Cod Almighty | Diary

If only, if only, if only

12 April 2022

It's Tuesday morning so I'm sitting here as usual, bowl of porridge and a mug of coffee, wondering what's pertinent to Grimsby Town today. It's that weird time of the season when there's little happening in some ways, meaning no big transfer news, but the tension is palpable. So many sighs and "if onlys" on Saturday. So many sighs and "if onlys" since Saturday.

I think I've addled my brain with the number of times I've looked at our run in and those of the teams around us. I've weighed up teams with games in hand against whether or not we still have to play them. I know you're doing the same. I look at our opposition for the run in and where they are now. Bottom of the table: still fighting to secure their place next season or for pride. Middle for diddle: pressure's off so playing for fun and pride. In sight of the playoffs: all to play for now. There really are no easy games. I'm actually having to stop myself and just keeping repeating: "it's still in our hands".

Keeper of our collective online memory On this GTFC day posted an interesting fact this morning. In just over a week it will be 19 years since we were relegated from the second tier.

Just let that sink in.

ITV digital had collapsed in March 2002 and 'you know who' quicky sold his shares but then changed his mind. If only he hadn't had that change of heart. If only we weren't still paying back the benign loans that were 'justified' as saving us when ITV digital collapsed and we owed money to the taxman. We were always a "carefully" managed club, nothing flash but steady and solid off the pitch. I have no doubt we would have weathered the storm by arranging a longer-term payoff of the debt. It's what multi-million pound businesses do to spread costs and, whilst it would have been frustrating, we would have come out the other side. Instead we were told by his acolytes that we should be eternally grateful to our saviour.

Am I still angry? When I look at the clubs who were around us in those days, you bet I am. When I look at what has happened to Town since those days, you bet I am. Angry that my youngest son has only ever seen success in 2016 and that was after continuous decline in his Town-watching lifetime. Do I stay awake at night thinking about it, no. I do admire all those fans in their 20s and younger who turn up week in week out. It really is a badge of honour.

On Friday, Town supporter Jase Ives is walking from the MKM/KCOM/Not Boothferry Park to Blundell Park in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. It's a good job he's walking as I've only been to Hull's new ground once and it took nearly two hours to get out of the carpark. Macmillan is an amazing organisation that supports so many people at the most difficult times. If you can spare anything, it would be much appreciated.

Now I've just got to sit in a darkened room with no internet connection until the extended weekend. UTM!