Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Tuesday 18 January 2005
18 January 2005
The Diary is not about until further notice so in absentia the CA team will be spreading the love around. Today, our Leeds-based office runs through the news.
Kiss kiss, bang bang! Russell Slade lets his team's performance in Saturday's deserved defeat of high-flying Leyton Orient do the talking: "Despite what one or two might say, I do believe and my players believe that we are going in the right direction and we are improving." Wooooo, get you Russy! And good on you, man, your brave adherance to fielding Terry Fleming and Stacy Coldicott finally reaping impressive dividends. The joy in Ronnie Bull surprisingly taking to the field for that game seems shortlived though, with an impending suspension due. Russ is going to be sniping for "more bodies".
And with Bull's non-injury, we'd thought the repercussions from last Tuesday's defeat to Northampton were over. Sadly not so as Ashley Ser-stan-o-vich has been slapped with a misconduct charge for "breaching FA rules". No, not for having a moustache that a 13-year-old boy would be proud of, but having "made aggressive and highly charged moves towards [the referee] and had to be restrained by two of his team-mates". 'Highly charged moves' - sounds like what happens when you hold down the fire button on a beat 'em up computer game. Do I need to point out the aptness of that?
Other miscellanea on this rather news-striken day? Town's youth team notched up a 1-0 win over Boston, bright young hope Joe Lightowler netting. A couple of weeks ago, an eagle-eyed member of the CA team spotted an unfortunate fault with the club's official site: when you rolled over an advertising banner for the Nationwide Building Society you were greeted with the not very flattering message "relegate your fans to the subs bench". Someone is bound to have spotted that, we thought. As the screen grab hanging round the top-right of this paragraph - taken about fifteen minutes ago - testifies, this doesn't seem to have been the case. Colin Cramb, said to be destined for some quality time amongst those liberal minded Danes, has actually washed up at Hamilton Academical.
And, finally, with Town's players looking heartedly impressed at the final whistle with their efforts at Brisbane Road, spare a thought for Peter Taylor. The England u-21 manager - who you might remember didn't want to lend Town one of his legions of strikers - is a bit miffed (we think that must be the first BBC Humber piece that appears to be spellchecked) because a small element of Hull supporters were booing their own players at the weekend. Now with Mariners fans a little more chipper, do we have it in us not to descend to that level?
Saturday 15 January
At the start of today, Town were 16th facing a Leyton Orient side who lay just outside the play-offs on goal difference and had chalked up two home defeats all season. The chances of the Mariners notching their third away win were slender to say the least. And the chances of the game being lively were just as slim. But the only win for an away side in "League Two" was the outcome this afternoon at Brisbane Road as Town ran out 2-1 winners.
Russell Slade's team took the lead after 19 minutes, with Stacy Coldicott and Michael Reddy setting up Andy Parkinson. Reddy was also involved in the second goal, creating room with John McDermott for Andy Parkinson to set up Martin Gritton - his second goal in five appearances for Town. Orient's goal came in the 8First minute from the lively Efe Echanomi, heading home off the post from a free-kick conceded by Thomas Pinault just outside the Town box. The resultant celebrations saw Ronnie Bull shown a straight red card and the home side's Scott Fitzgerald also followed. Our crack team of reporters will report back in due course.
Town have risen to 14th in the table, five points off the play-offs if you're still grasping at a cyclindrical piece of plastic used to suck drinkable liquids through.
Friday 14 January
Due to an unfortunate mix-up in the carrier pigeons Cod Almighty uses to communicate we have two diaries today. Like a choose your own adventure book we'll give you a choice. If you want to read the first diary from a mystery writer go to the next paragraph. If you want to read the second diary penned by Guest Diary, click here. The Diary will probably complain about the cack-handed way we're doing this but it'd be a shame to let either of these go to waste.
Diary #1: written by A N Other
It seems Guest Diary has taken his Reggie Perrin moment to heart, his quill pen and titfer have just been found at the edge of Chapmans Pond.
In his place a mystery guest, special fried rice and chips diarist who refuses to take off his mask. It's Mr E to you.
In a packed programme tonight we shall be talking to ladies who like Nicholas Parsons and parsons who like knicker-less ladies. Or alternatively clicking the mouse in vain search for some sense and sensibility down Blundell Park way. After Tuesday's abject surrender to a, for once, competent opposition Bagruss has leapt to the defence of his under fire playmaker. "I will never drop Thom, he's the first, the last, my everything," he didn't say. Yard Dog Stace will replace him.
