Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Tuesday 14 April 2009
14 April 2009
Just a truncated Diary today, readers, as the Diary's best typing fingers have been cut off by the Man. Lovely weather we were having at Meadow Lane yesterday, wasn't it?
Mike Newell is never short of a word or two to say about match officials, of course, and today he surprised no-one by pointing out what a very good decision yesterday's referee made in making the very good decision to allow Town's second goal. Not that it was questionable in any way (indeed, even Notts County fans seem content to admit that Bosh's strike was permissible in every way): we're just amazed that there are still officials overseeing fourth division games who are good enough to have interpreted the offside rules about non-active players correctly for a change. Well played, Mr Haywood.
So, what was your experience of the crowded conditions at Notts County? Did you pay 20 quid and not have a seat to sit on? Did a steward make a surprising admission to you about the number of fans in the stand compared with the number of available seats? The Diary would like to hear from you. Please email diary@codalmighty.com and let us know. Thankyou!
Good Friday 10 April
That Tony Blair (he used to be prime minister, and now charges about two hundred grand for half an hour of scripted platitudes) has been explaining why he believes in God to some Radio 3 programme. If, gentle reader, you will permit your Guest Diarist an attempt to succinctly paraphrase his reasoning, then it goes like this: when I was 10 my dad was rushed in to hospital and my posh private school headmaster told me and we prayed to god that he got better. Even though I told him my Dad was a militant atheist we still did. And he got better. God. Proof. Sorted. No wonder the Middle East problem looks so doable to him.
The nice young men whom I sit with in the Pontoon had a similarly revelatory experience a few seasons back when Town were just about to start their inexorable slide down the divisions. They decided that Town never lost when I brought home-made sausage rolls to scoff at half time. And to be fair, when I stopped bringing them, because I just couldn't be arsed any more, things did get steadily worse. They recently beseeched me to start bringing them again; I tracked down the butcher who makes them (he is a Forest fan and says they don't work very well for him, and maybe he should try haslet instead), and, so far, the results speak for themselves, don't they? A prayer or a sausage roll - I know which I'd plump for.
Manager Newell, in a windy interview, didn't need much encouragement to single out some of his team this week. Sweeney, he said, combined ability with quality and effort - not ruling out trying very hard to sign him at the end of the season. Conlon, he said, had been a right barbarian and we want to keep him too. Whereas James Hunt had been a model professional during his time out of the team, and had been 'outstanding' since his return to the fold. Hunt(y) tweaked his back but has had it 'seen to' and should be OK for tomorrow's home game against mid-table Accrington. Thank the dying Christ for that.
Sweeney, bless him, gave a separate, and wonderfully enthusiastic interview to that nice chap at Mariners World where he told us how much he is enjoying himself and that, back in Ireland, his family is known to be a "dynasty of goalkeepers". He also apparently told the Telegraph that he is "due a goal" soon. Mr Re-Newell also hinted to the Telegraph that he may start with an unchanged team yet again but is considering rotating one or two players at Notts County on Monday. You do have to feel for Proudlock especially - he deserves a game, I reckon, at some point soon.
Mr Diary (see paragraph four on Wednesday this week) has been admonished by those nice folk from the Grimsby Vital Football pages. After a rather bizarre paragraph about substances which affect the football fan, the piece goes on to reach the apparent crux of its objection, saying: "There comes a point where regardless of what is going on, on or off the pitch, everyone should just support our club no matter on your views or opinions." Well, we think being a 'slave to love' is just so 1980s and, to be frank, while we still have folk hanging about, looking for trouble and throwing bricks it is going to be difficult to negotiate police costs downwards. Stop the idiots and then maybe we can get somewhere, eh? Bet Tony Blair wouldn't have a clue how to start on that one though.
The club is predicting over 6,000 again tomorrow and has opened the ticket office today to try and cut down on matchday queues. Remember, with a Telewag voucher (and thanks to some truck company), admission is a tenner. Let's hope we keep this good home run going. I can't wait - see yer.