Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 25 June 2008

25 June 2008

Earlier this morning, much earlier, two holes in Alan Buckley's squad need filling with centre-back sized pegs. And your Idle Diarist finds himself released from a long, boring, role-changing, work-dumping meeting (I know how Gary Jones felt when he played in defence at Lincoln now) to find one of those pegs has been slotted into place. Is it Sam Hird of Doncaster Rovers? Definitely not, rewarded for helping defeat Leeds United in the third division play-off final. Is it Richard Hope, transfer listed by Wrexham? Could be according to the local rag. Could it be Brentford defender Matt Heywood? Why yes, yes it is! And after waiting so long to tell the world that Buckley has signed a player, the SNOS then goes on to confuse affairs up by saying "the 6 foot 4 inch striker was at Blundell Park last Monday for talks". Do we accept this as an all-too-common mistake or a glimpse into the future? Another worry, when I think of tall players I think more Tony Crane than Rob Jones. I know, I should be more optimistic, but I - we even - are Town fans. We know for sure though there's a Freudian slip later on in there, the SNOS saying they'll have interviews with the new players later. Yes, you read that right. That was a plural players there. They're obviously seeing something we're not, the teases...

Will that signing inspire confidence amongst apathetic fans? Will they now be clamouring to raise that season ticket tally way above this morning's figure of 534? The latest update of our chart - a lesson to any GCSE Business Studies students out there - reveals season ticket sales could sure do with a boost, Cadbury's or otherwise...

Sales are looking constant, but still miles off last season's tankard of optimism. It's taken 24 days of the tickets being on sale for the club to just about reach the amount sold in 11 days last year, Maybe we're all as grey as the wet weather we've been having. Maybe we've all been too engrossed in Euro 2008. Maybe we're waiting for this year's Isaiah Rankin to arouse us, entice into another season's torment. Ever the optimists, the club reckons there's going to be more tickets bought, much much more "with still just under 3 very busy weeks to go." Has Positive John turned his hand to penning the club's PR?

Which leaves me to say, tune back in tomorrow when we'll have more on the new signing(s), and the club will be shooting this pessimist down as the club doubles their season ticket sales in one day. Cheers!

NEWSFLASH: Just as I put this Diary live, Town have announced they have signed another player and it is Richard Hope. Spotter's badge to the boys at the Grimsby Telegraph. More tomorrow.