Hatters Worldwide- 10 Jonathan Fairfield ( Thailand )

 

 

 

Hatters Worldwide- 10 Jonathan Fairfield ( Thailand)

 

 

I’m Jonathan, a County fan currently exiled in Hua Hin, Thailand.

 

I’ll try not to make this read like my autobiography. But with that being said, go and put the kettle on, make sure you are sitting comfortably and let’s go back to the very start.

 

The truth is I actually don’t remember a great deal about my very first County game. Nothing in fact. I’m told it was County v Plymouth in 1992, a Friday night game, with a young Jim Gannon making it to the front page of the program, which I still have.

 

I have fleeting memories of a 5-1 victory against West Brom in 1993 but the first proper game I can remember going to is the FA Cup tie against QPR. A great performance and game which in Andy Preece’s volley remains one of the all time great County goals.

 

I was first taken to County by my dad, who despite not being much of a football fan, took me to Edgeley Park almost certainly just to get me out of the house.

 

He had a couple of friends who had season tickets and if they couldn’t go due to work (they  all worked at the Royal Mail), we’d go instead. Like many County fans of my generation, I was later given free tickets through school, and what with my old man never one to shy away from a freebie, we ended up going pretty regularly. It didn't take long for me to get hooked.

 

Like many kids growing up in Stockport, there were plenty of opportunities to go and watch City or United through friends or relatives, but that just never interested me.

 

And why would it?

 

Afterall, Edgeley Park was the only place I could see Kevin Francis, who to the 8 or 9 year old me was not just a talismanic striker and brilliant footballer, who in my head seemed to score a hattrick every week, he was almost superhuman such was his sheer size and presence on the pitch. Big Kev was definitely my first hero, make no mistake.

 

There were so many players to like in the early days of me watching County. Neil Edwards, whose diminutive size didnt stop him being a great keeper. Then there was Lee Todd, Frainy and Ward (both brilliant footballers), Chris Beaumont, Andy Preece and of course, Big Kev. And not forgetting Jim, who was great for a goal back then and seemed to play in a different position every week!

 

Trips to Wembley against Port Vale and Burnley left me in floods of tears not only at the final whistle but still on the coach on the way home (come on, I was only 9 and 10!) One thing I do remember from both of those games is the non-stop singing of ‘Danny Begara’s blue n white army’ for almost the whole match. We definitely out sung both of them, despite them taking more fans.

 early trip to London- image jfairfield

 

 

 

 

Other things I remember around that time was the opening of the Cheadle End, in all its grandeur (it may as well have been the Nou Camp) which thinking back now just seemed to appear after a pre-season. It obviously took a little longer to build than that. I can also remember the club shop being in the corner of  the Main Stand. It’s funny the little things you remember.

 

I can remember the excitement surrounding the signing of Alun Armstrong and Martyn Chalk (remember him?).

 

On to the promotion season and by that time I was old enough to go to County with two of my mates. We all had season tickets. UT3, row OO, seat 75 was me. Right at the back. It was like the San Siro, just a bit better.

 

County actually started off pretty badly that season, from what I remember. I remember us going  a goal down to Plymouth (maybe) about 5 games into the season and there were some fans shouting for Dave Jones to be sacked. I think Gannon scored twice that game and we ended up winning and not looking back.

 

What a season that was to have a season ticket for the first time. The cup run, promotion, we went to most games that season. Bunking off school to go Middlesbrough away. That period was just a great time in my childhood, one which has given me memories forever and which I still reminisce about today.

 

The season of course topped off with Chesterfield away. What a night. A lasting memory is hanging out of the sunroof of my mate’s dad’s Volvo estate stuck in traffic at a roundabout near the ground, backed up with County fans all beeping their horns. It felt like there were millions of County fans outside Saltergate that night!

 

Then the season in the Championship, or Division 1, playing proper teams like Wolves, West Brom and Sunderland. It felt like we’d arrived. And we properly held our own in that division. We deserved every ounce to be amongst those teams and were every bit as good as them too. It can’t help you think after finishing 8th and just missing out on the play-offs to the Premiership, what might have been.

 

Then the times beating City, I mean what hasn’t been said or written about those matches already but just incredible moments as a County fan.

 

Into my late teens and early twenties and County was still a fundamental part of life just now  with the added bonus of being able to drink before, during and after the game.

 

As you get older, your group of friends expands and before you know it, there’s a good group of you meeting up in Wetherspoons near the market for a breakfast and early beers before eventually working our way to the match, always making it in time for kick off, which in itself was probably a minor miracle.

 

There’s loads of other memories too I could mention from that time and the couple of seasons before and after. I could write a book.

 

In no particular order:

 

Spurs away, Shefki Kuqi’s first game, who seemed to miss bloody loads of open goals in the warm up! And I think there was a streaker in that game too??

