Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 30 June 2006

30 June 2006

Hi guys! Durham Diary here today, wasting away a warm, wonderful day in Waltham. And first of all I'd like to hit back at claims by Mr Diary yesterday that I was being accompanied by a percussionist of any description in my email. If you look at the average audio assistance for emails sent to the Diary in the last week, you'll find I was actually under the average, and still managed to achieve a mention in the last paragraph yesterday.

Our esteemed chairman Positive Johnson today took the unprecedented, and highly commendable step of going, well, negative. "Chairman hits back" is the very defensive title carried on the OS today, linked to the story of how former manager Russell Slade reckons he finished fourth in the table with one of the four lowest budgets in the division, and Five Star Fenty has called him an egg-headed liar (my words, not his). Mr Fenty points out that the average wage budget for the fourth division last year was £0.9m (my 0, not his), before raging: "Grimsby Town's budget was just short of £1.1 million for the season, a sum that was affordable otherwise it would have been less." Clearly the Mariners' supremo couldn't maintain all that negativity for too long, as his eyes soften and he adds: "It is more likely that it was a top four budget, that is a credit to our fans coming to the games, and the way our administrative staff keep the costs down and commercial income up." That's more like it.

Because I've only found one story so far, I'm going back to the OS, and indeed back to the same article. But I won't tell you that bit. Apparently Town's wage bill went up by the not negligible amount of £6,500 per week over the January transfer window last season. On 1 January Town were second in the league, five points clear of the team in fourth, and with a game in hand that would take them top if they won it. At the end of the season they weren't. I know, I know, I'm sorry. You've had enough negativity for one day.

Which is about all I have to tell you today, except perhaps that former Mariner John Ward has signed a five-year contract at Cheltenham. You can draw your own conclusions on winning the play-off final and getting contracts. I don't really care, but think it would be interesting what a period of stability would achieve at Town. Hope you enjoy the football tomorrow - I'll be watching when ever I get the chance around a cricket match. And enjoy the sunshine. Be positive!