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Diary - Friday 10 September 2004

10 September 2004

Hello. Your regular preview writer today holds the reins of the virile black stallion that is the Diary. Since I'm gagging for a pint and got a few T-shirts to send out, we'll make this brief.

With central defenders Simon Ramsden, Rob Jones, Glen Downey, and - lest you have forgotten - Tony Crane crocked, Russell Slade's Great Player Search seems to have stopped just short of the gaffer lifting up his settee's cushions with indeterminate news: "unnamed Premiership side", "expecting", "hopefully", and "Wednesday". Let's all wait until then, eh.

In the world of certainty, Australian defender John Tambouras has hopped over for a trial, although one hopes his nickname doesn't mean he's a preening ponce of a lead singer in some fey indie-pop band. Meanwhile, Shrewsbury Town are still hanging on tenterhooks as to whether the Mariners are interested in (and I quote) "temperamental forward" Colin Cramb, who set up the reserves' three goals in midweek. In a pique of definitive denial, the official site reckons Leyton Orient's summer signing Michael Simpson or some lad who sounds quite useful called Matt Tees won't be coming out at Blundell Park in the future. Ah, that's a joke isn't it.

This does mean there will be no reinforcements ahead of tomorrow's game at Macclesfield, which, despite these woes, Russ seems to be quite looking forward to. Could it be because they won't sit back and try to stifle Town? Or maybe because Slade had the upper hand on Brian Horton last season, when Scarborough knocked Port Vale out of two cups?

As for tomorrow's opposition, they've had a disappointing week. Their training ground was broken into and they narrowly lost out on groundsman of the year to Ipswich - presumably as the Tractor Boys use the surface to pass the ball on rather than the Silkmen's tendancy to knock it long. Alan Fetish, sorry, Fetis has returned to training as has Tony Barrass.

Stats corner: when it comes to shots off target, Ashley Sestanovic is fifth in the division with nine but is one of the leading creators of chances with his three assists. Andy Parkinson has had 11 shots without scoring putting him fourth in such a list, and is the third-most player to be caught off-side (14 times so far). Coincidentally, Macclesfield forward Jonathan Parkin has committed 36 fouls - the most by any player in the division. More of that kind of thing in the preview.

Recent subs bench warmer Ronnie Bull reveals that's he has been blighted by injury since the eve of the season. "I played through the match with a pulled muscle. I regret that now... Dave Moore (physio) left it up to me [whether to play] and I probably made the wrong decision." Maybe injuries are so the must-have of the new season. Or maybe Sick Note shouldn't have been so silly.

Which gives me just about enough time to recommend you have a read of Pete's column in the today's Grimmo Telegraph, while I leave for that pint in my local. T'ra.