Cod Almighty | Diary
Blondie ambition
28 August 2026
What a week for nostalgia. Buckley in the sunshine at the Bescot last week and eldest and middle round for a re-watch of the Man U game last night as the rain returned to lash North East Lincs. We ate, we drank, we cheered; we revisited the angry YouTubers and we laughed. With so much good feeling around Grimsby Town this week, it would be easy to relax into a pleasant intoxication and drift to the weekend in a dreamy haze of memories.
No time for that. On this day, one year ago, we were all waking up and asking ourselves if it was a dream. It wasn't. It was great. It was perhaps the best. But the fourth division fills our horizon and the demands for three points from tomorrow's home fixture are exhausted neighbours banging on the walls and asking us to keep the nostalgia down.
Artell is the man to count on to look forward. He was excited again as he spoke about new forward Sonny Finch. A target since last season, Finch can play across the front three, and he is fit and ready to go from tomorrow. From his own interview, he's raring to go. He saw our game last Saturday at Walsall and he's very excited to play in front of us. Genuinely so. Track down the video of his interview; he really does look and sound like a kid in a sweetshop.
Sweets used to come in glass jars. Using this nostalgic image of innocence is a truly cynical segue into the glass department of the Town squad. Our fragile folk remain fragile. On this day, the anniversary of the day after that performance against Man U, Artell tells us Gardner is using the ball in training but he doesn't want to take any risks with him. That line echoes all the way from Christmas. When will the lad ever be able to take the risk of playing in a game again? The answer, my friend, is blowing in the sound of breaking glass.
What's that? Doug Tharme? Who? Oh, you mean the guy who does all the community stuff. He's great, a real addition to the community team. What do you mean he's still contracted as a player? That can't be right.
What's that? The Rapture? Did you just say, "For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air"? Oh, sorry, I misheard. You said that Harvey Cartwright is still in Hull receiving treatment.
Fleetwood tomorrow. The View from the Weekend Diary of a couple of weeks ago gave a suitable farewell to poor old Denver Hume, so I won't repeat it here. Artell said that he will be at the game, so let's all give him a proper once-a-Mariner welcome. Apparently, his partner is from the area and he's a very keen student, so don't be surprised if he turns up as part of our growing backroom staff.
There is still former-player interest in Danny Andrew, a very solid full-back from our first season back in the league in 2016. Doncaster nicked him off us at the end of a successful spell back in the days when we only gave one-year contracts. And Nathan Pond is on their coaching staff. Pond was a firm favourite in his loan spell with us in the 12/13 season. Your A46 Diary remembers again Pond's return to Fleetwood and never even considering staying with what is surely the bigger club hammered home just how far we had fallen.
Their boss, Matt Lawlor, has been generous in his pre-match compliments, insisting we were the best team they faced in his 20 games in charge last season. Energy, enthusiasm, talent, all the good things that a football club and team should be. He sees us as a role model. Thanks, Matt! Status as greater footballing/fishing town reinstated. Sucks to you, Pond!
On league form, the Fishermen and the Mariners refuse to be separated. Both have four points, two clean sheets and one goal. So, 0-0 tomorrow then. Or not. Their cup form is more impressive with wins against Chesterfield and Shrewsbury, 1-0 and 4-0 respectively. They have beaten Chesterfield twice already, home and away. And the Spireites are a team to watch according to pundits.
So, we need to breach a defence with four clean sheets in a row. How likely is it that Fleetwood can keep five in a row? Law of averages is saying we're going to get at least two goals. Morgan and Cook to score, assisted by Vernam. You heard it here, see it there tomorrow.