Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 3 August 2004

3 August 2004

Did you hear the one about the Nigerian, the Bermudan and the French-Malian? The latest score from the Shay is 1-1, according to Town's official website; Ashley Sestanovich put the Mariners ahead 16 hours ago at the time of writing only for Halifax's Craig Midgley to equalise 15 hours and 36 minutes ago. They must be playing 'next one's the winner'. Michael Reddy didn't play in the end (so that's Grimsby Telegraph 2, GTFC OS 0), and an exclusive Cod Almighty interview with Russell Slade after the game - to be featured on this website later today, with a bit of luck - suggests that he isn't terribly impressed with any of Abdou Tangara, Samual Umerah or Steve Astwood, the Bermudan striker who isn't Shaun Goater, and so his search for a hefty yet fleet-footed fellow to fill the forward line between Ash Sest and Pob Parkinson goes on.

Incidentally, although the Diary is keeping an open mind about the forthcoming season and feels less optimistic about the Mariners' prospects than I did 12 months ago, I would like to point out to any reader who may be in danger of succumbing to the sulks about the unspectacular results of these friendlies that Paul Groves' team recorded some excellent wins in last year's pre-season programme, and just look where it got them. I do hope Anthony Williams turns out to be less rubbish than everyone is saying though.

Lawrie McMenemy is to open the new restaurant at Blundell Park that Town have named after him in an understandable but entirely doomed bid to appease the permanently angry old men among the club's support. The former Mariners boss, who is revered by the ration book generation as a greater manager than Alan Buckley despite sodding off after one poxy promotion, will return to the club on 4 September, reports today's Grimsby Telegraph, for a spot of ribbon-cutting to coincide with the home game against Rochdale.

And that, reader, is it for today. Methinks I shall betake myself to the nearest public hostelry, the better to contemplate the hours that unfold before me like a big unfoldy thing.