Help the Hatters Update 58

Come on now….admit it…..you just knew didn’t you, that at the first glimpse of the sun, Help the Hatters would switch the Working Party focus to the area outside the Bung, to the rear of the premises.

On Thursday last that’s just what we did…..there wasn’t a massive turn out, but 9 wasn’t at all bad really and it was enough to keep the early momentum going.

Biggles was simply incorrigible……

..............his enthusiasm for his landscaping project drawing Coop Treasurer John Gaskin into giving a helping hand. The duo made a great start and by the time of the first outdoor event, put on for fans and locals alike, the old place will be fit for a County Supporter!

John G was in lively mood and soon switched his attention to some renewal work – known in some circles as `John’s Scorched Earth Policy’. I must say that the sight of him surrounded by flames with a canister of gas mere feet away, will live long in my memory.

Ed we know to be a dab hand at painting stuff and he did the biz on the railings around the bowling green, whilst WP stalwart David made a really good job of work at the far end of the green.

All the while a roaring fire raged on site as vast quantities of rubbish got it from Fitzy!

Star man though again was Ralph who built a brilliant seat/ table out of a few planks and a lot of skill and ingenuity! You will not see better gracing any gastro pub anywhere in the land!

So…..great stuff there and there was more to come on Saturday inside the Bung where the pre-match atmosphere was top of the range!

To start with the place was packed out…..a big crowd of youngsters really enjoyed the hour or so they spent in the Bung, as did a clutch of Harrogate fans, who seemed to be in high spirits.

Come 2pm it was time for Alan Lord to take the mike and thank the supporters for their help and support throughout the season. He got a great reception and it was just the start we needed to get the show on the road, and Club Historian Marcus Heap did just that around 2.10.

By this time it was by no means certain that we had a full cast of SCAN Certificate Recipients on board- Jordan Fagbola was nowhere about, although rumoured to be `on his way’.

First off Marcus introduced Dave Liptrott, who received his SCAN Certificate from John Gaskin.

On we went and next up was a star from the twenties…. Tommy Robson, or to be more accurate….one of Tommy`s relatives.....

......... who received the certificate from Alan Edwards whose first County game was against Lincoln City in 1937!

That was fantastic, and even more fantastic….Jordan Fagbola had arrived, and it was great to see him receive his SCAN gong from birthday boy Josh Rowson, who was on pins as he was also the team mascot for the day!

It all went brilliantly, and amazingly there was still time to make it to the turnstiles , push a few Supporters Cooperative Survey Forms, and head off inside for the game.

The rest is history…..County won 2-1, ending the season in the right style, and the high spirits apparent in the Bung pre-match were fully replicated after the game as the team took the applause of the supporters! 

What next ?
Well.....Help the Hatters have started getting in the materials for the annual clean up/ paint job of Edgeley Park which will start soon.
So....watch out , and listen up, for the call for the first EP Working Party ...you`ve done it before....and enjoyed it....let`s do it again !

Ian Brown