Cod Almighty | Diary
Diary - Tuesday 15 March 2011
15 March 2011
Jim Edinburgh: I could be Town boss now, leads today's Grimsby Telegraph. Relax. It's just one of an increasing amount of Tellywag subbing fuck-ups. They mean Justin Edinburgh, who has revealed he is the latest manager to have been contacted by the chairman of Grimsby Town Football Club plc. Yes, we weren't joking (although we were) - the club is clearly contacting EVERY SINGLE MANAGER in the Conference in their bid to find Their Man. To be honest, what better guide to finding a man who knows the division than just running down the league table and using Google to look up the phone numbers?
Anyway, Edinburgh? Not interested: "With the position I'm now in with the owners, I feel at ease, comfortable and positive. Geographically going to Grimsby is not a good location for myself." So there you are. Two parts of the magic formula for poaching a manager: the club's owners (measured in Comforts) and geography (measured in Distance By Road From Any City That Isn't Hull).
So, after that cold shoulder, who has J Axl Fenty humming 'You Could Be Mine'? Who knows. Despite stating one of the reasons for dismissing Neil Woods was so the club could increase its chances of making the promotion play-offs in the remaining fixtures, Fenty has reiterated last week's message of wanting "to take the necessary time to make the right appointment. Nothing has changed. We are talking to targets and interviewing good prospects and that is ongoing." So much for taking advantage of the remaining fixtures for that essential play-off push. What are you waiting for, man? Can't you remember your own sense of desperation, exasperation, and urgency?
That still leaves column inches to be wasted in the Tellywag, room for some very idle speculation about Boston's Rob Scott and Paul Hurst! The paper's grounds for investigating? A firm of bookies have slashed the odds on the duo taking over. "We were linked with the Lincoln job," notes Scott about his previous form in these bookie-driven situations, before quipping: "Put it this way, I've not put any money on." Come on Blow, Pye, and Thompson! Just print off the league table and ring the clubs yourself! It can't be that hard (logic: the remaining board members have managed to do it). Jesus wept. We do this in our own time and managed to get a letter from Gordon Strachan once, just by asking. Pick up the phone! Do some talking! Bring us some news! Have you never seen All the President's Men? That's journalism! And Blundell Park could be your Watergate! Maybe.
While Fenty and the remaining muppets on the board take their time looking for a manager ("Hey, Mike! I've just been down Freemo and look what I found at Boyes! A big Kinder Egg with a massive toy in it, for only 50p! I've bought a fiver's worth! Making these will kill the time while we wait for all those calls back!"), safe hands Dave Moore remains in charge to lead the troops in tonight's fixture against Jim Edinburgh's Rushden & Diamonds - a bit like Sly Stallone in The Expendables, just with a bit less fireworks, even less hair, and swapping the muscle for flab.
Kenny Arthur is still out, so Steve Croudson is set to continue, despite Moore's efforts to bring a goalie in on loan. Straight Peter Bore's groin meant he missed part of yesterday's training session, but could still figure. Mark Hudson and Micky Cummins are out due to suspension, but they may not be the only ones to be forced to sit the game out after Saturday's ineffectual starting selection - equally a result of Moore's selection as well as the players' performances.
Whether Lee Peacock, Serge Makofo and Dean Sinclair should make the step up to the first XI is questionable - Sinclair is a prime candidate to return to centre-mid, but would Peacock last a game? I'd be inclined to throw him in from the start and let the visitors have it. While Rushden & Diamonds are no mugs, sitting right next to Town in the table, they gotta problems! If I was a gambling man, I'd be logging onto my internet betting account and putting hard earned cash on a Town win! But don't try too hard, Dave. We fear for you if you get that hat-trick of victories. You might end up with the job until the end of the season or something.
If you're heading to the game, just remember you don't save £££s by booking your ticket early. You only save ££s.
On a similar money-saving note (or coin, as it were), if you're looking a little further ahead and fancy getting into the game at the mighty Ken Loach's beloved Bath City for £2.50, save yourself £££££££££s! Brush up your Polish accent and you're in! Just beware the irate locals. Why can't we all just... get along?
Let's end with something non-footie and the great news about the Grimsby fish market securing a European grant, which gives the green light to some serious upgrading work at the market. Hooray! 1.2 million quid, eh! Well done to all involved and fantastic to see an investment like that made in the town. Now, if only we'd been able to combine that with a new stadiu-- I'll stop.