Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Wednesday 24 September 2008
24 September 2008
Signings alert woo woo signings alert. Disco Stu Watkiss's mumbly accent and slightly downbeat tone in front of the Mariners World camera probably give some supporters a misleading impression of a man mired in indecision and overtaken by events - an unfortunate cosmetic handicap he shares with the Prime Minister. While Mr Gordon Brown is offering new policies Town's caretaker manager is offering new players, and if Liam Trotter was free universal health check-ups for everyone over 40 then a potential new striker by the end of today could be home internet and personal tutors for schoolchildren. I really should stop now. But speaking of The Politics - because I know it makes some of you very angry, and that's always good for a laugh - can anyone explain how we're supposed to believe that the Tories have moved on from their Victorian moral hypocrisy when they're still practising paternalistic social discrimination by offering new tax breaks to couples but denying them to those who aren't married? It's a rhetorical question so don't bother emailing.
Any old how, you get the feeling that the efforts of neither Mr Brown nor Mr Watkiss will keep them in their current jobs for very much longer; regardless of their abilities to manage in the long term, not to mention the fact they've only been in post for five minutes, many people seem to have made up their minds not to give them a chance. Now that Ilkeston Town manager David Holdsworth has dramatically ruled himself out of the running for the Blundell Park hotseat, Mariners chairman Deadly John (Con) has changed his mind about interviewing candidates this week - which he had earlier suggested would be a possibility - and leave it until next week to even begin sifting through the applications. In this matter, it seems to the Diary, the chairman is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, with some supporters certain to be turning purple with rage at what they will see as directorial dithering, and others bound to condemn him for rushing it if he opted to make a quicker decision. He might be in the other party from the Prime Minister but that doesn't mean they've nothing in common.
"Having lived in Sussex briefly a few years ago," writes Pat Bell in an email referring to yesterday's Diary, "I'm a bit alarmed to learn from the Diary that Lewes is now by the sea - it was surrounded by hills last time I visited." Yeah, well - climate change and that, eh. It's close enough - leave me alone!
David Wilkinson is another correspondent who likes to begin his emails with the word 'having'. Don't believe me? Get a load of this then. "Having listened to the Michael Buerk interview with Mike Newell this morning on Radio 4, for those who thought Alan Buckley was an awkward bugger, Newell is in a different class. Whether or not Fenty is big enough to work with him - or big enough to stand up to a lot in the football establishment who clearly don't want him to work again - I very much doubt. But he would get my vote for the next Town manager - an ex-footballer who is articulate, thinks for himself and with a proven track record at our level. Not many of them about!" Would Newell fancy it though, David? Do any other readers have preferred candidates? Email diary@codalmighty.com to let us know.
Lastly today, let's have a quick update on Straight Peter Bore, because there probably won't be many more chances. "He's got a lot of qualities that he has to bring out. He's got to show that on the pitch if he gets selected tonight," said York manager Colin Walker yesterday, shortly before omitting his Grimsby Town loanee from the 16 on duty for his side's visit to Kidderminster last night. The Diary is not a gambling man, and even if I were I'd be looking for a very good price indeed before being tempted by a flutter on SPB's loan at Bootham Crescent being extended to a second month.