Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Thursday 13 March 2008
13 March 2008
With every courageous tackle he makes, with every towering header he wins, with every enterprising long throw-in he takes, and every fourth division young apprentice of the year award he claims, Grimsby Town supporters are as afraid of the possibility of Ryan Bennett leaving for some big club as they are delighted with his emergence on North East Lincs. But Lord Alan Buckley will probably need to sign one fewer centre-half in the summer now that Matthew Bird has signed a professional contract - and it's at Blundell Park, not the MU Glazerbowl. A 17-year-old left-footer who hit the headlines earlier this season following a trial with global megabrand Manchester United, Bird has put his name to a two-year deal to keep him with the Mariners and told the Grimsby Telegraph: "I am really proud to have signed for my hometown club. I grew up around here and it will be good to give something back." The Diary is delighted to see another local kid on his way through the ranks, and hopes to see him debut for the first team before too long - but I can't help worrying about whether there's a replacement in the under-16s who'll be ready to step in when the Glazer Corporation steps back in for young Matthew.
If, as we are often assured, the best young players can learn from their mistakes then Bird should improve as a direct result of Town's reserve team losing 1-0 at home to Rotherham last night. The visitors' goal resulted from a penalty conceded by the Mariners' newest professional, but the club's superb new official website reports on a good show from the front line of Andy Taylor and Nathan Jarman and reserve debuts from two more stars of the youth team, as well as 90 minutes of play for Justin Whittle and Straight Peter Bore. I wonder what odds you could get on SPB making the starting XI a fortnight on Sunday?
"Nice to see that the Freibooter (FC Sankt Pauli) will be with us at Wembley," writes Tim Mosey in an email to the Diary, in response to Tuesday's contribution from one of the aforementioned Freibooter, Martin Robinson. "Couldn't help noticing though, when I watched them on telly last night, that they have sold out and put a roof over the terracing. Nice touch though to have a massive 'Scheisse DSF' banner behind the goal to celebrate the fact that the TV company DSF had moved the game from a weekend to a very handy Monday night kick off. The GTFC/Werder Bremen 'Fischstadt Freundschaft' will also be at Wembley; has someone told the catereers to get extra Bratwurst in for the game?" Hmm. Don't suppose the Paulistas could bring a massive 'Scheisse BFS' banner a fortnight on Sunday...?
"People in glass houses eh?!" writes Chris Parrott. "Barnet didn't score against Town 'at the sixth time of asking'. I made that same mistake this morning with a Barnet- and Grimsby-supporting mate. He pointed out we played a friendly c. 1990 when the 'Barnet nil' sequence started." Thanks, Chris. I wonder if we're related - but more to the point, which of the two did your mate support first? It's hard to imagine how a Bees fan could harbour very much affection for Town given the clubs' head-to-head record, but conversely the Diary must be far from the only Mariner who has recently declared a lifelong love for Barnet.
In that spirit it seems only fair and right that today's final word should go to the unfortunate. "Yes," writes Jimbo, "I'm a Barnet fan claiming that pint. Can you chuck in a few spirits as well, and a nice fish and chip supper? It won't cost much for 42 of us." Well, you might have to share it, mate, but if we stay down and you stay up - and I'm sure Town fans everywhere will join me in wishing you all the best in your remaining fixtures - then come to the Rutland Arms next season and the Diary will see that you receive a comforting glass of Old Mill Bullion. Jimbo concludes existentially: "Why does this fixture exist?" Well, you could just not turn up and let the Football League award a 3-0 win to the Mariners every time. It might help your goal difference in the long run.