Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 20 November 2006

20 November 2006

Newey to Crewey? It couldn't be truey! And sure enough, all that talk a few weeks ago linking Town's apparent first-choice left-back with a move to third division Crewe Alexandra has so far come to nought. Tom has since contrived to keep Mariners legend Sir John McDermott OBE CBE MBE KBE out of the first team, albeit via Gary Croft playing at right-back, and retained his place after Alab Nuckley returned to Blundell Park the other week - right up until the 80th minute of the second game, anyway, when he was sent off for a professional foul. The decision has not been contested by Nuckley (I didn't mean to call him that; it was just a typo, but I quite like it so I'm keeping it for now) and the player now faces a one-match ban, ruling him out of tomorrow night's FA Cup first round replay against Northampton, confirms Town's official website, somehow managing to render the words "professional foul" without initial capital letters (although tomorrow night's game is not just a replay but a Replay).

The OS has gladder tidings for all those concerned by the club's recent lack of firepower (a problem not exactly unheard of at Blundell Park during Nuckley's previous turns as manager), as two of Town's legion of crocked strikers are returning to training this morning. The Mariners have struggled to convert chances into goals this season - or, for that matter, possession into chances, or non-possession into possession - as first-choice frontmen Gary Cohen, Isaiah Rankin and Luton's Michael Reddy have looked on from the treatment room, assuming that the treatment room has a window that overlooks the pitch, or a live TV link or something. But today's dose of serotonin for Grimbarians comes with the news that Cohen and Rankin have returned to training, and the latter may make the subs' bench as the Cobblers swank into town tomorrow evening. Jason Crowe used to play for Arsenal, you know.

The unfamiliar vibes of happiness resonating around North East Lincolnshire since the return of Mr Nuckley have even set in harmonic motion the heartstrings of the area's business community of business people doing business. Town's commercial department is surprised and delighted that the suits are queueing up to associate themselves with the club now that the good times are back, and where four or five 'associate sponsors' were expected for the Northampton game the club has ended up with 16. Which is nice and all, but where were you when we were shit?