Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 9 November 2006

9 November 2006

It is 9:30, your Guest Diarist is poorly with man-flu and the two big stories of the day have already broken so I might as well tell you about them. First there is the tale of Ashley Sestanovich's attempt to outdo Curtis Woodhouse in the criminality stakes. Ashley is accused of helping to set up an old fashioned 'blag' on a roofing firm via many mobile phone conversations with his mate (who worked there) and his hairdresser. The hairdresser and another mate burst in to the roofer's and shot the owner's brother because he could not produce the eleven grand in cash that was supposed to be there. If the poor bloke hadn't died after the first shot "miraculously missed him" (but the second presumably didn't) then there would be a feast of jokes in this story. The trial, as they say, continues.

The trial that is being sentenced to be a lifelong Grimsby Town fan continues too with the heavily trailed appointment of Alan Buckley to manage Grimsby Town being confirmed by the club at about 09:01 this morning. Sky beat the official site by about four seconds to announce this news. The official site tells us that Alan has signed a "rolling two and a half year deal with the club". Now does that mean every two and a half years the interested parties will meet and debate whether to renew? God knows - here for the interested is a definition of a rolling contract.

Stalwart Cod Almighty match reporter Tony Butcher has emailed the Diary to point out that Buckley's appearance at Northampton will represent the third coming - one more than Jesus managed apparently. As you will gather the Spinal Tap video is very well worn in the Butcher/Firth household. But Mr Butcher has also been reading a fine interview with the estimable Nigel Blackwell from Half Man Half Biscuit (a Tranmere fan, for the uninitiated, who made some fine records) and the following two paragraphs are reproduced here as a rejoinder to all the shouty 'big' men who have been screaming down at us from the various messageboards this past week:

"I take the stance that whatever division this club happens to be in doesn't decide if I'm going to support them or not - that is the behaviour of a spoilt child. I can honestly say I don't concern myself too much about who is in charge (boardroom or team manager) as it is the Institution that I follow so over the years heads roll and Chairmen step down but it never particularly interests me. I simply go through the turnstile, watch the game and go home. It was ever thus.

"I will NEVER get on a player's back as that NEVER makes him perform better (quite the opposite in fact). Let's say for instance David Raven turns out to be hopeless - fingers crossed he doesn't of course - well how could anyone bring themselves to lambast someone who is probably acting out one of his adolescent fantasies (after the Vorderman one of course) by playing for the team he supported as a youngster. He can already do no wrong in my book. Encouragement is such a powerful weapon."

It is time to get back to the basis of once-a-Town-fan-always-a-Town fan regardless of who manages them and who plays for them. Town are Town and thus it will ever be. Real Town fans need to stand up and be counted - fair square behind the team and the manager. Mr Fenty has taken a risky decision, but it is taken and nothing has been lost, in my view, for taking it quickly and decisively. Now Mr Fenty should apply some management expertise to make sure the club is being run as well as possible off the pitch, leaving Mr Buckley to generate improvements on it. If we avoid relegation and pass it a bit this season that will be real progress. If we stabilise the club's financial figures, stop being over-sensitive to media criticism, and recognise that a new stadium is an aspiration rather than a short-term necessity then that would make more pragmatic sense and represent further progress.

The decision to keep Mr Watkiss as the number two provides for an interesting blend of the old and the new. You show me your coaching badges and I'll show you my winner's medals. In an interview on Mariners World Mr Fenty has said the pair "got on like a house on fire" at their first meeting. He added that Mr Buckley would be provided with any players that he recommended to the board, but that the biggest task he faced was to turn a squad that is strong on paper for this division into a team that wins matches. AB in turn said that he was looking forward to working with the players on the training ground; that he was unlikely to take the lead for Saturday's cup game, but that he would be training with the players today and tomorrow. He said that he was prepared to take the flak for "over-playing", as do Arsenal, but that his vision remains to play fast, progressive passing football.

The next three months will be fascinating and are unpredictable. Make sure you go to some Town matches to see the next few chapters unfold. See yer.