Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 27 January 2010

27 January 2010

How badly do Grimsby Town need young McCrory, gentle reader? The excitable talk about Grimsby offering six figure transfer fees to show how Chairman Fenty is so dedicated to his club that he will offer telephone numbers for players (whom he is secretly confident would never join the likes of Grimsby) has had an undersirable effect in the wider football world. Plymouth won't loan the young man to us any more - we have to buy his services. The Grimsby people are reporting that the two clubs are a way apart in valuation; the Plymouth Herald reports that Argyle will 'accept a nominal transfer fee'. But for Widdowsons unexplained loss of form and confidence this wouldn't matter. Maybe we should just call their bluff and stick Hegggaarty there. However much we spotted his weaknesses when played at full back he is probably a better bet than either of these two youngsters in your Guest Diary's opinion.

Grimsby Town hosted a surprise closed-door friendly with Hull yesterday afternoon. A secret game it would seem that was watched by half the posters on the message boards who regaled their peers with contradictory reports of scorers and performances. The superb new official site later published their version of events noting that Town lost 2-1 (Boshell with 'a great strike') and that: "the Mariners included trialists Curtley Williams, who is a former Ipswich Town left back, former Crystal Palace and Millwall midfielder Ryan Smith and Tim Cathalina, a Dutch defender who has been playing for FC Emmen." Smith who could be loosely categorised I suppose within the 'wayward talent' section, has just been set free by Crystal Palace at the end of a very short term contract. Palace have bigger things to worry about at the moment. In short the boys got talent but the boys got attitude.

My dyed-in the-wool-Palace-fan postman just called in to tell me that Smith 'would be good for you if Town keep him on the straight and narrow'. The rest of his conversation was peppered with Jordan slander and rumours of the return of Noades and Coppell. Oh well at least we are dying from ineptitude rather than crookery I suppose. See yer.