Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Monday 16 June 2003
16 June 2003
John McDermott appears to have had his heart's desire granted in the shape of a new two-year contract from second division promotion hopefuls Grimsby Town. Local radio reports and official text messages suggest that the veteran right-back - currently with second division relegation favourites Grimsby Town - will leave the Mariners on a Bosman to commit his future to the Mariners this afternoon. Along with Georges Santos, Macca was one of Town's top priorities for retention among the club's out-of-contract legion; and if it goes through the deal will end months of speculation about the player's future that have made the Beckham saga seem almost interesting by comparison.
Paul Groves, who under normal circumstances is to controversy what George Bush is to intelligent diplomacy, has made an unusually outspoken attack on the Football League's decision-makers for "passing the buck" over proposals to reorganise the play-offs, penalise clubs in administration and introduce 'parachute payments' to relegated clubs. "They need to make some decisions," Town's gentlemanly player-manager tells today's Grimsby Telegraph. "That's all we're asking for." It looks like the Mariners will miss out on a £120,000 sum that would have been dished out had the parachute thingy been approved rather than delayed at a meeting of the league's big cheeses last week.
Mark Wilson, meanwhile, appears to have had his heart's desire granted in the shape of several emails to the Diary about people's favourite football books - and one of them is even from someone outside the Cod Almighty team! "I'll go along with the Gary Nelson books, especially the first. The reference to Grimsby is far from patronising," writes Pat Bell, correcting yesterday's Diary; "he describes the miracles Buckley worked in his first spell and then recounts in detail a match at the Valley where we absolutely slaughtered them and lost 2-1 (that was Laws' first season in charge).
"I was at that game," continues Pat, "and remember our goal well as it was pretty typical of both how we played (at times) and the reaction from some of our support. We were attacking, and a half clearance reached Livingstone about thirty yards out. There was a rise in excitement as everyone urged him to shoot. This was followed by a groan, as he instead slipped the ball out to Gilbert on the wing. Supporters overcame their disappointment as Gilbert took control, and urged him to shoot, from a wide angle. There was a groan as instead he crossed, and another groan as it seemed to have gone too long. A lot of people were still groaning when the ball hit the back of the net, Gilbert having picked out a late run beyond the far post by Childs.
"Back to football books, and I'd also recommend The Far Corner by Harry Pearson, about football in the north east. He's a really funny writer, and for parochial interest, there is the odd reference to Bill Brewster and also an index entry that reads 'Sean Cunnington, unwittingly helps win swearing contest'." Well, that's sold it to me. "Another book I meant to mention was, I think, called A Goalkeeper's History of Britain. I'm a bit vague as I got it from the library, and can't remember the writer's name. Anyway, he sort of traces post-war attitudes in Britain, with the loss of empire and economic decline by reference to the leading English goalkeepers of the period. That makes it sound a bit pretentious, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who objects to you highlighting Jarvis's unsavoury business practices, but it's quite funny and insightful (if that's a word)." Indeed it is, and thanks for that, Pat; I've still got some book tokens from when I 'left' my last job so I might just have a look at those.
My Cod colleague Si Wilson is another who enjoyed Gary Nelson's work, describing both books as "brilliant reads" - and also recommending Pete Davies. "All Played Out is a wonderful account of Italia '90," he purrs, "bringing back hazy, heated memories (make of that what you may), while I Lost My Heart To The Belles is a soothing summer read, even though I believe it was the inspiration behind Playing The Field (which was actually about football in the first series - and entertaining - but thereafter solely concentrated on plots about bored housewives shagging around)." Which still sounds quite entertaining to me, but there you go. It's still better than The Manageress...
"I was going to recommend Mark Hodkinson's Life Sentence as the best football book in the world ever, but you beat me to it," writes Miles Moss, who bought the Diary a copy of Mark Hodkinson's Life Sentence for my birthday last year. "Instead, let me recommend Andrew Ward's compilation of interesting, unusual or downright bizarre fixtures, Football's Strangest Matches. It's not deep, it's not going to change the way you think about football, but it's a great dip-in book, perfect for holiday reading. Or to have by the toilet at home. I think you can get it from Past Times, of all places. Ooh, and Grimsby get a mention in it twice." If only we Grimbarians were as easily pleased by our football team as we are with our reading.
And finally, Sam Metcalf offers "a quick yet hearty 'bravo!' for mentioning the very wonderful Isla Fisher in the Diary!" I would gladly mention her every day of my life, sir. Incidentally, Sam is co-promoting a gig this weekend headlined by Fosca, who Mark Wilson may or may not have heard of but are the Oscar Wilde of indie pop and hence entirely brilliant; and the Diary urges anyone on the same planet as Nottingham to sit up and take notice.