Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 8 January 2009

8 January 2009

If there was one sound on Radio Humberside heard more often during the 2004-05 season than Grimsby 'supporters' who hadn't actually been to the match phoning up to say: "Uh, Russell Slades, uh, appoint a non-League manager and you'll get non-League football, to be honest with you Burnsy," it was the reporter at the King$ton Communication$ FC match saying: "Tigers on course for victory again with another goal from that man Stuart Elliott!" By the end of the season the 'Slades out' banners were painted up and ready to go, while Elliott had netted 27 times from a wide midfield slot in a Kevin Donovan kind of way as Town's nouveau-riche north bank neighbours sealed promotion to the second division. Just like Donovan, Elliott experienced serious second album trouble immediately afterwards and basically disappeared forever - until today, when he signed on loan for the Mariners: a move which could later be made permanent, says Mr Re-Newell, with him still living ovver the Umber in Ull. The player has largely failed to trouble the teamsheet at his current club Doncaster, and something about those missing years whispers caution, but it's no use - the Diary is ridiculously excited about this one already, and let's face it: at the very least Elliott only needs to be a better left winger than Danny Boshell, Nick Hegarty and Chris Llewellyn.

Also joining on a month's loan is Dean Sinclair, who was a cracking young player when he was with Barnet but hasn't commanded a first-team spot since his move to Charlton in 2007. Newell, who once almost signed Sinclair for Luton, describes the player as "a box-to-box midfielder, full of energy... a hard worker" and points out that both new players will represents good value in being eligible to play seven games during the initial one-month term of their loans. Sinclair looks much less like a potential permanent signing - from the player's point of view, it's a shop window thing, while from Town's he represents a stopgap acquisition until either Liam Trotter can be persuaded to return to North East Lincs or Paul Bolland puts Lazarus in the shade with a return both to fitness and to the consistent form that has eluded him since his commanding first season with the Mariners in 2005-06, or just turning in to Alan Pouton at some point but without the red cards and dodgy knees.

Indeed, Newell's video interview thingy offers similar value today, as the manager proceeds to discuss Town's other loanee Joe Widdowson and at last brings the people an update on the progress of Mickaël Buscher. Buscher is yet to make a first-team squad since signing for GTFC five weeks ago when some way short of match fitness, but has just had "the best week since he's been here", according to MN, who does not elaborate on whether this means the player has shown well in training over the past few days or made lots of new friends, discovered the delights of those semi-posh new cafés down Meggies, got his end away and beaten his personal best on Wii Tennis.

That's your lot from the regular Diary this week, and I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to going to see Town on Saturday more than I have for a while. Let's see if Guest Diary feels the same way tomorrow. Cheerio!