Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 19 June 2003

19 June 2003

Town begin the new season on 9 August with the longest journey of the year in the 340-mile trek south-west to Plymouth, with Port Vale the first visitors to Blundell Park a week later. The campaign ends - pending the play-offs, of course - on 8 May with a trip to Tranmere, Brentford providing the opposition in the final home game on 1 May. If I write any more than that then my eyes will be pecked out by league falcons, as the fixture list is, of course, "copyright of The FA Premier League Ltd and The Football League Ltd 2003". It is also "compiled in association with Schlumberger", apparently, which sounds like a glamorous brand of vodka - and could well be, given that the fixture planners have neglected to pair the Mariners with any of the four local-ish sides on any of next season's bank holidays. A full list can be found on Town's official site.

The mystery continues over the 'parachute payment' that may or may not have been due to GTFC following the club's relegation. Peter Furneaux is quoted today by BBC Humber Sport claiming that Town are due £100,000 following first division clubs' agreement to the payments at a meeting in March. The local Beeb site states outright that "some clubs appear to be welching on the deal" - but in an earlier report had claimed that the payment was in jeopardy because "there is no agreed mechanism for the cash to be handed over". The Mariners chairman's case is not exactly strengthened by his admission that "there was a separate meeting afterwards which I didn't attend" at which arrangements for the transfer of the money may or may not have been made. If I were being paid to write this, I'd look into it a bit further; but I'm not, and I've got a lot to do today. Oh, and it might have been £120,000 according to some reports.

Masters of financial conjuring and presumed bribers of officialdom Bradford City are to sign Fulham striker Luke Cornwall, who in a 10-game loan spell with the Mariners in 2001 scored four goals including a bit of a peach at the Hawthorns. The player has seen out what must have been a rewarding contract in west London - in six years with Fulham Cornwall managed one league start - and moves to Valley Parade on a free transfer.

We have a first email to the Diary about Town's new signings, and Mark Wilson dampens the excitement surrounding Marcel Cas by stating simply: "A winger who can't shoot or cross? He'll fit in a treat then." What does anyone else think of the transfer show so far? Email codalmightydiary@yahoo.co.uk with your views.