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Diary - Tuesday 8 November 2005

8 November 2005

If you reacted with cynicism to Steve Slade's recent run-out with the Mariners because he is a 30-year-old forward whose career in the four senior divisions of English football has yielded just seven goals, then you will not be best pleased with today's news. In his time spent playing as a striker with Reading, Wycombe Wanderers and Bury, Town's newest trialist Bas Savage has yet to find the net in any kind of first-team context at all. Savage has been on trial with Coventry and Forest Green Rovers this year as well, if you really want to know, and is joined at Blundell Park by Kris Gate, a young player who is currently 36th in line to the throne of Newcastle right-back. In his favour Savage is a mere 23 years of age and has made only 28 non-scoring appearances with his three clubs thus far, having missed the entire 2002-03 season with a serious injury sustained while waterskiing naked across a reservoir of gin. Sorry, I mean on a pre-season tour of Germany. Getting bored there.

Let's hear it for the kids. Town's youth team beat Bury one-nil at Gigg Lane last night with a goal from a lad by the name of Andy Taylor, reports the Mariners' official website today, and will now face Burton Albion or Port Vale in the next round of... er... it doesn't say. It's a good job they told us yesterday it was the FA Youth Cup and that the Diary's attention span is still reasonably did anyone see Coronation Street last night?

"It was not just the team who failed to show last week but the loyal support," opines Dave the soon to be ex-engineer of last Saturday's waste of time, adding: "Having sat through that torturous affair who could blame them? As the next game is a Friday I have decided to stage a sit-in in my front room rather than attend. I shall have consumed some good old Lincolnshire ale before falling asleep, which, having attended the Rutland before last Saturday's debacle will be the only difference." Tempted though I am to invite myself along to your soirée, Dave, the Diary will be at Friday's match - albeit under protest, half cut, and quite possibly armed with a good book... and a nice, soft, comfy pillow.