Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 11 January 2005

11 January 2005

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.