Cod Almighty | Postbag
Your bumper belated postbag
30 April 2014
It's been a while, not to say too long. On emergency Postbag duty is not your old Postbag editor, nor yet the old new Postbag editor, nor even the new, previously old Postbag editor, but instead the temporary, once new, now old (very old) Postbag editor. Suffice to say, if there's swearing it is the original and if there's a rugby reference it's the unoriginal. Take your pick. Among the briefer correspondence we have had:
Abandoned matches
Although I'm sure it wasn't the last game to be abandoned, readers of a certain age will recall the home game in March 1972 against Exeter, which fog put an end to. As I recall, the fog promptly lifted as the crowd moved towards the exits. The game was rescheduled as Town's last of the season, and the fourth division championship was won in front of more than 22,000 happy Mariners. Those were the days...
I also seem to remember a 'Championship' game at home to Sunderland in the 90s being abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch. I think the game only went ahead because it was live on television.
So, sorry I can't help, but once we get the answer, can we then ask what's the shortest game we've had before it was abandoned? I'll offer the Sunderland game mentioned above.
from Rob McIlveen
Letters Ed responds: This letters page is going to be like a retrospective on the second half of the season. Rob was commenting on the match at Forest Green which was abandoned.
Rob also directed us to this site: you have to scroll more or less to the bottom of the page to get to the Grimsby interest.
Stoke scrapbook
Hi,
I'm not sure if you could help me out, but I was after any old pics or articles you may have about Grimsby v Stoke games from the 90s, 80s, ... whether home or away, and including pictures of the fans or stadiums. I'd like them for a scrapbook A-Z I am looking to do.
I would of course pay for any you can provide.
from Jeff West
Letters Ed responds: If anyone can help Jeff, get in touch with us and we'll put you in touch with him.
Keith Jobling testimonial
Hello.
Could you let me have some details about Keith Jobling's testimonial match? I think it was in 1964 but that's all I know.
Cheers
from Doug Lowe
Letters Ed responds: If anyone can throw light on this, please get in touch. Dave Wherry's We Only Sing When We're Fishing has brief details of some testimonials, but does not explicitly name one on behalf of Jobling. On 9 March 1964, Grimsby lost 4-5 to an All Star XI, which sounds like a testimonial, but it does not say on whose behalf it was played.
The name of the missing rose
Hi
Just before Christmas I came up to Grimsby to get sausages from Pettits, etc. I noticed that the compass rose with all the shipping forecast areas which used to be set in the pavement at the entrance to the shopping centre in Victoria Street was no longer there. Does anyone know when it was removed and where it is now?
I always thought that for Grimsby it was a very apposite piece of street art given the town's fishing heritage and if it has been scrapped why the hell didn't Grimbarians play merry hell about it?
I hope someone can shed some light.
Best wishes and up the Mariners
from Felix Oliver-Tasker
Letters Ed responds: Over to you, again...
Christmas postbag
Sirs,
Happy New Year and all that. Hope you had a good one.
Wonderful letter from Joe Mooney. I love stats and a graph is just the icing on the cake and for that Joe is now my #1 cousin named Joe. My other cousin named Joe would likley not be interested in this and he also supports the Blades. Shambles.
Great to see Pettit's getting a mention too (Felix Oliver-Tasker), I have a soft spot for their pies and sausages too. My Uncle Barry, a Meggy exiled to Norfolk where he farmed cattle, always used to insist on a walk to check out Petitt's shop window when he visited and likely as not buy a hand of Lincolnshire sausages too. He’d also grudgingly attend Blundell Park and could moan with the best of 'em. Less often now though as he's moved to South Africa. Maybe a feature on top Grimsby/Cleethorpes traders? Pettit's will surely be in there as would Harry Wainman's sports shop on Freemo.
from Rich Mills
Letters Ed responds: Blame us, not Rich, for wishing us a happy new year in April.
Dobbin's matchwinner
Can I add my memories of the day we beat Newcastle?
I live in the north-east and desperately tried to get a ticket as I was convinced Town would get something from the game. Newcastle's winning streak had to end and Town were on a run of good form. In the end I was driving round the Newcastle area listening to the radio commentary. Anyone behind me at the traffic lights when I punched the air when Dobbin scored may have thought they were following a loony!
from Ken Wright
Town goalies
Are there please plans to continue Neville Butt's excellent series?
I should be most interested to hear.
Meanwhile please pass onto Neville my congratulations on an enjoyable and interesting article.
Kind regards
from Rodney Edge
Letters Ed responds: We are hoping Neville will take due encouragement from this feedback. Thanks Rodney.
Letter title...
I have just seen Sergio Ramos head two past Bayern from centre-half, and he is one card away from missing the final. Ring any bells?
I was at Braintree last weekend and saw McDonald put in a very solid performance, as he did when I saw him at Woking and I'm wondering whether Pearson's 14 cards is holding him back.
But if he sticks a couple in on Thursday and gets booked then I won't be too concerned.
Remember though that 0-0 at home would not be a bad result.
UTM
from lan Dickens, aka Essex exile
Discussing our relative strength
Dear CA,
On the subject of whether this season's crop is better than last, please accept this as my two penn'orth (in case you're struggling to fill space). I think Niven, Miller and Hearn were the obvious ones we didn't want to lose from last year. I appreciate Hearn was out a lot of the time with injury anyway but you know what I mean.
In midfield, there is not much to choose between Niven and Kerr. Thanoj gets the nod over Artus based on youth alone in my book, and Marshall and Neilson are both in the dictionary under 'mercurial'. 'Dennis' Rodman has proved to be a good acquisition; more elusive than Colbeck but perhaps lacking the latter's basic solidity and reliability. I'd prefer either to Jamie Devitt.
McDonald and Doig haven't really nailed Miller's place between them. Doig is very experienced but obviously going to lack pace given his age. McDonald was maybe slow to settle down at the start of the season and is a bit inconsistent. Boyce has done well since his arrival. Aswad has become a bit of a defensive liability this year but is still good going forward.
Cook has suffered through not getting enough games and LJL has taken his 'big bloke up front' gig this year. Cook scored goals last year but we all know LJL is better at holding it up and linking the play. Hannah is very much a confidence player, Jennings looked like a great signing at the time but hasn't really worked out, jury is still out on Tounkara, and I still wish Southwell had been given more opportunities. Ironically had we struggled more this season he might have got in a bit more. Let's not mention Mr Brodie eh?
McKeown has been a giant between the sticks for us, again.
Ultimately, both teams finished fourth over 46 gruelling games with good cup runs thrown in so I can't decide whether this year's squad is better than last - sorry. The next few days will tell us if they both finish the same in the play offs won't it?
UTM
from Chris Beeley
Letters Ed responds: And finally, having veered on the topical with the last two letters, we go back to where we began with abandoned matches...
Remembering Rochdale
Away at Rochdale, several years ago, may have been the last abandoned match before yesterday.
We played 45 minutes into the teeth of a gale, unable to get the ball beyond the halfway line, but held out for 0-0 at half time. All of us fans were looking forward to seeing us bombard the Rochdale goal in the second half, but the ref abandoned it because, hey, Grimsby, y' know. Then we lost the replay 2-0.
Like a fool I went to both games.
from Phil Watson
Letters Ed responds: That would have been the 2004-05 season. Finally, an issue on which your letters editor is able to shed some light.
Thanks to all our many correspondents. Write to Cod Almighty at postbag@codalmighty.com.