Saturday, 6^th September 2025.

Matchday, Plymouth Argyle v County, League 1.

We couldn’t rustle up enough passengers to run the Fingerpost Flyer to Devon, but I and a few other Frequent Flyers were able to book with Edgeley Con Club Coaches and I was lucky enough to get a seat on the Corporate Coach.

I’m not averse to an early morning; I can’t stay in bed much beyond five o’clock as a rule, but I have to say I’m glad we aren’t playing Plymouth or Exeter every week. The coach was off from Hall Street at 5:45, so I got up at three for a leisurely breakfast and to gather what there was of my wits at that time in the morning. We left the house at 4:45, collected Luke Tindall from Mersey Square, and waited with the rest of the gang outside the Victoria.

We had a seating plan with allocated seats and everything which was great, except that the coach that turned up was laid out differently to the plan, so we had a reshuffle to ensure families could sit together. Luke and I ended up behind the driver with a good view of the road ahead.

We called at Gloucester Services to water the horses then on to Ivybridge to water the passengers. Not being interested in the pub, I spent a pleasant ninety minutes watching the world go by. As it turned out, that was the best ninety minutes of the day. Ivybridge was a funny old place; it reminded me of a film set in that there seemed to be no depth to it, just a street of shops with nothing much behind them.

In theory we were only twenty minutes from the ground but the traffic was hellish. We were still in plenty of time though, and I was in my “just sit anywhere” seat next to three generations of the Culverwell men in plenty of time. To answer the question on everyone’s lips; they left my bottle cap on. Plymouth’s mascot, Pete The Pilgrim, handed out boxed packed lunches to young supporters, which was a nice touch.

I was surprised to see Tyler Onyango and Ben Osborn thrown straight into the starting XI, but I suppose they’ve been training with for a while so perhaps it was fair enough as they address two of our problem areas. Only 7/11 for my guess, I was miles out.

County started the game in a promising fashion, mounting a couple of attacks that didn’t come to anything. Jayden Fevrier looked to pose the most questions for the home team but they countered that by putting two players on him. Unfortunately, the promise came to nothing and our defensive frailty soon raised its head again. Plymouth’s first on twenty-three minutes was an own goal from Kyle Wootton and their second some fifteen minutes later was a result of our defence playing statues. An Ollie Norwood penalty just before half time gave some hope of redemption but going 3-1 down just after half time put the absolute tin hat on it. The fourth nail in our coffin was a long ball from Ashby-Hammond in Argyle’s goal to Lorent Tolaj who was too strong for Callum Connolly and won the one-on-one with Corey Addai. Kyle Wootton got a consolation to make the final score 4-2 but I was on my way to the coach via the Gents’ by this stage.

The bare bones of a disappointing afternoon are that we seem to be getting worse rather than better. The two new recruits, Onyango and Osborn, gave some slight cause for optimism but that was about it. To add to the general gloom, Dave Challinor got involved in a frank exchange of views with a fan as he went down the tunnel. I’m told by a reliable source that the fan didn’t say anything particularly damning but was told to FRO by the manager. Poor form, but no doubt Chally is as annoyed and frustrated by recent performances as the rest of us.

One aspect of our game this season that puzzles me is our change from playing the ball out from the back. We now seem to lump the ball forward ninety percent of the time and only pass it out from ‘keeper to centre half or fullback on rare occasions. At one stage I saw Ethan Pye ask Corey Addai to pass him the ball and when he refused and lumped it forward yet again, Ethan was plainly annoyed as he made his way up the pitch.

The return journey was a gloomy affair, the mood being lifted only slightly by watching England beat Andorra 2-0. Once that ordeal was over I caught the last few minutes of Bromley v Gillingham, which was much more entertaining. The rest of the journey passed with a mixture of dozing, losing my glasses and having to rummage about on the floor for them, listening to music and podcasts &c. &c. We arrived back at Hall Street at eleven o’clock where Janice was waiting to take Luke back to Mersey Square and me back to SK2.

A long and very disappointing day.

Today’s tune, chosen for the line “How am I going to be an optimist about this?” is “Pompeii” by Bastille:

Sunday, 7^th September 2025.

Matchday: Cheadle Town Stingers vs Stockport County Ladies, FAWNL Cup Group R.

