Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Wednesday 8 July 2009
8 July 2009
FORMER Grimsby Town loan goalkeeper Nick Colgan's last game of first-team football was on 11 August 2007 - the opening day of the season before last - when his then club Barnsley hosted Coventry in a second-flight Football League game watched by 12,616 spectators and equalised an early Leon McKenzie strike with a ninth-minute penalty by Brian Howard, only to succumb to three second-half goals and lose 4-1. His two-year hiatus from competitive football, rather than his 35 years of age, will be the chief concern of Town fans should Colgan return to their club this summer. Is this a possibility? Yes, says the BBC, it is: the Mariners' manager Mr Michael Re-Newell has "been in touch" with the player, though without reaching the stage of contract talks. It's a curious one, to be sure; many footballers have, for reasons best known to themselves, returned for a second spell at Blundell Park or even a third in some cases, but if there are any who've done so after a gap of 15 years then the Diary would be very interested to hear about it.
"I'm capable of playing in a load of different positions and wherever the manager wants me to play, I'll play in those positions and play to the best of my ability." That's the Adrian Forbes situation clarified a little, then, and a clue as to why our Mike brought the FORMER loan striker (who can also play on either wing, midfield, or right-back) back to a club where a generous contingent of forwards were already jockeying for position. Should Barry Conlon, Adam Proudlock, Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro, Peter Bore, Danny North and Nathan Jarman all find themselves wiped out by swine flu next season, Forbes may not be the only available cover in the forward positions, as non-striking striker Andy Smith has been joined on the GTFC trial trail by seldom-striking striker Graham Barrett. Twenty-seven-year-old Barrett managed eight goals in his two and a half years with Falkirk earlier this decade - more than he's scored with any other club in his career, although he's popped a couple in for the Irish Republic and sometimes plays in midfield, so faith in Newell and all that, eh.
Speaking of Andy Smith, Diary reader Alex Haigh has been doing some research, and "asked a former colleague who now resides back in his native Belfast". This is what they said: "has been around about eight clubs, never made it in the UK, started at Sheff Utd, couldn't cut it, came back, played in the Irish league for Glentoran - scored freely and attracted a lot of interest, has had spells at Preston, Motherwell, Stockport, Bristol [sic.] and Cheltenham - never scored for any of them, came back to Irish league with Portadown and done OK - scored a few goals, seems he can't cut it at any other level than Irish league, Irish league is part time by the way and a few steps below League Two, also - he is trouble and has a bad attitude, a lad in our office played NI schoolboys with him, said he is a big head - thought he was Beckham - never socialised with any of the lads - bit of a cock, Portadown gave him a chance when no one else wanted him - he walked out on the club despite having two years left on his contract, whole bitter dispute over it, in the end they had to release him as he's not worth the bother, it's a signing that wouldn't fill me with confidence but I doubt he'll make it past the trial with his attitude". Still, everyone deserves a second chance, eh?
Three other Diary readers have emailed to draw our attention to the Mariners Inn in Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria. This isn't some weird coincidence: it's because we've been talking about pubs with Town-related names. Dave Tasker describes it as "one of the more traditional boozers in the area" which "has live entertainment on a Friday/Saturday (or at least used to). Not a bad place to stay for anybody traveling to the Morecambe away fixture. Not unusually for the area, the front step is made of a slab of solid local slate; however, this one is a bit special as it has 'The Mariners' carved into it. Having lived in the South Lakes for ten years, when the soon-to-be Mrs T kicked me out the house the night before we got married, this was the obvious place for myself and my best man to stay." Thanks, Dave - I hope things improved later, and I shall bear all this in mind next time I'm up that way and can't remember how to pitch my tent.
Lastly today, an email from Mark Wilson says: "Far be it from me to force the Diary into a little Carry On-style smut but I couldn't help a Sid James style snigger at you asking if any of the Mariners themed pubs 'served a pint of Willy's'. Willy's what?" Oh dear - is this what happens when you get stuck in Hertfordshire?
