Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 4 March 2003

4 March 2003

Three days after Paul Groves was able for the first time all season to select his team from an injury-free squad, four players are reported as doubtful for tonight's clash with Sheffield United at Blundell Park. If BBC Humber Sport is to be believed, then Stacy Coldicott, Richard Hughes, Michael Boulding and Simon Ford are all less than certain to face the Blades; but if Saturday's debacle was anything to go by, Mr Groves actually selects a better team when he has less players to choose from. A bit like Mrs Diary, then, whose Jedi-like car parking skills ("You've switched off your targeting computer!") become sharper still in a tight space. Paul's hips are less attractive, though.

Speaking of Sheffield United, Lincolnshire isn't the only place you'll find poachers this week. Hey, just a bit more work on these links and Peter Levy and Christa Ackroyd would be proud of them. The Bramall Lane outfit - who attained global notoriety earlier this season by repeatedly waiting to see who Paul Groves wanted to sign and then signing them - are at it again, giving a trial to former Town loanee Jason Gavin. The Middlesbrough defender spent a chequered two months with the Mariners at the end of 2002, with fans not exactly clamouring for the loan to be made permanent. Carry on, Colin W!

South Yorkshire's favourite long-ball thugs have also signed Blackburn defender John Curtis on loan in time for tonight's game. Other changes to Colin W's squad from the line-up that beat Rotherham last Friday are thought unlikely. The Diary is feeling gloomy and predicts two goals for Steve Kabba and a red card for big Georges.

Further evidence of the havoc wrought on football by the serpentine slags of Carlton and Granada arrives with the news (from Town's official site) that a player of Bradley Allen's quality can't get a game. The former Town striker, now on the books at Bristol Rovers, will be entitled to a new contract if he plays two more games for the Pirates and they retain league status. With the club in no position to risk such a modest financial commitment, Brad is playing with the stiffs for the rest of the year. As it were. Is it just me, or wasn't everything just a bit nicer when we only had the three TV channels?

Let us look forward, though, friends - to the summer, and the Diary's request for suggestions as to how it could be spent. Richard Dawson has emailed with five ideas: "1: Compose a haiku in honour of Groves. 2: Hang around the fabled 'Lilleshall gates' trying to work out what happens inside. 3: Obtain estate agent brochures for terraced properties within sight of BP. 4: Mow Handyside's lawn, clear his gutters etc in preparation for him opening up his Grimsby home again. 5: work on design for replacement scoreboard at BP (only Blue Peter technology allowed)." Thanking you, Richard - though if we stay up I fancy a tanka may be in order. Is that true, then - does Peter Handyside still have a house in Grimsby? Answers to this, and any more thoughts on avoiding a bummer in the summer, to codalmightydiary@yahoo.co.uk please.

And that's all for today. The Diary is going off now to hold its breath until 9:30pm. Unless, of course, it's all over by half time.