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Diary - Thursday 17 April 2008

17 April 2008

"Grimsby Town goalkeeping coach Steve Croudson stepped back between the sticks for the reserves at Blundell Park yesterday and helped the second string to a 1-1 draw against south bank rivals Scunthorpe," reports today's Grimsby Telegraph. That's nice, then, isn't it? A battling draw against that lot down the road, with a key role for Town's former keeper, who once spent a month on loan at Glanford Park, of course, while under contract with the Mariners. The bench featured a couple of trialists, and the club's superb new official website features a few words from Stuart Watkiss, who explains that "Mark Gray is under 16 and playing in the reserves and doing very well. Jamie Steel and Drew Rhodes, both midfield lads, are starting to form a good partnership in the centre of the park", while - hang on... what? Grimsby Town goalkeeping coach Steve Croudson? When did that happen? Why did nobody tell us? Last thing the Diary heard, he was running a pub. Next week will the Telegraph and the SNOS casually slip in remarks to the effect that Ronnie Bull, Paul Agnew, and the landlord of the Honest Lawyer have been secretly giving extra one-on-one coaching to Tom Newey?

So who are these trialists? One is Tom Griffiths, who a quick spot of Googling reveals to be a member of Doncaster Rovers' youth team with a suitably entertaining Bebo profile and a tenuous grasp of numeracy. "Describe yourself in five words," asks a Q&A thing on Donny's official website, the five words being "Ginger, slow, massive nose". The other is Craig Norman, position unknown, described by the Telegraph as a "local player" and the SNOS as a "local boy" and a "local lad", hopefully in reference to his nearby upbringing rather than a penchant for spending every waking moment down the pub.

Staying with the young 'uns, good news has emerged regarding Ryan Bennett's international exertions. Although the FA's report on England under-18s' match against Austria last night mentions a slip by the Mariners centre-half, our lad played a full 90 minutes for the national team, which presumably contributed to his side's clean sheet in a comfortable 2-0 win. Maybe the attendance of 2,306 helped him to feel at home.

That's all for this week from your regular Diary, but do pop back tomorrow as Bottom of the Barrel Diary looks forward from deepest Tetney to Town's electrifying encounter at Bradford on Saturday. T'ra!