Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 11 September 2007

11 September 2007

Hello readers. There's bugger all to tell you today, other than that Eniola Aluko seems to have come on in leaps and bounds since Euro 2005 and Town seem to have a full-back called Parker lining up for the reserves at home to Big Wednesday tonight, and there's no knowing whether he's a third brother or one we prepared earlier coming back from Southport. I mean Gainsborough. So let's catch up on some of your emails while we cheer on the England!

"Watching the Huddersfield 'extended' highlights on the SNOS," writes Matt Pakes, "I noticed something about halfway through. There is some sort of funky tune going on in the background. It is most apparent at the end of the video during a black screen. The music wouldn't be out of place on a generic television programme titled World's Most Amazing And Shocking Police Chase Shooting Thing. Just thought I'd let the diary know." Thanks for pointing that out, Matt - and, indeed, it's almost as funky as the hair of the Japanese centre-forward Eriko Arakawa. I'm sure Tony Butcher would have a thing or two to say about it.

James Booth is unable to resist the old debate about green being bad luck for Grimsby Town goalkeepers. This, he says, "is carried over from it being bad luck to wear green on a trawler. At least this is what my dad has always told me and he never liked the fact Nigel Batch wore green." In proper scholarly fashion James offers supporting references in a blog entry and a page of Yorkshire seafaring superstitions (Grimsby being near Yorkshire, after all), which reveals: "Green was an auspicious colour. Many a deckie-learner had his green jumper or scarf ripped off him and saw it flung into the sea by an older fisherman. Even today, there are few green cars on the streets of Hull, and the city council rarely uses this colour. The fear is that 'green will be followed by black' (widow's weeds)." Yes - I think last time we had this conversation, in May 2003, somebody said it was because green was the hardest colour to pick out among the waves should a chap fall overboard. I'm not quite sure why everyone was so worried about Nigel Batch falling overboard, but then one supposes the drainage at Blundell Park was less advanced in the late 1970s.

And speaking of goalkeepers, if this Japanese one were anywhere near as bad as her male counterpart who played for Portsmouth that time Town beat them 3-1, England would be winning easily!

"It wouldn't matter if Phil Barnes wore green or not," continues Ben Gresswell. "Unless the 10 men in front of him sort things out pronto, he'll look shit whatever he wears!" Indeed - but do we all remember what happened in the next match after the last time Town lost 4-1? And the time before that? If I were Stockport I'd be shitting meself.