Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Wednesday 11 August 2010

11 August 2010

Blundell Park is ready! That's the reassuring message now emerging from, er, Blundell Park. It's good to know, isn't it, with the football season just beginning, that the place where we go and watch the football is suitable for watching the football. Your original Diary also notes that Town's crack marketing team (I said CRACK) have boosted their already sky-high credibility by giving supporters wrong information about the length of time 'discounted' season tickets would be available. Cynical observers might conclude that they knew all along that they were going to extend the 'early bird' discount right up to the start of the season, and that they're taking every man jack of us for a mug. The Diary couldn't possibly comment.

Elsewhere it's just the usual drip-feed of players reciting platitudes to the Grimsby Telegraph about what a good 'set-up' Town have, and how much 'quality' there is in the squad, in a desperate bid to assure supporters that the Mariners won't actually finish 17th. Strictly speaking, we can't actually describe it as Tell The Telegraph We've Not Been The Best Lately But We'll Get Better Now, Honest, because the vast majority of the GTFC squad are yet to kick a ball in GTFC colours. Jammal Shahin was an honourable exception last season, of course, but he's signed for Selby Town.

The Diary is by no means contractually obliged to give a hearty plug to Around The Grounds. Published this week, it's a guidebook to the 92 Football League clubs and their grounds. By definition, you might think, this would limit its interest to supporters of non-League GTFC. But it does include a nifty piece about the Mariners - and why supporting rubbish teams is better than supporting good teams. It's by Cod Almighty's Pete Green, and he wrote it about a year ago, but the publishers just didn't have the heart to exclude it after Town's relegation. Have a look here for more information, should you wish.

Having exhausted today's scant smattering of GTFC news, I have just checked the Diary inbox, only to find an array of alternative Wednesday diaries emailed to us by an army of keen volunteers. Ah. I sort of think Idle Diary, in his appeal yesterday, just wanted you to say "yes, I'll write one sometime if you like" rather than actually write one straight off. But they are pretty damn good. So thanks to all of you who emailed, and sorry you've had to put up with me here today instead. We'll keep your details and get back to you!