Saturday, 25^th October 2025.

Well, this is weird. A Saturday in the football season and no match to go to. I suppose this is what it must be like for fans of Premier League teams, the ones who actually go to matches I mean, they get their matches moved all the time.

Sky giveth and Sky taketh away though, so at least there was football to watch on the haunted aquarium. I decided on Bolton v Cardiff as it was the match most likely to affect us. Big mistake, it was ninety minutes of my life I was never going to get back. It finally came to life deep into injury time when Amario Cozier-Duberry scored a belter for Bolton. That’ll give Cardiff a little taste of what it’s like to concede right at the death, just like we got when we played them at EP.

I didn’t pay full attention once the rest of the League 1 games kicked off at three o’clock but I noticed that at one stage we were down to sixth, which was disappointing. Things had bucked up considerably by teatime though, and we found ourselves where we’d started off, in fourth place. Wimbledon were beaten 1-0 at home by Burton, Lincoln lost to Orient and Stevenage drew with Bradford, all results that suited us. It never does to count your County chickens before they’re hatched of course, but if we can beat Port Vale on Monday night, we’ll go top. No pressure then, lads.

Here’s the league table as of teatime, confirming that, despite rarely looking really convincing, we’re only point behind the leaders.

Following close behind isn’t a bad place to be, here are the kings of British rhythm and blues, Dr. Feelgood, to explain in today’s tune “Twenty Yards Behind”:

Sunday, 26^th October 2025.

Matchday: County Ladies v Tranmere Rovers, FA Cup 1^st round.

As manager Steve O’Hara explained on the TSBW County Ladies pod last week, everyone at the club realises that winning the FA Cup is nothing more than a pipedream but they would dearly love to get through to the third round, where the big beasts of women’s football enter the draw. The first step towards achieving that goal was to see Tranmere Rovers off at SSV today.

County’s lineup contained a number of changes from last week’s win against Sunderland. In came Mollie Newton, Gemma Lancaster, Levi Rathburn, Paige Cole, Maria Figueiredo and Courteney Csomor to replace Emma Lysons, Francesca Davies, Jess Battle, Natalie Watson, Emily Bradshaw and Livvi Turkington.

County took the lead on twelve minutes when Maria Figueiredo crossed for Livi Rathburn to wallop the ball home. They doubled their advantage thirteen minutes later when another cross reached Paige Cole. who buried the chance. A third came five minutes before half time when Paige Cole turned provider, setting Courteney Csomor up to lash home.

This image courtesy of Andrew at @machinsports:

The second half producing no further goals, the Ladies are through to the second round and will learn their opponents when the draw is made tomorrow night.

Here’s my guess at a team for tomorrow night. Dave Challinor said in his pre-match interview that Malik Mothersille and Beno Andrésson might be available, but I’d expect them to be on the bench rather than in the starting XI.

Today’s tune is Falkirk’s finest, Brògeal, with “Sunday Morning”:

Monday, 27^th October 2025.

Matchday: Port Vale v County, League 1.

The draw for the second round of the Women’s FA Cup was made tonight, County Ladies will travel away to play Derby County.

I see County are issuing a replica 1996 shirt, one of my favourites. I had an original nearly thirty years ago:

Monday night games were standard midweek fare when I was a kid, it was years before Tuesday nights became the norm. In this Sky-driven world, I suppose we should be grateful that our match wasn’t set for Thursday morning at half past midnight. As it was, the Fingerpost Flyer was due away from Lowndes Lane at five thirty and Janice dropped me off with sandwiches, bottle of pop, phone bracket and charger all complete.

The journey was pretty routine until we got within sight of Vale Park, at which point it went completely chest-uppermost. We weren’t allowed to debus there, and the stewards gave our driver directions to the official parking spot that sent us the wrong way down a narrow one-way street that ended in a junction that we couldn’t get round. After a great deal of shuttling to and fro, we had to be redirected by the Police in the end because we were snarling the traffic up all around the Potteries. We ended up, along with two other coaches, parked in a side street next to Lidl, which wasn’t the official parking spot but the Police were happy with it. A gang of Stone Island clad Burslem yoof had taken time out of their busy schedule to welcome us off the coach, but fortunately a lone constable kept them at bay. The route to the ground, down a pot-holed unlit track, was rather longer than I was comfortable with but I got there before kick-off, which was nice.

