Hold on to your hats as another exciting Vertu Trophy campaign gets underway with a game against a bunch of children from the West Midlands
Tuesday 2 September 2025
If you’d like to write an article for The Scarf My Father Wore, share a few snippets or photos, or advertise your business, please emailthescarfmyfatherwore@substack.com.
Dear County fans, Stopfordians, Wolves supporters, and anyone else fromThe Football Family* joining us today, a very warm welcome to your Tuesday edition of The Scarf My Father Wore.*
Dan Culverwell andIan Brown* join us today as our Vertu Trophy campaign gets underway with a visit from Wolves’ kids.*
Today’s edition is sponsored bySAW Contracts Ltd. A big thank you toSteve*.*
Thanks also to*John from**OvenGleamers Wolverhampton** who sponsors our Wolves content on the website.*
Finally, I’m currently walking every street in Stockport to raise money for mental health charityMentell. If you’d like to make a donation to help me reach my target,please click here**.
Total distance so far: 253.75 miles
Total steps so far: 418,084
Total raised so far: £2,312
Total completed streets so far: 474 (Click here for the full list, which includes reports and photos from every day of the walk.)
Further information on the walk can be found byclicking here**.
Des Junior
The Cheadle End will be closed tonight, as it was for our most recent Vertu Trophy game against Bradford last December
Des Junior loves writing about County. But he can never be arsed doing match previews. They’re a bit dull, aren’t they? Nick Powell’s out for six months with a stubbed toe… blah blah blah… tomorrow’s referee has handed out more cards than Moonpig… blah blah blah… County haven’t won at Mansfield in the league since dinosaurs were roaming the land.
Fortunately, he has a number of fellow County content creators to call upon. Here’s their thoughts, general chit-chat and score predictions, as County embark on another road to Wembley.
Dan Culverwell, The Scarf Bergara Wore
County 2 Wolves 0
It’s 32 years since County last reached the final of this competition. Would you like a crack at Wembley this season or are you not too bothered?
The Football League Trophy should always hold a soft spot with County fans after Danny Bergara took us to the Twin Towers for the first time in 1992. Even though the competition has been diluted over the years and is now seen predominantly as a youth tournament, many fans, not just County’s, will get excited once there is a sniff of a day out to Wembley in April.
My personal opinion is to scrap the competition. It struggles to get fans excited and as such struggles to find sponsorship. I’d replace it with a United Kingdom Cup where teams from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland compete. And while we’re at it let’s revive the Anglo-Italian Cup as well.
I’m hoping for a 2-0 win tonight but more importantly I’d like to see some players rise to the challenge, putting them in contention for Saturday’s trip to Plymouth.
➡️ Dan is part of The Scarf Bergara Wore team, hosting live County podcasts every Wednesday at 8pm.Click here for links.
Ian Brown, All Things Stockport County
County 2 Wolves 4
We’re a month into the new season. How would you assess our summer transfer business so far?
I’ll start with the plus side and the welcome news that Tyler Onyango is back at County on a season-long loan. Tyler impressed massively when with us last season and I’m looking forward to watching him show other County players how to latch onto the ball and carry it deep into opposition territory. I see him as a possible antidote to the ‘pass yourself dizzy at the back stuff’ that plagues our defensive play at times.
Nathan Lowe could be a useful signing, but it troubles me that he might be used in preference to Benoný Andrésson, who despite doing it at international level, and occasionally for us (when he’s actually given minutes on the park), struggles to make headway. He needs to play but if Lowe is deemed a greater priority in that respect I think we might lose out. We could play them both of course but we won’t.
One of the incomers who has enjoyed time on the pitch is Malik Mothersille, but I’m still waiting to see what he brings to the party, not really showing anything so far despite starting. Early days of course so I look forward to being embarrassed dramatically when he starts skinning defences left, right and centre later in the season!
Brad Hills’ return was interesting, but I see Onyango as a more potentially potent force on that right side at the back with his greater capacity to do the cool stuff where it matters in the opposition’s half. County may play both.
I’ve liked what little I’ve seen of Joseph Olowu. He’s defended well and nicked a terrific goal away at Orient, only to be denied a start three days later against Bradford.
Owen Dodgson and Corey O’Keeffe attack with some fervour but struggle to defend.
