Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 5 July 2012

5 July 2012

Miss Guest Diary writes: Some day this rain's going to end but, looking out of the window now, I don't think it will be today.

For the last couple of summers I have been going across to Trent Bridge to watch cricket and support Nottinghamshire. It's nice to regain the feeling of supporting a successful team, but the weather has been interfering with that lately. A couple of weeks ago a Twenty20 game was completely rained off and on Tuesday the game was severely rain-affected. I am planning to go again this evening to see Notts play Yorkshire, though it's not looking too promising at the moment.

Possibly cricket's vulnerability to bad weather is why season tickets (or membership, as they call it) are so reasonably priced. I pay £90 for 20 matches - some of which could last for four days! This seems a bargain until we get a summer like this one which involves a lot of sitting watching the rain, eating soggy sandwiches and hoping play will start soon. And, of course, abandoned matches are not rescheduled.

Hmm, maybe paying £266 for a guaranteed 23 games at Blundell Park isn't such bad value...nope, it still feels like a lot of money to watch non-league football. This week's signing of Aswad Thomas has encouraged one grumpy fan of Cod Almighty's acquaintance to rush down to the ticket office and part with his hard-earned cash and I have now decided to follow suit. Not by rushing over to Blundell Park - why waste petrol when you can buy online via the SNOS. I'll let you know how it goes.

The SNOS has some more Mariners Player footage of the team training on the beach yesterday in what they describe as "sunny Cleethorpes". If they think that is sunshine, then they need to get out of North East Lincolnshire a bit more. For those with no access to the subscription service, the Telegraph also has a report. Shorty was interviewed about new players and indicated they are still working on more signings. I was a little concerned about talk of "big men up front" and Coulson's replacement being "more direct", but that doesn't necessarily mean there'll be less passing football next season (does it?).

Aswad was missing from the beach footage, presumably at Blundell Park signing the paperwork and posing for the inevitable pictures in front of the Pontoon holding up a shirt. Oh yes, here's a picture to prove it. I detect a rather dubious hairstyle - but he's young and from that London, so I'm prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

And finally, on the subject of dubious hair: this report of Louth Town's upcoming pre-season friendly against Town on 23 July includes a picture of someone who appears to have stolen Wayne Burnett's hair. Give it back!