Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 28 January 2005

28 January 2005

After I had finished my early morning contemplation on the increasing likelihood of my being incarcerated under house arrest by the Government in the not too distant future for illegal pheasant possession and harbouring nasty thoughts about Tony Blair, your Guest Diarist's thoughts turned to Town's chances of getting a point at Cheltenham tonight. A mighty tussle between two inconsistent sides, each locked in mid-table obscurity, beckons.

The official site tells us that Mr Slade is very likely to obsessively pursue his zany experiment by continuing to pick centre-half Greg Young, as a wing-back deputy, for the injured Crowe and the suspended Bull. John McDermott will grit his teeth and pretend that sore knee has gone away, and Justin Whittle is back 'on the bus', although it is doubtful whether he will do more than rub knees with Thom Pinault on the bench. Unless Slade goes completely crazy, says "I'm mad, I am", and goes all 4-4-2 on us, of course. The Grimsby Telegraph thinks he just might be daft enough to play a midfield of Fleming, Coldicott, Pinault, and Parky on the left. That, with a flat back four and Reddy and Gritton foraging up front, reads to me liking making the most of what's available. The Telegraph goes on to ruminate what it would be like to see young Danny North in action. A bit like I fantasise about those monochrome people who inhabit the opening credits of Emmerdale every night.

Can Town win? Of course they can. Will Town win? I have no bloody idea. But just for once I'm relieved that I live a mile outside the Humberside reception area so that I will be spared the huffing and puffing of the no doubt duly indignant David Burns. "Give us your thoughts on that media ban, Burnsy," to reprise the screamingly repetitive Radio Humberside vernacular. That will teach him to accuse the Town board of 'woolly thinking'. Cue the 15-minute George Kerr interview, David.

Tony Butcher will not be shifting his smart shiny hatchback into interstellar overdrive to make the journey to the Cheltenham racecourse park 'n' ride tonight, so Cod Almighty is calling for a substitute match reporter. Any old rubbish will do, as long as it's half decent. C'mon, you know you can do it. Send your copy in to diary@codalmighty.com. And we'll be dead grateful.

I took a butcher's at the supporters' trust site this morning to check the progress of the appeal fund. The grand total of £5,527.90 is reported to have come in so far. So the good news is that the fund is comfortably outpacing the daily interest charges levied by the Revenue on the debt. But with over four hundred grand to go, the chairman must be a mite anxious about the desire in the town to keep the club afloat. The people's faith is being tested here. It is being tested by the only rich man in the village. Which Town fan will cancel his Sky subscription and give the proceeds to the club? Who will knock that Friday night bevvy on the head and bung the dosh every week to the fund? Mr Fenty, you are about to find out.

Ex-Town starlet John Oster got the sack this week. Any excuse for a bit of schadenfreude, eh? Hee hee. See yer.