Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 27 July 2009

27 July 2009

Hello folks, Mardy Diary here. A quick apology about yesterday: we were all busy. And that'll have to be good enough for you. So there.

The pre-season is really starting to drag now - there's always the anticipation of a new season of course, but I think there's a heightened sense of it this year. You can tell there's a real feeling among the players and the fans that we actually just want to get this show on the road and see what happens - you can smell it in the Grimsby air. Excitement, optimism and not a boo in earshot - and while the 'level headed realist' fans claim they'll be happy with mid-table or "just doing better than last season", you can sense that even they have a little spark in the back of their mind saying: "This year, more than any other year, this year". Go on - at least allow yourself a little bit of a smile before the season starts. And if it all goes wrong, then you can be grumpy about it.

The news continues along its pre-season path with more tales of former players - but at least they'll be appearing at BP this time as Town host Doncaster tonight in their penultimate friendly. It should be a good game against what I see as one of the top footballing sides in the Football League. It's always nice to see a team be brave enough to try and do things properly. Of course, there'll always be the new-money showponies around. Look at our wad, we've got loadsamoney. Yeah, whatever. The new Hull. How exciting for you. Ah of course, we're jealous. I dream of the day when we can desperately re-service a stupid amount of debt and then have to find £60m to pay off immediately. Oh to be a BIG CLUB. Pap will eat itself. Eventually.

Sorry, I'm rambling now. Penultimate friendly? Yes, you read that right. Town have hastily arranged a final match away at Winterton for this coming Saturday - 3pm if you're interested. The Gainsborough friendly was only pencilled in, apparently - and has now been swiftly rubbered out. Rubbed out. Erased. I don't know. I'd never make it as a journalist in a red top.

So, Town: well, despite rumours of a further signing, nothing seems to be happening on that front. But if there are any more coming in then perhaps you'd expect to see some going out, either on loan or otherwise. I suspect there will be a little bit more shifting about before the season starts - clubs get desperate as we approach the new season and gaps need filling. But we shall see. What is clear now is that we are ready. Time to kick on and kick out. Come on Town.