Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 28 December 2005

28 December 2005

The closest thing we get to a bank holiday derby match all season, and it's probably not going to happen. Today's Diary comes to you from my mum's front room as this year's post-Xmas family visit looks likely to end five hours early with a 4pm pitch inspection at Blundell Park ahead of tonight's scheduled visit by county neighbours Lincoln 'Keithball' City (Town's official website says "over night snow... has protected the Blundell Park playing surface from and frosts" and gets the name of the referee wrong). After heavy snowfall last night and earlier today the skies have cleared up and there seems a vague prospect of thawage, but you know how it is these days: by 7:45 tonight the pitch will be perfectly playable but the match will probably be postponed because of anticipated parking difficulties for travelling fans or some such bunch of old bollocks.

In the probably vain hope that tonight's match will proceed as scheduled, then, Imps supporters are looking for portents of hope for the result. One of those commercial network-type websites has noted that Lincoln have just "drawn at home after dominating a game" and the Mariners have just won 2-1 away: a combination of form that preceded the same fixture last season, which City, of course, won by four goals to two. The Diary is reminded by this of my train journey to the play-off final in 1998, when I was informed by a family of Northampton fans that their victory was certain because the referee that day was the same man who officiated at the Cobblers' play-off final victory the previous season; but Town are crap in derby matches and if one is actually played tonight then Lincoln will win 3-1 or something.

Oooh, the Telegraph has ticked. Looks like the same starting line-up again, should play proceed this evening. And oooh again, it's lovely and bright out now. Excuse me while I find some wood to touch, and no sniggering at the back.

1:30pm update
Oh, arse.

2:15pm update
Well, it's stopped again... but it's still dead dark. Sky Sports news just said Colchester and Grimsby are both appealing for fans to help clear snow from their pitches. Anyone?

2:50pm update
No more snow, still. It went bright for a bit and now it's gone a bit darker, but that might just be the time of day. You can't tell these days, can you, this global warming, is that a boy or a girl? If you don't hear from the Diary again this afternoon then I've either gone down to BP with a shovel or made an early start at the Rutland.

2:57pm update
Ah. It's started again. I think that might be it now.

4:30pm update
It stopped again a bit ago and they decided to give it another hour. Second pitch inspection at 5. If no further update appears here after that, that means the game is off and I'm on my way home. My mum makes the best chilli in the world.

5:08pm update
Game on! But will the weather mean Lincoln bring even fewer fans? Who cares? Mine's a pint of Bullion.