Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 11 May 2007

11 May 2007

The geographical and political landscape is changing, gentle reader. No eulogy to New Labour you will find here, though, but your Guest Diarist is settling down to write to you today after an excursion to a much-trumpeted continental market held in a sleepy Lincolnshire market town.

The result was one Frenchman, nine Poles and a big bag of interestingly flavoured nuts and dried fruits. "Try my prunes, my friend. We grew them in Poland." The Frenchman merely urged me to try a bite of his spicy sausage. Old-fashioned English good manners ensured that I accept his offer with alacrity. Spicy, yes, but reassuringly flaccid and encased in a foot of fresh French bread. Drool on, drool on.

And the European theme will continue tomorrow as my mate's part-time girlfriend camps it up with the British Eurovision crew. She (and her name escapes me) is the brunette air hostess and my mate does not relish this publicity at all, waiting for her to return home before he ends it all. So nowadays you are never far from either a Pole or a Z-list celebrity, gentle reader. Or a Scottish politician, unfortunately.

In the meantime, Lord Buckley has lived up to his promise and signed a player: Sunderland-born Jamie Clark from non-League Boston United. Not a great surprise, for the rumour mill had long predicted this one. So we lose a Macca and gain a Mackem. Jamie is six feet two inches tall, thinks of himself as versatile and likes to impress with his 'fine array of passing'. He joins Grimsby hoping to learn the art of movement to complement his other skills. Mr Clark made two interesting statements in his inaugural Mariners World interview: "Grimsby are a big club" and "Boston were hard done by". Wearing a shocking pink shirt [as shocking as Tony Butcher's last Saturday? Ed] in early compliance with the 'straight as a Bore' policy of his new club, Jamie seems like a nice lad.

Lord Buckley, being incisively questioned against a background of what appeared to be distant artillery fire, admitted that he has pencilled his new recruit in to the Macca position. But then again the wily old fox quickly followed this confidence shared with the bluster that he might play him anywhere or, in actual fact, not play him at all. Well we'll just have to see won't we?

Mariners World also interviewed the outgoing Cohen lad, who is, shall we say, rueful. Sadly the injury is never explained in detail but Gary's comeback is, apparently, impossible to predict. Gary will continue to try and strengthen his knee, but from within the bosom of his family who are 'down south'. Don't put up with rock salmon though, Gary. Not now you've tasted real fish. As to whether the next signing will be a replacement for the fleet-footed forward, or the return of midfield destroyer James Hunt, only Lord Buckley knows. What we do know is that Town already have the vast majority of next season's first team squad in place. And that is flaming marvellous. See yer.