Yard Dog? Who said that first? Ah yes, we remember it well. Official messageboard scapegoat Graham Rodger after Stace's return from having three legs amputated. Otherwise known as Nicky Law according to today's haphazard ramblings in the increasingly shonky GET. They needs lessons in spelling, or Spalding.
Yes, yes, but what news of tomorrow? It is Saturday, Town are in that London doing the Leyton walk, oi! No Bull. That's right, no Ronnie Bull and who's crowing now that Mr Versatile Jason Crowe is out until he isn't? We're supposed to be overjoyed by the possible placement of Tony Crane backside on the substitute's bench. And Hockless will be flipped like a toad into the Home Stand.
Elsewhere Town future continues to be Town's past. Ashley Hildred being the 675th ex-Town player to try his luck at York, joining the two Pauls Robinsons and the Lee Nogan in a pear tree.
Ticket news! I've got one, so I can get in. If you haven't it's pot luck whether you can blag your way in as all official channels are claiming Gordon loves Tony and the game is all-ticket for Townies. We've heard that one before. Are they crying wolf? Argue with a burly copper tomorrow to find out."
Diary #2: written by Guest Diary
It's been a John Cooper Clarke of a morning here, in deepest Lincolnshire, as your Guest Diarist moped about, trying to get his head around the fact that Terry Fleming must be better than he actually is. A combative midfield presence was sorely missed during the second half against a decent Northampton side, who out-thought and out-fought Town. Fleming might have remedied the latter, but the former is firmly in the province of Mr Russell Slade who has been disappointing of late, in my view. His doziness, in failing to react quickly to Bull's injury, may, or may not, have cost us a goal. But it definitely raised the collective blood pressure of the Blundell Park faithful as they howled for a very dilatory substitution. Bull has spent the next few days trying to work out which ankle hurts the most, and will definitely be propping them both up on soft cushions during the bus ride this Saturday when the Mariners take on Leyton Orient down the smoke.
The official site has published a preview, which confirms that Bull is 'on the bus'. Fleming also travels, and is bound to be back in the side as Crowe is out with damaged ankle ligaments. The entire back seat of the coach has been reserved for the ample frame of Mr Tony Crane who is going along (just for the ride I predict), to replace Slade's imaginary friend Glen Downey whom, we are told, took a knock in the reserve game midweek. So that's the team news folks, and I'm pleased that London based Town fans have a sporting chance of seeing Thomas Pinault strut his stuff. Long may he swagger. Sestanovich, of course, starts his two-match ban, and there's no news of a club fine for the fucking daft outburst that caused it.
Orient are re-developing two of their stands, so away clubs only get 500 tickets. Scunny managed to sell all of theirs when they went, but my guess is Town will only have two or three hundred fans at the match. If I could be arsed I'd ring the club to ask how many have been sold. But I can't - sorry. Whether the unsold tickets can be bought on the day is another question. Try ringing the Orient ticket office on 020 8926 1010. Allow about two days for this, and expect to hear "I'm sorry there's no-one here to take your call at the moment..." at very regular intervals.
Following the mass hysteria whipped up by those headline loving chaps at the Electronic Fishcake, Town chairman John Fenty will be fending off questions at a fans' forum on Tuesday. Cleverer chaps than me have worked out that the interest penalty on Town's overdue tax bill is likely to be in the region of three hundred quid a day, so this is like having at least three extra Glen Downeys on the payroll. The fighting fund will struggle to keep pace with the interest charges I reckon, never mind the pesky £700k debt. But you have to start somewhere, I suppose. Maybe we should gamble the fund on a Town draw tomorrow at 9/4. Nice price. See yer.
Thursday 13 January
Anyone who has slogged their guts out as a factory temp on the minimum wage or less, while watching their 'recruitment consultant' cream off an extra three quid or more for every hour of slog, will tell you that agents and agencies are nothing more than parasitic slime who make a big wodge out of other people's work. So it is with the, ahem, beautiful game, and a report issued today by the Football League reveals that its 72 clubs paid a total of £5m to agents between July and December 2004. Now with all this kerfuffle about Town's tax debt, you're wondering if any of the hard-earned you stumped up on the turnstile was siphoned off by these sleazebags, aren't you? Don't go to the Mariners' official website, then, because it won't tell you. Go to the Football League website instead, where you can download a pdf file which reveals that GTFC were not one of the 16 league clubs that paid no money to agents in the second half of last year, and in fact shelled out to the men with cigars the tidy sum of £24,020 - or, to put it another way, roughly the equivalent of one season ticket every two days.
