Brakes see off County

It doesn't seem so long ago that I was watching Charlton play Stockport County in what is now the Championship. Today I was able to go to the New Windmill Ground and see Leamington beat County 2-1 in front of a crowd of 1048 plus two dogs.

It was a valuable three points for the Brakes, but I must admit that at times I had doubts whether we could secure them, particularly after the visitors scored their opening goal. I and others thought that there was too much of the long ball and the ball was in the air too much, sometimes to such a height that air traffic control needed to know. Above all, we did not seem creative enough and I couldn't see where a goal was going to come from. Fortunately, I was wrong.

I knew it was going to be a different day when a steward came into the vice-presidents' 'lounge' with a confiscated drum. She said that she had taken it off a 'gobby little ****' and asked me where she could store it. The County fan had objected that there were no neighbours to disturb, and one could see his point, but then we know what people from the farm quarter of a mile away think. Should we ever move to the town ....

Neither side created that many chances in the first half, although we did put one just wide. The main incident of the half was a serious injury to Lee Chilton which held the game up for five minutes. I heard that he has done his ligaments which would probably mean him out for the rest of the season. Joe Magunda came on in his place.

We seemed to be getting caught quite a lot by the offside trap, but then the very young linesman on the main stand side (one wonders if his mum knew where he was) seemed to be very eager to wave his flag. I only learnt later that he is also a guard on a preserved railway. Having said that, I should say that the referee had an excellent game, firm but fair and no cards issued.

County piled on the pressure after the break and Tony Breeden had to make two excellent saves. We seemed to be happy to play for a 0-0 draw. County's opening goal on 66 minutes was a good one, a cross followed by a header leaving Breeden with no chance. I thought it was going to be another 0-1 home defeat, but then the impressive Danny Newton equalised on 76 minutes. He then made it 2-1 with a header from a free kick. After that we controlled the game reasonably well, even if we were forced back a bit too much at times.

Man of the match for me was Matty Dodd, you see him there, you see him everywhere.

A very full and balanced report with lots of photos from a Stockport blogger here: Hedgegrower. He thinks that their midfield went awol, but describes the NWG as 'small but perfectly formed.'

Way Back Then

For the benefit of anyone who didn't buy the programme here is my 'Way Back Then' article on Stockport County, but with a mistake in one of the dates corrected!

Our opponents today, Stockport County, have a long football pedigree, so it is interesting to see what was happening to them one hundred years ago. The 1912-13 season had not ended too happily for them as they had finished bottom of the second division of the Football League and had had to seek re-election. They also lost 5-1 away to Everton in the first round of the FA Cup.

County made a promising start to 1914. On New Year’s Day, according to the Manchester Courier, the team that had won handsomely away against Bristol City 5-1 faced Birmingham City at Edgeley Park in front of 8,000 spectators. This was above their average attendance of 7,000 for that season which was in itself an improvement on the 5,695 recorded in 1912-13. Only Blackpool (where there was presumably a seasonal factor) and Glossop at 2,750 had worse average attendances in the Football League. Attendances picked up after the war following the formation of the Third Division North. In their first season in that competition County averaged 11,050 rising to 12,440 the following year. Presumably the number of derby matches helped, but County also competed more effectively.

On New Year’s Day 1914 ‘the ground was hard and slippery and falls frequent and Stockport lost the services of Bluer, their centre half, after half an hour’s play’. This was a key position and there were no substitutes, so Rodgers had to fall back. County had the better of the opening exchanges and a run down the right looked promising, but when the cross came in the ball was too far ahead of the advancing forward for him to make contact. Even in the absence of Bluer, County continued to attack in determined fashion, although Birmingham got into the game more against ten men. Finally, they opened the scoring on 40 minutes through Wood. Just before what was referred to as ‘the interval’, Bluer struggled to get back on, but only lasted for one or two minutes.

Ten man Stockport continued to press their opponents after half time, but unfortunately over anxiety led to an open goal being missed. With another scoring opportunity missed, Birmingham launched an attack which drew a good save from Evans in the Stockport goal. Eventually, Stockport were able to score a second to make the final result 2-0.

It was six weeks before Bluer, who was regarded as one of their best players, was able to recover from his injury, appearing in February. This was when County completed the double over another team now playing in the Skrill North, Bradford Park Avenue. Whilst the visitors ‘enjoyed a fair share of the play’, their finishing was poor. Stockport took their chances and were 1-0 ahead at half time. In a ‘fine game’, County went 2-0 ahead in the second half, Bradford replied with a goal of their own, but Proctor scored the third for the home side with the last kick of the match.

Between 3,000 and 4,000 people attended a Manchester Senior Cup game between Manchester City and County, despite both teams putting out reserve sides. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. A crowd of 2,000 attended a Shrove Tuesday match at Edgeley Park between County reserves and Manchester United reserves, United taking the lead. County finished the season in an improved 12th position, managing to beat Woolwich Arsenal 2-0 at home.