Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Tuesday 25 April 2006
25 April 2006
As tense and nervous as Town fans may feel this week, there nevertheless hovers an eerie stillness upon the black and white striped sections of the world's news media today. Having already sold 1,400 tickets for this Saturday's life-altering fixture at Macclesfield, GTFC have taken an extra 500, bringing the total available for visiting fans to 2,400. The youth team is nervously preparing for tonight's cup final at Walsall - its first in about 20 years, according to Neil Woods. And it says in The Sun that John 'I'm Ace, Me' Oster has been offered a new one-year contract by Reading despite starting only ten league games this season. I wouldn't even have known that if Guest Diary hadn't emailed to tell us.
On days like today, then, you almost feel sorry for the Grimsby Telegraph, which is so bored that it has launched into full-on Daily Mail/Express world-going-to-hell-in-a-handcart mode for a lead story about how terrible it is that the police have to deal with crime. The Diary much preferred yesterday's observation by Mariners cult hero Gary 'The Lump' Jones: "I thought the lads played some good football [against Cheltenham last Friday] - it wasn't just a case of booming it forward, which was a nice surprise!" Refreshing dose of honesty, or ironic two-fingered riposte to Town's detractors? You decide.
The Telegraph, of course, is seldom blessed with the sort of quality correspondence that sometimes gets the Diary out of a pickle on slow news days, and it is thusly that we turn to Sibbo, who has a reflection to make upon a recent footballing controversy. "What's all this fuss about Spurs and Arsenal and playing on when injured players are on the ground?" he asks. "Not with a head injury either. Didn't the same thing happen to Town against Bristol Rovers earlier in the season? Both situations ended with a goal for the side with eleven players on their feet. Still, Grimsby are only a fourth division side and not chasing a Champions League place. Funny how money talks eh." Indeed. Much in the style of one of the managers involved last weekend, the Diary didn't see the incident in question; but you wouldn't put money on Wenger if it had gone to blows, would you. Here's a point for discussion, then: which former (or current) GTFC manager would have been the hardest in a fight? Email diary@codalmighty.com with your thoughts on the BP hotseat deathmatch.
Lastly let us be grateful to Miles Moss for giving us all a bit of perspective. "A lot of Town fans will be getting far too anxious this coming fortnight about Town going up automatically, or not, or not at all," he prognosticates. "Let's use CA to calm their nerves over the next two weeks with a brightside list of reasons why finishing fourth wouldn't be the end of the world." Moss's list reads as follows:
1. If we get into the play-offs, there'll be loads of extra income for the club, especially if we get to the final.
2. If we don't go up at all, we'll get to visit Accrington Stanley next season.
3. ...and if 'MK Dons' are relegated, we'll get to boycott their ground.
4. The club will still exist, and will play football matches against a set of other teams next year.
You have to admit he's got a point with that last one. Any more? The email address remains the same, as Led Zeppelin once sang. Right, that's it - good luck to Ver Yoof for tonight, and I'll see you same time same place tomorrow.