Cod Almighty | Diary

We're going to end up screaming about some midnight garage sale

27 June 2014

My goodness, is that the time? Original/regular Diary here for a third turn in the chair this week. I haven't been this busy since the noughties!

Paul Groves! Paul Groves. Potentially the greatest Grimsby Town manager of all time, cruelly denied a chance to prove it? Or a decent football mind and probably a more than decent coach who couldn't quite hack it as a manager? The debate will last as long as Grimsby Town. Look how well Bournemouth did after he left. Yes, but look what he had to contend with at BP. Either way, Grovesy – indubitably one of the Mariners' greatest servants as a player – has now washed up at Crawley, who are probably in the Premier League by now, where he will serve as first-team coach under John Gregory. Blimey, John Gregory! Next thing Fleetwood will be giving Brian Little a job.

Town were going to sign a striker the other day but didn't, reports today's Grimsby Telegraph. The reason? Well, John Fenty's involved, so it's not quite clear. "Paul Hurst pulled the plug on the deal because of the selling club's demands," says the Telewag, which then quotes Town's major shareholder in seemingly unequivocal form. Fenty elaborates: "There is a particular player that we've made a bid for and our highest valuation hasn't met his club's demands." So it's definitely down to money, then? Apparently not. "It's certainly not a financial decision." Oh. Really? "It's more of a common-sense one that has been taken by Paul and that's why we haven't progressed any further with that particular player." Right. Thanks for clearing that up, John!

And finally, no June day in North East Lincolnshire is complete without a fresh revelation that people have bought more season tickets at this point of 2014 than at this point of 2013. Just a couple of questions, though. First, is this just because season tickets have gone on sale earlier this year than last? Second, yeah, cool video and everything, but that chart has a million miles to go before it catches up with the one that was doing the rounds about the USA's chances of making the second round of the World Cup!

What do you mean that's not a question?

Heh, remember the noughties? No, me neither. I was too busy.