Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 25 March 2005

25 March 2005

Any lingering hopes of a play-off place having been extinguished by this afternoon's crapola 3-1 defeat at Bury, you might be looking forward to the first chance in years of enjoying the last few games of the season free from worry about which division the Mariners will wake up in come August. Just when you thought it was safe to sleep through the vernal equinox, however, a remarkable post-match outburst by Mr Russell Slade has not only cast a shadow over the seven games remaining this term but also raises questions about the kind of team he will be fielding in the second year of his tenure at Blundell Park. "One or two players have made up my mind as to whether they will be here next season," fumed the manager. "I've made my thoughts very clear in the dressing room after the game."

So for the second game in succession Sort It named an attack-minded starting line-up that included a 'forward five' of Michael Reddy, Andy Parkinson, Martin Gritton, Matt Harrold and Thomas Pinault, but a second defeat in succession has sunk Town's much-heralded recent upturn in form - that's four points from the last 15 - and the manager's angry words could herald a return next season to what many supporters have denounced as defeatist team selections and mind-melting long-ball tactics. Equally, though, they might not at all, and he might just mean he isn't keeping Rob Jones. Whatever.

Meanwhile, the club's campaign for HRH Sir John McDermott to be knighted or MBE-ed or whatever has received the endorsement of players' union chief and professional contrarian Gordon Taylor, reports the Grimbly Telegraph. "I fully agree with your comments and will be pleased to write to the necessary honours department to recommend [HRH Sir John] most wholeheartedly," says the PFA head and apologist for law-breaking by Premiership footballers. Gordo's backing comes at a particularly useful moment for the campaign, since at the time of writing there is no link to the club's online 'A Gong for John' petition from the front page of its own official website.

Well, that'll do for now. Oh, all right then - there's an Anthony Williams interview in his old local paper from Hartlepool as well, but I really don't have the will or the spirit to conjure any breathtakingly insightful commentary thereupon. Until it's time to bring you the team news and stuff for Monday's game against Rushden & Diamonds, then, I'm going to try and forget football was ever invented, and may I suggest, gentle reader, that you do likewise. Ta-ra.