Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 4 March 2010

4 March 2010

Armchair Diary writes: It's a bit difficult to know what to say today. Keith Alexander had left Town by the time I started going to games so I never actually got to see him play. Despite that, I always knew him as a true legend and a real folk hero. I feel more moved by his death than I thought I would. I'll tell you what though, I thought the England team wearing black armbands in his memory was a nice touch last night. I don't know how many of those massively overpaid buggers really knew that much about Keith, no doubt someone at the FA suggested the armbands, but fair play to the team for respecting a proper legend.

As you'd expect, tributes to Big Keith have been pouring in. Macca and Neil Woods have paid their respects in an article in the Telewag. It's great to hear how Alexander, a former non-League player, could give big-time pros like Tony Mowbray and Gary Pallister a problem but also as a manager never forgot his roots and would give other non-Leaguers a break. Woods' words really hit home though and remind you that, despite his health problems a few years back, Keith's was a shock death at a young age. Garry Birtles, a former team-mate of Alexander's under Sir Alan Buckley, is another to remind us all what a great bloke Big Keith was and how sadly he'll be missed. Sam Metcalf has penned Cod Almighty's tribute to the great man.

I've not yet heard what is happening about Macclesfield's game this weekend and whether or not that will go ahead. Similarly I have no idea how Town plan to honour the memory of one of the club's greats in this weekend's match against Shrewsbury. I do know the match is part of a Football for Heroes campaign the Football League is running, raising awareness of the Help for Heroes fund so let's hope that while this worthy fund is supported the club can find some way of celebrating the life of one of their own heroes. Even though Town's current playing staff are mostly short-termers and loaners none of whom have been here long enough to really soak up what it means to play for Grimsby Town, let's hope Neil Woods can inspire his players to a performance worthy of Big Keith, and hopefully a win too.

I'm afraid I feel duty-bound to bring you some more bad news: Town's home record is now the worst in the league after Stockport beat Wycombe last weekend. To be fair to Stockport, they tried hard to bugger it up, letting Wycombe peg them back from 4-0 up to set up a tight finish but they held on to win their second home game. OK, we have picked up 11 points at home to County's 10 so our home record is only the worst in the country if you're only taking the number of home wins into account. Even all the Conference clubs have won more than one game at home so we might not find it so easy next season either. But there is a positive in every story if you look hard enough, and today you need to be looking to Montrose in the Scottish third division who haven't won any games at home this season. We may be shit but at least we're not Montrose.

We end with a quick round up of player news. Olly Lancashire hasn't broken a bone in his foot so could be available again this weekend. Paris Cowing-Hell or whatever he's called is in light training but is a couple of weeks away from being available. Peter Bore is getting used to life as a full-back and wants to improve. And Adam Watts doesn't bear a grudge against Lee Peacock for the tackle that left the defender with a broken leg.