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Diary - Tuesday 2 January 2007

2 January 2007

Now, let's all just take a deep breath, shall we? Lord Buckley inherited a first-team squad that included a not particularly grand total of five defenders. These defenders kept three clean sheets in Buckley's first five games in charge: one more than in 20 matches under Graham Rodger. With four of these five defenders - John McDermott, Nick Fenton, Justin Whittle and Gary Croft - unavailable for various recent periods, getting through Christmas without some sort of tonking would have been an achievement to rival any promotion or cup giant-killing. Sure enough, Town didn't - but the transfer window is now open and the success of Buckley's signings so far since his return to Blundell Park in November ought to assure anyone with greater mental acuity than a lugworm that the manager will sort it soon enough. However many times you press the button for your floor, the doors of the lift don't close any quicker, and if circumstances dictate that you play a left-back in central defence and a central midfielder at left-back, all you can do is wait for better circumstances. Deep breath.

That's better. Happy new year. And speaking of the success of Buckley's signings so far since his return to Blundell Park in November, you will probably have seen by now that Stoke duo Martin Paterson and Anthony Pulis have extended their loan spells until 21 February, and Town are so keen to make Peter Till's transfer permanent that they've offered him a contract twice. Don't you think Paterson is just the best thing ever, in a completely mad and slightly rock and roll sort of way? The Diary got ever so excited yesterday when he nearly scored and then turned to the fans and did some shouting and stuff. I think he should be the captain. I know he's only on loan and he's still at primary school and everything, but teams always do better when they have a captain who does shouting and stuff. It has been scientifically proven, by science and that. Anyway, sadly for the Mariners but happily for the pursuit of truth, the Grimsby Telegraph has contrarily reported that the status of the Potters loanees is still uncertain, with neither player having yet signed the proposed deal to stay longer. That'll be John Fenty banning the Telegraph from the ground again then.

The Diary and the Mariners' official website may differ substantially in the way we use the English language, but we seem to be united in having forgotten all about the club's annual general meeting amid all the excitement of Town's triple festive thrashing - and the club always has its annual general meeting close to Christmas, so maybe that's the idea. Footage of the AGM is available on Mariners World, but the club seems to consider non-paying visitors to its site unworthy of access to information about what went on. Thank God, again, that we have the Grimsby Telegraph to reveal all, telling us Town are skint, Buckley is ace and some supporters are concerned that the music's too loud. You can't hear the words these days. Is that a man or a woman or Luton's Michael Reddy?

"I want to see if my mad estimate is on its way to getting to the top end," writes John Pakey in an email to the Diary, not about a rash play-off prediction post-Torquay or post-turkey but about Cod Almighty's Think of a Number competition, in which readers were asked to estimate the total of every squad number worn by Town players in every match this season, I think. "It's all gone a bit quiet," adds John. "I was banking on us having more stupid loan players and higher numbers in the squad list, but I think I might have overjudged it." Well, the competition is being run by CA's statmaster-in-chief Mr Andy Holt, so if Andy isn't too busy issuing orders to his little statty minions then perhaps he could email the Diary with some news - or, better still, write an update on the competition! Which reminds me - word has reached the Diary that Letters Ed has got about a month off work, so keep your fingers crossed, readers, for a first CA letters page since Graham Rodger was still looking for defenders.

Finally today, SurreyMariner Steve and letters page stalwart Ian Jackson have both emailed with regard to whichever buffoon wrote last Thursday's Diary and asked: "Whatever happened to Arthur Mann?" Buckley's former assistant manager was, of course, tragically killed in a workplace accident some years ago. "I seem to remember some surprise among the fans about the absence of a minute's silence at the next game given the great service he gave the club," recalls Steve, while Mr J calls for punishment to be meted out to our foolish stand-in Diary: "Pickle his head!" It may have been pickled already, Ian; that would be where the problem arose.