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Diary - Thursday 27 January 2005

27 January 2005

Well, the campaign about Town's Tax Thing got off to a positive start, with the supporters' trust attracting new members and thousands of pounds in early donations, thanks largely to an unusually high degree of press and broadcast interest surrounding the launch of the appeal. Does this mean Positive John Fenty will be abandoning the club's uncompromising recent attitude towards the media, then, and bending over backwards to keep them onside? Er, no - and in fact GTFC has banned its players and manager from talking to Radio Humberside in response to what it says was the station's "destructive and negative" coverage of the Tax Thing, adding: "The club trusts that Mariners' fans agree with them on this and that supporters will understand the club's stance." Yes, of course we do. Meanwhile the Mariners have also announced details of a new scheme of firearms training programmes to raise awareness of the club within the local community. The first of these is taking place at Blundell Park tonight, where the club's instructors are giving lessons in SHOOTING YOURSELF IN THE SODDING FOOT.

Maybe he was supping Guinness or playing a traditional folk jig on the shillelagh, but nobody seems to have told Michael Reddy that he's not allowed to play with that nasty Tondeur boy any more, with the devastating consequence that Town's rejuvenated Irish forward has given an extremely damaging interview about his side's prospects of claiming three points at Cheltenham tomorrow night. "Away from home hasn't been great," the tousle-haired 24-year-old admits carelessly. "Obviously we had a long run without winning games, but we put that to bed against Leyton Orient in the last away game and hopefully we can build on that." Tut-tut, Michael. Loose lips sink ships, not keep them afloat.

Details continue to emerge regarding the fans' forum held at Blundell Park on Tuesday night. Besides hailing the successful launch of the Tax Thing campaign, Positive John has addressed the fanciful possibility that the Mariners may one day leave BP for a new purpose-built stadium on the edge of town. In a summary on the club's official website the chairman is quoted: "It may be a few years yet, but I'm still optimistic that can still happen one day." The Diary, meanwhile, is still optimistic that it won't.

On the Hartlepool part of one of those network site things today there's a very good piece about Town and the state of football in general, and it seems that those wishing to donate to the club's fighting fund can now do so via eBay. Elsewhere on the auction site, incidentally, the Diary has been humbled to discover a Scunny fan selling GTFC programmes from the 1970s to raise cash for the Tax Thing and delighted to find for sale a "WIERD JAM JAR FULL OF PICKLED PEOPLE FROM GRIMSBY!", then a little disappointed to discover that the latter was not, in fact, offering me the chance to buy Swigs.

Before I bid thee adieu for the week and hand over to Guest Diary (I hope) for tomorrow, there's just time for two more of your emails. Paulo di Moranio/Paul Moran is clearly a man who wants to have his cake and eat it, as he has passed on to us an email to his wonderful girlfriend Liz from her mate Selina, which continues the theme: "By some bizarre coincidence, I am about to embark on a football-related cake-making exercise... I am making a cake in the shape of a Watford hat for Dad's 60th birthday next weekend. If you have any suggestions for the black stripes (other than liquorice), I'd be pleased to hear them." So, readers, can you help Selina? Email your suggestions to diary@codalmighty.com, and remember - they don't have black pudding down south.

Today's last word goes to Miles Moss, who seems to have tried out the Trivial Pursuit tactic advocated in yesterday's Diary, but to little effect. "It turns out that Winston Churchill did not duet with Kylie Minogue. Nor was he invented by Humphry Davey. Furthermore, he was not the voice of Bugs Bunny, he is not a tropical island off the coast of Mozambique, did not have a 1970s hit with 'Devil Woman', and it has not been illegal to advertise him at bus stops since 1994. Thanks for nothing."