Cod Almighty | Diary

We are the solution

15 February 2018

We have mail. Learning that Steve Plowes has died, Rob McIlveen writes:

Very sad news indeed, and I doubt anyone would disagree with any of yesterday's diary whether they knew Steve or not. And you're right, for at least some people Sing When We're Fishing kept them interested in GTFC. The club owe him a debt of gratitude, but I'm not holding my breath.

We have set up a tribute page to Steve, so please read what has been written there, and contact us to add your own memories. Middle-Aged Diary can only add that I hope the club will find a suitable way to make Steve's passing at the next home game. It would be a turning of the circle when you consider that the club had the seller of the first edition of SWWF arrested but, at the risk of special pleading, fanzines do help keep fans engaged.

Because fans, whatever some board members may think, are part of the solution to the myriad problems facing Grimsby Town. As Dan Humphrey writes:

The departure of Russell Slade feels like an opportunity for the Mariners to arrest their on-pitch decline, with new tactics, new team selections, maybe some goals, some wins and some entertainment (I don't ask much do I?).

But what about off the pitch? How about:

1. Fan engagement
2. Recognition of previous mistakes. There's a long list here: Stevenage; the supporters liaison officer; the last fans' forum; the treatment of Matt Dean; ... and that's just this season
3. Some vision for a partnership with the trust and respect for its volunteers and fan surveys
4. Communication and transparency regarding the new stadium

Again I don't ask much.

Fan engagement is not just so much PR. It is a recognition that we are a club, and the club is the centre of passionate engagement. In my neck of the social media, I was struck by the very response on Sunday afternoon when it was announced that Slade had been dismissed. There was relief, yes, but there was also a thoughtful consideration of the deeper problems facing the club. If you haven't already, I recommend taking a look at the timelines of people like Chris Parker – no particular friend of Cod Almighty, but someone with experience and ideas to offer.

Fans aren't just fans, and fans aren't just the people who sound off on the Fishy about bringing Alan Buckley back. We are people with our own valuable experiences and skills – in running businesses, in communications, in working with people – which, given the right oportunity, we would love to put at the service of the club. The club needs a vision of how we move forward. Not a boardroom vision, not a Cod Almighty, not even a Mariners Trust vision (although they should be at the centre of it). A shared vision. What would you contribute to it?