Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 26 September 2008

26 September 2008

"First watched Mariners 1930s. Saw finest football currently available for 6d. George Tweedy, Harry Betmead, Ginger Hall, Pat Glover et al. Lenin, I believe, told us capitalism bears within it seeds of own destruction. When may we expect GTFC to fold and put us all out of our misery?" Diary reader John Ellis, it would seem, has supported Town all his life through a bit of thick and then an awful lot of thin. And as recession starts to nibble again in the nasty noughties, the prospect of the Mariners' final demise has perhaps never been more real.

Professional football, like capitalism, seems determined to eat itself. When asked about assisting the club to move to their planned but unaffordable new stadium at North East Lincolnshire Council's recent Question Time event, local MP Austin Mitchell trotted this out (as paraphrased on the Trust website: "The Council should facilitate but can't finance the relocation and that better redistribution of TV money is required so that more of it gets to the roots of football." GTST Chairman Dave Otter had asked the question. No-one from the council was keen to raise their head above the parapet and make a meaningful response. Thinking caps were mentioned, but only in passing. It was admitted that the club is a community asset as well as a commercial enterprise. But so are post offices and look what is happening to them.

Mr Otter must have left that meeting a depressed man. But in the present market-led society the consumer is king. And if the consumer doesn't like the product, or can't afford it, then the writing is on the wall. The best idea your depressed Guest Diarist can come up with this Friday morn is for Coun. John Fenty (Con) to meet with himself and vote though a change to the articles of association of the club so it becomes a bank. Banks aren't allowed to fail however badly they are run, are they?

Meanwhile Town manager Mr Watkiss(es) named his team yesterday for the home game against Barnet: Barnes; Stockdale, Heywood, Bennett, Newey; Kamara, Hunt, Trotter, Till; Llewellyn, Ameobi. "We've gotta do something," said Watkiss(es) resignedly, repeatedly observing in his weekly interview with Mariners World that three points out of the last available 45 was not good enough. The manager explained that 3-5-2 works when Town have the ball but definitely doesn't when the opposition full-backs start exploiting the space down the flanks. Quite why he has chosen Llewellyn to partner the inexperienced Ameobi was not even touched upon. Town now have too many players in their squad. Some of these non-playing forwards surely have to go. At least two out of Butler, Taylor, North and Jarman will not even make the bench tomorrow. And Mr Bore is likely to return soon with his tail between his legs after a less than happy time at York, where he has managed not score any goals at all and, as far as I know, never played for more than hour in any one game.

In previous seasons Barnet at home would have been classed as the easiest game of the season. But Town are only evens to win tomorrow, and even 11/10 against with some firms. Tragic or what? The attendance, despite a cheap ticket offer, is likely to be low. Team spirit is unlikely to be high given the chopping and changing. But hey, the weather forecast is good, and half a dozen of the Buckley-knockers may return to get the crowd up to 3000. Let's go down and give them one more chance - we might miss the only Watkiss(es) home game otherwise. See yer.