Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 19 December 2002

19 December 2002

"It's quiet...too quiet," as they say in those films, just moments before loads of aliens or Nazi soldiers or whatever burst out of their hiding places. Not that we're expecting that at Blundell Park. Let's hope not - there are enough injuries without more of the squad getting vaporised or eaten.

Get on with the what, you say...? Oh right, yeah. Ahem.

Town's AGM was held today. Some people stood down, stood up again, and a game of musical chairs then ensued. Or something. And the FA has been looking at GTFC's articles of association, apparently. Some of them were wrong! Oh no! But never fear, cos the board are putting them right again. This sort of stuff really should be televised.

The legal stuff concerning the attempt to build an enormous shopping complex in Great Coates, just like those other ones all over the country, drags on. The new retail park will be built from Meccano, be topped off with a huge golden 'M', and it may even have a football pitch in there somewhere. But don't hold your breath.

The club is expecting Alan Pouton, who was sent off during the Deepdale shambles thanks to that telltale tit of a linesman, to be banned for the Norwich fixture on December 28th. Good timing, the Diary reckons, as we'd rather have him for the Bradford match. Which reminds me - don't forget about Fans' Day, will you. The exact details of the ban have yet to be confirmed, which gives the FA plenty of time to make up some new anti-Grimsby rule that involves Pouton being hung, drawn and quartered. Not that we're paranoid, you understand; it's just that everyone's against us.

Tickets have been selling well for the big match, that's THE big match, no, make that THE BIG MATCH on Saturday against Sheffield Wednesday. Over 8,000 - including the full complement of 2,400 Owls - are expected to be there to witness a marvellous Town victory. Please, Santa. Ooh, doesn't 'Santa' look like 'Santos'.

Meanwhile, Town reserves' postponed fixture against Mansfield will now be played on Monday 20 January. Yes, I'm sorry - I know it's not really that important or interesting, but hey, the big news the other day was that an ex-loan player had popped in for a cup of tea.

Having decided that the right man to save football from the ravages of free-market capitalism would be a former Conservative cabinet minister, the Football League has appointed Sir Brian Mawhinney as its new chairman. The 62-year-old ex-Northern Ireland secretary and Tory party chairman takes the reins from Keith 'I wish I could fly' Harris, who was forced to resign earlier this year by the First Division's sleeping giant contingent in the wake of the ITV Digital debacle.

Well, that's Thursday. But tune in tomorrow, folks, for the most exciting news of the year so far, which could well involve Michael Boulding signing. Or Blundell Park being taken over by terrorists and then being saved by a maverick cop in a string vest. Or, like, some team news and that. Yeah.