Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 28 October 2002

28 October 2002

This week's personnel crisis is in midfield, where difficulties over the renewal of big Georges Santos's contract have rendered the player unavailable for tomorrow night's game with Burnley - the last before his three-match ban kicks in, if you'll pardon the pun. The four-week contract Santos signed last month expired at the weekend, and a new deal had to be in place by noon today for the Nationwide League's answer to Patrick Vieira to have been eligible to face the Clarets. A Grimsby Telegraph report says negotiations are foundering on a £50,000-per-year salary cap imposed by the club.

Also missing on Tuesday night may be Santos's midfield partner Alan Pouton, who received a kick on the foot in Saturday's trouncing in Wolverhampton that required three stitches. No Wolves player was punished for the assault.