Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Friday 13 March 2009

13 March 2009

In 1977 Rico released this great reggae trombone album called Man From Wareika to which your Guest Diarist is fondly attached. So why does this come to mind on a pleasant spring Friday after listening to the Town joint number two Stuart Watkiss(es) on that Mariners World? Well, the fact that my second favourite track is nattily entitled 'Ramble' may provide a clue.

No insight here into the switch to 3-5-2 and whether Town will again consider lining up with big gaps down the flanks. Just a long mumbled monologue about... about... well, how Town keep narrowly losing, I suppose would sum it up. We narrowly lose to the top teams, we lose to the form teams, we lose to those round about us and nothing should be read into the fact we beat Lincoln 5-1 last week. Nothing much either will change if we lose to Chester at their place tomorrow. Just another three points spurned - lots of spurning time left, eh?

All around the local media we have pronouncements that tomorrow is the biggest, most important game... ever. Ryan Bennett has said it to the Telegraph, Coun Fenty (Con) has repeated it, Coun Dave 'wahay' Boylen (Lib Dem) is sure it is the biggest (despite playing in the 1969 season when Town really did finish second bottom of the fourth division). Chester manager Mark Wright thinks the winner tomorrow will stay up. I have a premonition about a sending off. But then I really haven't got a clue about anything any more so let's banish negativity and redirect positive energies towards JP Kalala's loins.

For JPK limped off with a groin problem the other night and will face a late fitness test at Everton's fancy training emporium.

This may take place with manager Newell in the sauna, where naked men get to talk about things that really matter whilst gently beating each other with twigs. I could tell you a story about what happened to me once in a Finnish sauna complex complete with withered old crone who was insistent on giving me a good rub down, but time is against me so I'll save it and instead tell you the interesting fact that demoted goalie Barnes has had tonsillitis recently.

So Newell has plenty of players to choose from - missing only Bolland (with his "long-term thing", as Watkiss(es) put it) and the returned Sinclair - a man we sent away with a dodgy hamstring only for his club to decide to operate upon his knee. The hamstring, I always thought, was that big muscle down the back of thine thigh (the one that when it cramps in the middle of the night makes for a right ruckus - in our house anyway). Whether it connects to the knee I know not (and don't need to really). It sounds doubtful whether we will see him again though.

Chester, meanwhile, struggle on with their squad down to 13 senior players and despite the various claims and promises made by their scally chairman, no sign of any hard cash to alleviate matters and allow some loaners to be signed. The ever-hopeful Mark Wright, who actually claims owner Stephen Vaughan as a friend, says he has compiled a list of players and still hopes to sign some of them in time to play tomorrow. Now that is hope springing eternal.

With Town taking ten full coachloads tomorrow, the away fans will almost match the home fans given the paltry 1,200 crowds Chester attract. And surely will be the noisier set. Let's hope the team give them something to get them going. Come on, we can beat these. See yer.