Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 16 March 2006

16 March 2006

If there's one thing bottom-division football guarantees you apart from blind 80-yard hoofs upfield, it is an annual trip to Rochdale, who have famously spent all but one minute and 18 seconds of their existence ensconced in the basement. And if there's one thing an annual trip to Rochdale can't guarantee you, it's a game of football. Since the Mariners' return to the fourth division in 2004, their two away fixtures with Rochdale so far have resulted in two postponements and one match abandoned at half time, and the two clubs have now agreed to keep trying every Tuesday from now to the end of the season until Bogland yields a playable surface. The first of these attempts, GTFC have announced, will take place next Tuesday, 21 March.

This re-rearranged fixture may allow sufficient re-recovery time to ensure the participation of Michael Reddy, who has got a hamstring. The player and his hamstring were taken off half an hour into last Saturday's kickabout against Barnet, quickly prompting Town to score three goals, and though unlikely to feel better enough to face Bury this Saturday could be OK for the Dale game three days later. Subscribers to GTFC's official 25p text message service have also learned today that Andy Parkinson is back in training after recovering from the bout of footballitis that kept him out of the Barnet game. This should allow Mr Russell Slade to move Gary Cohen up front without having to play Junior Mendes, which would be nice.

Two emails from Rutland Arms regulars today, the first of whom is Sibbo, who offers a subtly barbed response to yesterday's observations by Felix Oliver-Tasker about witnesses on the Nunny. "I can't help but I know a man who can," he writes. "If the next replay of the yet-to-be-played, not-yet-played, hopefully-soon-to-be-played game against Rochdale is cancelled, how about finding Tony Ford? He'll know for sure. That'll make the trip seem worthwhile, Oliver." Mr Keith Collins, meanwhile, has sent us a load of anagrams, the pick of which is for "President Clinton of the USA", to wit: "to copulate, he finds interns". Nice but, as Keith admits, non-togger-related. Now if you want a football anagram, the Diary's life was made complete the day I discovered that an anagram of "Scunthorpe United" - a football club managed by former GTFC ruffian Brian Laws - is "uncouth president". Have you lot got any more?

That's it from me for the week, then. Before I hand over to tomorrow's guest diarist and go and thaw out my hands, the Diary would like to thank you for reading and warm you with the knowledge that across the UK the temperature on this day last year was mostly between 16 and 19 degrees. Bye!