Cod Almighty | Diary

Three days to go

12 May 2016

Devon Diary writes: It's funny, isn't it? Here we are in the week leading up to the first of two Wembley appearances and what do we write about? There's no real news from the club just yet, except that everyone's in good shape and good spirits and they're all a little bit excited. The calm before the storm? If our season was over – if we were Wrexham, Torquay, Eastleigh or even Braintree supporters – then there'd be loads for us to discuss.

Wrexham have announced that they're letting go pretty much their whole squad after another disappointing season in the Conference. 

Torquay have offered terms to a handful of last season's gravity- and logic-defying squad (the ones who didn't walk away in January, at least) as well as giving manager Kevin Nicholson a new contract. However, they've ditched Danny Racchi who I reckon played a big part in their survival over the last few months – but what do I know, hey? 

Last year's play-off semi opponents Eastleigh have let eight players go, while Barrow have also released seven but are desperately trying to hold on to 25-goal former Mariner Andy Cook who is eyeing League football. Aren't we all, Andy? 

Closer to home, Braintree boss and jolly nice chap Danny Cowley has caught the eye of Lincoln, the Imps seeing obviously synergies between his favoured 8-0-2 formation and their own abandoning of the traditional midfielder role. 

Hell, even this Sunday's opponents Forest Green have made the news with their appointment of Mark Cooper as manager for next season! When I read that, my first thought was "is Dale Vince trolling us?" Cooper, of course, was appointed by Notts County in March, when the Magpies were linked with our own Paul Hurst. Now, Cooper has turned down the longer contract on offer at Meadow Lane in favour of a stint at the New Lawn.

All this has, in turn, led to Hursts again being installed as favourite for the County ejector seat hotseat. To his credit the gaffer has downplayed this in interviews, as he is understandably focused on a Buckley-like double – but looking at the mess they're in, why would he want to move there anyway?

Anyway, let's forget County and get back to Forest Green. Our very own Retro Diary wrote this wonderful thing a couple of months back as we prepared to visit the New Lawn and prove a point. In it he mused on Rovers being a club funded by green money while, ironically, being clearly unsustainable. Cooper's appointment on a reported five-year deal illustrates this perfectly; he has a link to the club but money will obviously be playing a massive part in his decision.

The New Lawn has a capacity of 5,140, yet the population of Nailsworth is only 5,800

I don't want to retread the ground covered so well by Retro and this week by former Lincoln player Dean Walling (in a roundabout way) or fan Gary Hutchinson, so read both if you haven't already as they're both excellent. To be offering an obviously lucrative long-term deal to the manager of what is still a non-League club seems like madness.

Speaking of which, have you seen the plans for their proposed new stadium at junction 13 of the M5? A 5,000 capacity, expandable to 10,000, with lots of the type of "enabling" businesses talked about when Grimsby folk wonder about moving on from Blundell Park. It looks great on paper I'm sure but it's only 10 years since FGR moved to the New Lawn from their previous home the Lawn. The New Lawn has a capacity of 5,140, yet the population of Nailsworth is only 5,800 and the ground never gets filled – so will the proposed new ground expand the catchment area?

Of course not, as they'll still be competing with Bristol City and Rovers, Cheltenham, Gloucester City and Hereford, and even Oxford. The problem isn't so much that there aren't thousands of football fans sat waiting for a club to support, rather that there just aren't that many people in the area. It's like MK Dons moving from Merton to Milton Keynes but without a population at a loose end of a Saturday afternoon. Madness.

Bearing all this in mind, it's perhaps no surprise that Rovers aren't expecting to take a huge crowd to Wembley at the weekend. Of course this is no slight at all on the diehard Forest Green supporters who have understandably been swept along by the investment and rise towards the Football League. They've even bitten their tongues as the club's colours and badge were changed.

But at the back of their minds do they worry that it's all built on shifting sands, that if Vince grows bored and walks away they could collapse back to where they started or worse? Even if they get promoted to the Football League, there's nothing in financial fair play rules to stop a club overstretching, so long as they have someone with deep pockets to pour more money in. Modern football, folks.

Finally, have you seen the video recorded by some of the Vancouver Whitecaps supporters last night? They took time out from celebrating their 2-1 win over Chicago to wish us all the best for Sunday and have even gone so far as to send a delegate to Sunday's game.

Don't forget your tickets; don't forget your shirts. Don't forget your Harry Haddocks and don't forget to check out Retro Diary's now traditional Wembley rallying call tomorrow. 

Up the Mariners!