Dave Challinor went for an unchanged team from last week, which earned me 11/11 on FanHub. Not that the points mean much to me anymore as the awards are all discounts on stuff I don’t want, but I still get a nice warm feeling anyway:

I’ve seen a Tweet from Des Hinks to say that the stewards at the turnstiles were being over-zealous, searching pockets and turning fans back for being drunk. A lot of people, including me, were just waved through so I didn’t see anything myself. The rain was tipping down before the game but I managed to grab a seat right at the front so I could see the game without somebody stood in the way. This was Vale’s remembrance match, so we had the usual formalities to observe before the start. It was good to note that the tributes were observed respectfully all round the ground.

The game itself was a belter; we seized the initiative with a superb headed goal by Nathan Lowe, a precision strike on the turn by Kyle Wooton and a smash and grab job by Jack Diamond who was deemed man of the match for his superb all-round performance. The second half was goalless, but Nathan Lowe hit the post in the first minute and other chances came and went. Lowe was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch after giving a Vale player a bloody nose, accidentally or otherwise. He did receive a caution though, which informed sources say will prevent any further action being taken. The home team were nothing to write home about; they hit the bar with a good free kick and Ryan Croasdale should really have taken at least one of his opportunities but that was about it.

With the mean streets of Burslem to negotiate, I set off for the coach on ninety minutes so I missed the team and staff holding George Thompson’s flag on the pitch, a gesture of togetherness that never fails to produce a lump in the throat. The walk just about knackered me; I don’t think I’ll be going to Vale Park next time we play them.

I was glad to get home, although I must confess that I watched some of the recording of the match before retiring; it’s not every day you go top of the league.

Today’s tune is the original lineup of AC/DC with “It’s A Long Way To The Top”:

Tuesday, 28^th October 2025.

We may not stay on top forever, so let’s have a look at the League 1 table while the going’s good:

PPG Prophet’s graph shows that we’re ahead of the Auto Promotion line at the moment. So are the three teams below us, mind you, so we’ll need to keep at it.

The EFL’s highlights of Monday night’s win are here:

The Stockport County Supporters’ Co-operative have teamed up with The Scarf Bergara Wore to host a very special night celebrating one of County’s modern legends — Antoni Sarcevic.

Join us at Fitzpatrick’s Bar (formerly BASK), conveniently located opposite Stockport train station, on Wednesday 26^th November 2025. Doors open at 7:00pm and it promises to be a fantastic evening of stories, laughs, and County pride.

Co-Op members had a 48-hour priority booking window to secure tickets at half price but this will have passed by the time the blog is out, so unless you’re a TSBW Patreon member you’ll have to pay full whack but that’s still cracking value at only a tenner.

Buy tickets here: https://www.seetickets.com/event/an-evening-with-antoni-sarcevic-hosted-by-tsbw/fitzpatrick-s-bar/3523685

There’ll also be a raffle with some incredible prizes up for grabs, including:

1.        A shirt signed by the League Two Champions.

2.        A signed match ball.

3.        Stockport Gin.

Raffle tickets are just £5 each — and every purchase supports the Co-op’s ongoing work for County fans.

If you, your friends or guests aren’t Co-op members yet, now’s the perfect time to join. The more members we have, the stronger our collective voice — and members enjoy exclusive benefits, including priority access to future events just like this one.

Join the Co-op today: www.countysupporterscoop.co.uk/join-today

Bradford played Lincoln tonight and, had they won, would have gone above us. It ended 0-0, which was the ideal result because Lincoln aren’t far behind us either. This means that we’ll be top until at least the 6^th of November and beyond that too, if we beat Luton on that day.

