Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 25 September 2006

25 September 2006

Is there really another match in about 30 hours' time?

Welcome to another week with the Diary, people, where we dot the 'i's, cross the 't's, fill in the gaps and point out the confusing arbitrary use of initial capital letters, all while struggling gamely to maintain some perspective on events at Grimsby Town Football Club. It is to gap-filling that we first turn our attention today, and the news that the Mariners have signed a new player - the gap being the club's official website, which has not reported the arrival of 17-year-old goalkeeper Kevin Morton from New Hartley Juniors FC. The filling comes courtesy of the News Post Leader, a local paper based in the north-east, which has very capably broken the news of Morton's transfer as well as listing a quite impressive collection of the player's fellow New Hartley alumni. These include a bloke called Bobby Cummings - not the former Mariners chopper, of course, who was christened Cumming and was called Cummings only by virtue of the same curious verbal tic that means a sizeable proportion of Town fans cannot correctly render the name of the club's current manager, Grahamses Rodgerseseseseses.

Can you remember Rory Patterson? He is a striker with FC United, who came for a trial with Town a bit ago and, unsurprisingly, went back to FC United at the end of it. In letting Rory go, though, the Mariners have spurned the chance not only to add a designer Irishman to their books but also to score fashionable goals from the halfway line, since that is precisely what the player contrived to do in a recent 4-2 win over Silsden. You can even watch it on Youtube, and it doesn't get much trendier than that.

"Ahoy!" is the fittingly nautical beginning of an email to the Diary from John Pakey, who continues: "Was just having a gawp through the Grimsby Town Supporters Trust newsletter (it was that or watch Ian Wright try and get some large abusive teenagers to do sit-ups) and was interested in seeing how it's asking members to find out what they think is the best route to take? It seems that Positive John is all too powerful for the trust's supporters share idea to actually make a real dent, so they are now talking about heading off down a different stream with the organisation. The one that does seem reasonably interesting and could be a better suggestion than trying to throw money at the taxman - the bastard - is to focus on the youth system. My local team, Colchester United, have looked after their youth system and they are now able to boast about five players (one the highly rated Greg Halford) who are all capable of third division football at the very least. So if you or any of the readers are trust members, I suggest voting for option 2 - to invest in the GTFC youth system. I intend to do so. And because it's a marathon and not a sprint I intend to go for life membership as well. What's the Diary's thoughts?" Dunno really, John, but if it's a marathon and not a sprint then maybe we should carry on buying shares, because if it takes 30 years to become a supporter-owned club then that might be preferable to never becoming one at all. Just a thought.