Another organisation that enjoys chucking your money about is the BBC, and while the Diary remains adamantly in support of public service broadcasting and the licence fee, it is difficult not to conclude that the spondoolicks Auntie expends upon its Humber area website could be better spent on employees with a basic understanding of the English language. Employees who could report the utterances of Grimsby Town FC chairman John Fenty, for example, without feeling the need to use words that do not exist. Insubmantible my arse.
Town didn't just lose three points in Tuesday night's defeat against Northampton; three players are unavailable as a result of the match. One is Ashley '*%£*£!$!!' Sestanovich, who faces a two-match ban after his sending-off for telling the referee what everyone else in the ground was also telling the referee, while two others are injured. The OS reports today that Russell Slade is "down to the bare bones", informing the world that Jason Crowe and Ronnie Bull are likely to miss this Saturday's visit to Leyton Orient rather than meaning to suggest that the Mariners boss resembles a big, hungry lion that has ravenously chewed all edible flesh, sinew and internal organs from the corpse of a recently killed wildebeest.
In today's super fun bite-sized round-up, the reserves lost 2-1 to Huddersfield yesterday, the consolation goal issuing from the foot of non-existent defender Glen Downey; Hull are slinging 100 big ones Chester's way for that Kevin Ellison, who failed a trial with Town the other year; and USA international John Thorrington has recovered from the trauma of playing for GTFC under Nicky Law and finally resumed his professional career at the amusingly titled Chicago Fire. It's all a far cry from the 1992 Booker prize.
Tomorrow, as is my wont on Fridays, I will leave you in the more than capable hands of Guest Diary, who I hope will be telling you all about his new-found employment as a pigman. Until next time, peace be with you.
Wednesday 12 January
The Futureheads - purveyors of brilliantly structured, short, sharp guitar pop songs or a bunch of third-rate Jam revivalists? Withnail and I - effortlessly superior, superbly scripted dark British comedy or a painfully unfunny dirge of a film pretended to be enjoyed by dope-addled male freshmen? Johnny Vaughan - annoying twat or really annoying twat? All of the above, in the Diary's experience, tend to polarise opinions toward one extreme or the other - as, for that matter, does Jason Crowe, Town's jack of all trades who has most recently made himself invaluable to Russell Slade in central midfield but now faces a spell on the sidelines after picking up some injury or other at the end of last night's home defeat by Northampton. I can't remember what it was and I can't find anything about it online cos I'm in a hurry, but they were on about it on Radio Humberside after the game and it sounded like he'd be out for a few weeks, which is either very bad or very good news depending on which extreme your opinion is polarised towards.
In other news today, Tony 'Arse The Size Of Lancashire' Crane appears in the line-up for a reserve match at Huddersfield this afternoon; BBC Humber can't spell Northampton; and Russ is probably very disappointed with Town's second-half display last night. Me, I thought the referee was awful, yes, and the weather was a bit nasty, but we still deserved to lose. Less a case of tactics - the Mariners were the better side in the first half - more that you don't know what you've got until you lose Terry Fleming with the flu, and, well, the Cobblers looked half decent for once. The one thing guaranteed to take Town into a 53rd successive relegation struggle at this point would be a change of management, so pack it in with all that sort of talk, make yourself a nice cup of tea, and go and watch Ready Steady Cook. It will all be better in the morning.
Tuesday 11 January
Thanks for yesterday, Si.
Brent Sancho may sound like the black-stetsoned, cigar-chewing bad guy in a slow-moving spaghetti western ("Ya shouldn't oughta have done it, Brent Sancho!"), but he is in truth a 27-year-old defender who plays for Dundee and Trinidad & Tobago - and who has apparently been "linked with" Grimsby Town Football Club. Sancho has been at Dens Park for a year and a half, having joined from Portland Timbers, which Diary readers with pachydermic powers of recollection may recall is the USA club responsible for the production line of GTFC talent that provided, er, Jake Sagare. The player is out of contract with Dundee this summer and a report from the BBC alleges that he is in no hurry to sign a new one given interest from West Ham, Coventry and, yes, Grimsby. Hmmmm.
The first man named in Sheriff Russell Slade's posse, Terry Fleming, has come down with that flu thing and may be missing from tonight's shoot-out at the BP Corral with them varmints from Northampton (OK, I'll stop now), and so semi-forgotten midfield enforcer Stacy Coldicott may be given the chance to resume yard-dog duties. A preview on Town's official website reveals that Graham Hockless may also be missing from the squad. Oh, no! Previous influenza victims Michael 'The Full Five Yards' Reddy and Ashley 'Ego The Size Of Grimsby Auditorium' Sestanovich have reaped the benefits of plenty of cuddles and Lucozade, though, and will give Slade plenty of options should he be sufficiently foolhardy to be considering the omission of Thomas Pinault once again.
