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Diary - Thursday 9 June 2005

9 June 2005

Not since his sticker was one of the last four needed by the Diary to complete the 1984 Panini album has Jovan 'John' Lukic been of such interest to a Grimsby Town supporter as he is today. This is because the wiry-haired former Arsenal and Leeds goalkeeper has a son called John, also a goalkeeper, who has this morning signed for Grimsby Town. See? JL junior is 19 years old and has just been released by Nottingham Forest, where he didn't quite break through to the first team, and has been acquired by the Mariners seemingly as second in line to the Blundell Park first-team goalkeeping throne that will be occupied by someone else who hasn't been signed yet. What a dreadful sentence that was. And John the Elder has not been slow to pass on his experience to his son. "He has watched me in games and pulled me aside and told me things," the youngling explains, hopefully meaning when to come off his line and how to make himself big, rather than that his real mother was an elk, or something.

BBC Humber, meanwhile, breaks its vow of silence to report that Anthony 'Safe Hands' Williams and Stacy 'Where's The Fire?' Coldicott have both turned down new contracts, and Rigid Russ is unlikely to bend to an improved offer any time soon. Stace - who is bound to have a better offer come in from Bristol Rovers, Northampton or Redditch United any day now - has his name misspelt three times by the report, which ends by quoting the Mariners' manager as saying "it's sometimes best to hold your breathe" and is trailed on the front page of the Humber site with the sentence: "Town are resigned to losing Stacey Coldicott and goal keeper Anthony Williams as neither resigned." Which is so remarkable that it barely needs to be remarked upon.

The remarkable Mark Wilson is taking time out from this remarkable whirl of transfer activity to email some remarks to the Diary about his remarkable summertime reading. "Keeper of Dreams by Ronald Reng - German keeper plucked out of obscurity by Barnsley, makes debut at Anfield, can't believe what English football is like, goes back to obscurity. Tales from the Boot Camps by Steve Claridge - very funny and honest book about being a journeyman footballer, great stories about Barry Fry. The Miracle of Castel Di Sangro by Joe McGinniss - diary of a season when the Italian equivalent of Grantham Town got promoted into Serie B. Well observed, funny and bitter sweet. Best football book ever. I'm currently looking for books on how to manage foxes and train carthorses, one for the groundsman and the other for Sort It." If you can help Mark by recommending such a read, or would like to share some summertime choices of your own, then email the Cod Almighty Book Club at diary@codalmighty.com. Yo.