Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 5 April 2004

5 April 2004

Nicky Law's first win as Town manager does not spell the end of his campaign to lower Grimsby fans' expectations of half-decent football, as the Bouncer has been quick to tell the club's official website: "The result was important, not the performance." Given that the Mariners were observed to pass the ball about a bit for the first time since Law took charge during Saturday's 2-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday, this may strike some observers as a little odd, but the manager continues his Blue Meanie mission to crush the flowers regardless, adding further post-match comments to the effect that "it did not have to be pretty" and "it was ugly but I'd settle for a few more of those this season." If it keeps us up then we will as well, but only this season; be ye ever mindful, Nicky, that we Grimbarians have come to expect more from our footballers than a long kick and a big jump.

You don't get owt for nowt, unless you're Mrs Diary, who won a tenner down the pub yesterday playing chase the ace; but you're not, and neither are Town, and Saturday's three points were purchased with the blood of both the French and English Darren Mansarams. The Doncaster-born version was subbed off in the first half after suffering a groin strain and replaced by his Gallic counterpart, who in turn lasted only until the 67th minute before a neck injury curtailed his exertions for the afternoon. Mazza is suspended for the next two games anyway, though, and Mickael "more clubs than Peter Stringfellow" Antoine-Curier is expected to recover in time for this weekend's visit to QPR. Allez!

Saturday's hero Tony Crane is anxious that the yellow card he received for his exuberant goal celebration may tarnish his otherwise unblemished disciplinary record. After his first-half header put the Mariners 2-0 up against his former club, the Lineker-like angel of fair play picked up a rare booking for letting his excitement get the better of him, and is considering a barefoot pilgrimage to seven of the world's holiest shrines by way of penance, such is his shame. "I thought it was harsh," a deeply humbled St Tony tells Town's official website. "I asked the referee after the game why he had booked me and he said it was because I'd gone off the pitch. I've seen players do it all the time, I've seen players do it to our fans down here - they never seem to get booked." Fans are believed to be already preparing their auction bids for Crane's Original Mariners Legend Hairshirt.

"Is 'continuating' a word?" ponders Paul Wright in today's reader email, presumably in response to Friday's neologistic Guest Diary. To which the answer is: "probably not, Paul," or at least no less so than 'trabunding' or 'bumblage', two of Tony Butcher's latest coinages. In other words, Cod Almighty lies at the very cutting edge of lexical innovation in the world of independent football internet fanzines, and long may it continuate.