Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 26 September 2007

26 September 2007

Over the Hills and Far Away Diary here. Nights are pulling in aren't they?

News reaches us that all efforts are being made to turn a field into a major events venue in the space of just 14 weeks. Before the FentyDome supporters get too excited, the item which headlines in the Telewag refers to an open air venue at Kings Road in Cleethorpes. Do you think they have considered the birds?

Cast your mind back, if you can stand it, dear reader, to those dark days of March 2004, when it looked as if the lads might possibly escape from a second successive relegation. Nicky Law had arrived in town to lead the fight and before the home game against Hartlepool, young Mr Fenty showed some Dunkirk spirit and scaled the heights of the Main Stand roof to fix some loose advertising hoardings blown to bits by the howling North Sea wind. More of that wind issue later.

Town's hopes on the field that day rested with a young striker Law had brought in from Notts County called Mikael Antoine-Curier, a nomadic Frenchman whose only goal for the Magpies was, typically, against us, and who had then been booted out of Meadow Lane for a night on the lash before a home game.

For reasons that are too long to go into now, your diarist happened to be in the Town dressing room before the game when Antoine-Curier walked in. He was immediately introduced by the late Tony Richardson as "the lad that will save us from relegation". Sadly that weight upon his shoulders was too much and within minutes of the start it became apparent that he wasn't up to the job. In fact the eagle-eyed Tony Butcher had spotted the problem during the pre-match warm-up, claiming that the accuracy of his kicking made made Darren Mansaram look good.

Antoine-Curier soon left the country and found solace and his level of football in the Norwegian lower leagues. That was until John Collins recently introduced him to the Hibernian faithful as the man to bring glory to Easter Road. From a lumberjack XI to leading the line against Celtic in days, Antoine-Curier explains to the Scotsman today how his career has been revitalised and his dreams achieved. So for all the young lads sent packing down the A180, remember Mikael Antoine-Curier and never give up on your dreams.

Talking of Hibs, Ipswich look interested in signing big Rob Jones.

Dave Mulligan is packing his suncream and hat ready for the big trip to New Zealand. He tells the official site that he looking forward to the trip back home. Lord Buckley ought to check that he means home in Auckland and not Liverpool where he was born, as we don't want our club dragged into a re-run of the recent Grannygate scandal. The Scouser Kiwi, though, is less sure about what happens when he gets back. He says that Buckley hasn't discussed anything about that with him, but "I'm training on Thursday and Friday, so he might say something then."

The super new official site also tells of the defeat of the reserves by Rotherham. A spirited two-goal fightback by the Mini Mariners was not enough to overcome the 3-0 first-half lead. Still, the game gave Nathan Jarman an opportunity to turn more fat into muscle.

The Hereford fans are getting some helpful advice prior to their trip up to Grimsby on Saturday. They are being warned that the wind off the North Sea can be biting and that coats must be not be forgotten. Thank your lucky stars that you are coming to Cleethorpes in September and not January, that's what I say. What would the advice for be then? Arctic expedition suits on top of a full set of thermal underwear? Oh, and remember: don't wear your coats on the coach or, as my mother used to say, "you won't feel the benefit".

That, dear readers, is the cue for me to go and get my coat.