Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 14 May 2008

14 May 2008

Moley Merkin QC is alive and well and writing to the Grimsby Telegraph. Other than that, the superb new official website of the football club you love trying with increasing desperation to part you from more and more of your hard-earned, and the Wayne Burnett story which 18 people have emailed the Diary about, there's chuff all going on again, so let's return to Rob McIlveen's email looking at the youth football scene in East Anglia.

Rob, you may recall from yesterday, emailed in response to Monday's news of Sam Mulready being named player of the year at Town's school of excellence. Idle Diary wondered how the Mariners had got their mitts on the lad when several other clubs, some ostensibly more attractive, are closer to Sam's home in King's Lynn. "Around this neck of the woods, Norwich and to a lesser degree Peterborough are the clubs the kids aspire to. However, both are around 45 miles away from King's Lynn. Likewise, Cambridge (who might rejoin League Two) is also 45 miles. The professional clubs are reluctant to send scouts or even development officers to this footballing backwater," explains Rob.

But, he adds, "Town could do worse than send some of their scouts down to west Norfolk. The local club runs a well-organised youth system, and the fact that King's Lynn will be playing Conference South (or North) football next year, having won the Southern Premier League, is evidence that its system is working. I believe that Lynn were the only team in their league to pull an average gate of over 1,000, and that for some of their games they pulled a bigger crowd than a lot of teams in League Two (one of which is especially dear to my heart). I have to say as well that some of the football the Linnets played was better than that of a lot of teams in League 2 (ditto the above). So come on Town - there are decent youngsters further beyond the A17 than Holbeach. Come and get them now before Norwich, Peterborough, and Cambridge finally twig this."

Interesting stuff, Rob - many thanks. Do any other exiled Diary readers keep an eye on their local scene? If there's a nearby non-League side you follow, or any decent young players you think Town should check out, shout up to diary@codalmighty.com and we'll pool our knowledge!