Town's chance to avenge their one league defeat at Fortress Blundell this season will come on Tuesday 1 March, since this is the date for which the abandoned New Year's Day fixture at Rochdale - who won by the only goal of an absolutely bloody awful game in Cleethorpes back in September - has been rescheduled.
Finally today, Keith Collins has emailed the Diary to pick fault publicly with BBC Radio Humberside. "Radio Hull this morning said tonight's match will be the first opportunity for Town to do the double over a team this season," writes Keef, who is clearly mindful of the six points the Mariners have already taken off Cambridge this season. "WRONG," he shouts, by way of conclusion. Thank you, KC, and wouldn't it be ironic if there's somebody with the initials BP who likes pointing out the mistakes Radio Humberside makes in its coverage of Hull City.
Monday 10 January
Good Lord. The old Sony Ericsson flashed a couple of hours ago with an emergency message from the Diary. "I can't do the diary as I'm moving house. Can we sort a replacement out if you haven't got one already." Uh, we haven't. And it is 12:26pm and I'm just off to the hospital! Sort it out Slade? Sort it out Mr Diary, more like! So, not-so-fresh from a check up at Leeds General Infirmary (a lesson I've learnt over the past month: don't let yourself get run down, as diseases see this as the spur to leap into your body) comes your a-little-later-than-usual diary. Argh, shit, this means looking on the interweb... I was only planning on buying these shoes before I went to bed and organising a couple of drinks in Headingley on Wednesday night with a fellow Town supporter (if any other Leeds-based fans fancy a tipple after work that day, we'll be in Arcadia)...
A scoot to the Grimsby Telegraph site has a piece littered with some Viz-like subheadings, just not as funny. The most notable quote is from Graham Rodger, still humming with a hankering Depeche Mode's Master And Servant: "There have been times when we have dominated teams and not got the result by failing to score." The apparently newly-installed door at Blundell Park marked EXIT (in green) is going to get its full use in the coming month as well. The Slade master decrees "I will listen to any offers for some of the squad players, be it on loan or a permanent move. I am prepared to let some of my players go at any given time, if the situation arises."
Over at the official site, there's an interview with Kevin Drinkell and it was only a matter of time before Dean Gordon's shirt was auctioned off. An all-too-rare fans forum has also been announced for Tuesday 25 January, apparently in light of queries "raised as a result of the news about the Club's tax problem". Quite what light Russell Slade and some players will shed on this issue I do not know; the person best versed in financial poverty left the club for a longer term deal in Denmark I thought.
Desperation... desperation... A quick check in the email inbox finds an email from Andy 'Tips' Holt. "For whoever does today's diary: Terry Fleming and Hockless have got the old virus and are doubtful for tomorrow. Rob Jones is also doubtful. with an ankle injury." Tomorrow? Tomorrow?... Ah, yes! In case you - like Andy last week - have forgotten, Town are playing host to high-flying Northampton tomorrow evening. I forgot too, Ands. At least they won't have to worry about playing Portsmouth in the cup after their weekend defeat to Southampton. Which might not be so good. Anyway, should be a belter.
In "comical connections that we should have made" corner, Jostein Jensen has made a rather deft discovery regarding Slade and song titles. "Glam Rock heroes Slade, that was big in UK in the 70's, had a number 2 hit in 1973 named 'My friend Stan'!" says our excited Norwegian counterpart. Hee hee! By the way Jos, I was watching Ski Sunday yesterday - while making a rather lovely Sunday dinner - and was wondering how does a man discover he is any good at the ski jump? And if you gallant readers might know the answer, why not email the diary using the link on the left and let him know. Until tomorrow...
Friday 7 January
Hello. Return of Special Guest Diary today as our Guest Diary has seeds to sow or something like that. Although I think that GD has seen the lack of news on offer today and done a runner. I guess without a match this weekend there's not a lot to report. There's an article in the GET about the Supporters' Trust teaming up with the board to raise cash for the club, but you knew about that from yesterday anyway.
The OS opts to run with a story that there'll be a penalty shoot-out before the Lincoln game between the opposing sets of fans. Sponsorship is needed to take part and all money raised goes to the Luke Walmsley Sports Foundation. £500k has been raised already it seems, if I've read the report correctly. I wonder if they'd be prepared to loan it to a sports foundation in Grimsby with a slight tax problem?
