Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Wednesday 11 April 2007
11 April 2007
The long and winding road to Sir John McDermott's retirement takes an another unexpected twist today with the news that he may play on next season in non-League football. Over the past few years Macca has hinted many times that he would be looking to GTFC for a coaching job when he retires from playing - indeed, the then Mariners boss Russell 'Sort It' Slade stated in January 2005 that Town's record-breaking right-back had been taking coaching sessions and stuff - but no formal arrangement ever seems to have been reached, forcing La Macc to deploy a bewildering variety of negotiation tactics, including delaying his retirement to summer 2007, nearly signing for King$ton Communication$ FC, and then just insisting on a second testimonial game against them instead. Now, with just four games remaining before McD faces the final curtain, the player who would be coach has spoken to the Grimsby Telegraph of his ever-changing future plans. "I definitely won't be playing for Grimsby next season. I want to go into coaching but where that will be we will have to wait and see. You have to pay the bills. I might have to play non-League," said Macca, lowering from his temple a revolver containing only one bullet and passing it to John Fenty.
Today is one of those days, in fact, when the Telegraph manages to find two or three good stories out of nowhere, and anyone sufficiently obsessed with the Mariners to read the Diary five days a week 52 weeks a year will doubtless find themselves fascinated by a piece about the club groundsman. Mike Phillips has been responsible for the Blundell Park turf for donkey's years now, winning the second division groundsman of the year award ten years ago and consistently ensuring a smooth and agreeable playing surface for Town's players to weave their magic (or, as was the case in certain recent seasons, wallop the ball 60 yards up in the air instead). He is in contention for the fourth division award this season, and the Telegraph's close-up is worth it for Mike's genuinely fascinating revelation that "Blundell Park is still on the same soil base that was here in 1899". GTFC's progress towards their proposed new stadium at Great Coates is understood to be followed closely by Channel 4, who are ready to despatch Tony Robinson's Time Team to BP to uncover evidence of Roman football on the site, while the club is already preparing the item description to sell it all on eBay.
The local rag completes its hat-trick with a Ryan Bennett interview, in which Town's latest prodigy shares the unique perspective afforded him by having a foot in the three camps of first team, reserve team and youth team. Again, this is well worth a read, and a young man with three feet is bound to have an advantage as a central defender, even if it may be harder to keep them all on the ground.