Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Wednesday 16 July 2008
16 July 2008
Your Idle Diarist is lost. What's prompted this defence of the supporters trust from Councillor John? The time I spend daily slumped at a computer, and therefore online, is far less than it was five years ago (although the gain in daily bodily movement and a less achy back over that time seems to be at odds with a waistline that has grown two inches). But I still have time to whistle my way through the usual GTFC news sources and feel up-to-date with affairs. But this? The first I've caught wind. Is it a letter in the Grimsby Telegraph? Has a halfwit gobshited on a messageboard? Did someone wolf whistle at a trust board member in the street? Whatever method, can someone let us know. We told the club last week we had £400 to put their way from you lot buying our T-shirts, and no response yet. And since an email hasn't garnered a reply...
How anyone can be critical of the trust during that 'difficult period', who knows. The amount that body raised despite accepted indifference in the town towards the club was laudable. Fenty's public support of the trust is just, just a shame such provocation has prompted it. But then again Fenty and the club got away lightly during the tax debt situation. As the company who owed the debt, the club should have been leading the appeals. Restructuring the debts, having the plan to pay them off was a required duty. But seeking the independent trust to do the appealing smacks of delegating their dirty work, especially given most of the club's backroom staff have remained the same over the past ten years and must have been privy to the issue.
Many fans did help bolster the appeal, directly and indirectly. In-between working my knackers off to earn enough to have a roof over the family's head, I paid for tickets to torture mates with games they were reluctant to attend, paid an annual sub to the trust, subscribed to things like the Gold Bond and bought more tickets for the Grand National annual raffle than I should. Many others did the same. Sorry, it wasn't more money or more time, John. Some of us just couldn't and still can't give any more than we did and still do. There's a fine line between helping out and feeling used, leading to disillusionment. Talking of which...
The superb new official site carries their latest attempt at undermining the GTFC brand values, asking you to bid for their - and this is a direct quote - "junk" on eBay. Roll on up, suckers, and buy any old crap! Still, at least they're appeasing us by charging only a tenner to watch two glorified training exercises dressed up as meaningless games. Maybe once the debt is paid off the club can sort out its public image. Although that's a proposal that's been on the cards as long as the new stadium.
Are you particularly good at sums? Neil Woods needs your help to check his workings so Californian youngster Dallas Moore can join up: "We are still trying to get the [international] clearance sorted out and may be close to finding a way with it. The problem is that no-one is really fully clear on the rules at this level - even the FA and Football League. The rules seem to change every year and you need to be a mathematician to understand it all." And if Woods cannot work out a way for Moore to be playing in the black and white stripes immediately, it could simply a case of waiting until autumn when the young defender turns 18 and can sign up as a senior pro. The amount Woods has built this lad up, he must be something special. As Nana Stevens used to say: the best comes to those that wait.
And, so, belatedly the public facing side of Town's pre-season gets under way tonight in Corby (a long trip to Northamptonshire Sir Alan explains as simply accepting an invitation from someone he knows). We'll cover that in tomorrow's Diary, as well bringing you an update on our hunt for A Chant For Chris (see yesterday's Diary, and keep them coming!). Toodle loo!