Here’s how the Ladies lined up for the game against the Stingers at the Ground Up Solutions Stadium:

County took the lead through a Levi Rathburn header after twenty minutes and held on to it until half time. Things got even better on seventy-seven minutes when a Kenedy Owen free kick on the edge of the centre-circle beat the Stingers’ keeper, landed on the goal-line and Rathburn was there to finish the job and make it 0-2.

Cheadle aren’t top of the league at this early stage for nothing though, and they fought back to get two late goals and share the points in this cup encounter.

The Ladies’ next league match is Blackburn Rovers away on the 14^th of September.

Getting back to the men’s team, disappointing though Saturday’s game was, some of the reaction has been over the top. I’ve seen several calls on social media for DC to be replaced and a refund for those who travelled to Devon, which is ridiculous, no wonder Dave Challinor accuses some fans of being entitled.

Today’s tune is for those driven to strong drink by Saturday’s performance, it’s George Thorogood and The Destroyers with “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer”:

Monday, 8^th September 2025.

TSBW’s Match Review of the Plymouth debacle was out bright and early this morning, well I say bright…. The panel today was Jimmy Harmer, Dan Culverwell, Steve Bardsley and Dan Johnson. The highlights of this latest therapy session were as follows:

• The formation might have been three, four or five at the back, perhaps the most diplomatic way to describe it would be “fluid.” Whatever it was meant to be, an obviously angry Dave Challinor said afterwards that none of players did their jobs for the four goals we conceded.
• Plymouth’s first: Arguably should have been disallowed for a foul on Kyle Wootton but Corey Addai could have come to claim the ball and Kyle might have been stronger.
• Plymouth’s second: A superb strike but we failed to close their player down. There was nothing Corey Addai could do about that one. The home team’s approach might have been primitive but their reliance on set plays and long balls was certainly effective.
• Our penalty: The Linesman flagged for it and the Referee was happy to give it, perhaps for holding by one of their defenders after issuing several warnings. Could be viewed as a leveller for failing to disallow the opener.
• Plymouth’s third: The optimism engendered by getting a goal back lasted two minutes of the second half, when we fell for the short corner routine again and failed to press the man with ball. Corey may have thought it was going wide but should surely have tried a bit harder to stop the shot.
• Plymouth’s fourth: Classic route one, Callum Connolly misjudged it and their player took it well.
• Our second: Lewis Fiorini did well to find Kyle Wootton but by that time the die was cast.
• What’s going wrong?: Kyle Wootton and Nathan Lowe don’t seem to work well as twin strikers and there’s a disconnect between the midfield and the front men. Perhaps Ben Hinchliffe should have a spell in nets to give Corey Addai a rest. Has our intensity been lost along with the experienced players who left after last season? Injuries have taken their toll; Hoskonen, Bate and Camps would probably improve matters if they were available. Would adopting a 4-3-3 formation keep us more secure at the back and give us more attacking options?

See the post-mortem in full here:

Here’s the League 1 table as of this morning. Considering the way we’ve been playing, we’re fortunate to be as high as ninth and still within reach of the playoff places.

Our line on PPG Prophet’s latest graph has, inevitably, taken a dive with Saturday’s defeat.

Today’s tune is from one of the folk greats, Dick Gaughan, and exhorts us to take all life’s highs and lows without getting too up or down. This is “Sail On”:

Tuesday, 9^th September 2025.

Matchday, Congleton Town v County, Cheshire Senior Cup round 1.

At the (breakfast) time of writing, I’m not sure if I’m going to the game tonight or not. The club have said it will be a “young team” but that covers a multitude of possibilities. I’ll see how I feel at teatime.

The club’s Community Trust have been their usual active selves recently with the dual aims of helping all sectors of the local population and keeping the club’s profile high.

First up was hosting Forward Stockport’s ‘Be You’ event, the town’s first-ever Queer Prom. Forward – Stockport LGBT+ Centre provides a dedicated safe space for LGBT+ folks, family and friends, to meet, participate and share with the wider community. The group’s details are here:

https://forwardlgbt.org.uk

The “Kits by County” initiative, run in partnership with One+All, Stockport’s local school uniform supplier and Mercedes-Benz Stockport, continues to deliver PE kits to more than 50 schools across the borough. Players Corey Addai and Jack Diamond, along with local tennis ace Naomi Broady, helped to deliver the latest tranche of kits to schools in the area.

