Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 7 November 2003

7 November 2003

Wotherham have weleased Woderwick, also known as Nick Daws. The 30-something midfielder has been told he can leave Millmoor on a free transfer after failing to break into the first team following his return from a dazzlingly brilliant month on loan with the Mariners. Talks over extending the player's spell at Blundell Park were reported to have broken down over the sharing of his wages between the two clubs, but then the South Yorkshire side were also reported to have wanted him back because they had a few injuries, so none of us are any the wiser really. The less than infallible Teamtalk and Footymad sites were quick yesterday to rule out on financial grounds a return to BP for Daws but Town's official site is saying nowt. For what it's worth, the Diary reckons we could at least try and get him on a three-month contract or summats until messrs Pouton and Coldicott are back in shape, because the Hamilton/Campbell midfield looks a bit meringue-like to me.

Fans expecting Phil Jevons to fire the Mariners all the way to Cardiff in this year's FA Cup, just like Terry Cooke kept us in the first division, are set to be disappointed. Yeah, I know, who'd have thought it. The contractually unbalanced striker is a big doubt for tomorrow's first round tie with QPR, having acquired a disparate calf pelican since, or possibly in the process of, netting a penalty in the reserves' 6-0 win over Darlington some time earlier this week. At least I think it's tomorrow.

But if you think that's bad, you should try being QPR. The hoopy froods from west London are suffering what their manager Ian Holloway rather clumsily describes as "a chronic injury list"; and the club's official site, with similar linguistic cackhandedness, reports that "up to 10 first team players have been receiving treatment", which could mean anything from one to 10, and you'd think if anyone knew, they would. But soft! Marien Ifura, Warren Barton, Richard Edghill, Gino Padula, Dan Shittu, Matthew Rose, Paul Furlong, Marc Bircham, Marcus Bean and Kevin Gallen are all crocked, so it is ten players. Why didn't they just say that? To emphasise the point and try and make everyone feel sorry for them, Rangers include two 16-year-old centre-halves, John Fletcher and Ryan Johnson, in their squad. It almost makes you wish Livvo was still with us.

The League giveth, and the League taketh away; hence, Town could find themselves three points worse off as an early Christmas present if Notts County fail to meet a 9 December deadline to come out of administration. The Oldest Club In The League has been in said financial doo-doo for a record 17 months and failed to meet a string a previous ultimatums but former Tory minister Sir Brian Mawhinney, now chairman of the Football League don't you know, said yesterday: "This is County's last chance, absolutely finally deffo-lutely matey." Should the Mariners' fellow black and whites fail to be extricated from the excrement in time, they will be chucked out of the league, meaning the handsome 2-0 win over them at Blundell Park last month would be struck from the record, and Clive Platt probably still wouldn't want to play for us.

And finally... yep, it's Mat Winn again, who seems to be the Diary's only friend in the world this week. In an email entitled "ubiquitous", he writes: "I was concerned about what it meant - but 30 seconds of research put me straight!" Good job I didn't call him iniquitous then, really. "Cheers guys," continues the omnipresent Mr W, "he's here he's there, he's ubiquitous - wonder if we can get the Ponny singing it?? No didn't think so..."