Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 3 July 2007

3 July 2007

West Diary here, coming from a wet place out west. Is it still raining where you are? When will it all stop? Will Sean and Violet's private DIY experiment be successful?

Hot on the heels of yesterday's announcement of the exciting Holiday Camp League Two East programme (otherwise known as the stiffs fixtures), comes an updated schedule of pre-season friendlies. The official site reveals that there will now be games against Gainsborough Trinity on 17 July and Spalding on 6 August. The already rearranged match against Grantham Town, who are apparently known as the Gingerbreads, will now take place on Tuesday 31 July. Presumably this is to accommodate a certain Grantham Town midfielder's firefighting and scouting commitments. The Mariners' pre-season schedule now resembles a month-long tour of Lincolnshire with only a couple of cross-border raids to Yorkshire thrown in. Only a jog down the Viking Way and games against Mavis Enderby and Old Bolingbroke remain to be fixed up to ensure the lads are ready to begin the season fighting fit.

Lord Buckley has stepped in to play down rumours of Martin Paterson making a move to Cleethorpes. Buckley has told Mariners World that if Paterson leaves Stoke, he thinks that he will go to Scunthorpe and that we should not be too disappointed about that because they are a Division Two side. That makes it alright then. The Grimmo Telewag backs up Buckley's view but it is not clear whether they have some more information or just, like West Diary, got up early to catch the Buckley interview.

The Town boss also deals with another rumour circulating of late, that linking Danny North to Leeds. Buckley says that one must have originated 'down dock' and there is no truth in it at all. The gaffer also reveals that he is in contact with two or three front players and considering defensive cover, although he indicates that we should not expect much movement in the short term. Just like watching Gary Jones then. So no more rumour-mongering and get back to moving those boxes of haddock around.

Time to go. It has stopped raining and your diarist needs to get to the sandwich shop before he is left with tuna mayonnaise on white bread once again.