Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 4 August 2004

4 August 2004

The Conoco Stadium? The Coca-Cola Bowl? Or Fenty's Folly? Town's thrusting young new chairman has wasted little time in resurrecting the spectre of the club's long-threatened new stadium at Great Coates, telling today's Grimsby Telegraph, basically, that it would be lovely to have one, wouldn't it, because lots of other clubs do; in fact we don't really know if we can manage without one really; we'll have a natter with some chap at the council and see what happens. So nothing new really, and the Diary breathes a sigh of relief, pausing only to note that the bookmakers have lengthened the odds on Fenty or Russell Slade giving one single interview in the whole of the 2004-05 season that does not include the words 'work ethic'.

Speaking of our shiny new manager and his shiny new head, Russ has just about given up on the prospects of any of the half-dozen or so enormous strikers he has on trial turning out to be anywhere near Football League standard. Slade has not only told the Telegraph as much but has also taken the unprecedented step of giving similar information to the club's official website - all of which is good news both for the great majority of Town fans, who share the great Brian Clough's opinion that if God had meant football to be played in the air then He would have put grass there, and for Michael Reddy, who is expected to be just about fit for this weekend's drape-lifter at Darlington.

Ronnie Bull, whose participation at the Safecracker Stadium had also been in doubt because of thigh gam, is also expected to make the trip up the east coast; but it's not all good news from the treatment room, as a scan has revealed that Crazy Legs' knee knack is not as bad as was initially hoped, and the former Sheffield Wednesday heffalump could be in contention to return to the Mariners' first XI as soon as his 18-match suspension is completed.