I’d like to say something about Arttu Hoskonen and Tayo Edun but we have seen nothing of either, which particularly in Hoskonen’s case is a massive disappointment.
Another disappointment is the news that rather than use and develop Jid Okeke we’re shipping him out again – another young player we should be seeing in a County shirt more regularly and whose career will, depressingly, probably come to its crowning heights in another team’s colours.
I’ll conclude by saying the brief glimpse I saw of young Arian Allen at Wigan in the League Cup whetted the appetite to see more. Hopefully tonight. Another youngster who we may see this evening is Corey Edwards, on loan from Rochdale. I’d love to see this midfielder flourish in County blue.
Tonight’s other predictions
**Hatters Matters:**County 3 Wolves 0
SK3 TV: County 2 Wolves 2
**The County Away Day Show:**County 2 Wolves 0
Do you need bespoke woodwork or joinery services in the Stockport area?
If you are looking for a qualified joiner in the Stockport area,SAW Contracts can take on jobs of all sizes and can carry out all aspects of building work from the planning stage right through to completion. Whether you're looking for a professional joiner or builder to carry out work on a new build, extension or renovation, they have the skills at hand to complete the job within budget and on time.
➡️Visit sawcontractsltd.co.uk for further details.
Photo of the day
Molineux, Wolverhampton
Tony Dinning made his County debut at home to Brentford in August 1994, and went on to score 30 goals in 226 games for the club during his first spell at Edgeley Park. (He later returned for a short spell under Jim Gannon.) None of us will ever forget that rocket at the Reebok or the penalty that clinched our one and only victory at Maine Road. His performances impressed Wolves, who paid £700,000 to take him to Molineux just a few weeks into the 2000-01 season.
If you’re stuck for a gift idea, how about an oven clean!
If there’s any Wolves fans reading this today, or indeed any of our readers with friends or family in the Midlands, why not treat them to a gift voucher for an oven clean!
It’s often the small gestures that count, and let’s face it, no one enjoys cleaning their oven.
➡️ Give John a call on 01902 504405 or emailjohn.rorke@ovengleamers.com.
Today in SK
🍻Food and drink
The Nelson Commercial (SK1) have a great range of offers throughout the week, including £5.50 for drinks off the Doubles Bar, a comprehensive range of shots for £1.50, and 3 for £7 on Jägerbombs. Also, double up for £2 on premium spirits.
Bitter £2.30 a pint all day atThe Cross Keys(SK8). Plus, discounts on certain lagers till 6pm.
If you’re heading out for a few beers today, pop into one of our featured venues such asThe Crown ( SK2 ), The Dog & Partridge ( SK2 ), The Crown Inn(SK6),The Steelworks (SK6) orThe Three Tunnes ( SK7 ).
A huge thank you to the following businesses supporting The Scarf My Father Wore in September
🪟Blinds & Shutters:Bauhaus Blinds and Shutters
📚Bookkeeping:Eleven Accounts Services
🧱Builder:CE Building Services
🏠Carpets:Kingsway Carpets & Rugs Ltd
🐈Cat Flaps:That Cat Flap Company Ltd
🚙Coatings:Colourtone Ltd
🏠Estate Agent:The Agency UK
**🫧 Exterior Cleaning:**Impact Pro Clean
🏡Fencing:Riks Fencing and Landscaping
💷Financial Services:The Mortgage Mill
💐Florist:The Flower House
💻IT Services:Bridge Computer Services
🪚Joinery:SAW Contracts Ltd
🔌Kitchen Appliances:SW Appliances
🌹Landscape Design:Nicola Jayne Landscape Design
📮Leaflet Distribution:Wolf Distribution
🔑Locksmith:APL Locksmiths Ltd
💪Male Weight Loss:MAN v FAT
🖌Painter & Decorator:BGM Decorators
📸Photographer:Adam Edwards Photography
🥧Pies:Eric Twigg Foods
🧱Plastering:DT Plastering Services and Damp Proofing Specialists
👨💼Solicitors:B.J. McKenna & Co /Parkers Solicitors Ltd
🍹Spirits:Guerrilla Chicken Spirits
🪨Stonemason:LM Stone Creative
🚕Taxi Hire:Lynx Taxis
🧰Vehicle Repairs:C J Motors Stockport