County Academy’s U18s were at Fleetwood in the FA Youth Cup tonight. Here’s how the team looked:

Fleetwood took the lead on sixteen minutes through the optimistically-named Pele Smith but County equalised eight minutes later through Oliver Huddleston, who pounced on an error by the home team’s ‘keeper. That’s how the score stayed at half time. The Fishermen scored what turned out to be the winner after seven minutes of the second half. County were reduced to ten with eight minutes to go when sub Chima Okoligan was sent off for a foul on the ‘keeper.

The title of today’s tune reflects the feeling you sometimes get when players like Sarce and Paddy Madden leave the club but then you wait a while and new ones step up to the mark. This is The Stranglers with “No More Heroes”:

Wednesday, 29^th October 2025.

Matchday: County Ladies v Huddersfield Town, FAWNL Division One North.

Here’s how County lined up:

County had the best of the early exchanges, Em Bradshaw coming close to scoring after just four minutes. The Terriers gradually grew into the game though, and despite chances for both sides it was 0-0 at half time.

Huddersfield took the lead after only two minutes of the second half with a tremendous strike from distance. The early goal set the tone for the remainder of the game, and despite strenuous effort from County and the use of all their substitutes, their opponents scored again after fifty-eight and seventy-eight minutes to give them a 3-0 victory to take back over the Pennines.

County Ladies’ next game is the FA Women’s National League Plate 2^nd round against Durham Cestria, who are currently next to bottom in the same league, on Sunday 9^th November at Stockport Sports Village.

Annoying news from the club today; it seems Wimbledon have had three players called up for international duty, so our game at their place on the 15^th of November has been postponed. That probably means a Tuesday night trip to the capital later in the year, which is less than ideal.

County’s Community Trust continue to do their excellent work around the borough and surrounding areas. Their County Camps have been keeping children from six to fourteen occupied and energetic during the school holidays. Next Thursday, the 6^th of November, they’re taking their 90 Minute Club to Poynton from ten o’clock to eleven thirty. Recent guests have included Ben Hinchliffe and Lewis Montrose, plus our very own Russ Johnson, so it’s well worth going along. To book your place, call 01625 872238 or email e.owen@stockportcounty.com.

This week’s main pod from The Scarf Bergara Wore featured Russ Johnson, Mark Wagster, Andy Reding and excellent fan guest Mark Love. They covered all the topics you’d expect, including:

• Port Vale (A): A brilliant performance, Vale weren’t really in it apart from a couple of chances for Ryan Croasdale and a free kick that hit the bar. Tyler Onyango was superb, could we sign him permanently? Kyle Wootton’s goal was a real rarity; he rarely has a shot from outside the box. Jack Diamond bullying a burly defender and scoring with an unstoppable shot was exactly what we’ve been begging him to do for weeks now. Like his team during the game, Darren Moore had no defence after it, he looked resigned to his fate.
• Prospects for the season: Mark thinks we need to do our utmost to gain promotion this season; there are some big teams circling the Championship drain and getting up when competing with them would be a struggle.
• Odin Bailey: Playing for a contract renewal or finding his true form?
• Callum Connolly: So good you barely notice he’s there. Does he keep his place once Brad Hills and Arttu Hoskonen are fit?
• Corey Addai: Does his reluctance to engage with post-match celebrations betray dissatisfaction with being dropped, or his he just knackered from the demands of a newborn child?
• Tranmere (A): The FA Cup is a different kettle of fish to the Carabao and the Vertu Trophy. Dave Challinor and Clint Hill won’t want to lose to a team they used to play for; should they go full strength or rotate a few to the bench in case it starts to go awry?
• Postponements: Wimbledon (A) has gone, could Peterborough (A) follow?
• Mark’s charity work: He’s so far walked 1,000 miles, and accrued a similar number of blisters, for the Christie, raising £15,600 in the process. He has all sorts of irons in the fire for next year, including bungee jumps, wing walking and running the Manchester Marathon. If you look up “indefatigable” in the dictionary, it says “See Mark Love.”
•  Random Shit Of The Week: Inspired by regular reader Rob McCloy rewriting County songs so his son can sing them without getting a visit from social services, this week’s RSOTW asked contestants to come up with some alternatives. I remember Saint and Greavsie doing something similar years ago; I suggested “Stockport boys we are here; treat your womenfolk with respect and purchase our own refreshments” but it didn’t catch on. It doesn’t scan at all, which might have had something to do with it.

