Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 10 November 2009

10 November 2009

Middle-Aged Diary often reflects what it must have been like to be a middle-aged Grimsby supporter forty years ago. Like us, there would be the recent experience of a progressive Town side holding its own in the second flight, but for them the current plight of a side perennially at the wrong end of the fourth division would be thrown into still harsher relief by vivid youthful memories of the Mariners in two FA Cup semi-finals, punching well above their weight in the proper first division. While we contend with the loss of potential stars in Ryan Bennett and Jack Barlow, the fan of the late sixties had seen established heroes - Matt Tees, Rod Green, Charlie Wright - move on.

What none of us can know is what happens next. For the fan of 40 years ago (who had also, of course, lived through events that put sport in context), it was the return of Matt Tees and the arrival of Lawrie McMenemy, and from this perspective, you can see why he is held in such esteem by the Town supporter of a certain age. Celebrations in 1972 were ecstatic precisely because those at the 3-0 win over Exeter that secured the title had also been there when Grimsby had seemed terminally shit.

For us, for now, there are two arrivals. Mike Parker, a former deputy chief executive of Young's Bluecrest has joined the Mariners' board, promising to commit both time and money to the cause. Damien McCrory, a Republic of Ireland under-18 international, has arrived on loan from Plymouth, following two spells and 12 appearances for Port Vale. No pressure, but there is an excellent precedent for the loan of players raised in Limerick. On Mariners Player, Neil Woods stresses that McCrory can play left midfield as well as left-back, but makes it clear that he will indeed replace Joe Widdowson. He goes on to make sympathetic noises about Widdowson, promising he will be reintroduced to the first XI when the time is right. McCrory is likely to join Peter Sweeney and Olly Lancashire in the side at Leeds tonight, with Adrian Forbes also a possible, having resumed training.

In the same Mariners Player interview, Neil Woods (who is coming somehow to resemble Jim Broadbent) tells us that he took the opportune moment of defeat by Bath to let John Fenty know that he would like to be considered for the manager's job permanently. If that doesn't work out, he can look forward to taking the youth team to Macclesfield in the third round of the Youth Alliance Cup, after they beat Rotherham 3-1 on Saturday.

This, then, is where we are. Like the Town supporter of 1969, we are here when we are shit, but we have been around long enough to know that it was not always like this, and it won't always be like this. Draw strength from those moments of joy you can still recall, and when the next one comes along, remember to celebrate all the more enthusiastically for having been here, now, just when it is hard to remember that this is supposed to be a pleasure. Or just think how glad you are you do not support Liverpool.