Cod Almighty | Diary

Let them eat bingo

12 August 2019

Trentside Diary writes: If Cod Almighty might, however tenuously, take a smidgen of credit for suggesting the idea that, just maybe, an exile ticket package would be a good idea, and 18 months later, due to a satellite delay over the greater Grimsby area, the Mighty Mariners introduce the concept, would it be possible for us to do the same for chips? Even better: fish and chips? Or just some decent food?

It’s been suggested before many times and there is always a reason not to do it. The contract with the current caterers, it wouldn’t be profitable, it’s too difficult, there isn’t the equipment. But our current food and drink offering is poor. And by poor I mean my dog would probably consume it but she is a labrador so would eat it before engaging brain and then wondering what it was.

One way to encourage more people to get to the ground earlier and spend more money inside is to have decent catering. We used to style ourselves as "Europe’s Food Town". That probably means nothing to the likes of Fenty but isn’t it time to start planning now for whenever the current contract is up? And while they’re at it, any deals with a brewery should include allowing local suppliers like Docks Beers to be the guest beer at a very minimum.

Look at Saturday. Yes, many people travel away with family or mates and would have been able to plan a stop off in Cleethorpes for tea before heading home. But lots of away fans travel on coaches and were met by the heavy hand of Humberside’s finest directing them straight into the ground for a sausage flat (they seem to come from a pink gristle factory that can’t do rolls) or a Puke pie. Come on Town, we can do better than that. That said, we probably can’t put much faith in the 'brains' of the darkened, formerly smoke-filled backrooms of Blundell Park getting motivated enough to do anything to improve the catering.

All respect to Mr Jolley for planning ahead to improve the team. Sadly, I couldn’t be there on Saturday but from what I’ve seen, there were some very promising signs of things to come. We certainly weren’t cowed by those Yorkshire Chickens. Having said he wouldn’t celebrate if he scored against his old club, James Hanson managed enough of a post-goal jog and bounce to look like one of those too-cool-to-celebrate celebrations. Three already on the score sheet, four points in the bag. This could be quite a season. UTM!