Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 21 September 2007

21 September 2007

What time is it in the UK? What day is it over there? One thing I've learned so far in the brief time since I moved to the other side of the world is that it's hard to follow Town news. I end up reading yesterday's Diary first thing tomorrow morning. Old news seems like new news and I'm never sure if new news is new news or old news I've forgotten about. Or missed. So, I plead with you, please forgive your Kiwi Diary if I re-plough old turf. And if I mix my metaphors like a good 'un.

So tomorrow (for you, early Sunday morning for me) we have a local derby away at the Imps to contend with. Sincil Bank is not a happy hunting ground for the Mariners, with our last win in the league there coming way back in 1957. Bearing in mind this historical record you'll understand my reluctance to join with an upbeat Nick Fenton when he talks about registering our first win of the season on Saturday, won't you? I do agree with him that it would be nice to get our first three points there though. In English football, only QPR, Sheffield 'sleeping giant' Wednesday and ourselves are yet to win in the league. Who will be the last to remain winless, I wonder.

Buckley's money would not be on us, of course. In his typically open and objective pre-match interview Sir Alan told his adoring fans how he expects a good footballing match on Saturday with Lincoln having shed their air-raid siren reputation. He mentioned that he thinks that they have some quality players, with one or two of them being the best in their position in the division, but that every match, in his opinion, is winnable. "If I didn't think we could win, I might as well not go. I might as well stay at home." Team news is limited however with AB revealing nothing more than Ryan Bennett's sore achilles and Andy Taylor's twisted ankle. In the interview he described them both as doubtful but not ruled out. There was also an interesting comment in there about a winning team being the secret to bigger gates, rather than a new shiny stadium. Hear, hear.

It's funny, you know, how half a world apart things remain the same. Not New Zealand this time, but Canada, New Zealand's near neighbour in the natural beauty stakes. When I received a Google alert earlier this evening...er, morning... er, earlier, with the headline 'Council gives green light to review of Official Plan' I presumed it was something to do with the new ground scheduled to replace our beloved Blundell Park in time for the 2017-18 season. But no, it actually referred to the council running the other Grimsby, the one in Canada, and its approval of a recommendation to forge ahead with reviewing and updating the town's official plan. Whatever that might be. The clue was in the headline really. And so nothing at all to do with Town's ground at all. Does anyone know whether Grimsby, North East Lincs has an Official Plan too?

The actual news relating to the Fentydome to have surfaced in the past 24 hours somewhat surprisingly is all about birds. And we're not talking those peroxide blondes in snug-fitting merchandise. It seems the final condition of the planning permission has been approved by NELC, but there's a hitch. A ornithological survey of the proposed ground site revealed a large bird population hanging out there. The majority were golden plover, as if you care, and I presume they'd be Eurasian golden plover judging by what I've just learned online about the breeding habitats of the various golden plover species. As far as I can tell, Grimsby Town Football Club have been charged with managing (and potentially purchasing) a suitable site for the relocation of all these birds. This has to be in place before the ground development can proceed. No, really. You couldn't dream it up, could you? Positive John is quoted as describing the ruling as "bizarre". Quite.

And with that live-changing and slightly surreal nugget of news I leave you. It's almost my bed-time after all. But before I go, let me urge you to read the readers' comments at the bottom of the TIG article. Chris Carter, this little corner of New Zealand salutes you.