Having umm-ed and ah-ed all day, I inevitably decided that my life wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Congleton tonight. A road closure with inadequate diversion signage meant I did a couple of laps of Beartown before I found the ground. I grabbed a parking spot nearby, paid my seven quid and I was in.

Here’s how the team lined up:

I recognised roughly half the players, the rest were new to me. Rumour from a reliable source on Yellowboard has it that the triallist was Matthew Whittingham, a 20-year-old former Manchester City and Wolves youngster who went on trial at Sheffield Wednesday in July and is currently without a club. Standouts for me were Archie Davis, who seemed to win everything in the air, and Corey Edwards, on loan from Rochdale, who looked a cut above everyone else. Highlights of the evening for me were:

• Steve Bellis’ dog, who was never lost for an opinion.
• The ball getting stuck in tree in a nearby garden and a chap doing his best to free it.
• The impressive Blood Moon that rose over the distant hills during the match.
• The home team’s trademark chant, that seems to involve a bloke bellowing “Is there anybody in?” and the crowd in the stand replying “Is there buggery!” It’s not “The Scarf” or “You’ll Never Walk Alone” but the home crowd seem to think highly of it.
• One of our players, no names no packdrill, who shouted to one of his colleagues “Just pass me the fscking ball!” which caused a good deal of amused pearl clutching in the main stand.

Apparently County have a policy of playing the same way through all the age ranges. I can confirm it was working at Congleton, we looked a million dollars playing it around the midfield but rarely managed to get the ball to the lone forward to threaten the goal. That’s not to diminish the general performance, our young lads played well at times and had periods of dominance against a much more experienced team. The final result was 1-0 to Congleton, their scruffy goal coming in the 56th minute. A good evening out, even if the result was a disappointment.

Today’s tune is an explanation of why Congleton is known as Beartown, courtesy of Jackie Oates and John Spiers:

Wednesday, 10^th September 2025.

This week’s Scarf Bergara Wore pod was a departure from the norm in that it was pre-recorded. Regulars Russ Johnson, Andy Reding and Waggie were joined in The Armoury’s snug by Captain Fantastic himself, Mike Flynn. Most of the discussion centred on the defeat at Peterborough and the failings that led to it. There are obvious comparisons to be made with the 96/97 season and Flynny was the perfect choice to explore them. We had a worse start back then, but once the team gelled we went on a fantastic unbeaten run and obviously we all hope we can emulate that this season. We’ve had a massive churn of players this time and the amount of money spent brings increased pressure to perform, so there’s bound to be disappointment when things don’t go brilliantly straight away. Taking the various aspects in turn:

• Defending: Corey Addai, Callum Connolly and Ethan Pye have been the three constants from last season but this time round they’ve had colleagues constantly changing around them, which makes it difficult to form a proper understanding. Brad Hills seems to be finding things harder since his return, but we know he has the class we need once he settles. Do we lack leadership at the back, or is it time to change to a back four? Kyle Wootton’s positioning for the own goal wasn’t ideal and it gave the Plymouth man the opportunity to pull on his arm, but had Corey Addai used his physical advantage to claim the cross in the first place, none of that would have been a factor. The second goal was a terrific shot but the player was only allowed to take it because he was unchallenged, and perhaps Corey should have at least a made of show of trying to save it even if it was always out of reach. Dave Challinor has decision to make this week; does he play Corey or Ben Hinchliffe? Dropping Corey could affect his confidence but so could playing him if things go wrong and the fans get on his back. The panel were divided on which way DC should go.
• Midfield: Lewis Bate and Callum Camps have been much missed, and with the latter apparently close to a return, Owen Moxon might get a much-needed rest. At least new recruits Tyler Onyango and Ben Osborn showed against Plymouth that they have ability to get the ball forward, something we’ve been sadly lacking recently.
• Forwards: With Kyle Wootton and Nathan Lowe both big powerful units capable of heading a ball, our lack of crosses into the box is a concern. It was hoped that the two wingbacks we have on loan might provide the ammunition the forwards need but it hasn’t really materialised.

