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Diary - Monday 4 December 2006

4 December 2006

Alan Buckley's first spell at Blundell Park is best remembered for consecutive promotions, passing, movement, and the emergence of Gary Croft and Peter Handyside. And John McDermott as a right-back as well, I guess, seeing as Mick Lyons and Bobby Roberts had been making him play on the left of midfield, or wing defence at netball, or whatever it was. The point is that, as well as the unusual state of affairs that is Town's team in general being any good, the club's youth system in particular has tended to flourish with Buckley at the helm. Hell, even Danny Butterfield looked alright when AB brought him through in his natural position of right-back, as opposed to the subsequent central midfield role he was ludicrously required to occupy by Dodgy Robin Lawrence.

This being the case, we can probably all smile with satisfaction at the weekend news that young home-grown forwards Danny North and Andy Taylor have both signed new two-year contracts. Despite having lost his place in the Mariners' first 16 since the return of the Great Al four weeks ago, Taylor has continued to bang 'em in for the reserves and yoof team, and sounds pretty psyched about his new mentor: "He's been very supportive and he has been helping me as a striker. He's been teaching me a lot about my positional play." It remains to be seen whereabouts in Town's pecking order of strikers this promising duo will emerge when and if all the injuries ever clear up, but in the meantime it is reassuring to have cover up front that won't play 23 seconds and then bugger off back to Southend reserves.

Oh, look: the Grimsby Telegraph denotes a person who has Asperger's syndrome by using terminology that is specifically discouraged by the National Autistic Society. Oh, look: so does the Daily Mail. The Telegraph may share the Mail's owner, willingness to offend people with learning disabilities, and determination to make everyone think that the world is about to end because of criminal asylum bisexual bogus terrorist gay gypsy paedophile hoodie-wearer veil-wearer do-gooder drug-user binge-drinker job-seeker single mothers who go to work, but there's a refreshing waft of optimism about its sports pages today, with both Mr Buckley and Mr Pulis opining that the sun is shining over Blundell Park and the only way is up. Paul Bolland's foot might still be hurting by the time Town play Barnet tomorrow, though, so we'd all better exercise a bit more patience than we showed Graham Rodger.

Lastly but absolutely not leastly, today's Diary is pleased to help publicise a couple of fundraising events put together by Grimsby Town Supporters Trust. Next Tuesday, 12 December, the trust will be getting together with the club for a fans' forum and quiz night at McMenemy's - Messrs Fenty, Buckley and Watkiss will be in attendance; it's free to get in; and there's nothing on the Mariners' official website about a dress code - but first of all, fans are invited to pay tribute this weekend to former GTFC left-back Tony Gallimore by spending the Friday night before a match in the Grosvenor public house on Humberston Road, where a GTST race night begins at 8pm.