praise for those behind the scenes at the club; my seat was coming away from its moorings, so I dropped an email to the Supporters’ Liaison Officer asking if they could have a look at it. I got an email back from Kim Hulme the same evening and when I got to the ground the seat was fixed. Excellent work.
• Secondly, the Railway End gazebo has grown a back wall in the last week. This did wonders for the volume from the 508 Exeter fans and their drum, they kept up their noisy support for the entire afternoon and this spurred on the County fans who were as vocal as they’ve been all season.

The early exchanges were pretty even, Ben Hinchliffe rushing out to foil Wareham and Ollie Norwood having a shot blocked. County broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, a short corner routine by Odin Bailey and Ollie Norwood led to Nathan Lowe scoring with a powerful header. The goal came just after a slight pause to allow the applause for the lost Exeter fan, Dan Quinn, and I wonder if the slight hiatus caught our opponents on the hop a bit.

Before the match I was very concerned about the absence of Brad Hills but Callum Connolly proved a more than able deputy, his two blocks of goal-bound attempts, one at each end, were worth a goal each. Jack Diamond continues to excite and frustrate in equal measure, nobody gets us forward like he does but if he could only look for a colleague instead of blazing the ball over the bar, he’d be a world beater.

We tailed off in trademark fashion in the second half, we really must start finishing more efficiently if only for the sake of my nervous system. The way we fall back in defence towards the end of games makes me wonder how many are playing with niggles that would otherwise get them a rest. The inclusion of Joe Astles on the bench speaks volumes about the weakness of the available squad at the moment.

By way of a celebration, we took our tea at Mr. Ali’s opposite the Blossoms on the A6. It wasn’t spectacularly good, to be honest, there seems to be an epidemic of tough lamb in the area at the moment, we’ve had it dished up at a number of places recently. Also, the staff kept wanting to engage us in idle chatter, which I find very annoying.

Almost certainly unrelated to the food, I felt as rough as a bear’s arse when we got home, I repaired to my bed at eight o’clock leaving Janice to walk el perro.

In the spirit of the letter sent by the club to season ticket holders UT1 this week, today’s tune is “Sit Down” by James:

Sunday, 19^th October 2025.

Matchday, County Ladies v Sunderland Women PGA, FAWNL Plate.

A tough assignment for the Ladies today, with the visit of Sunderland’s U21 team. Here’s how County lined up:

County’s girls got off to a tremendous start with a goal after only three minutes, Shaunna Jein burying an unstoppable header from a corner. The Black Cats then got one back to leave the tie level at half time.

Sunderland struck first in the second half, but the Hatters fought back to draw level after fifty-five minutes when Em Bradshaw’s pass to Paige Cole allowed the sub to turn and fire home. That took the game to extra time. County’s winner came in the fifteenth minute of the extra period, Jess Battle driving home a Mollie Newton cross to put the ladies through to the next round. Cue well-deserved celebrations as shown in this Andrew Machin photo:

The victory leaves County well placed on three fronts; well up in the league, through to the second round of the Plate and facing Tranmere in the first round of the FA Cup at SSV next Sunday.

To mark the Ladies’ victory over the Black Cats, today’s tune is “This Cat Needs A Kitten” by Roddy Radiation & The Skabilly Rebels:

Monday, 20^th October 2025.

This week’s TSBW Match Review Pod brought together Jimmy and Chloe Harmer, Daniel Culverwell and Steve Bardsley to analyse the win over Exeter City:

• The team: injuries to Brad Hills and Beno Andrésson meant that Callum Connolly came in and Nathan Lowe kept his place. Tyler Onyango, back from suspension, took his usual berth on the right to replace Corey O’Keeffe. It’s encouraging to see partnerships developing in this run of games; Oliver Norwood and Odin Bailey is perhaps the most obvious but Kyle Wootton and either Beno Andrésson or Nathan Lowe, whoever plays, are starting to complement each other nicely.
• The bench: It’s all looking a bit thin; the inclusion of Joe Astles this week speaks volumes. It’s testament to Dave Challinor’s skills as a manager that we’re maintaining a title challenge with so many injuries and men on the bench who look far from fit.
• The goal: A triumph for those who favour the short corner and a cracking header from Nathan Lowe.
• The last twenty malaise: Our performance dropped off again towards the end but at least this time we looked reasonably secure.
• Individual performances:
  • Ben Osborn: A terrific job in an unfamiliar position, never puts a foot wrong. What will DC do with him once we get a specialist left wingback fit?
  • Jack Diamond; needs to work on his product to recapture his form from the end of last season.
  • Joseph Olowu: A superb signing, like an Akil Wright 2.0; gets us forward without losing the ball and getting stranded up front.
  • Nathan Lowe: Seems to have lost some of his pre-season enthusiasm, witness his fingers-in-ears celebration for the goal and his downbeat post-match interview. More games in Beno Andrésson’s absence and a few more goals will help his outlook.
• Man of the match: Votes from the panel for Odin Bailey and Callum Connolly in addition to Ollie Norwood, who was actually chosen by the sponsors on the day.
• Referee watch: A strangely inconsistent performance, started off letting the game flow but got more fussy as it progressed.

