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Diary - Wednesday 7 September 2011

7 September 2011

Purveyors of messageboard claptrap will have had to find a new object of fantasy this week, as Alan Connell's first and second goals for Swindon last Saturday should have put an end to the preposterous notion of the player returning to Grimsby on loan. Your original/regular Diary, like chairman Deadly John (Topcon), never goes on messageboards except when I do. Personally I'm looking forward to a new round of discussions about building a new home for GTFC at King George V Stadium, and spirited attempts to argue that David Ross is actually a really nice bloke.

As Shorty and Shouty would remind us, though, there's no point living in the past. It's with Town's current, not former strikers that we ought to concern ourselves. One of those, Liam Hearn, has impressed with his workrate and ability to go past defenders, but after seven games this season is yet to find the net. "As long as I keep getting the chances, I believe once one goes in a few will," the player tells the Grimsby Telegraph today. The Telegraph adds: "Hearn says he is not alone in the camp in thinking the [sic.] fortunes will change if they keep playing with the same philosophy," at which we must suppress one sigh for every time we've heard that sentiment expressed by a GTFC employee since 2004.

While Hearn hasn't scored in seven games, his younger colleague Sam Mulready took just 70 minutes to get off the mark for the season. Mulready made his debut for North Ferriby United last night after leaving Blundell Park on a month's loan. The player put his side ahead at home to Frickley Athletic in the Northern Premier League, only for Frickley to hit back twice in the last 12 minutes. Don't underestimate the standard of football at the level these teams play at: the last time someone did that, the Mariners were dumped out of the FA Trophy by Chasetown.

Lastly today, Town's under-pressure co-manager Shouty gave a statement last week, of course, in which he argued passionately that Deadly John (Topcon) was right to give him and Shorty the job(s). In this statement Shouty asked: "Do you think he'd have headhunted a couple of mugs?", to which most seasoned Town fans responded: "Hmmm... do you really want us to answer that?" This was also an interesting utterance in the light of legal proceedings by Boston United, who claim Town scrumped the managerial duo, while Town insist they were windfalls. "Interesting that Sweary claims he and his pal were 'head hunted' from Boston," observes Phil Watson in an email to the Diary. "That phrase to me suggests something a little more deliberate on Fenty's part than 'Oh look, they've resigned, I'll give them a call'. I wonder if the Boston chairman is reading?"