Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 23 September 2008

23 September 2008

Not much to tell today, folks, but an email from Ancient Mariner 64 finds some curious parallels between the Mariners' situation and that of another coastal football club. "Those who weep for the departed Alan Buckley might spare a tear or two for Fleetwood Town manager Tony Greenwood. After taking 'the Codheads' to their highest position in the club's history - 20th position in the Conference North after three promotions in five years - Greenwood was sacked this week after accumulating a mere five points from nine games. Strange symmetry, eh, for management heroes in what once were fishing towns? Chairman Andy Pilley had gone on record last season as wanting League Two status within three years. Greenwood took them to the Northern Premier League championship but alas progress like that was too slow. Impatient or what?" It can lean too far the other way though, of course - another club based by the sea, Lewes, sacked their manager Steve King in the summer before they even got to kick a ball this season and he'd just won them the Conference South title - achieving something like their fourth promotion in ten years. Why? "At no time has Steve King been asked to get us promotion," said director Kevin Powell. "He's created the problem, if you like - and I don't mean this in a negative way - because he's been so successful." So there's always someone worse off than you. And harder to understand.

We all laughed last week when a Grimsby Telegraph reporter wrote: "One thing you can't fault Buckley for is his commitment to the cause and his workmanlike approach." And now Dr Phil has emailed to point out another amusing cock-up by our local rag. "Peter Till believes the Grimsby Town board can do no worse than to give the vacant manager's job to Stuart Watkiss on a permanent basis," began an item in yesterday's paper. "For pity's sake. Are literacy skills in this country in a permanent tailspin?" asks an exasperated Phil. Well, either the crap pay in local newspaper publishing means all the decent journalists are sodding off to earn more money as press officers, or else Till is just quoting the messageboards.

"All this talk of Mike Newell and how agents won't deal with him - since Town spend bugger all (is it actually nothing?) on agents does it really matter?" asks Lee Bradley. "Sounds like a match made in heaven." Sounds good to me, Lee - but at the same time, now that Colchester and Port Vale have both sacked their managers, Town have got superior competition for attracting the best names. Just a thought. See you all tomorrow.