Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 18 May 2009

18 May 2009

Well done, Scunny! That's the important part done. Pats on the head all round!

Chris Llewellyn has become the seventh player to have joined Grimsby Town on a 'permanent' transfer before Mike Newell arrived and left since. Unlike Martin Butler, Richard Hope, Peter Till, Tom Newey, Phil Barnes and Gary Montgomery, however, it seems that the Mariners' forward-looking young manager wanted to keep hold of him. Llewellyn's slow start to life in a Town shirt seemed to some to typify the inadequacies of the squad Alan Buckley built last summer, but his emergence in the latter part of the season as at least a useful squad player belatedly showed what Mr Re-Newell's predecessor was thinking. One year into his two-year contract, though, the player has left to join Neath of the Welsh Premier League: a move seemingly connected to personal issues and a need to get nearer his family. "Chris is a good lad and one of the best pros I have ever worked with. But he had some issues that he needed to sort out and felt it was better to be nearer home in Wales," the manager tells the Telegraph, prompting curious comments from some supporters about what a good decision Newell has made to get rid.

Chester City have entered administration. The Diary isn't really sure what this has to do with the Mariners, but I'm mentioning it anyway from the force of habit, after spending a fair proportion of my recent waking life obsessing over any detail, no matter how small, which might have tipped the balance of probabilities towards the Deviants slipping down to the Conference rather than the Mariners. Now, should we never speak of this again?

Finally today, let's raise a glass to "Pete, Clee", who has posted a comment on the Grimsby Telegraph website explaining what a great Town fan he is because he stopped supporting the club when Alan Buckley returned in 1997. Hats off to you, sir. As if this sort of dedication to the cause wouldn't be worthy enough of celebration in its own right, Pete, Clee has conjured a truly unique piece of punditry and insight in his observation that "You will say he got us to wembley, true but whats to say another mananger wouldn't of done the same." What indeed, Pete, Clee. What indeed. Surely this proud club would never slump into the doldrums if only Grimsby had thousands more like you.