Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 23 April 2003

23 April 2003

The increasingly vocal Peter Furneaux is in the headlines again today, restating his case on BBC Humber Sport that clubs who enter administration during a league season ought to be docked points. The Mariners chairman is quite understandably pissed off that while he's been busting a gut to keep the club solvent, other first division outfits have built up Town-beating squads by splashing the cash like a trawlerman down Freemo and then getting most of their debts cancelled when the administrators come in. Furneaux insists that this buys his rivals "an unfair advantage", and that's even before what Bradford spend on referees. The Diary noted with interest that the manager of Sheffield United was saying much the same thing as his side took on debt-ridden Leicester the other week. Players were one thing, but for God's sake, can Town not even have ideas now without Warnock nicking them?

Steve Croudson is ending 15 months of thumb-twiddling this afternoon by turning out for Town reserves at Sincil Bank. The 23-year-old keeper has endured a frustrating time of it recently, with a shoulder injury that began as a niggle and ended up as a painful nightmare that went on and on and on, just as if it were a song from the last Ash album. On the plus side, though, he must be a world-beater at Grand Theft Auto 3 by now. Croudson has only the arse-end of this season in which to prove his fitness and earn a new contract, since his current deal is set to expire this term; but as the newly relegated Mariners look to make cutbacks and perhaps find a new home for Danny Coyne - reputedly the highest-earning player on the staff - the smart money is on the Kitten to become Town's first-choice stopper next season.

Town have wasted no time, meanwhile, in preparing for division two football by agreeing to a pre-season friendly against division three Hull City. The Yorkshire side's enormous new Kingston Communications Stadium, built for them by the council, will be graced by the Mariners on Wednesday 23 July for the first time - "and only" or "of many", according to your disposition and outlook on the world. "The Mariners make the short journey across the Humber Bridge as part of Neil's Testimonial," says Town's official site by way of unexplanation. Hamilton? Armstrong? Or that crap ref from Scunny? I think we should be told.

Paul Raven, who if speed of foot were speed of thought would have special educational needs, has been offered an extended contract by his new club Carlisle. The sluggish defender joined the Cumbrians after leaving Town on a free in February, and his match-losing performance in the recent final of whatever the Auto Windscreens Shield is called now has failed to deter the third division strugglers from waving a new two-year deal in front of his nose. I suppose we'd better find out what it's called now, actually, hadn't we.

In other transfer news, the Diary has apparently been linked with a big-money move to a commercial GTFC website. After all, writing for Cod Almighty has only been about putting myself in the shop window. Bye! Now you must all love me like you do John Oster. No? How does that work then? Seriously though, readers, it would take a hell of an offer to better the deal I'm on at CA. One can of London Pride per season is not to be sniffed at, you know.

Finally, thank you for filling me in on Monday's Corrie. Oooh, that Peter, eh. A reader has also emailed to ask: "Can you put out an SOS to find out what happened on Holby City last night please?" My God...what have I started?