An excellent hour of County chat, here for your delectation:

Today’s tune was brought to mind by Mark Love, who mentioned the Macc Lads. This track, “Miss Macclesfield,” typifies their er, uncomplicated way of looking at life, plus it’s very sweary:

Thursday, 30^th October 2025.

My fellow TSBW blogger, Josh, has been contemplating County’s performances in the Autumn so far and thinking about who the club might recruit in January to score a few goals to help our promotion push along. A thought-provoking and entertaining read:

TSBW’s Match Preview pod for Tranmere (A) featured Steve Bardsley talking to Matt of the Tranmere podcast “A Trip To The Moon.” Lots to talk about when it comes to two teams with much in common:

• Ownership: The club did well early in the Mark Palios era but he hasn’t the resources to drive them up the leagues. He’s seeking new trustworthy investment but it’s proving hard to come by.
• Managers: Nigel Adkins got the heave-ho in February this year and was replaced by Andy Crosby. He kept them up last year, started poorly this season but recent results have improved. He favours a 5-4-1 formation which is currently working better away than at home.
• Injuries: They have more than their fair share, including Jordan Turnbull, Ethan Bristow and Kristian Dennis. “Evergreen” ‘keeper Joe Murphy, who was there when Dave Challinor played, continues to guard the net. That’s us doomed then! That might sound cynical but almost every time opposing fans say their team have already run up the white flag, they turn into prime Real Madrid on the day.
• Players to watch: Forwards Omari Patrick and Connor Jennings will both take some watching.
• Attendance: Crowds have dropped to around 6,000 with a poor start to the season, Matt expects less than that for a cup tie.
• Prediction: Matt is hoping for a 1-1 or 2-2 draw in the hope of a win on penalties.

A most enjoyable pod, get it all here:

Matt’s comments about a draw in the preview pod got me wondering, so I looked up the rules; it seems it’s extra time then penalties if necessary if we’re drawing at full time on Saturday.

No mention of Tranmere would be complete without a tune from Half Man Half Biscuit. This is their musical pitch for a TV series about a crime-fighting poultryman and his flock of chickens- “MacCalliog And His Hens”:

Friday 31^st October 2025.

The appointment of Simon Mather to referee tomorrow’s match has gone down like a lead balloon. He’s remembered mainly for our game against Wrexham last season when he sent Brad Hills off and was intimidated into awarding a penalty for the hosts by the thug McClean.

Choosing a team for tomorrow is a difficult one. It will come down to a combination of factors:

• How much we want to progress in the world’s oldest cup competition.
• How many fringe players we think we can get away with playing.
• How many of our previously-injured players are now fit enough to play.
• Do we want to throw the increasingly disaffected-looking Corey Addai a bone by playing him instead of Ben Hinchliffe, or do we stick with the man in form?

There being so many known unknowns (© Donald Rumsfeld), and we don’t have another game until next Saturday, I’ve gone for the same team as last week. I’d go for a weaker bench so we can, I hope, get ahead and rest some of the starting XI:

I’d like to write more, dear reader, but I’ve spent most of today sat in queues on the A55 and M56 so I’ve run out of time.

I’ve been introduced to Frank Turner’s stuff by fellow blogger Josh this week, so with the zeal of a convert, I’m going to include one of his songs. Today’s tune is “Be More Kind” as suggested by another member of the TSBW squad, Steve Bardsley:

See you all at Prenton Park!

Animo et fide, you lovely people.