Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Thursday 17 February 2005
17 February 2005
Rumours that Mr Russell Slade may be nearing the end of his tenure at Blundell Park have been scotched by Town chairman Positive John Fenty, reports BBC Humber (the Diary is not responsible for the typographical accuracy of external websites). The local news types refer to an interview given by the Mariners' big cheese to obscure GTFC fan site Cod Almighty, in which he restates his belief that Russ is the right dude for the gig and his hope that the good times aren't too far away.
Fents also speaks at some length about the club's spat with Radio Humberside, and in the Diary's view - which, admittedly, may have suffered from the Diary consuming eight pints of Guinness yesterday - he seems to be taking David Burns' fun-making about the Tax Thing a bit too seriously and a bit too personally. The chairman insists that he can't "see any alternative" to blacklisting the leading local radio station, when one very good and quite obvious alternative would surely be just to make his case about Humberside's coverage and then rise above it all with dignity. This degree of sensitivity is an unaffordable luxury to a man in Positive John's position, isn't it? That said, he was nice enough to give CA the interview despite me calling him Positive John every day, so it's not that clear cut. Maybe our man Thundercliffe just makes a better cup of tea than Burnsy.
Town reserves lost 2-1 to Doncaster yesterday afternoon, damn your eyes, with the consolation prize generously provided by Greg 'Better Than Ronnie Bull' Young. Richard Pacquette played, and it's probably not such a bad thing that the Mariners are "in no position" to offer him a contract, remember, because the Diary has heard that he was rubbish. That Bobby Lewsam lad played again and is the subject of an excellent piece in the Grimsby Telegraph, just the sort of thing we could do with more of, telling us he's 27, a big Town fan, lives on Hainton Avenue, and plays amateur for Market Deeping, for whom he bagged a two-minute-57-second hat-trick the other week. Are we looking at the new Jack Lester? Or can Bobby stay on his feet for more than twelve seconds at a time?
Former GTFC loanee Ashley Sestanovich, whose sense of self-worth and length of temper are inversely proportional, has found the perfect place to indulge his aggression after being released by Sheffield United last week. The strapping forward has signed a short-term contract with Ian Rush's spectacularly violent Chester City side - an outfit that makes even bloodthirsty Mansfield look like a team of eleven Florence Nightingales. The move comes just in time to give Mariners supporters a chance to make Ashley fully aware of their feelings towards him, as his new side is scheduled to visit Blundell Park on the evening of Tuesday next.
From one easily riled egomaniac former Town loan forward to another, and David Nielsen has apparently been sacked by his club Aalborg for sticking one on a team-mate during training. The self-styled Golden Dude briefly set Grimsby alight with some stirring performances in a three-month loan from Copenhagen, I think it was, about five years ago before ceasing to be arsed on account of GTFC's refusal to pay him twelve grand a week and provide helicopter rides to and from training, a jacuzzi filled with champagne, and a bevvy of Blundell Babes to feed him freshly peeled grapes.
Right, that's yer lot. I'm knackered, me. Guest Diary is off building walls for a month - or knocking them down; I can't quite remember now - and Special Guest Diary is similarly hamstrung by the evils of work, so your lovingly digested GTFC news will be lovingly digested tomorrow by Somebody Else Entirely, I think. Until next week, then, readers: don't scowl like Johnny Ramone, smile like Joey Ramone.