So, on to your letters and Keith Collins asks us, hypothetically like, "If, with 2 games to play, we find ourselves 7 points away from the play-offs and 17 points away from relegation could we go into administration and have the 10 points penalty deducted from this seasons tally?". It's a good question Keith and who knows? What are the pitfalls of administration? Would it really be that bad? I'm in absolutely no position to second guess of course, but if any of our learned readers have first hand knowledge of this kind of thing then let the diary know what you think via the usual means.
Meanwhile, Will Douglas writes in to say "Happy New Year". Happy New Year to you to Will. But that's not all you want to say is it? "re: Diary for Wed 5th January, " adds Will, "Leyton Orient game is indeed all ticket and tickets should be purchased in advance, but the official site says that stubs are required for the Lincoln game at home, not for the Orient game as the diary seems to suggest." Let me just re-read what the Diary said... I've not been paying attention. Ah right, yes, he must have got a bit muddled. "Might be worth clarifying as there may be others without stubs who have put off plans to travel to the game, as I did until I checked with the club." Cheers Will, consider it clarified.
And that is it really. Sorry, bit rubbish but I've been to the pub and I'm a bit tired. Have a nice weekend all.
Thursday 6 January
Though still smarting from the humiliation of seeing his team's star player inspire a 3-0 win over Cambridge on Monday, Mr Russell Slade has finally poked his head above the parapet to express his hope that Ashley Sestanovich and Michael Reddy will recover from the flu in time to give him the option of dropping Thomas Pinault again for next Tuesday's visit of Northampton. Sort It's brief interview in today's Grimsby Telegraph also reveals that Andy Parkinson's appearance against the Us was made in spite of the fact that he, too, was affected by the virus - and it is surely to the player's credit that none of the four thousand spectators at the game would have guessed from his performance that Parkinson was any less than usually healthy.
A joint statement has been issued by GTFC and Grimsby Town Supporters Trust regarding the club's 700 grand tax debt, in which Mariners chairman Five Star Fenty confirms that there is no imminent danger of the bailiffs squabbling over Town's best crockery but announces the establishment of a 'fighting fund' which "will raise money through donations, promotions and events". No target figure is given for this fundraising exercise, to which fans may contribute, as we discovered yesterday, via the GTST website.
And that is just about that for today, guys and gals, so I'm going to listen to the Annie Proulx interview on the radio. T'ra.
Wednesday 5 January
After about 18 months of relatively balanced reporting on Grimsby Town Football Club, the Grimsby Telegraph today sensationally launches into a furious outburst of sensational frenzy outrage snub fury soccer shame astonishing outburst sensation. The issue is Town's tax bill, and the fact that there is no grave concern among observers with some understanding of the way the Inland Revenue works seems to be no impediment to professional and amateur media that are desperate for a bit of attention. Hence the Revenue's rejection of John Fenty's most recent proposal for settling the debt being represented as a "snub" and a "huge blow" when it is in fact an entirely ordinary aspect of its standard negotiations with companies that owe back tax. While not surprised to have seen the situation exaggerated elsewhere, the Diary is a little disappointed to witness the GT returning to Ambulancegate standards of journalism.
The Telegraph adds that Chairman Fenty is meeting representatives of Town's supporters' trust this Friday. Whether he will be holding out an inverted item of headgear or is just offering reassurance is not stated, and there seems to be no mention of this forthcoming encounter on the GTST website, but there is a page there inviting fans to "donate to the GTFC tax problem". Which reminds me: if any of you have been meaning to give money to the tsunami relief fund but haven't got round to it yet then the website of the Disasters Emergency Committee is the best place to do so.
Ticket news today, and it is alleged by no less authoritative a source than Town's official website that those wishing to enter the Brisbane Road stadium for the Mariners' destiny-shaking clash with Leyton Orient a week on Saturday will need advance tickets. No, really. The OS proceeds to mention that tickets are now on sale to people with stubs from last Monday's game against Cambridge and next Tuesday's against Northampton - in the latter case, presumably, it will be acceptable if the ticket is still attached to the stub - and adds mysteriously: "Season ticket holders can also secure their place." If anyone from the club is reading, then, could they please tighten the bolts around the bottom of my seat.
