Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 29 September 2005

29 September 2005

Most people from Grimsby think their local football team is rubbish even when it is playing well. Way back when the Diary was an apprentice crate shover and the Mariners went top of the old (old) Division Two by beating Middlesbrough 4-1, all the older, more experienced crate shovers persisted in their belief that the side remained firmly rooted to the League's re-election zone. But the times they have a-changed, and Town's tip-top run of form here in 2005 has had the unprecedented side effect of attracting more people to go and watch them. This was evidenced strongly in the attendance at Tuesday night's thumping win over Notts County: these days 5,577 is a bloody good crowd for a night match which people actually have to pay to get in to.

And the Diary can exclusively reveal good news for all these new supporters: that Town are still selling season tickets even at the arse end of September - with discounts proportionate to the games already played. So right now fans can snap up an adult season ticket in the Pontoon (and guarantee themselves a seat for the forthcoming League Cup game against glamorous Newcastle) for just 240 quid. Hey, if the club isn't going to carry out any promotion or marketing when it comes up with a good idea then I might as well step in and do it for them.

Finally for today - and for this working week, as far as I'm concerned, as tomorrow you will be consigned unto the loving care of a guest diarist, in our usual lovely Friday way - an email from Keith Collins about all manner of things. "Good morning Diary," writes KC, "and what a loverly one it is in Grimsby. Having looked at the Spurs match again I noticed that at the end of the game mardy-arse Jol went straight down the tunnel without shaking anyone's hand." Well, that's not very nice, is it? But at least he saved the choicest swear words until he'd actually got to the end of the tunnel and back into the changing room. "I reckon Sort It is due for manager of the month for September. If so I hope he doesn't inherit the losing streak that normally comes with it." Indeed, and all good Town fans are sure to be backing John Gorman. "Have you noticed that the auction for J-P's shirt currently stands at £490?" Well, Keith, Town were pretty shrewd in getting it straight on sale while everyone was still celebrating the result. I see that the bid was made in the small hours of last Wednesday morning by a user with the QXL username 'gtfc_fan_ireallyreallyloveyou-youremybestmateyouare'.