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Diary - Tuesday 10 July 2007

10 July 2007

It's news, readers, but not as we know it. The yawning silence that has engulfed Blundell Park for two months is broken today, albeit very quietly, by a Mariners World feature on the beginning of pre-season training. The first section features commentary-free footage of our heroes pulling shapes in Weelsby Woods to the sound of glass bottles being thrown into recycling bins and Lord Alan Buckley instructing: "Just find yourselves a little bit of room and just do some more stretching, OK?" before introducing Jamie Clarke to a player called Eggy or something (presumably Nick Hegggggggarty). Just as you're drifting off, we cut to an interview giving Town's latest impressive youth team graduate Ryan Bennett a first chance to unleash the full force of his southern enunciation ("the yoof team and the first team was mixin' togevah!"). Sounds like Bennett's feet are on the ground, anyway; let us hope Straight Peter Bore's manly size 11s can remain similarly floored next season. The feature, incidentally, is entitled The Hard World Starts Here, which should probably read The Hard Work Starts Here, unless it's some kind of half-arsed pun about the resumption of content on Mariners World; either way, it surely represents great value for 35 quid and another blazing barney with the BBC.

The Grimsby Telegraph's heroic struggle against empty space goes on with more up-to-the-minute coverage of players whose GTFC careers range from the unremarkable to the utterly forgettable. Today it's Jamie Lawrence (five appearances in 2004); tomorrow the Diary will be disappointed not to learn what Jake Sagare is up to these days or how Willie Falconer might be spending the summer. Luckily for the Diary, we have an email from Ben Gresswell, who has just watched John Cockerill's great goal on YouTube. "I have to say it is brilliant," writes Ben. "What memories it brings back. What I wouldn't give to see another Town team like that. And Dave Gilbert? Well, he was just a little gem wasn't he? Actually, all of Town's goals were good that night so I encourage you all to take a look. The picture quality is a bit rough but the goals make up for that. I'm going to check out the other clips on there now and sod work! GTFC is more important." Amen to that, comrade. See you all tomorrow.