Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 18 November 2003

18 November 2003

As excitement builds across the whole of the UK at Wales' chances of qualifying for a first major international tournament since somebody invented the internet, attention is turning to the team's recent unexpected success story - unexpected outside North East Lincolnshire, anyway - Robert Earnshaw. Sorry, I mean Darren Barnard. Some ignorant scumsuckers in the media have displayed astonishment that the Welsh could be in such a position with a Grimsby defender in the team, but an interview with the player in today's Guardian - to which my attention has just been drawn by a swift email from Mrs Diary - briefly manages to avoid casually libelling the Mariners. Much of the piece is given over to the differences between second division football at Blundell Park and the high glamour of the Euro 2004 play-offs, and Barney interestingly reveals that he took a 75 per cent pay cut in joining Town from Barnsley in 2002.

When Kevin Donovan made the reverse journey a year earlier it was largely because of a pay rise far in advance of 75 per cent - not to mention the oft-cited factor of Barnsley's "Premiership ambitions" - and so we can safely assume that the player is by now certainly not wanting for a bob or two. He is, however, in need of a football club for which to play, after 59 appearances and one goal at Oakwell that have prompted the highly aspirational South Yorkshire side to negotiate an end to his contract. Bookmakers are already refusing to take bets on Donovan's path continuing west to Spotland.

Eagle-eared Diary readers will have noticed this column stepping up Cod Almighty's campaign for red stockings (CAMRED) with a contribution to GTFC's current 'question Paul Groves' thingy. In an email to the club the Diary cited Bill Shankly's introduction of scarlet legwear and its use by subsequent Town managers of some repute, pointing out to the current incumbent that it also "looks cool" and asking whether he will "seek to influence the club to restore red stockings to the home playing kit as soon as possible." Mr Groves responds cryptically: "I think we're governed a little bit on the kit choice by our home colours to a degree. Red is part of the trim. It's maybe something to take up with the commercial side." Thanks Paul - we will...