"Has anyone noticed how Forbes is reluctant or incapable of heading now?" writes the indefatigable Dave the Engineer in an email to the Diary. Yes, Dave - he seems quick enough to recover from mistakes but somehow not the player he was before the court case. "He's still quick enough to recover from mistakes but not the player he was before the court case." Glad you agree. "Jones deserves some praise for the last two games, but star man is Rambo. Welcome back." Well, thanks - it's good to be back, and it's always nice to be missed. Oh, you meant Rambo, didn't you. Damn.
Paul Moran has also emailed the Diary, and he "just wanted to say that for some reason I'm feeling reassured by the fact we've got Martin Gritton in our team. I haven't seen Town play this season so far so can't comment on how he compares to our other options, nor have I ever laid eyes on him, but the facts that (a) we've signed him and he's not on a short-term loan or younger and less experienced than our 'young loaned-out players who need experience'; (b) he's scored 16 goals in a recent season (not in his career); and (c) he chose to come here instead of go somewhere else make me feel quite warm inside." The Diary also experienced a strange feeling of bodily warmth at half-time on Monday, Paul, although this may have been due less to Gritton than to the effects of several pints of Old Mill bitter combined with the length of the toilet queues in the Pontoon.
Tuesday 4 January
Mindful that Russell Slade included a certain French midfielder in the side that beat Cambridge 3-0 yesterday only because of injuries to Michael Reddy and Ashley Sestanovich, and that the GTFC manager then ducked out of a post-match Radio Humberside interview after said French midfielder opened the scoring and created the third goal, the Diary has no wish today to further embarrass our esteemed leader by mentioning Thomas Pinault any more than is strictly necessary.
As we have already seen, Slade was in no mood to face questioning about Thomas Pinault's decisive contribution to yesterday's match and sent Graham Rodger to face the gathered hordes of John Tondeur after the game. And you would think knowing the name of the assistant manager at one of the three senior clubs it covers would be a fairly basic requirement for BBC Humber, wouldn't you? You'd be disappointed, though, as the website of the Hull-based news source today carries a short summary of Radio Humberside's post-match interviews featuring a mysterious figure referred to only as Graham Rodgers. To be fair, Gary, this was precisely the moniker affixed to GTFC's number two by messageboard nesbits as recently as 2003, but I bet Thomas Pinault would have spelt it correctly.
The Diary, I readily admit, has felt no compunction about heaping criticism on some of the Mariners' performances of late. If being out-passed in October by an Ian Atkins team were not bad enough, it was not the happiest feeling possible, the following month, to watch Town players defending a 2-1 lead, at home, against the worst team in the league, by trying and failing to run down the clock by keeping the ball in the corner of the pitch. But let's see some credit where it's due: the second and third goals on Monday were marvellous events to behold, and the big hoof tactics of recent months were notable by their absence. Well, relative absence. How sad, then, that yesterday's Blundell Park crowd is described by Cambridge's official website as giving "very little actual support for their side". And this with Thomas Pinault on the pitch.
Rumours that GTFC are to trim the squad by removing fringe players have come to fruition with the release of young reserve team midfielder Ashley Hildred, who never really looked capable of developing into a player of the quality of Thomas Pinault. Hildred was given a six-month contract when his old deal expired last summer, and went out on loan to Northwich Victoria earlier this season but after failing to impress at the Drill Field slipped even further down the BP midfield pecking order than Thomas Pinault.
"Rambo was excellent at Lincoln," writes Sibbo in an email to the Diary. "By far Town's best player and Rob Jones had a good game. Credit where credit's due." My thoughts exactly, Sib, so tell it to those bastards who won't give the Diary a Visa card. What were your thoughts on the team selection at Sincil Bank, Sibbo? "We were something like 86 mins late in seeing our Thomas take the field." I rather thought that might be the case. "Oh and happy new year to all at Cod Almighty. Let's hope Town get a winning run together very soon in 2005." Thank you very much, and the same to you. I think it's fairly clear what Russ needs to do to to make our hope into reality, isn't it?
Well, that's all for today. I have to drive my nephew Thomas to his friend's birthday party, so let's hope my little Pinault 5 stays on the road in all this windy weather, and Tom can enjoy a game of Pinault the tail on the donkey before he and his friends head out for some ten-Pinault bowling.
Sunday 2 January
Russell Slade's determination to ensure that his best player leaves GTFC on a free transfer at the end of the current season saw him field another Pinault-free XI for the New Year's Day game at Rochdale, but the match became one of three League and Conference fixtures abandoned in the north-west of England yesterday afternoon as the region was pounded by intensely heavy rain. Referee Phil Prosser took the decision to call off the game at half time after cons