Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 16 January 2009

16 January 2009

"There's a basis for a team there, and we are clear in our minds where we are going." That could have been what George Kerr said when he took over the Town squad which Tommy Casey (bless him) had stuffed with promising youngsters like Tony Ford, Kev Drinkell, Kevin Moore and Nigel Batch. Casey also signed Joe Waters (with a bit of help from all of us Town fans) and introduced us to Bobby Cumming. Enough said: he never won us owt, but we will never forget him.

The quote above, your Guest Diarist should explain, was actually uttered this week by the next great Town manager - Mike Newell. In his Mariners World interview Newell hid his frustration well: having lost both his full-backs to eternal injury (Newey being no better than he should be, and Stockdale's hamstring having given up its ghost in the reserve game) the manager's newly spine-stiffened line-up will sadly lose some balance again. Loanee youngster Widdowson will finally make his debut on the left and one supposes that either Clarke or Bennett will have to fill the right-back spot, given that brave soldier and defiant heterosexual Peter Bore has succumbed to a little nick on the back of his ankle. Injuries really are that lad's achilles heel, you know.

But hang on, gentle reader - we play well against better teams, and Wycombe don't exactly score loads of goals, as our newly reinstated pre-match factfile shows. So those odds of 7/1 in a two-horse race are too good to ignore. Go on, risk a fiver - I have. Wycombe manager Peter Taylor is shit scared of what Elliott can do and has more or less said so. Newell glowed about Elliott's training performances; he is a model professional (and has God on his side). How can we lose?

Actually there are many ways for us to not win - The Chairboys are well-organised masters of the 1-0 and the 1-1. And we can't hold on to a lead, as the last-minute equaliser they got against us at home proves. But, full-backs notwithstanding, there is a new spring in the Town step and I can't wait to watch them tomorrow.

Wycombe are controlled by that rich bloke who owns Wasps rugby team and they had great plans for a new stadium. But the recession-edging-to-depression has completely buggered that idea up. Apparently they were going to build it on an in-use aerodrome to be called Wycombe Air Park. Why does that make me feel uneasy? Perhaps a keeper could hit a helicopter with a clearance - one to send in to the 'you are the ref' cartoon in the Sunday paper perhaps. I've never hated Wycombe, but do feel that this is the season where they need to bugger off out of the way so we can push on and have a go ourselves next campaign. Plus I quite like that Bill Turnbull bloke on the breakfast telly, and he supports them stoically. But their home record needs spoiling and we should have a right go at it tomorrow, eh?

Meanwhile Peter Till has been moaning to the Telegraph. The perma-tanned winger with undoubted ability (which he seems to keep resolutely stuffed under his bushel) whined: "Obviously, the manager has his own ideas and I'm not in his plans at the minute so to go out and play games will be good for me, rather than sit on the bench for the reserves. It's difficult when new players come in and others play in front of you who aren't natural in your position." What most Town fans would enquire in polite riposte to this is: "Why, Mr Till, did you never bother to turn it on for more than half a game?" Till also set the record straight (hah!) about the Town fight club: "I'm not in the plans at the minute and I heard rumours that people said there had been a bust-up but that's not the case - I want to put that straight." Ex-skipper Heywood smiled enigmatically when he read that, I expect.

Regular Diary reader Tony Rogers has written in with a clever thought: "Loyalty. Everywhere demands it these days. Sainsbury's with its Nectar cards. Starbucks with a 'get six stamps get something free'. Even our local kiddies play centre gives us a free cuppa after six visits. How do Town reward our loyalty? With a league victory every eight games?"

And Sibbo has been on again. After a few false starts this came in: "Thinking of Town's match at Wycombe on Saturday, reminds me of a visit with Dave the Engineer. It was the return of AB who had taken over for his third stint as manager the previous week at Northampton. Town earned a creditable draw as I remember but ironically Mike Newell had recently made a comment about female officials. The lineswoman in question came to check the goals and nets in front of the black and white army, prior to the kick off. As one, we sang 'There's only one Mike Newell'. Funny old game eh!" Yes, indeed it is, mate. Let's hope we all have good reason to sing it again tomorrow. See yer.