Watch the whole pod for more insights:

Good news for once, I’ve just pressed the “Easy Access” button to buy a ticket for Wimbledon (A) and got Row A Seat 1. I don’t know what the view will be like, but at least I’m unlikely to have anyone stood in front of me, unless it’s a steward or the bloke in the Womble costume.

The League 1 table continues to look promising after those recent wins. Our position isn’t secure, what with other teams having games in hand and our less-than-scintillating goal difference, but fourth place at this stage of the season with all the injuries and failure to play to our potential is pretty decent.

PPG Prophet’s latest graph shows that we’re back on the blue line, which means we’re on course for automatic promotion based on last season’s points total. It doesn’t butter any parsnips at this stage of the season but it confirms that we’re heading in the right direction.

The draw for the FA Women’s National League Plate 2nd round has pitched County Ladies against Durham Cestria, who are currently next to bottom in the same league. The tie will be played on 9^th November at Stockport Sports Village.

As Sky have decided we should have next weekend off, today’s tune is County’s dressing room anthem from the 2022-23 season, “Weekend In Paradise” by Jamie Webster:

Tuesday, 21^st October 2025.

The hallmark of this season so far is that we usually dominate the first half but the opposition hold siege to our penalty area in the last twenty minutes. Sometimes we get away with it (Bolton, Wycombe, Exeter) and sometimes we don’t (Reading, Cardiff, Bradford). The way we tail off towards the end of games makes me wonder how many of the starting eleven are playing with niggles that would normally get them a rest if replacements were available. The inclusion of Joe Astles, tremendous prospect though he undoubtedly is, on the bench on Saturday speaks volumes about the weakness of the available squad at the moment.

As far as I can see, this is the current injured list:

Owen Dodgson: may be back in training, could be available for selection soon.

Tayo Edun: expected back in training around now.

Arttu Hoskonen: expected back in training around now.

Brad Hills: ankle injury, expected to be out for a month at least.

Lewis Bate: Just out of the support boot, unlikely to be back until the new year.

Beno Andrésson: Twisted his ankle in training on his return from international duty, prognosis awaited.

Malik Mothersille: Should be back in training this week but his availability could be compromised by the fact that he and his partner are expecting a child any time now.

The worry for me is that, even once fit, most of those will take a good while to blend into the team, so any walking wounded may have to soldier on for some time yet.

The club’s highlights of the Exeter game are up now. A chance to savour multiple angles of Nathan Lowe’s goal, the terrific save from Kyle Wootton’s header and Callum Connolly’s block on the line in the second half. The clip also illustrates Jack Diamond’s superb dribbling skills and, unfortunately, his failure to capitalise on them with his final ball.

I missed this on Saturday, it was over 100 yards away for one thing, but I love this bit of self-deprecating humour and generosity by County. The temporary roof over the Railway End hasn’t been without its critics and this seems a good way of “owning” it:

Top marks to Mark Kee and Gaz Ebo from the club’s catering team for organising it.

Baked goods, is it? Then today’s tune (along with possibly the campest video since Queen’s “I Want To Break Free”) is Merry Hell with “The Baker’s Daughter”:

Wednesday, 22^nd October 2025.

Last week, County’s Community Trust relaunched their Primary School Assembly Programme to schools across Stockport. I wish we’d had visits from County luminaries like Vernon Bear when I was a kid, it would have made a pleasant change from the hymns and prayers.

This week’s main pod from The Scarf Bergara Wore was the latest in a series of pre-recorded sessions featuring Captain Fantastic, Mike Flynn. With Mike in the Snug at The Alexandra were Russ and Dan Johnson, Andy Reding and fan guest Ryan Bradley. It was recorded on the eve of Flynny’s departure for China with Steve Bellis’ tour. In addition to an impressive itinerary of tourist destinations, the team created for the trip, Stockport AFC, will play three games in Tangshan and Lanzhou, one in particular is expected to take place in a packed stadium amid massive celebrations for the home team.

