Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 22 November 2002

22 November 2002

More loan news - and it's an early Christmas present for Town fans as John Oster agrees to a second month at Blundell Park, taking him up to the end of December. The prodigious winger has impressed greatly since joining on loan from Sunderland last month - scoring on his debut against Gillingham - but is so far unwilling to pledge himself to Town into 2003. "I'm happy here and enjoying it," he tells the Grimsby Telegraph. "If I wasn't I'd want to go back. But I don't want to commit to anything long-term." A 'Keep Oster' campaign would be tempting fate, really, wouldn't it.

'Wimbledon' forward Paul Robinson, who once kept Alan Shearer out of the Newcastle team and spent loan periods with Town this season and last, has joined third division Carlisle for three months. Robinson may hook up there with another skilful attacker with Grimsby connections in Bradley Allen, who is discussing a deal with the same club. Expect the Cumbrians finally to escape the bottom two places this season.

Stacy Coldicott and Tony Gallimore might just squeeze back into the Town line-up for tomorrow's trip south to face Trevor Francis's Crystal Palace. The duo both limped off in last weekend's draw with Preston but could return at Selhurst. Paul Groves and Darren Barnard - hopefully fresh from his exertions in helping Wales to a 2-0 win in Azerbaijan on Wednesday - stand by to fill in. Yes, exertions. John McDermott, having recovered from a calf injury, I think it was, is in line to return to the team in place of Wes Parker.

The 72 chairmen of Football League clubs have voted to accept the principle of salary capping and have formed a working committee to plot the course ahead. The proposal is that each club's total spending on player wages will not be allowed to exceed 60 per cent of its turnover - this figure later falling to 50.