 

The sense of optimism around Sammy McIlroy taking over as manager. He had done well for Northern Ireland but for whatever reason, it just didn’t work out. For me, that season was typified by a game against Swindon.

 

We were 3-0 down after an hour and with me having the hump, I left. I got back to my car on Edgeley only to find it had been broken into and the stereo nicked. By the time I got home, I saw that County had pulled off a late comeback to draw the game 3-3. I’ve never left a County game early since. And for those wondering, it was Fiat Uno and the car stereo was never seen again.

 

The seasons after that were pretty grim and it wasn’t until Jim game in after that horror show at Macclesfield that things started to change. In fact, him keeping us up in that season is arguably as good of an achievement as either of his promotions.

 

That first promotion season under Jim also gave me many great memories. Turning up to games almost just knowing we’d win is not something that happens very often as a County fan but that is what it felt like that season. And to finally win at Wembley!

 

The football played that season remains, for me, some of the best I’ve ever seen County play. And while the Dave Jones promotion team might have had better players, the football Jim got that side playing was phenomenal when you look back. Again, it can’t help leaving you with feelings of what might have been.

 

The season in League One started so well and again we right up there, holding our own. I honestly think we could well have gone up again if administration hadn’t have happened.

 

Two away performances against Leyton Orient and Crewe really standout for some reason. Again, it’s funny the games you remember.

 

It wasn’t long after that season that I began being an ‘exiled’ County fan.

 County flag next to The Fountain of Wealth in Singapore- image jfairfield

 

 

 

 

 

A backpacking trip around Southeast Asia followed by a year in Australia meant that I actually wasn’t around for much of Didi Hamman’s spell in charge and Jim’s second spell at the club.

 County flag o/s Sydney Harbour Bridge- image jfairfield

 

 

 

 

 

By the time I came back to the UK for a few months, Darije Kalezic was in charge and the team and the club as a whole was a shadow of its former self. I couldn’t quite believe how everything had changed. (In fact, it was fascinating  to listen to the Dark Days series on The Scarf Begara Wore podcast which spoke about that whole period).

 

It was also while Darije Kalezic was in charge (and I’m sure it wasn’t a coincidence) that I returned to Thailand intent on doing some more backpacking, before heading to Australia again and then on to New Zealand. At least that was the plan.

County flag at Monkey Island near Koh Phi Phi, Thailand-image jfairfield

 

 

 

I think subconsciously I actually could not bear it to see County in such a mess on and off the pitch and the only way of me dealing with that was to fly to the other side of the world.

 

It was during this second trip to Thailand that I was offered the job I am still doing today. I work in media and help to run a website covering news, visa information and a whole load of other stuff for English speaking expats and tourists in Thailand - none of which was ever on the agenda and it is just funny sometimes how life works out.

 

 With locals at Chiang Mai Thailand- image jfairfield

 

 

 

Maybe I have Darije Kalezic and Ryan McShite to thank for the life I find myself living now because without their horrific spell at County I would probably never have felt the need to leave the UK in search of something else!

 Daughter Kimberley in her County bib-image jfairfield

 

 

 

 

 

 

The best part of 10 years later and I’m still in Thailand.

 

 Tuk-tuk driver with County flag in Ayutthaya, Thailand-image jfairfield

 

 

 

 

Normally I get back to the UK every year for a couple of weeks and plan my trip so I can get to a couple of home games! Most people jet off somewhere exotic on their holidays (like Thailand), I take my holidays in Romiley, Stockport.

 these are back at Romiley- image j fairfield

 

 

 

 

 

Being an exiled County fan is made a little easier with all the social media content now available, YouTube highlights, various podcasts and sites like this one.

 

But of course it doesn’t make up for actually being there.

 

The scenes when County won promotion from the NLN looked incredible but there is something a little bittersweet about only being able to watch it from the other side of the world.

 

That said, if County getting promoted means me only watching highlights on YouTube then I’ll take it.

 

It is also funny the County connections in this part of the world.

 

When I first came here Michael Byrne, who came through County’s youth team and scored on his debut away at Notts County (I think), was playing in the Thai league. He has retired now but is still widely regarded as one of the best overseas players the league has seen. He was a real star here.

 

And just this week, completely out of the blue, I have been contacted by another County fan who also lives in Hua Hin. He tells me he knows of another County fan living here too. Talk about a small world. We’ve arranged to meet up for the first time next week. I’m going to put it out there that we make up the highest concentration of County fans in one place outside the UK??

 

Anyway, here is to all the other County fans - wherever you are in the world.

 

Cheers,

Jonathan

 

@JonathanFairfield - County fans, feel free to connect, especially if you are in this part of the world

 

 

Thank you Jonathan for telling us your story !

 

 

hedgegrower