Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Tuesday 15 February 2005
15 February 2005
February. The evenings begin slowly but inexorably to lengthen; winter offers a final flourish of biting Arctic wind; footballers whose teams don't stand a chance of either promotion or relegation start to wind down for the summer; and club chairmen respond to impatient supporters by sacking or backing their manager. Happily for Mr Russell Slade, his immediate superior, Positive John Fenty, has opted for the latter; probably a good job all round, as Grimsby Town supporters saw only a year ago what an ill-considered change of personnel can achieve at this point in the season. The Diary wishes we'd got Brian Horton instead, but such was the disarray at Blundell Park last May that any man who succeeded Nasty Nick would need to be given two full seasons to, as it were, sort it.
Anyway, there seems to be some sort of talk going round of a clause in Russ's contract which, if I've got this right, would allow him to be sent forth from BP with a P45 and no compo should things look sufficiently bleak come the end of the current campaign. It's rumour, and as such the Diary is neither able nor willing to add further comment - other than to point out that the BBC Humber website has somehow contrived to run a piece about Fenty speaking up in support of Slade without actually including a single word of direct speech. The spelling is quite good though.
Yesterday's unusually blunt Diary has provoked reaction from prolific reader-emailer person Dave the Engineer and his best buddy Sibbo. "Full marks for the short but very accurate Monday Diary," writes the latter. "Ronnie Bull should be very ashamed of that excuse for a tackle. It was probably the only time he got near an opponent all game." Dave develops variations in the key of Bull, opining: "How the hell he got man of the match on Saturday I don't know." Irony is so tired in 2005, isn't it? Mariners fan and ska trumpet ace Rich Mills is another who has been moved to compose email, asking simply: "Was it really that bad?" To be honest, Rich, Town have occasionally been a bit worse this season than they were on Saturday, but I wanted to get back to my game of Football Manager 2005. I tell you, though: the FM05 version of Andy Parkinson is frighteningly realistic.
The Tax Thing whipround has so far raised £7518.32, reports Town's official website, or, to put it another way, about a third of what GTFC paid to agents in the second half of 2004. Any old how, there'll be a bit more cash jangling in Positive John's pocket now that he doesn't have to pay Ashley Sestanovich's wages any more. Transit Stan has been released by his club Sheffield United, formally bringing to an end his ill-starred loan to the Mariners, though it remains to be seen whether the cash freed up will be entrusted to Russ for more players or diverted directly to the Inland Revenue oojummy-wotsit.
Hang on a minute! We're saved! Sir Brian Mawhinney, the failed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland bizarrely appointed as chairman of the Football League, has announced a new seven-figure three-year sponsorship deal with DIY giant Wickes for the oh. For the second division. Right. Phoenix league/Premiership II by the back door, anyone?