Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Monday 27 June 2011

27 June 2011

Mardy Diary writes: It's a player-signing extravaganza diary today as we catch up on all the transfer news that has already been reported elsewhere while we were sat out in the garden soaking up the sun.

Shaun Pearson is reportedly almost definitely going to be signing pretty damn soon, honest - with the fee to be decided by tribunal. The Boston chairman felt that Town's pricing of the player was an "unacceptable offer" - note the lack of the term 'derisory'. Clearly the chairman of the once-morally-bankrupt southern Lincs club has a lot to learn in the world of football transfer talk. Perhaps if the rumoured interest in Boston's "hard-working" midfielder Anthony Church is to be believed he'll get more practice. May I suggest: "Ten? Are you trying to insult me? Me, with a poor dying grandmother? Ten? He cost me twelve. You want to ruin me?"

Of course Church is rumoured to be after one of those proper jobs down in that London now that he's graduated. But why jump straight in to work, Anthony, when you can take a 'gap year' in Grimsby? It'll only last nine months anyway, with the bonus that your two-year contract will be paid up in full regardless of your length of service. It's like a pre-contract redundancy agreement.

We may also see the arrival of goalkeeper and ex-Bostonian loanee James McKeown to add to the signings of Pearson, Hearn, Spencer (see Friday's diary) and Silk. On the subject of Silk, Matt Pakes has emailed to say: "Just looked on his Wikipedia page - turns out we were born in the same hospital (as theres only one left on the island). So that makes me practically a professional footballer right?!" Well, if turning up shit-faced for work makes Barry Conlon a professional footballer, then why not? Here's your two grand a week, please sign this three-year contract...

So, it's all looking rather positive so far isn't it? Isn't it? Well, being a semi-professional miserablist myself, I'm looking at that central midfield and seeing a long-term issue that still isn't resolved. Wood and Thanoj offer good cover with some potential - but the issue is still there. Sure, there's time yet, as Shorty/Shouty have intimated, and while I agree with this and see no urgency around the signing of central defenders and goalkeepers, I am starting to get mild palpitations around the central midfield spot. I'd really like a midfield before pre-season gets underway this week.

However, there has been some movement in that department this weekend with the signing of an experienced ex-League midfielder on a two-year deal. It looks a promising signing with the said player having just missed out in the play-offs last season and having scored 40-odd goals in over 300 games. "I declined other clubs' approaches because I'd made my mind up after seeing the place, the training ground and meeting the manager," he started, adding: "I didn't play a lot towards the end of last season so can't wait to get going here." Well, I'm sure Micky Cummins will be just the th... oh, hang on a minute...

H'ok. Perhaps a little unfair on Craig Disley - but just a little warning shot to those making outlandish predictions already. To be fair to Disley, it's a name I recognise - which means he's either decent or really rubbish. I'll assume the former.

Further rumour has it that there'll be a another signing this week and Fenty has promised on Radio Humberside of "exciting signings". Hmmm. I don't think I need to say any more.