Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 3 January 2012

3 January 2012

So, that's that, then. GTFC are officially On The Up. Leaving aside for the moment Town's ongoing budget deficit and lack of a chairman, all the talk is of tides having turned and corners having been turned. The team are in the top half of the Conference Premier for the first time this season, and looking up rather than down for the first time since Deadly John (Topcon) sacked Nice Neil Woodseses.

Your original/regular Diary feels the new optimism as strongly as anyone (as opposed to the old optimism and the old new optimism, neither of which I subscribed to wholeheartedly, and the old old new optimism, which I was sort of meh about). When Anthony Elding's penalty made the second Lincoln game safe, I roared so vehemently that Mrs Diary gave me one of her looks. But (you knew there was a 'but' coming, right?) if Town's resurgence was built on the loan signings Shorty and Shouty made in November, can it survive the departure of Manny Panther?

Panther has been applauded by some Grimsby supporters for strengthening the team in central midfield. He's been admired by many more for his shrewd insights into the global economic crisis. Yesterday he Tweeted cryptically but unambiguously: "Got news earlier that unfortunately I wont be staying at grimsby when loan finishes on 7th jan. would like to have stayed but thats football". He also said something lovely about Town fans helping him "fall back in love with the game". Either way, he's off - at an inopportune moment, as Craig Disley's ankle finally gave out under the weight of Grimbarian expectation. Anthony Church is returning from his loan at Alfreton with a lot to live up to. Andi Thanoj's moment may be about to arrive. Or, as Shouty, says in the Grimsby Telegraph, they might as well just sign someone else, because there's plenty of money; there's just no fackin' Manny.

A group of Town fans are looking to raise money and bid in the club's latest gate-naming auction. They want to name the entrance to the Pontoon stand after Richard Broadley and Matty Dawson, the two young Town fans who passed away last year. If you'd like to pledge a contribution, there's a thread on the Fishy messageboard where you can do just that; alternatively, send a PM through the Fishy to David Miller. If the auction is won, David will collect your money afterwards (by cheque, Paypal, or cash), and any spare funds will go to the club's youth development fund. Sounds worthy to us.