Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Saturday 16 August 2003

16 August 2003

Town's third red card of the week raises the spectre of a Wengeresque discipline problem in Paul Groves' squad as Iain Anderson is dismissed for 'serious foul play' in first-half injury time, shortly after Marcel Cas crossed for Michael Boulding to head the Mariners to a 1-0 advantage over Port Vale. The free-scoring winger was adjudged to have done some kind of grief to Vale's Michael Walsh in challenging for a high ball, but Town fans claim another shambolic piece of refereeing. Groves replaces Laurens Ten Heuvel at half time in an attempt to hold on, and only the timber prevents Stuart Campbell from doubling the Mariners' margin; but the visitors make a double substitution on the hour and capitalise on more poor defending to snatch the lead within eight minutes with goals from Stephen McPhee and Billy Paynter. And that, gentle reader, is the way it stays.

In mitigation, the Hull referee who sent off Cas and Des Hamilton in the midweek League Cup defeat at Doncaster has promised Graham Rodger he will review the incidents concerned and rescind the red if the vid proves him wrong - despite Groves' earlier insistence that the dismissals would not be appealed. In an interview with GTFC's Mariners World service, Carl Boyeson explains: "Graham Rodger and I had a good five- to ten-minute chat about three or four things that happened in that game...He is sending me a video and I will have a look at it." In its account of the story, incidentally, BBC Humber continues its poor run of form by contriving to mis-spell the surname of Town's assistant boss. I mean it's not like he didn't used to play for Hull or anything.

Well, it should have been a great day, with the Diary's first ever appearance in Town's matchday magazine; but I'm afraid that's my weekend ruined. Only pop music can save me now...and loads of beer.