Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Tuesday 12 August 2008
12 August 2008
One game in and anyone, like Idle Diary, following the Tale of Grimsby Town Football Club reaches the first twist in the chapter '2008-09', with the diagnosis on Paul Bolland's knee injury declaring him out for the remainder of the season (or 45 league games). "I knew I had done some damage to my cruciate - I learned that after seeing a consultant in Grimsby last week. But I never expected this. I can't quite believe it," revealed the distraught player, "I'm absolutely gutted." You and us, Bolly, you and us. "I was really looking forward to the season after last year's problems - now the enthusiasm has all gone. I just have to somehow try and stay positive and focus on getting back to the player I was." Fingers crossed...
Struggling to decipher the superb new official site's stadium update? The second twist of the new season is unravelled thanks to the local rag's piece, the opening paragraph of which provides more clarity than the club's 289 words shorn of context: "Grimsby Town's stadium plans will be reassessed after councillors gave the go-ahead for the town's £30-million Wharf Retail Park." The bones of it: Councillor Fenty is "disappointed" that last week the council chose to give the thumbs-up to the inner-town shopping redevelopment proposed by Henry Boot.
Why would our Conservative chieftain be like that? Highly publicised city redevelopments currently under way are struggling to attract big-name stores (or, in JF's favoured phrase, "anchor tenants"). To sign one up would (a) buck the current national trend by either expanding into a new greenfield area, or relocating from an existing site in the area; and (b) buck the current trend of ignoring North East Lincolnshire (tongue slightly in cheek with that point). An inner-town option, closer to the consumers, will be more attractive, far more attractive than an out-of-town retail park, such as the one supposedly attached to the Fentydome. Also, any proposal for urban redevelopment will be viewed far more favourably by any number of funding bodies, than whatever new development on virgin land.
The Fenty versus Henry Boot match-up seems a winner-takes-all clash (HB failed in an application for a review of Town's new stadium plans back in April: a clear statement of intent). But the statements from Fenty are clear: he is going to persist with the new stadium project, but how will it be adapted after this reassessment? All the eggs have been in one basket so far, and despite the chairman's attempts at maximising the security of his investment in the club (outright control of the club, positioning himself within the council), the Henry Boot plan is a very real risk to the Fentydome's proposed financing of the project through the retail area. The Henry Boot project is also, to this writer, a more favourable, worthy and better positioned (on all levels) development for the people and town of Great Grimsby.
Fenty's going to hate me for saying that. Ah well. At least he'll be hating someone who works on regeneration and redevelopment.
Anyone eyeing up the razor blades after reading that news, skip to the next paragraph, as the following is likely to have push you over the edge. As a teaser for a bigger interview later this week, the Telegraph comes across totally doom-laden as they also reveal that Gary Jones will not bless a professional football pitch with his silky skills again following his retirement from the game. A sad day for the big man's many fans. All the best, Lump.
Hey! Come on! Put the Sylvia Plath down! It's not all bad! Pepper up! After all, there's the cup game against Tranmere tonight! "We won't be fearful," Sir Alan proclaims, back to his pompous best and concentrating on his team rather than the opposition. Town are likely to send out the same side from Saturday. Mindful that the visiting opposition are not even a middle-sized draw for many Town fans, Councillor John does a high kick in his shortest skirt and beckons you to Blundell Park with his pom-poms. Cheaper tickets would have cajoled more fans to the ground, like. For the full lowdown on the game, we've given our full pre-match treatment here.
It's "yassoo!" to Nicky Nicolau, "an English professional footballer who is without a club": a situation he is looking to change by joining Town on trial. A left-sided midfielder, I seem to remember him being half decent when at Southend a few years back. And before you think "lower league Jason Crowe", let's give the lad a chance. And if he's any good, how he'll fit into the left-footed club of Newey, Lulullewellyn, and Hegarty is anyone's guess...
Thanks to Paddy Grant for making us aware of a News of the World fourth division preview. "Buckley's new look line-up that is designed to challenge for honours," they believe, giving Town an end-of-season placing of fourth, while neglecting to choose a team to finish just above them.
And, finally, for anyone thinking that Saturday's 0-0 wasn't that good, listen to Neil Warnock, if you can. He summed up his Palace side's 0-0 draw with Watford at the weekend with "the first game you've just got to get it out the way and if you're going to have a clean sheet, that's Utopia really." So there you have it. You should be swinging from the chandeliers, you ungrateful sods!