Other matters discussed with Mike included:

• Will today’s players come back to tell their stories twenty years from now, like Mike, Tony Dinning, Brett Angel and others have done recently? Perhaps the way modern players are monitored and the fitness requirements of the 21^st Century means there would less scope for the hair-raising stories we’ve come to enjoy from the nineties.
• How does the current team compare to that of Mike’s time? They have the chance to emulate the feats of David Jones’ team and get County into the Championship. If they can do that, they will be building their own legends.
• One of the burning questions among County fans is this; does playing towards the Cheadle End in the second half confer any advantage? Flynny said not, which pleased Andy, but if it doesn’t, I wonder why away teams always turn us round if they win the toss?

Random Shit Of The Week pitched Russ against Mike at County Play Your Cards Right with Waggie in the Bruce Forsyth role. That might mean Andy was Gillian Duxbury, but that’s not something I really want to contemplate.

It was a cracking pod and I recommend it to the house. Get it here:

My fellow blogger at TSBW, Nick Reid, has penned a thought-provoking article on the current state of our cup competitions, why they’re treated with such disregard by the clubs and where they should go from here:

https://scarfbergarawore.co.uk/we-need-to-revamp-our-domestic-cup-competitions-or-scrap-them-altogether

One of the current issues in County’s defence might be solved were a hero to arise, but hopefully he’d be better than the eponymous rugby player in today’s tune by Daoiri Farrell, “Fergie McCormack”:

Thursday, 11^th September 2025.

 This week marked a first for Stu Hope, TSBW’s County Ladies’ correspondent, who arranged an interview with Cheadle Town Stingers’ manager Dylan Wimbury. This is Dlyan’s seventh season with the Stingers and it follows a very successful 2024-25 in which they only failed to be promoted on goal difference. The club was originally formed as Manchester Stingers but amalgamated with Cheadle Town during the pandemic. Dylan got his start with them by a fluke, he turned up to help a friend with an interview and impressed enough to be offered a role there.

CTS have enjoyed an excellent start to the season, Dylan describes their style as effective and competitive, if not especially pretty, and they pride themselves on solid defence and causing chaos among the opposition at the other end of the pitch. As with County’s own team, they benefit from playing at a decent ground that allows them to attract growing crowds and build an atmosphere.

The most recent match between County and the Stingers was in the FAWNL Cup Group R last Sunday and finished 2-2. Both teams made numerous changes, taking the opportunity to give fringe players minutes, which gave the game a slightly pre-season feel. Cheadle had the better of the first half, County taking the honours in the second. The result left Liverpool Feds in top place in the group, with County second and Cheadle third, Liverpool Academy bringing up the rear. The final group games take place on the 28^th of September, County playing Liverpool Academy at Edgeley Park.

There’s much more to hear on the pod itself:

County’s squad lists as published by the FA throws up a couple of interesting points. Roman Dixon, last seen posting on Instagram from his hospital bed, and Jid Okeke, on loan at Walsall, are both shown as being part of our squad. Perhaps Jid is there purely because he’s on contract, but Roman is more of a surprise.

Today’s tune, in honour of Cheadle Town Ladies, is Bee Bumble and the Stingers with “Nut Rocker”:

Friday 12^th September 2025.

Referee Simon Mather has been picked for tomorrow’s game against Cardiff. This is the bloke who agreed to change a decision and award a penalty after he and his assistant were intimidated by the thug McClean last time we played Wrexham.

The boffins (© the tabloid press) at FotMob have been playing with their settings and it’s thrown some interesting light on our number 22. He was awarded a 10 rating for his five goals in KR Reykjavik’s 7-0 defeat of HK Kopavogs in October 2024.

Talking of Beno Andrésson, he grabbed a late equaliser for Iceland U21s against Estonia on Monday and should be back with us now, ready for selection tomorrow if required

I’ve had a crack at predicting a team for Cardiff, I think Corey Addai will start despite all the speculation and maybe it’s time for a back four.

I can’t say I’m madly confident about a win against Cardiff but I’m sure things will click eventually, so why not tomorrow?

Today’s tune is an early team talk from AC/DC, “Shoot To Thrill”:

See you all at Edgeley Park!

Animo et fide.