Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 8 September 2011

8 September 2011

Now that the Conservative Party has resumed its historic mission to basically ruin everyone's life, your original/regular Diary can't afford to get to away games so much. Last season the only match I made it to that wasn't at Blundell Park was at Sheffield United, where Mardy Diary and I took in the first leg of the FA Youth Cup final. Last year's tournament was notable, of course, for an excellent run by the Mariners' young 'uns, who ran Newcastle United very close in the fourth round. But for a few small circumstances, we reflected, it could have been our own club represented that evening at Bramall Lane. You know the sort of thing. If only Ryan O'Loughlin's 13th-minute long-range shot had deflected a degree or two wider of the Newcastle keeper. If only Deadly John (Topcon) hadn't idiotically decided Neil Woods was the man to keep Town in the Football League and left him to carry on with the youths instead.

The reason all this comes flooding back is that Town's youth team are in action again tonight in the same competition. As a non-League outfit the Mariners are forced to enter at the preliminary round, which precedes the first qualifying round. It's always a joy to see names like Brodie Blankley, Blaize Kerr and Caine Winfarrah lining up for the Mariners, and it's a joy that's magnified by the appearance in the draw of teams like Coventry Copsewood, Bowers & Pitsea and Daisy Hill. Tonight's tie is away at Ossett Albion: it's this season's first step along the way to the inevitable youth team cup tie against Walsall sometime in February.

Today's Grimsby Telegraph reports that Justin Whittle "has finally hung up his boots to join the management team" at North Ferriby United, where he's been playing for the past couple of years. Your moribund local rag reflects that the Sarge's defensive nous could be of great value to a club ovver the Umber near Ull that's let six goals in twice this season already. The Diary can't help thinking of Braintree and the ongoing lack of discipline among Town's own unsettled back four, and wondering if there'd be a role for Whittle back on the south bank.