Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Tuesday 15 December 2009
15 December 2009
It's definitely Damien McCrory, isn't it? A week and a half ago, when Town's new new new left-back originally said he wouldn't mind extending his loan with us, and the Grimsby Telegraph headlined a story "Damien extends stay at Blundell Park", the Diary struggled to remember who Damien was, so numerous have the Mariners' temporary signings become over the past few seasons. I think I've got it now, though - which is just as well, as the player has now signed a new deal to keep him part of the Woodses revolution until 16 January. His fellow loanee - Michael Coulson, I think his name is - has done likewise, extending his time in the fourth division's squeaky bum zone until 23 January. With cunning application of the laws of logic, the Diary has concluded that this must be a Good Thing - specifically, McCrory and Coulson are Good Players and seem to have Pretty Good Attitude, ergo keeping them in your team must be a Good Thing - but this logic thing has turned round and bitten me on the arse so many times down the years that the optimistic side of my nature is hiding behind the sofa and refusing to come out until either the Mariners' Football League status is secured or the scary music from Doctor Who has finished.
Not that he reads web forums or anything, but Nick Colgan has urged supporters who go on web forums to stop criticising him and his teammates and instead "keep believing and stick together - players, management, coaching staff, directors, chairman and the supporters". In a Grimsby Telegraph interview today the Town captain insists: "I don't read the messageboards" but seems to know an awful lot about what's on them. Still, anything makes a change from Telling the Telegraph We've Not Been The Best Lately But We'll Get Better Now, Honest. For what it's worth, the Diary reckons Colgan might lack a bit of mobility but no more so than, say, Phil Barnes did in his first season with us (another keeper who joined GTFC after a long spell without any first-team football); on balance, Town have had plenty of worse number 1s and Colgan looks about average for the fourth division, with signs of improvement. And I agree with Nick: there's no point unleashing on the players the full force of your misery at the Mariners' form since 2003, because most of them have only been here since November 2009. Just remind me who that common denominator in the building is again.
"Dear Diary," begins a festive email from Mark Wilson, "In an idle moment between buying Christmas trees, turkeys and more biscuits than a cardiologist would deem sensible I had a leaf through When Saturday Comes in the local newsagent (it's much cheaper than actually buying it). I was drawn to WSC's best websites of the year and there with a more than honourable mention was Cod Almighty. Well done to you all." Well, we were too modest to mention it, but since you have, thanks. Mark continues: "Having written the odd article and helped fill the Diary with my musings, I look forward to an invite to the swanky awards ceremony in a swanky That There London hotel and the night of women, snorting cocaine and visiting the sort of nightclub Prince Harry goes to (and I don't mean the Third Reich in Bethnal Green!). Or should I meet you in the Nottingham?" Yes, this is the trouble with having underground cred instead of appealing to the X Factor radio-friendly mainstream - the champagne tends to taste uncannily like Old Mill Bitter. Still, if anybody wants to buy us one to celebrate, we'll be in the Rutland on Friday, and something tells me the fame won't have gone to our heads too much.