Other less international matters discussed included:

• Slender victories: Our failure to see teams off remains a worry, despite our very healthy league position.
• Squad size: Does our greater choice of players these days lead to a lack of leadership on the field?
• It’s a penalty area, not Rourke’s Drift: Does the introduction of more defensive-minded subs late in the game make an equaliser more likely rather than less?
• Returning players: Would a fully fit Lewis Bate replace Odin Bailey despite the latter’s fantastic recent form?
• Kyle Wootton: He’s absolutely fundamental to our system and we don’t currently have a ready-made replacement. Something to consider in January, perhaps?
• Ollie Norwood: We absolutely need to keep him fit, he’s been running the show so far.
• Louie Barry: The idea that Nathan Lowe might be recalled in January and Barry could return to us is gaining traction on the socials. Is it a good idea though, or might we be better sticking with our own players rather than becoming ten blokes and Louie Barry?
• Port Vale (A): Despite their current lowly league position, they’ve spent well on a decent squad, plus there’s the Croasdale factor to consider. A chance to score more than once, though, if the game follows the form table.
• Most disappointing game so far?: Suggested candidates were Bradford (H) and Plymouth (A). The latter would be my choice, it was a long day and a woeful performance.
• Tranmere (A): The FA Cup draw hasn’t been greeted with universal enthusiasm but it’s hard to see why; a winnable local game at a decent ground, what’s not to like?
• Hoodoo grounds: The lads suggested grounds where they thought we had unfinished business. My particular one is Old Trafford, I was there for the floodlit robbery in 1978 and I’d dearly love us to put things right.

It was an excellent pod, watch it yourself here:

Today’s tune is a live version of “Hoodoo Preacher” by the Wildcards. Some cracking guitaring in this, by the way:

Thursday, 23^rd October 2025.

Edd Powell is organising another of his football fairs in the 1883 at EP next March in conjunction with Help The Hatters and in aid of Parkinson’s UK.

For this week’s TSBW Match Preview pod, Steve Bardsley talked to Andy of The Ale And The Vale podcast about our game next Monday. It was interesting to note that we’ve only played them twice in twenty years, when in the 80s and 90s it seemed to be every other week.

• Financial difficulties: Like us, Vale have struggled at time and have had two bouts in administration. The current owners are more sensible and are making more of an effort in the community.
• Former players in common: Chris Hussey, Ryan Croasdale and John Jeffers all played for both teams.
• Jim Gannon: A legend at both clubs but for conflicting reasons. His short tenure as manager at Vale ended in a falling out with his assistant, Geoff Horsfield, in a motorway service station coach park.
• Hopes for this season: Consolidation, their budget suggests a mid-table finish. Early results didn’t reflect the quality of performance.
• Players to watch:
  • Devante Cole: Natural striker, son of Andrew Cole.
  • Ryan Croasdale: Former County favourite, doing at his new club what he did for us; secure, dependable, a fan favourite.
  • Joe Gauci: Goalkeeper on loan from Aston Villa.
  • Connor Hall: A dependable centre back.
• Style of play: Darren Moore favours a pragmatic style, employing a low block with wingbacks.
• Prediction: Andy would settle for a draw; maybe 1-1.

There’s more see in the video:

Craig Smith, @smithy82 on Twitter, is leaving to open a healthcare centre next to an orphanage and disability centre in Sierra Leone. He’s raising funds to help get them connected to Wifi etc. As part of this effort, he’s selling a 10-11 years County shirt signed by the majority of the 2017-18 squad. He warns that it might need a bit of TLC but would look great in a frame. As I write this, he’s been offered fifty quid for it (by me, as it happens) but it’s an excellent cause so if you’d like to outbid me, please get in touch with Craig direct. He leaves at the end of this month, so you’ll need to be quick if you want it!

This is the charity he’s working with:

Today’s tune, in honour of the aforementioned shirt, is “Yellow” by Coldplay:

Friday 24^th October 2025.

The blog will be a bit late out tonight because I spent the afternoon at the Anson Museum in Poynton gricing the various engines. They close down for the winter after this weekend, so I’d recommend nipping down tomorrow or Sunday to have a look round. This particular engine is a Crossley, built in Manchester and originally used for training purposes at Chesterfield College:

The latest pictures from Carrington show that Owen Dodgson is back in training. I can’t see him displacing Ben Osborn for the time being, but perhaps he’ll take up a place on the bench next week. On the subject of our injured players, there are also pictures of Lewis Bate captioned “Back soon!” Soon must be a fluid concept, as the work he’s shown doing is all upper body stuff, but it’s good to see him without the support boot on.

Des Hinks, County fan, actor, stand-up comedian and writer of The Scarf My Father Wore blog, has added author to his list of accomplishments with a book entitled “Back Where We Belong.”

It’s priced at £12.99 for collection before or after a County game or £17.28 by post. To order, either email thescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com or drop Des a message on Facebook. He’s also been touring local pubs to publicise the book, the remaining dates are this Saturday, the 25^th at the Dandy Cock in Disley and this Sunday, the 26^th at High Lane Con Club.

Folk immortal Martin Carthy was nominated for the 2025 Mercury Prize for his album “Transform Me Then Into a Fish,” making him the oldest nominee in the award’s history at the age of 84. Today’s tune is my favourite of his oeuvre; it tells the story of a poor farmer and his missus outwitting Old Nick who has called to claim the farmer’s soul. This is “The Devil And The Feathery Wife”:

See you all at Vale Park!

Animo et fide, you lovely people.