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Cod Almighty | Diary

A brown study

15 June 2017

It's 21 years to the day since Paul Gascoigne scored that goal against Scotland. 21 Years. Is it a sign of advancing years when one can remember when England would comfortably beat the Scots? Devon Diary is wondering if a name change might be in order. Mid-Forties Diary maybe? 

Town have unveiled their new away shirt today, and very smart it is too but I can't help but think a more traditional collar or crew neck would have been better than the whatever-it-is design they plumped for. Lovely shade of blue though.

Still, I think I prefer it to the home shirt which Wicklow mentioned in yesterday's diary. Just give me traditional black and white stripes without all the fussy bits. Stripes within stripes? Why? 

Rumour has it that we're going to be getting a pink third kit for next season and although I am a bit of a traditionalist, I don't mind pink shirts but it had better not be flourescent pink. I reckon the current trend towards dayglo kit needs to end now and the FA should have stepped in and outlawed it when Sheffield United first experimented with it back in 1989. I'm sure James McKeown would agree on this, having been forced to wear some absolutely shocking kits over the past few seasons, but none worse than head-to-toe flourescent pink. It reminded me of that time as kids (84?) when it was somehow cool to wear odd flourescent socks and we'd buy pairs of green and pink ones from Boyes (or Humphreys for Meggies folk) and wear one of each. We were dead cool. 

No, pink (with the brightness turned down a little) can look pretty smart. Just ask the fans of the oval ball game who have been wearing pink change kits for a while now. Stade Francais really pushed it and matched the pink with brown. 

terry yorathWhere do you stand on brown football shirts? I love them. I have a Vancouver Whitecaps change shirt in brown (with blue trim – ace!) and I loved the controversial/hated brown Coventry City shirt which Admiral produced in the late 70s. Look at Terry Yorath here; he obviously loves it and paired it with a cracking moustache. Dapper. 

Trivia fans will know that Yorath also played for the Whitecaps after a spell at Spurs. All three have had brown kit. Coincidence? I think not; it's a sign.

Anyway, I mentioned my fondness for a brown kit to Dave Smith (who started his career at Coventry, of course) at the end of the season and while he politely said no, I reckon the seed is sown. Next season?

Also in the Telegraph today is a shoddily thrown together article warning us that there will be zero tolerance of bad behaviour at Blundell Park next season (although we'll still be lenient on racism) which also attempts to plug a new book The Hooligans Are Still Among Us. The book apparently includes pictures from last summer's stupid friendly with the Blades when some grown men got pissed and embarassed themselves in front of the daytrippers in Cleethorpes before putting unnecessary pressure on the local A&E. The Telegraph loves this kind of thing and has jumped at the chance to trailer the new season with photos of some arsehole they refer to as Vimto Man.  

Apart from that, there's nowt to speak of in the news. A few fans are speculating on that Twitter who might be leaving the club rather than who might be joining, but apart from that it's deathly quiet. There's no rush though, there are dozens of players looking for a game after being released by their clubs and still more on the books of Premier League and Championship clubs who have absolutely no chance of kicking a ball in anger unless they get a loan deal. Check out this list which the EFL published earlier in the week and start a rumour or two. I'm plumping for Abdul-Yussuf Adedeji Adeniyi Oshilaja who was recently released by Cardiff. 

Actually that's not a bad shout. Come on Slades, sort it! If you spot someone better that Deji (to his mates and journalists too I presume) then let us know. Drop us a line or tweet us. It's all the rage.